LeftyP

I think I mentioned this possibility when the subject last cropped up. Go into your nearest B&Q store and search out the Valspar paint department. They have hundreds of small cards covering the entire colour spectrum and sporting the most original names. Our bathroom is now a delicate shade of "Harp Strings" (no, I'm not making it up) and our kitchen is about to become "Snowdrop". Those names are almost normal compared to other shades of the pallet. I'm sure something will 'tickle your fancy' - now there's a name!

The name "Eurovision" was originally coined by British journalist George Campey when writing for the Evening Standard, and was adopted by the EBU for its network.[2] Eurovision is managed by the European Broadcasting Union’s Eurovision Operations Department and offers permanent coverage of Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, North Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as ad-hoc coverage of the African continent and the Pacific Rim. Not confined only to Europe, Eurovision currently encompasses 75 television broadcasting organizations located in 56 countries of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Furthermore, there are 61 associated broadcasting organizations in Europe, Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania. This is why countries outside of Europe can enter the contest e.g. Australia and Israel. It is easy to think that Eurovision is purely for Europe, or even the EU, but it is actually a broadcasting network that involves many far flung countries.

I'm in exactly the same situation at our church but I use chord charts which I produce on my computer, as a tablet thingy is not big enough for my eyesight!

I had the same problem finding a padded gig bag for my short scale Italia bass. I bought a cheap Stagg, unpadded, bag which is just a few inches long in the neck but otherwise OK. I then found some foam sheets that were used to pack audio gear and cut them to size. It's a little bit of a faff putting the guitar in the bag and making sure the foam is in place but it works! I emailed the distributors of Italia guitars (JHS) to see if they could recommend a gig bag but got no reply.

Yes, that stopped me in my tracks. I loved her voice and was a fan of Fotheringay, who I saw perform at Newcastle. She was so young and such a talent. The Fotheringay album is still one of my favourites plus many of her solo recordings. Then, of course, there was Karen Carpenter - another voice that will never be repeated. Harry Chapin was another that caught me off guard. I have most of his albums (many on 12" LP) and for him to be killed when his name was becoming known in the UK was very sad.

It was nice to watch but I do wish these programmes wouldn't take over two minutes to start. You get the same intro every episode then a menu - with clips - that you will see again later and after an age the actual programme gets started. Lots of padding that could be done without.

I've watched that video several times and it just keeps getting better! There's an almost telepathic connection between Scott and the drummer. It certainly isn't noodling as there is a clear structure to it. Thanks to the person who posted that young males would like it - at 68 years old I'll take that! I can listen to most styles of music; from Irish folk to country, pop, jazz and classical. I've spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting so have been exposed to just about every style of music. With the exception of rap - which is singing for people who can't sing - and heavy/thrash/death/whatever metal - which is noise - I can enjoy most forms of music. Scott's video has a great groove and I just wish I could play a tenth as well as he can.

My wife is a musician (got a degree and all that!) and was quite understanding when I bought my last bass. I only have two (basses that is, not wives!) and have no plans to expand the collection. Even if I did, I would need to obtain a lot of bass guitars to match the price of my wife's oboe and cor anglais!

Well, my "gig" took place this morning (Saturday 23/3/19) at a local church. There was a seminar for church youth and children's workers which attracted people form across the north of England to a very welcoming church on the outskirts of town - right beside the M6 motorway! The organizers wanted some worship music during the morning and three of us were drafted in. The trio consisted of our leader on semi-acoustic guitar and vocals, our church drummer who played the cajon and me on bass. The church did have its own Roland electronic drum kit but after giving it a try our drummer sat astride the cajon. We had about 40 minutes rehearsal before the delegates arrived but were familiar with the six songs from our own church services. I was not sure if my small 35 watt bass combo would be loud enough but it turned out to be an amazing little box of tricks; as did the small combo amp of the semi-acoustic guitarist. I bought the SubZero amp for use at home, but generally use headphones to spare the neighbours. This was the first time I had heard the unit in a gig situation and it really punched above its (light) weight. I had the volume at about a quarter full and kept the tone controls fairly neutral but the little combo really let the low end shine through. Despite our lead singer/guitarist playing a few wrong chords when his contact lenses dried out(!) the morning went well. The assembled throng drowned out our mistakes! I was using chord charts except for one song for which I had the bass guitar music. The attached photos show my bass and combo amp. The combo is a SubZero SZB 1035 which I bought from Gear for Music. It was my first "gig" outside of our own church environment so, another step on the road to stardom!

