Spyke

I've started reading through it, finished college late today and its a big change from lifting stuff in Tech. The way you've intertwined music theory with one of my greatest interests has actually made me respect theory a lot more than I did already. I'm not the quickest, best or smartest learner, compared to some people here I know next to nothing and hopefully in a few years I can fully comprehend and apply what I've read here to my playing and writing. I've moslty been an Ancient Egypt fanboy most my life but studying Archaeology opened up Mesopotamia and Greece to me and finding your article there is a jackpot goldmine. It'll take me a while and a lot of re reading to fully understand and contribute somehow but for now I just think that its an incredible thing. Hopefully I'll understand better when I learn more theory as time marches on.

Brilliant!!!! You got my attention and I'm going to have to read and take note of these things in detail! But Ancient history and cultures are a definite brownie point here. I've had a fascination with the culture, lifestyle and mythologies of the ancient mediterranean. Sumer, Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Greeks, Macedonians, Egyptians. The lot, when I finished my Archaeology A Level and moved into music for good I've since struggled to find ways to apply the knowledge I got from studying archaeology and the history of cultures such as these. Wish I found this topic sooner, would have been my night sorted but I got to absorbed in the manga I was reading... whoops. I'll read through this full on after college tomorrow/today and give some feedback that's actually useful, I've barely skim read it and such information deserves more!!

Well, if its Heavy Metal stuff me and the lads will do in the future I'm going to have a hard time, playing something slow and melodic and singing is far easier than playing rageing heavy metal, suppose I can't have it easy now can I! Being the bass player I got do distract the drummer and not persuade the guitarist to extend or shorten a solo. aaah... good times ...

Well, filtering the ones out that are plain stupid and mucking round of course. There's a few vids I did of us playing songs or just me practicing. First up is my idea of a quick practice session, its so fast and unfunky it works! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCjtgVyqfC0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCjtgVyqfC0[/url] now another video of Metal god but with some of Electric Eye but our lecturer came in during the middle so we had to cut short! CURSES [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YUAZ2_BvMw&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YUAZ2_BvMw...feature=related[/url] This last one is a bootleg from ym friend from when we played at the local amphitheatre [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lWAKZYcTdw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lWAKZYcTdw[/url] we all sounded off but we pulled through!! his singing is better than mine too! lol So, need some opinions on what I can do to improve, or whatever. Just don't watch any of my other videos, you'll probably regret the madness. I know a lot of people here probably don't understand our deranged unserious videos! but I blame the guitarist, why? I just do. hahahaha

Didn't know they were guitarists originally. I sing terribly but if its the only way we can do Heavy Metal so be it. Me and my friends play whatever the curriculum gives us as it is in the course so metal is a reward and is as musically diverse and viable as playing 12 bar blues, Blondie, Pogues or Beatles.

[quote name='alant' post='592211' date='Sep 7 2009, 04:34 PM']I agree, again as someone who has started doing some backing vocals for a covers band. Being of the "older generation", one of my bass heroes is Martin Turner of Wishbone Ash who incredibly (IMO) manages to sing and play fairly complex bass lines at the same time![/quote] Saw them in Newcastle last Halloween, I was gobstruck by not just the bass but the guitar work. With my heavy metal hat on there's Blind Guardian, venom and Motorhead that also have Bass+vocals musicians.

Its harder than it looks or sounds, last year our singer who was in the 2nd year BTEC fell ill with glandular fever and I ended up having to take up singing duties since no other singer in the college would sing Judas Priest! (if it was a fricking beatles song I'd have probably had to pick from a 2 page list of names. The disrespect for Heavy Metal and bias towards beatles pop rock makes me sad) So, first job was finding my voice since I never sang before and that took a lot of practice. Then I had to be able to play and sing in time together which I still haven't fully mastered. This year, I'll probably be doing it more and I thought I'd ask ze pros on here. Anyone done it successfully, apart from Lemmy who is in fact a god in his own right as that has to explain why hasn't died from alllll those drugs and booze, women and insane volume! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-1RISnWrFg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-1RISnWrFg[/url] Its an early practice session from around easter time before I got my Ibanez, I'm playing my Yamaha in this video. So what I ask is for oppinions on what I can do to improve bass and vocals wise since all I get usually is "oh it sounds alright, keep going " without specific tips to meld off. Does blind practice over and over really work? So, anyway. Apart from that is it possible, is this thread in the right place actually, I was confused as to where it should go. Also I said "fug" instead of "f***" for some reason, never know myself but its a fun original word!

