Major-Minor

It's perhaps worth pointing out that the rates the MU set are MINIMUM rates. If you can negotiate a higher fee, then good luck to you ! The Major

[quote name='benebass' post='871347' date='Jun 18 2010, 11:36 PM']Just out of interest, who was the session for? Always thought the last Happy Mondays album was polished up by session men to make it fit for a release![/quote] I'm not very good with names ! But I seem to remember Monkeys came into the band's name. Space Monkeys ? something like that ... I should make it clear that I was playing DB in a small string section - maybe 6 or 8 players. None of us got paid, and neither did the studio, the producer or the engineers. AW was very bad with money alright .... other peoples ! He had plenty of his own ! The Major

Last night I had a 2 hour "jingle" session for which i will be paid the correct MU rate of £103. This is an all rights buy out - there will be no further residual payments ie when the jingle is broadcast i will not get further royalties. You need to check what the ultimate usage of your performance will be for. As has been mentioned, there are proper rates for these things set by the MU (which I strongly advise you to join). They will also check contracts for you and advise you on your performance rights. If the recording is destined for commercial release (ie not a demo), the studio should ask you to sign a release form (if they don't, its quite likely to be a dodgy set-up) . This is where you give your permission for the material to be used and exploited in any way the owner of the recording (the guy who pays you) wishes. If you only get paid a small sum, and the recording then becomes a worldwide hit, you will be kicking yourself that you didn't get a proper fee. And if you don't sign that form, there will be no record of who the bass player was on the session, and then you won't be able to join PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and get residual payments that way. This whole "business" side of the music industry is a mine-field for unsuspecting newbies. You need all the help and advise you can get or, like so many others, you will be taken for a ride. I'm not a union minded person - far from it - but the MU is the only body which represents the interests of working musicians. They have a good legal dept and know all there is to know about the biz. I have been a member for well over 40 years and have had to turn to them several times for help with dodgy agents / promoters / record companies etc. They haven't been able to solve every problem but they certainly tried their best. For instance, I once did a session for an indie band, whose record company were run by a very well known Manchester based entrepreneur (recently deceased). I didn't get a contract at the time (stupid me) and of course when that company then went bust, I got no money ! Ant--- Wi---- of course was still a very rich man. But I had no proof I'd been there. So the MU was unable to get my dosh despite trying very hard. So beware ! The Major

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='868773' date='Jun 16 2010, 09:44 AM']Thanks again for this. I'm about 25 episodes behind at the moment but I'm finding this an incredibly useful resource. My reading is getting much better, even (still bad but better!!)[/quote] It's my pleasure, thepurpleblob. The next session will feature triplets (crotchet and quaver varieties). I've yet to start on this one though ... been rather busy this week writing some radio jingles, which we recorded just this evening at the Beeb. But is should be ready in a week or two. The Major

