Faithless

I've seen Spirocores in our shop, but they're quite expensive..

A little edit, change in Thomastik name.. Anyone?

So, I'm thinking to put a proper set of strings on my EUB.. I'm playing only pizzicato jazz, no bow, nothing classical. What I've found in shop, that suits my money range, would be.. 1.D'Addario Prelude (3/4 bass strings - would they still fit a standard scale EUB? (mine seems 40?) 2.Corelli Savarez 3.Thomastik Super Flexible 42 I know nothing about DB strings actually, so I'd appreciate your input.. Once again - only pizzicato jazz.. Thanks, Faith

Dunno about you, but, personally, I wouldn't go into this sort of stuff, if I couldn't read.. You never know, who's gonna happen, do you?

Playing Latin? I would love to get such a invitation myself.. Anyway, wattabout reading, I think, that most cruise gigs are based on reading, mate, so, if you don't have your reading chops going, it not worth going for that, eh..

It's not the topic, but, anyway, I find reading my transcriptions so much easier, than reading something totally new - the transcription I'm reading, most of the times, is simply 'ringing' in my head, a bar ahead of where I am.. But, after spending so much time on transcription, that isn't very strange, is it..

It all cool, but I was asking what[i] do you do[/i] with your transcribed solo, rather what you use during transcribing.. Maybe a title of the thread was a lil' tricky..

Ok, guys, I'm curious, how do you work on your transcriptions.. What do I do, is, first of all.. 1. Go through my work 50%, or so, slower, along with the recording.. 2. Then, try to match with the original speed of solo/tune.. 3. Then, try to play the solo on playlong, without the 'help' of original soloist.. 4.Take phrases, learn them in other keys, different tempos.. 5. Try to create something new, with the help of transcribed phrases.. Share, what do you do..

Epic Basschat thread..

Of course, huge factor in your sounding, is how you play, how's your technique, etc.. But that's purely matter of individual and group practice. Maybe, what would help for you, is to set your goals - how do you want to sound, and then work on it, day after day. One of my main goals (and I have set them not for a week, or month, but for years) came from listening to saxophonists - I'm amazed how music can sound so fliud, so '[i]legato[/i]' through that instrument. And I think, with lots and lots of shed (thanks, J. Gwizdala ), it can be done on bass. Think about what you want from it, then do it.

Forget amps, effects, basses and all other stuff. What will make you, and, more important, your band sound full and huge, is learning how to work with others. It's not only you, that make you sound full and huge. It's also other members of the band. Most important, the drummer. The [i]hugeness [/i]comes from [i]tightness[/i]. You wouldn't believe, how a good drummer enhances bassist. And vice versa. once again, forget about gear, concentrate on process.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='835907' date='May 13 2010, 11:23 AM']It has always been an issue for me that Laurence sounds like a composite of a couple of other players (Jaco and Jeff Berlin, primarily) rather than having a unique voice of his own. I always think that players like, say, Steve Swallow and Kermit Drsicoll, have none of the chops of people like Cottle but, because they have 'their' thing, they are more interesting to listen to. Cottle's writing is the same. Intelligent, cerebral etc but not really meaningful. He is one of those guys with a huge basket of skills that still never moves on. I think he just needs to find himself amongst all of the 'stuff' he has learned. He's still a great player, though.[/quote] It seems that 'Jaco syndrome' is a major issue for modern jazz bassists, innit? Hadrien Feraud is probably a best example for this.. A few years ago he sounded like a complete copy of the legend.. I'm glad he now got away with some sort of 'unique' sound after all. But still, there are dozens, and there probably will be. Just look at this Berklee cat: Not to mention, that he's a complete 'victim' of Jaco, I can't get it, how can he get his thing going in Berklee.. Whatever.. It got me thinking.. I've heard it dozen of times - Oh, this cat, sounds like a complete Jaco/Wooten/Garrisson/whatever.. Basically, bassplayer is compared to another bassplayer.. But, have you ever heard - Oh, this man [bassist] sounds like M.Davis/Korea/K.Garrett/Coltrane, whatever..?

Is it just me, or Laurence's big band stuff sounds too much like Jaco's big band stuff? Don't get me wrong, it all sounds very nice, but, his playing and compositions smell a bit too much like Jaco..

Can't judge others, but.. Courtney Pine played in Lithuania a week, or something, ago.. His programme was dedicated to Sidney Bechet. I haven't heard a bigger load of crap in my life, literally. Lots of gipsy jazz stuff, just horrible, nothing to add. BTW, a tutor told me, when Pine presented that programme in London a few years ago, he was totally bashed by critics. And I now know, why Sorry for the rant.. but I won't be buying his cd's.

[quote name='Doddy' post='826395' date='May 3 2010, 02:51 PM']Ah,'Four Brothers'-great tune. I've jammed with Janek on that tune. [/quote] Ah you lucky b*stard.. [just kiddin'] I believe, it was a great jam.. and, that melody, it soo infectious, that it's just crazy..

It was recorded direct, DI, so you get the picture.. The fact is, I'm playing with EQ a lot, cutting bass, cutting higher mids, but I'm doing this for my sounding issues, not to solve 'unevenness' problem.. What about the action, yep, it very low, but I'm playing very softly, so I don't have problems with clanking.. Well, I cut the highs completely off when playing, but this time everything was flat..

I've tried to to learn this thing properly, but, there were too many more important things (In my opinion..) to do over that short time I'm playing.. Though, you have to have a few main techniques by an 'OK level' in your bag to get the thing going..

Just wait for the main theme.. It's a wicked groove.. Janek's da man.

My bass came with Elixirs, they were all fine then.. I'm not sure about the bridge, though.. Guess, there's no other way, than showing bass to a proper luthier (and there are none of those here..) All I want from my bass, is, that it would sound as even as possible (and, properly set up bass [i]does [/i]have to sound even, as I suppose..?).. Does that my any sense? BTW, did you listen to the sound example?

I think, as, with any other technique, there an awful lot more to do, than to learn basslines from a few songs. There's an awful lot to shed, there's an awful lot to learn each phrase/lick in other/all keys, so you are comfortable to play something not only in the key of E, as Vic Wooten would say Get a copy of Tony Oppenheim "Slap It - Funk Studies for Electric Bass", turn to the page one, put that metronome on 2 n 4, and start sheddin', mate.. Just my two cents.. Faith

I'm somehow dissapointed with how my Ibby sounds. It's strung E-C, 34 scale. E sounds very bassy (probably from wearing, strings are Elixirs.. it's the only string already 'worn out'..), A sounds ok, D and G..? They sound dry, not bassy enough. C string sounds very thin, but that's something to do with my bass scale, as far as I know.. All in all, sound is uneven, when going from string to string in the same position.. The 'lower end' strings are too bassy, and uppers are too dry. The thing is, I tried to adjust pickups, lowering them, where E and A strings go, and, putting 'em up by the upper strings.. That didn't help much somehow.. There's a sound example of my bass, flat eq, I'm playing on bridge pup (hand position, I mean..): [attachment=48716:bass_scale.mp3] What do I do, guys? Any thoughts appreciated.. Faith

[quote name='blackmn90' post='824508' date='May 1 2010, 02:25 AM']well its all down to taste of music, but if you like funk and a band with lots of energy i think you missed out[/quote] You're probably right, mate

They played a while ago in Lithuania.. Then, juding from their Myspace, I wasn't very tempted to see 'em, somehow, eh..

Most of the time, I listen to the whole thing, not to the particular part of the drums. But, when playing swing, I sometimes pay some more attention to the hat, just to make sure I'm doing right..

Richard Bona Janek Gwizdala Miles Davis..