£180 FOR A 505? Bloody hell! lol I had to fork out £410 XD Gonna replace the strings once they come in the post in the next few days because its recently been looking a right state. I'm not exactly gentle and when I do exercises I go all out guitarist shredding. Its impractical to even mention shred and bass together but it gets me fingers and me arms working! At a price of strings, will get a picture of their state sometime. Fun!!!

The dark one is only there becayse Lord Gil, the cat in the background commands me to do so. The 2nd, well thought if the first was too vague to be a proper picture, may as well use this to go alongside it. He's not just a cat. He's a GEORDIE cat.

pics? Well I'll have to fish out some where I don't like look a complete prick loL!! Will fish out some more later.

Well, after having my Yamaha RBX374 (can't remember the letters hahaha) for nearly 2 years and my Ibanez SRX705 for a year I decided to add to the family, now this was blind faith, I bought the Sr500 in May and didn't really know what to expect of an Ibanez 4 string. Well, I bought it off the net and when I came home from college a few days later, I heard from my useless non metal loving sister that it came a few days ago when I was asleep. BEATCH!!!!! Got it out the box and it was smaller and lighter than I thought, my Yamaha is very heavy and chunky and my SRX isn't that light either. So, light, very good. But I fell in love with the neck, ibanez necks are very slim so I heard and bloody hell they are, brilliant! Being hyperflexible in my left hand, it made way for some very odd abilities to sprout I could not manage on my Yamaha. So, its already got some history, passed my Rockschool Bass Grade 1 with it (3rd highest score so if this bass isn't a good omen hell knows what is!!!) Gigged at the local amphitheatre with it. It is now my main bass but if I ever get tempted to buy another bass. What's the best kind to go for? I'd sell my soul or a kidney, or a tooth for a Rickenbacker 4003 but I wont ever be able to afford one... So, I like slim necks I use a pick and play quite roughly, I'd like to get something where you don't need pro wrestler strength to hold down a string as well but I suppose mods can sort that issue anyway. So, my fine comrades of bass. Ibanez SR500 = godly bass, good sound, good feel, its light and well, I like it. I know some people like to get certain parts replaced or finetuned to optimize the ability of the instrument for any new bass, I'm not one of them because i'm a noob. If there's anyone who is familiar with Ibanez basses and can suggest anything I can get done to improve its godliness, hit me with all you got! Otherwise, try to bribe me with fancy basses. But if you post any Rickenbackers... I'll cry. Seriously...

Thanks everyone, I've ordered 2 sets of strings for both these basses so if they hold out from my abuse until they come, great! Hopefully I'll be prepared for what the BTEC holds with new strings to mark a new year. I'm tempted to burn my weekend by learning Black Diamond by Stratovarius to do at one of the shows, hope mr. Drummer can handle it and that there's another metal fanatic in the 2nd years or first diplomas to play the other guitar. That or we could risk asking the services of the mackem, who played with us last year but he kept walking out in practice and we don't want that this year. Honestly feels like a proper band even if its just in college. So. Thanks everyone. New Strings, I've written down the tips so far. if you have anything else to tell this nooblet hit me!