The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 26 Getting Started with Music Reading - in D Minor OK - a big leap forward in this Session ! We are now going to look at SEMIQUAVERS. You will notice that the tempos on the mp3s here are all on the steady side. This is to make our first encounter with semi's reasonably palatable. All 5 exercises are playable using just the first 2 positions. Play along for 8 bars, then you are on your own for the next 8 (which is a repeat of the previous 8). Key of D minor has 1 flat (Bb) just like it's Relative Major of F. MBBC26a [attachment=51644:MBBC26a.pdf] [attachment=51649:MBBC26a.mp3] There are 4 semiquavers in each crotchet. Look at bar 1: The 4th beat of the bar has 4 semi's playing D. It's usual to group the notes together in such a way as to make reading them as easy as possible. So these 4 semis have the "double" bar across the top, joining them all together. In Bar 33, on beat 3, you can see 2 semis (E and F) followed by a quaver (E). These 3 notes have been "barred" together to show they take up 1 crotchet beat. In Bar 55, beats 3 and 4, you will see I have TIED the quaver over to the next beat. In the next Bar, I have used an alternative way of writing the same rhythm. Both ways are perfectly acceptable, but Bar 55 is the clearer way of "seeing" the beats. Watch out for the ACCIDENTALS ! In this piece, C# (as in bar 40). When there is a C# marked, any following C's in the same bar (and at the same pitch) will also be C#. MBBC26b [attachment=51645:MBBC26b.pdf] [attachment=51650:MBBC26b.mp3] In bar 1, you will see the "quaver followed by 2 semis" pattern on both beats 1 and 2. Then in the second bar, this pattern is reversed - so we get "2 semis follow by a quaver" pattern. It is very important to be able to recognise this difference. Its so easy to get it wrong ! Then notice in bar 4, the last of the group of semis on beat 2 is TIED over to the minim, creating that distinctive syncopated rhythm. The semiquaver REST makes it's first appearance in bar 5, on beat 3. Again, watch out for the ACCIDENTALS. This time there are also B NATURALS in there. Of course, if there is no natural sign in front of a B, it is a Bb as in the key sig. In Bar 33, I have used a "guide" accidental on the C, just to remind you that the # on the previous C (in bar 32) is no longer active. Putting these guides accidentals in is good practice amongst the better music editors and copyists but mostly they won't be there and you have to keep your wits about you when sight reading. Its sometimes worth marking them in on a part if you think you might get it wrong. Also in bar 33, on beat 1, we get the first instance of the "dotted quaver followed by a semiquaver". So the dotted quaver is worth 3 semis (a quaver plus half as much again), the extra semi making up the 4 (semis) in one crotchet beat. MBBC26c [attachment=51646:MBBC26c.pdf] [attachment=51651:MBBC26c.mp3] Sometimes, when you get a lot of semiquaver rests, it can be difficult to see where the main beats are. So its common practice amongst players to mark the beats with vertical lines. I've put them in here in the first 2 bars to show what I mean. Bars 17 and 19 - here are 2 alternative ways of writing this syncopation. Both ways are quite correct. MBBC26d [attachment=51647:MBBC26d.pdf] [attachment=51652:MBBC26d.mp3] Watch out for the G# and Eb accidentals in this one. Bar 17 - 2nd beat - here is another semiquaver pattern to get used to: Semi / quaver / semi Here the quaver in the middle is syncopated across the middle of the beat. MBBC26e [attachment=51648:MBBC26e.pdf] [attachment=51653:MBBC26e.mp3] Have fun ! The Major

[quote name='Hector' post='860136' date='Jun 7 2010, 05:48 PM']Major, are you using the regular Pirazzis or the Weichs? I've heard mixed reviews about them, with some saying that they die too early and are a bit of an extra effort to play - what are your thoughts? I've been using the same old set of spirocores for years now, and they're starting to sound a bit tired, so was looking for a new set but I'm struggling since my playing is pretty much split 50-50 between jazz and classical stuff. p.s. I like the spirocores' playability, but their tone is a little bright for me - looking for a woodier/ Christian McBride Style tone playing pizz.[/quote] The first Evahs I bought were the Weichs, which sounded great but I found them too rubbery, almost too easy to play - I like a bit of resistance. They were ok with the bow but not great. Then I tried a set of the regular orchestral Evahs on my orch bass. Wow ! Big sound, responsive, solid under the fingers (they are a bit fatter than most), but yet sustaining and growly for jazz pizz. The spiros I had on my jazz DB were getting very old, and have always been awful with the bow. As I was doing some concerts that were mainly big band stuff with some orchestral bits thrown in that required bowing, I decided to try the regular Evahs on this jazz DB. Again, i was bowled over ! And I got some great comments about the sound of my bass from other members of this (27 piece) orchestra, both the straight players and the jazzers. So now I am a happy chappy ! Having said all this, i can see that they are not for everyone. And I too have heard that they don't last long. I've been using them for 6 months now and the sound has not deteriorated yet. But time will tell ... Hector - if you want that woodier, darker sound, try the Evah Regulars. The Major

I now use Evahs (orch) for both jazz and arco playing. And I think they are superb. Yes they are a little darker (for jazz) than say spiros, but they growl beautifully at the bottom end, and have a solid tone in the higher register. The pizz sustain is much longer than on most orchestral type strings. Maybe you have a duff set (it does happen!) or they have been thrashed. The Major