Thanks so much for posting that. There is a man who knows exactly what a bass guitar is for and how it fits into an ensemble and gives to the song. Love his sense of humour but am I glad I didn't have to lip read!

OK, I like the Beatles - especially their early albums up to Revolver and Rubber Soul (forget Sgt.Pepper). My first name is Paul, I'm left handed and I have a cheap version of the Hofner violin bass in my collection! Paul Mc. was and is one of the best bass players for popular music. As has already been said, he played to the song and, unless you are a bass player and listen out for his lines, his playing can go unnoticed. To me, that is the whole point of bass playing even in driving dance tracks. Most punters don't realise that it is the bass that makes dance tracks so good. I suspect that to many Beatles fans the songs are the main 'thing' and the instrumentation is secondary. I have watched many videos of "great" bass players and could never play like them with sparks flying off my fingers. However, I do not enjoy their music as, rather than being part of the song, their playing becomes a self important "Hey, look at me" performance that adds nothing to the event. Players like Joe Osborne on the Carpenters and 5th Dimension tracks knew when and how to use the bass. Paul Mc. was/is a master at finding just the right balance without detracting from the song.

Sometimes genuine wear and tare can tell a great tale!

I like to have a clean, new looking bass that can age in its own time. It's a bit like those folk who pay lots of money for jeans that have holes ripped in them. What's the point?

I haven't had the chance to hear my bass guitar through a powerful amp or PA. I use a small SubZero 35watt amp at home but, more often than not, use headphones to practice. At church I'm squeezed into a corner between the keyboard and drums and the whole band is behind the PA speakers - mounted above our heads and in front of us. My bass is DI'd into the church mixer and I get a monitor feed through a small speaker mounted on a mike stand in front of me.- - see photo. When the whole band in playing I often struggle to hear the bass and play from memory, hoping it sounds OK. I've had some nice comments from members of the congregation so I must be doing something right!

The word "Guys" seems to be applied to all genders these days. My wife and I have been called guys when eating at cafes and restaurants. "Hi guys, what would you like?"

We are an oppressed minority - but come the revolution..........! Being left handed, I rule a line from right to left and always flick through a magazine from back to front. When dining out I swap wine glasses and side plates about and turn my dessert spoon round so the handle is on the left; it causes no end of confusion to the other diners on my table! It's nice to be different!

Nice one! I wonder how many piano shops sell them. I also wonder whether there would be a market for electronic keyboards that could be switched to play left handed. You would think in this day and age a simple button on the keyboard would enable the instrument to become left handed.

I wonder if left handed people, who play other instruments, get hung up about having special instruments for them. I don't recall ever seeing a left handed piano or trombone etc. Can you play a flute with it sticking out to your left? Pianos (and keyboards in general) are a good case to look at because the melody is usually played with the right hand and the left hand provides a steady bass section. You would assume that left handed players will not be as nimble over the keys as a right hander. It seems that only guitar players make a thing about being left handed and wanting special instruments made for them. I like being left handed but have no problem in adapting to playing as a right handed person would. Whichever way I play, I'm still rubbish!

