Faithless

It's probably about half a year new, since I've started working on Continuous Arpeggio stuff.. I got the idea from fellow BC'er, Scott, here it is: [url="http://scottsbasslessons.com/video-tutorials/tutorial-6-how-to-practice-arpeggios/"]http://scottsbasslessons.com/video-tutoria...tice-arpeggios/[/url] I think it's one of the most beneficial things I've come across throughout my practice so far.. I'm also working on what J Gwizdala calls 'basic technique' - taking some simple scale patterns from classic piano book written by Louis Hanon, and working on them inside out and putting them up to speed.. It really amazes me, how much instrument control that stuff gives..

Don't worry too much about it - coating may come off fast, but strings will still sound good. I have been using Elixirs for years now, and haven't looked back since. They're probably smoothest strings in the business (I think that's also due to coating) and they sound good for ages - a few 'dedicated' slappers tried my Ibby some time ago, which was equipped with more than year old Elixirs, and they said 'wow, they still zing".. I also came across to the fact, that, when I played in rock band, and used to do lots of slides/slurs on B and E strings, coating would come off them so much faster..

Just got 'back' from watching Mr Oscar Peterson's trio killin' it on Mezzo (Jazz Icons).. The whole stuff was so musical, it's just crazy.. Peterson was joined by amazing flugelhornist/trumpetist Clark Terry at one point, who sang his ass off with some 'scatty' blues at the very end of the show.. Badass.. here's a little preview of the whole thing:

Use your thumb and mute the strings with your palm. Or, if you're too lazy, something like this may also work... : [url="http://plixi.com/p/64035135"]http://plixi.com/p/64035135[/url]

I have dealt with Mark a couple times so far, and it always was a pleasant business, though you can feel that Mark is busy these days

I know, all I'm trying to do is giving some food for thought for the OP (and for others, maybe) - basically, there are too many young players that take your advice in wrong way, WoT.

I'm seeing a lot of advices about "gettin' out and playing > practising".. Now, while I feel what everyone's saying about it, I'd really advise these guys and the OP - don't underrate [i]practice[/i]. I tend to go to jam sessions from time to time (to watch, not to play - I don't feel like being ready enough to blow on Impressions or whatever yet..), and it's kinda sad to see young students, who go out and try to blow on every tune (even on those that they don't really know well) that comes next, let it be Autumn Leaves and Giant Steps later, and.. know what? they sound bad. And I can [u]guarantee[/u], that is because they've been told the same thing as OP did several times here. You can play your ass off publicly, but [i]only [/i]this won't make you a good musician. You also have to take your time shedding as much, really spending time with your instrument(s), basically, till your nose bleeds. Playing live, with other musos, in some way, is a situation, where you show how you did your 'homework' (that is practising), if you did it at all.. The ones that are, most often, the first to be 'ready to go out and play' are drummers. But, take it easy - they don't have to learn every tune in 12 keys or transcribe Charlie Parker, if that makes sense..

Had my Line6 POD XT Live for a long time (the only one in country, as I assume, cuz soundtechs keep calling wanting to rent it for big gigs..), but sold it, because it didn't get enough serious use - I'd only use compressor and some Delay.. Or is it Reverb? ah whatever.. But now, as I'm using bass, tuned E-C, I'm after buying some octaver so that I would 'have' all those low notes, like D, and B, because I play in gospel band, and we're doing some Kirk Franklin tunes, where there's lots of low B action going on..

I may transcribe it tomorrow, but you'd only get notation, as I'm not doing tab versions - it just doesn't exist in music world, does it..

[quote name='thebrig' post='1062648' date='Dec 18 2010, 06:55 PM']I'm thinking of getting a Ibanez SR505 as I like my SR500 so much. But does it have a decent B on it, both tonally and tension? Do I need a 35" scale, and what strings and guage do you recommend to get good definition?[/quote] I don't really believe that longer scale thing.. That's because when I got my ACG, which is 33" scale, and it was strung B-G back then, the B sounded ridiculously good - maybe the best I've encountered so far.. Although I switched to E-C shortly after, as I prefer this tuning on fiver.. I have Ibby SR Prestige, which is 34" scale, and B string also sounds very good - crisp and clean. As for strings, you can do worse than choose Elixirs..