All income is taxable ! You need to keep a record of every penny you earn as a freelancer, but also note down all your expenditure - new instruments, amps, strings, repairs, stage clothing, dry cleaning, car servicing, fuel, heating cleaning and lighting of your practise space, any study materials you buy, CDs books etc, office stationary, accountants fees, mobile phone bills, landline bills, broadband, computers and other high tech stuff, anything at all that you can argue is essential to your being able to function as a musician. You can offset all these things (or a percentage of say your phone bill) against your earnings to reduce your tax bill Keep a record of the mileage you do while gigging and all your fuel receipts. You don't need to be a registered business but you need to inform the Inland Revenue who will then send you the relevant Tax paperwork. The Major

Well done mate ! Now you can relax and start enjoying life again ! The Major

So how did it go Geoff ? Full details now ..... The Major

[quote name='kembo_dee' post='852902' date='May 31 2010, 08:13 PM']Any details? time,ticket price? which space in the RNCM? cheers Kembo[/quote] Geoff will be busy with last minute practice no doubt. But he told me 11.45 in the Lord rhodes room. The Major

Our very own geoffbassist is doing his Final Recital at the RNCM on tuesday - can we all send him our best wishes ? The Major

[quote name='Hector' post='849999' date='May 28 2010, 01:51 AM']Learning to read music totally changed my life. I'm not exaggerating. One day, about 4 or 5 years ago, a friend asked if I wanted to play bass in a production of Les Miserables. I lied and said I could read music in order to get the gig. I sweated over that score to learn to read, but when it was time for the show I nailed it. I jumped in the deep end, and it was scary at first. I never thought I'd be able to do it! 5 years later and I am a totally different musician. Learning to read started me playing upright, which is the love of my life. I joined an orchestra and started getting/taking much more gigs, partly because I doubled on electric and upright but mostly because I could read competently. Since then, I've not looked back. 75% of my gigs I play on a regular basis involve reading, and more often than not sight reading (and those that aren't are jazz charts). There are still things that catch me out occasionally, but for the most part I'm fluent. I play with countless different orchestras, big bands, musicals, ensembles etc. I've met so many great people and made so many friends, and become a more rounded, competent and employable bass player. It sounds like I'm blowing my own trumpet a bit, which I don't mean to do. The point I'm trying to make is that the one little decision I made all those years ago to get off my arse and learn to read properly has opened up a whole world of opportunities for me. Music is such a huge part of my life, and I love it, but I'd never have met so many people and played so many wonderful pieces if I hadn't learnt to read. It's allowed me to appreciate and enjoy what it is I do on a deeper level than I did before reading. It's made me so happy, and I'm grateful every single day that I get to play bass with and for so many people. I'm busy as feck mind, with my degree on top of gigging, but if you really love something it barely even feels like a sacrifice. I hope learning to read makes you as happy as it has me! EDIT: p.s. I feel the same about having a good ear, sight transposition (ever backed a singer who can't do original keys?) and being able to bash out a bit of piano.[/quote] Hector - this is a brilliant post ! I hope many non-reading basschatters are inspired by this. The Major

[quote name='Faithless' post='849130' date='May 27 2010, 08:11 AM']I'll see if I can get that bow thing.[/quote] Good man ! You won't regret it. It's not easy at first, but with a little effort and concentration (and maybe a lesson or 2), you will be soaring (sawing ?) away in no time ! Even if you just use it for that old cliche, the last sustained note of a ballad, its another colour you can bring to your playing. The Major

[quote name='stevie' post='849185' date='May 27 2010, 09:35 AM']Major, this is just the most amazing resource. Please keep it up if you can.[/quote] At my age, any reference to "keeping it up" causes a certain amount of angst ! But I'll keep producing these reading sessions till I've covered everything you might find on a typical reading gig. As long as at least some of you basschatters can gain from them, it's worth doing. Please do PM me if there is anything you are struggling with. Any feedback is most helpful. The Major

I absolutely LOVE the Evahs ! I have the medium evahs on both my orch bass and my jazz. I have a set of the Evah weichs but found them too rubbery. I like a bit of resistance from the string. Bilbo is trying them at present (what do think Bilbo ? like em ?). When he lets me have them back, I'd be happy for you to try them Daf. And Faithless - can I suggest you try a bit of playing with the bow ? It will do great things for your intonation, vibrato and left hand sustain. Just because you use a bow doesn't mean you have to play classical repertoire. Look at all the jazz players who use one - Paul Chambers, John Pattaticci , Eberhard Weber, Stanley Clarke to name but a few. The Major