I'm not much of an expert on strings so I hope someone can help me with my issues here. back in the spring I put D'addario flatwounds on my Yamaha RBX374, I regret the choice because if I do anything except 12 bar blues it sounds as dead and dry as a murdered camel. Want to replace these strings but also want to replace the strings on my Ibanez SR500 which I got in May, it has its retail strings still and I haven't exactly been gentle with it. With college starting back up I want to replace the strings on both basses so I can use both if needed. Though I prefer my Ibanez for its slim neck which makes "shredding" and non bassy bass techniques fun and easy. (When I'm not working and I got a bunch of metal loving friends/classmates in the studio with me, my instinct is to shreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed, or scream before the drummers throws his stick at me for being too loud, sound familiar to anyone? lol) I use very light strings on my Yamaha at the moment but don't know what make or gauge the retail strings are on my Ibanez SR500, so what I want to do is get a gauge similar and also the name of a good brand of strings to go for if I'm going to be playing the bass a lot in many different styles with a pick. I might just get D'Addario rounds for my Yamaha and stick with that but with my Ibanez being my main bass, my precioussss, it needs some full on badass strings but I need to know the gauge of the retail strings first of all. Fun. Also any tips for self defence against drummers is appreciated and ways to shut a guitarist up when he's in the twilight zone. I'm the singer for my college band songs so that's one less ego to deal with. I'm the oldest out of these beatches by a year! But that doesn't work... Once I've got my info or any string tips in general I'll take bass supremacy tips. So hit me!

Ah! Cheers, for the tips. tbh, I'd go for the Iceman all in all, my SRX might be a 5 string but it has its uses, now... TWO Ibanez basses, that's just not enough. Sod it, if I keep thinking like this I'll have 50 basses by next year! lol

Yamaha RBX374 < got it on flatwounds soon be be modded into a piccolo bass Ibanez SRX705 <--- my only 5 string Ibanez SR500 <--- my main bass and a total machine for shred offs with guitarists (I play bass, I'm better than him BY DEFAULT! Even if he is my mate and classmate XD )

So, I got a 5 string SRX705 and an SR500 already and love them. I like the thin necks and the powerful sound they bring out. I've been looking at the iceman bass guitars and am thinking of getting one in the future but, are they worth it, is there much of a difference handling wise between the SR series basses? I'm primarily a Heavy Metal bassist and the way its described sounds ideal to me. Don't bash me here, mr Jazz and Blues bass players, you were young and energetic once too! I also play with a pick. *runs and hides* So I'm wanting to know the ups and downs of the ice man series and if its suitable for a bass player of my style. (I'm just a student on the BTEC music course, not a professional musician! lol) Also, I want a Rickenbacker, bad, but that day will have to wait, or I can call up on a favour for my birthday or xmas and get one via the pity system. So. Iceman Basses, good for picking metal bassists or total craaaaaaaaaaaap?

I got a long way to go to fit in here lol, need a more professional bass, need another few years of ageing

I do it a lot at college because no one else fancies doing Heavy Metal. Bastards... I sing and play Judas Priest stuff though as that's the only stuff I seem to have much luck with.

From what I've learned both have their uses, I prefer to read and memorise pieces as I'm not one for trusting my ears too much. I can pick out a few things by ear that I can't find tabs for but that's only because Heavy Metal basslines are easy mode, brilliant for amateurs like me.

Just a Yamaha on the left and a 5 string Ibanez on the right.

The name's Andrew, I come from the glorious sun laden lands of North East England (South Shields) I'm 18 and have been playing bass just over a year, so I still have a pit load to learn. I got 3 basses, a cheap beginner one, a Yamaha. Both 4 stringed and one 5 stringer, an Ibanez. Heavy Metal and Hard Rock are my main likes with hip hop and electronica being the opposite. Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, DIO, Black Sabbath and Rainbow are the top bands I like. Joined up after I got the link to leech some tips from the pros here. I'm also studying music at college, I'm in my 3rd after I spent the 1st 2 studying A Level Archaeology which is a massive interest to me, has been since childhood. So there's some proof there I'm not a stereotypically un-knowledgeable bassist there. I'm also pretty crap.