For a long time I've been gagging for that Ibanez PS combo.. well, I really was since I've spotted Genz Benz stuff, which is tad lighter, and while it's a priority to me, I went GB way.. the difference in weight was quite huge - Ibby (1x12, but they don't offer smaller size cabs) weighs 12,5kg along with the head, while GB (1x10)- only 8,2kgs.. I'm waiting for it to be delivered on Monday, we'll see how it goes..

[quote name='Doddy' post='1056564' date='Dec 12 2010, 11:11 PM']Good post Faith. I think it is usually the case that a player is stronger on one instrument than the other,because it is difficult to keep up your chops on both. With regards to players like Patitucci and McBride-I think that Christian McBride is one of,if not the,the best Upright players around. He's a great electric player,but not to the same level as he is on Upright. I think that John Patitucci however, is one of very few players around who is equally adept and has his own voice on both instruments.[/quote] What I'm trying to say about McBride is that he may play that electric well enough, but, to me, if someone put a tape on of him playing it, I doubt if anyone could recognise it - "oh that's McBride and no one else!", unlike other bunch of electric bass players I know.. I can't say the same thing about Johnny P, because I haven't listened enough to his upright playing, but the person who did state that he doesn't have as strong voice on double as on electric was Janek.

That's something similar to my situation, though it was not a guitar, it was EUB.. I shifted it after 8 months, just because I don't have enough time to play it, and I'm far from having a decent voice on electric so I had to choose.. Still, I thought, I would go 'back' to EUB a few years later, but I doubt if I would sit on it that much, nevermind taking a jazz gig on it..

Ah, so that's what it means.. Well, while I understand the 'bussiness', there's always an other side of it - musical one, and while I risk to open a can of worms.. I heard a few famous players saying, that they're [i]against [/i]this kind of thing, because, according to 'em, developing a voice on the instrument takes a lifetime, and you can't just do it on few different instruments (in this case it's electric and double bass..) Even more, there were a few comparisons of famous 'doublers', like J Pattituci and Christian McBride. Both of them double, but John (according to them) is primarily an electric bassist, while Christian is famous for double bass.. There were varies thoughts on them, like John P doesn't have that strong voice on double, while Christian doesn't have it on electric (and I can agree pretty much to this, as I've heard him live, and I couldnt heard past Jaco 'thing' on his fretless Pensa..) I probably wouldn't have asked this, but what got my attention, was people (whom I take as primarily electric bassists) saying that they do jazz gigs on double basses.. Now, a in jazz gig, to me, [i]voice[/i] is one of the 'leading' things, so.. Do feel like having a strong voice on both instruments? that's just some food for thought, take it easy Faith

Hey, so I know that Bassday in Madrid took place this weekend, and the reason I know it happened at all is that Janek Gwizdala was playing 1 hour solo set.. I've googled it, and I can't seem to find any more info - who was there and such.. So if anyone could help with that, I'd appreciate it.. I've been hunting Janek's live footage from this event for some time now, and finally, a bit of it appeared on Tube.. Quality is quite bad, but you can still hear music.. I think this is by far the best tune: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn-7DlIs0C0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn-7DlIs0C0[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1U-V9PeY0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1U-V9PeY0[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjQu3eE8pkM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjQu3eE8pkM[/url] easy Faith

Thanks for your thoughts, Urb.. Well, you're right about 'long term investment' - that's exactly what I'm after right now, and as I've said before (or maybe didn't..) a few years later I'm planning to move to some [i]big [/i]city, where I probably won't have a car, so portability will be at the very first place, so, I think, 10" will be more than enough, and I'm willing to sarcrifice some 'air' (10 vs 12") for portability in this case.. Today I had to borrow an amp for a gig as I'm ampless at the mo, and I got a Warwick 25.1 combo.. Ok, it can be loud and whatever, but, F*ck that weight and size, I mean it!!!!! I do really hope to order and get my GB "10 combo next week, so that I don't need to lug those crazy 'heavyweight' amps aruond anymore..

Well, most folks mention session cats, but I've never seemed to be gobsmacked by Nathan or Pino's job.. Instead, I would kill for a busy jazz gig in NYC, well and maybe some pop acts, just like Janek Gwizdala and a few other cats do..

I wouldn't risk by putting an amphead or whatever and a bass in a gigbag that doesn't have enough padding between two, and those cheap bags don't seem to be protective.. You wouldn't want a broken neck or pots, would You, Lemmy?