The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 25 Getting Started with Sight Reading - in A minor Before we look at Reading in the rest of the Major Keys (A Eb E Ab etc), I'm going to do the Relative Minor keys of the Major keys we have already looked at. So the first one is A Minor - the relative minor key of C major - so no sharps or flats in the key signature. However, if we want to play certain notes from the Harmonic or Melodic minor scales, we will need to use "ACCIDENTALS". These are sharps or flats not in the key sig, but which are placed in front of the natural notes to transform them accordingly. This is why I wanted to look at these minor keys at this stage - to get you used to seeing accidentals. Also new in this session: Minim and Semibreve rests. These 2 rests look very similar and always cause some confusion till you learn to recognise that the minim rest sits ON the middle line and the semibreve rest hangs UNDER the 2nd line. I've now increased the length of each phrase to 8 bars, which is then repeated. So the first 8 bars you play along with me, then you are on your own for the repeated 8 bars. All 5 exercises are playable using only the first 2 positions. MBBC25a [attachment=50593:MBBC25a.pdf] [attachment=50598:MBBC25a.mp3] In bars 19 20 and 21 you will see the first MINIM RESTS ie for 2 beats don't play. Now look at bars 34 and 36. Here are SEMIBREVE RESTS taking up 4 whole beats. MBBC25b [attachment=50594:MBBC25b.pdf] [attachment=50599:MBBC25b.mp3] In bars 18 and 19, you will see "guide" accidentals. Its not strictly necessary to put these "natural" signs in here, but a good copyist will usually try to put them in. Accidentals only last for the remaining beats of the bar that they are written in, so, for instance, the G# in bar 17 only affects that one note. If there was another G# following it in the same bar, that note would not need an accidental as the # sign on the G affects the rest of the bar. Bar 18 starts afresh, the G is automatically a G natural as per the key sig. However, to make it absolutely clear to the reader, a "guide" accidental (which can sometimes be written in brackets) is added. Just to be clear: The G# in bar 17 is a tied note ie one single articulated note but written with a quaver joined (tied) to a minim. This simply shows the length of the note (2.5 beats). The sharp sign (#) applies, of course, to the whole length of that note. MBBC25c [attachment=50595:MBBC25c.pdf] [attachment=50600:MBBC25c.mp3] This point is not relevant to the pieces here, but its worth clarifying at this time: As we've already said, once an accidental appears in a bar, that same accidental applies to any note in that same bar which is at the same pitch. As usual with these little rules, it came about to save the copyists time and effort in the old days ! Say you had a bar of 8 quaver G#s, it would be a real pfaff to have to write a # before each note, so this rule made it much easier. BUT the accidental applies to only the one octave. So if, in my bar of G# quavers, there are other G#s in other octaves, they would need an accidental placed before the first note of each octave. Having said this, the American Jazz world thinks differently on this subject (well they would wouldn't they !!). In their (short) tradition, an accidental apples to all octaves of that particular note within one bar. MBBC25d [attachment=50596:MBBC25d.pdf] [attachment=50602:MBBC25d.mp3] So in bar 8, we get an example of an accidental affecting another note later in the same bar: The # on the G on beat one also applies to the G on the 6th quaver of the bar. In bar 49, you will see I have used a quaver and quaver rest on beat 4 rather than a crotchet. This is to indicate a short articulation. I could have just written a crotchet with a dot OVER the note, which also indicates that the note is to be played short. Either method is valid. More on articulation signs in a future Session. MBBC25e [attachment=50597:MBBC25e.pdf] [attachment=50603:MBBC25e.mp3] The Major

I know you are all going to get sick of me plugging my Bass Boot Camp Sessions (pinned at the top of this forum), but as these things are taking up a fair amount of my spare time, I'm sure you'll agree I have the right to plug away !!? Calerbass: It's sounds to me that you have a long way to go yet ! May i suggest you start with Session 20 - the first of the "Getting Started with Sight Reading" sessions. As others have said already, once you can read (even if only the basics), you will be able to take the theory on board so much easier. Reading music is not INSTEAD of using your ears - but AS WELL AS using your ears. The Major