Parcelforce tried to deliver a parcel a while ago but, of course, I was out. The card they left told me that I could collect the parcel from the post office. There is a post office less than a two minute walk from my front door and the main sorting office is about a ten minute walk away. They left the parcel at the post office in the centre of town - part of the main WH Smith store. I walked down into town the following day to collect my parcel and, after queuing for many minutes was told that they could not find the package. I was told to ring the Parcelforce office who eventually told me that the package was "out for delivery". I raced back home with visions of another little red card through the door but about half an hour after I got home the package was delivered. Apparently, the driver had filled in his card to tell me where to collect the parcel from but, by the time he got there, WH Smith had closed for the night! He didn't leave it at my local post office because it was difficult to park there - even though there are many delivery vans and lorries dropping stuff off there every day because it is a corner shop that sells milk, bread and stuff as well as being a P.O. You couldn't make it up.

I'm a lefty who plays right handed because that is how I was taught by my guitar teacher when I tried the classical guitar. Despite my dominant hand being the left one I don't have a lot of dexterity in it for fretting the bass. My fingers don't stretch far enough apart to manage one finger per fret and I need to move my hand around much more because of it. Having said that, my right hand is about the same, so I'd be no better off switching to a left handed bass!

I thought I would re-activate this subject as I have just paid a visit to Promenade Music in Morecambe. The Lancashire sea side town is just over an hour's drive south down the M6 from my Cumbrian home and today turned out to be quite mild and sunny for February! I had forgotten what a great music shop Promenade is. You name the musical instrument and they will probably have it tucked away somewhere. There were loads of bass guitars and electric guitars in the basement with keyboards and a huge selection of acoustic guitars upstairs. Brass and woodwind instruments were on display too. I was looking for a gig bag for my Italia Maranello Cavo bass guitar, which is a bit small to fill out a standard bass bag but too large for an electric guitar bag! We tried a few but nothing was suitable. I was blown away by the selection of musical instruments they had, with more bass guitars than to could wish for. It's worth a visit if you fancy a day out.

As a teenager in the '60s, listening to Radio Caroline (North), I was - and still am - a big Beatles fan. But it was their early stuff that I really liked. Album wise I have "Please Please Me" - 1963, "Beatles For Sale" - 1964, "With The Beatles" -1963, "A Hard Day's Night" (my favourite Beatles album) 1964, "Rubber Soul" - 1965, "Help" - 1965 and "Revolver" 1966. After those recordings I felt they wandered away from good old 'pop' music. Sgt. Pepper has never registered with me - I genuinely do not understand the fuss that is made over it. I am also an ABBA fan and love everything the Carpenters ever recorded. I can appreciate most types of music but the old 60s/70s tracks have something about them.

It's difficult to say because they feel so different under the fingers. Some brands may differ too. If they are of a lower tension it will be minimal. All I know is that I like the way they play and they are kind to my fingers! I am a light player so that will affect the sound of them too.

I use Amazon a lot and my sister gives me a shopping list at Christmas for stuff she wants for her sons (she is not on-line!). I have never had a problem with Amazon. They have a huge choice of products at good prices (generally) and can often deliver within 24 hours - even without using Prime. They also provide a shop window for individual retailers who use Amazon to sell their wares. I ordered a cheap watch for when I am out and about; by cheap I mean £2. It came from Hong Kong and I suspect the postage cost more than the watch - the replacement battery certainly did! It keeps better time than a Tag Huer I have. I also bought one of those small bendy camera tripods which should have come with a fitting to hold a smart 'phone. Again it was only about £3 and was shipped from China. It arrived without the smart 'phone fitting so I mentioned this on the Amazon feedback site. I got a full refund, was told to keep the tripod and then they sent me the missing fitting - quids in! I buy all my bass strings and accessories from Amazon as my local guitar shop (we only have one) has a limited choice. I hate "shopping" and avoid the high street if at all possible. I was thinking the other day about which high street shops (excluding where we do our weekly shop) I would miss if they closed. I could not think of one. Amazon plays by the tax rules as they are and it is up to the government of the day to sort that out. As has already been mentioned, retail is a hard business and generally low paid. We've all heard about the working conditions of Sports Direct and other "named" brands so I don't see why Amazon should be targeted for special treatment. City centres suffered from the out of town sites that have sprung up over recent years. We need to bring people back into town centres to live and stop this obsession with shopping.