wateroftyne

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1476016415' post='3150434'] I totally get that, I've watched your review videos and a fine player you are, but you're sticking to diatonic or related harmony and a conventional rhythmic vocabulary like most successful players. (This is meant to be a compliment!) That can be reduced with the bass guitar to shifting patterns around the neck. I'm sure you'd monster a 12 blues, and in doing so employ a myriad of basic theory approaches, that when combined allow you your own signature approach. But a lot of it would be your combination of patterns, rhythmic or harmonic that are still patterns. Your intuition may lead to you to creating interesting lines and grooves etc but you'll be using theory implicitly to achieve this. If you weren't, others wouldn't be able to play with you! My point is that musical theory covers rhythm and structure as much as harmony, and a basic understanding is actually an easier conduit to more variety in playing music than relying on instinct or trial and error. [/quote] No offence taken :-) If I'm understanding right, you're suggesting that I unwittingly know a bit more theory than I think I do. If I do, it's subconscious, based on feel and experience, and not setting out to learn it first. You mention harmony, and that I maybe approach this as a pattern. I dunno - I've listened to - and sung - harmony since I was a kid. I just have a decent feel for it. I never think 'Oh, this is the 3rd...' Truth is, I just don't hang around exclusively with theory fiends. Plenty of players I know are like me.. we just do it and don't think about it. (Note: please don't take any of the above as a self-declaration of musical genius. There are scores of potential scenarios that more learned BC'ers would sail through, whereas I'd die on my arse. But those scenarios just don't appeal to me or touch my orbit, so I don't lose sleep over it.)

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1476013273' post='3150399'] If only there was a recognised international set of terms or a way writing it down to describe it to us all, that would be great [/quote] Yes, if only there was a way to write it down so it could be communicated to others. Youre just going to have to imagine it, as there's no other medium via which it can be conveyed.

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1476009305' post='3150356'] You've confused a drummer, well done 😉 As players of a geometric instrument, we can get away with hell of a lot. By this I mean it's not hard for example to learn pentatonic licks that are effective over a number of chords and sound like you have an advanced theoretical knowledge. All we have to do is shift a position. It's relatively easy to reach chord tones chromatically on the guitar and sound interesting. It's perfectly possible to do this without much theory knowledge, but begs the question, what could you do with a little more knowledge? [/quote] Ha ha.. trust me - I'm not just shifting shapes around the neck. There's a bit more going into it than that.

I had an interesting conversation last night - we gigged with a dep drummer who I've played with a few times. He's schooled in percussion and musical theory, and teaches. He likes my playing, and said he was surprised I hadn't got into to teaching. I told him my knowledge of theory is minimal, and I wouldn't know where to start. He was amazed... he didn't believe me. He couldn't understand how I do what I do without and in-depth understanding of what's going on. The point I'm clumsily trying to make is that he has his approach, and I have mine. Both are valid, and although having the theory has clear benefits, going the other route can still lead to good gigs with good players.

They look great!

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1476000242' post='3150268'] I'm not stupid. I just believe in good manners and courtesy. Things which are all too lacking in the present day 'all about me' society. [/quote] I believe in that too, but I also have an awareness that people lead busy lives, and have different priorities. It's obviously a #1 priority for you, but less so for others. A gentle nudge will help them along.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1475998809' post='3150259'] Why do people not need reminding when they are responding through personal messages about buying or selling instruments? The correspondence fairly whizzes back and forth then. I'm sorry, I just don't buy the reminding thing. [/quote] Do you really need to me to explain that it's probably because buying something is exciting, whereas leaving feedback isn't?

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1475954008' post='3150094'] Have you PM'd the people who've not reciprocated ? It may be they just need reminding. [/quote] Yup - it's as simple as this.

[quote name='Stickman' timestamp='1475943924' post='3149987'] "OK, it's real simple 4/4 thing guys. It's in B major, verse and chorus just alternate between chords I and IV, two bars each. Jim, just play sparse roots and fifths on the verse, but when we hit the chorus can you play continuous eighth notes?" [/quote] Crikey. I'm glad I'm not in that band.

In my case, given the musical circles I move in, I'll concede that if I'd learned to read, I might perhaps be doing more deps in function bands than I do. A lucky escape, I reckon. Bit of course if I want to do more gigs like that, I'll put the effort in to learn. Theory? Again, in my case, hardly anyone I work with bothers with the minutiae. We just write songs and parts, and play 'em. Some are theoretical geniuses, and I don't see them gaining any great advantage for what we do. I guess if I wanted to do gigs like what Bilbo does, I wouldn't last 30 seconds.

You just need to paste the YouTube URL, but remove the 's' from https;//, like so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doSxxc3Mu-4

Ooooh.....

[quote name='Kirky' timestamp='1475847800' post='3149210'] I hear a lot of bass players playing a minor (or pentatonic/blues) run where a major one would be much more appropriate. [/quote] Presumably they don't have a very good ear...?

This is one that comes up quite often. The general gist is that everyone's different - I'm probably similar to you, yet I don't feel hindered.

Honestly - just play what's on the record. You don't really need to write anything.

Any reports about 'em on Talkbass?

Well done!

Get something from Maruszczyk, and do something nice with your change from £1500.

I must be missing something here... why are you writing a line for a song that already has one?

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1475749593' post='3148392'] I noticed that on the SE Bass Bash videos, John Bentley's bass is "clacking" away on almost every note. I would expect extraneous noises to disappear in the mix on a gig. [/quote] Thanks my thoughts as well.

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1475747600' post='3148361'] well... [/quote] Helloooooooooo! I wonder how much something similar would be from the Fender CS? Would anyone like to hazard a guess?

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1475668513' post='3147743'] Andy Partridge isn't impressed: [url="https://twitter.com/xtcfans/status/783633659697987585"]https://twitter.com/...633659697987585[/url] [/quote] I wonder if he'd say that if he was on it..?

Interesting stuff. (WARNING - some of the accompanying muzak is dreadful). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xADoIFoKa0Q