Congratulations ! The Major

The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 24 Getting Started with Sight Reading - in D Major D Major has 2 sharps - F# and C#. New in this session - quaver rests. Everything here is playable in the 2nd position. MBBC24a [attachment=49522:MBBC24a.pdf] [attachment=49527:MBBC24a.mp3] MBBC24b [attachment=49523:MBBC24b.pdf] [attachment=49528:MBBC24b.mp3] MBBC24c [attachment=49524:MBBC24c.pdf] [attachment=49529:MBBC24c.mp3] From this point on, I'm dropping the unison guitar and organ. If you have worked through the previous Sessions (20 - 23), I reckon you should, by now, be able to manage without that extra help ! MBBC24d [attachment=49525:MBBC24d.pdf] [attachment=49530:MBBC24d.mp3] MBBC24e [attachment=49526:MBBC24e.pdf] [attachment=49531:MBBC24e.mp3] The Major

If you look at bar 49, the note D is marked on the TAB as an open string. So clearly the person who wrote this score is assuming you have tuned your E string down to D. That then explains all the other notes that look odd on the TAB. A "G" marked as 5th fret on the E string for instance. As the written notes make far more sense, I would encourage you to learn to read music properly. I've recently started a "Getting Started with Music Reading" Series on my Bass Boot Camp, which is pinned at the top of this forum. Go straight to Sessions 20 onwards. It starts nice and easy, and if you work with me over the next few months as we get more and more detailed, you will be reading like a pro in no time ! The Major

The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 23 Getting started with Music Reading - in Bb Major The key of Bb has 2 flats - Bb and Eb. You will see I have pinpointed them in the key signature on line 1, and also the first time each of these notes appears. As usual, the key sig applies to all octaves. All 5 exercises are playable in the 1st position on Bass Guitar (half position on DB). MBBC23a [attachment=49088:MBBC23a.pdf] [attachment=49093:MBBC23a.mp3] The one new feature is this Session (other than the key) is the inclusion of the crotchet rest. I guess it's fairly obvious, but to be clear: The crotchet rest means that for one crotchet beat, you don't play. The first one appears in bar 17. It's on the first beat of the bar, so just say to yourself "1" before you then go on to play from beat 2 onwards. MBBC23b [attachment=49089:MBBC23b.pdf] [attachment=49094:MBBC23b.mp3] MBBC23c [attachment=49090:MBBC23c.pdf] [attachment=49095:MBBC23c.mp3] From now on I'm going to include some chordal accompaniment in these exercises, just to give a little added flavour to the proceedings ! MBBC23d [attachment=49091:MBBC23d.pdf] [attachment=49096:MBBC23d.mp3] MBBC23e [attachment=49092:MBBC23e.pdf] [attachment=49097:MBBC23e.mp3] Sometimes you will get 2 crotchet rests side by side in one bar. This will mainly be when they are on beats 2 and 3. If beats 1 and 2 (or 3 and 4) are rests, then a minim rest will be used. We'll look at that sign in a future Session. The Major

Exams are just like Auditions - a false performance situation where you are playing to just one or two people who are going to be extra critical. You need to get used to the idea of playing in this scenario. So a good idea is to play to as many people (individually) as you can over the next few weeks. Don't ask them to comment on your playing. Just play to them. And then walk away - just like it will be in the exam. This should help with your confidence, and if you are confident you will relax, and if you relax you will play to the best of your abilities. Every musician needs to be able to stand in front of a room full of people, on your own and just PLAY. It can be the hardest thing to begin with, but the more you do it, the more your confidence will grow. The Major

If anybody is interested (and got a spare 40K to spend) I know of a bass by William Tarr that's looking for a new owner. Kept in good condition by Roger Dawson, it is currently residing in Stalybridge, near Manchester. The current owner is retiring due to ill health. PM me if you want details. The Major

While Doddy's explanation is absolutely spot on (as always !), I have to say that it is very rare to see a double flat or double sharp written on a bass part in the world of rock / pop / jazz. While theoretically correct, it makes sight reading harder, and is really rather unnecessary. They are fairly common however in the classical and orchestral worlds, particularly in music from the 18th and 19th centuries when being theoretically correct was expected of all composers. The Major