JPS

+1 for Andy Crockett.

Great bass playing and great songs. What's not to like?

I got to the stage last last year where I realised I hated every aspect of gigging (having loved it for years) - the driving, the setting up, the boorish drunks, the songs we were playing, finding somewhere to park etc etc. Even when we got a great reception and the dancefloor was packed I hated every moment of it. Not surprisingly I decided to stop gigging and I haven't gigged for months now. It got to the point where I was dreading each and every gig and was a pain in the arse for days before. Can't say I've missed it for a moment. However, I am really enjoying playing the bass purely for my interest and occasionally with a few friends for fun. Hopefully one day, having had a decent break my interest in gigging will be reignited. I think most of us just need a break from all the extra hassle and pressure that gigging brings, especially when trying to juggle children, partners, jobs etc. Ironically I played with a drummer for several years who claimed to love gigging, yet never smiled or seemed to have anything positive to say on the night of a gig. Perhaps drummers are just a breed apart.

The Real Me - The Who Come On Come Over - Jaco Pastorious What Is Hip? - Tower Of Power For Once In My LIfe - Stevie Wonder I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury & The Blockheads What's Going On? - Marvin Gaye The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin These tend to be the ones that continue to inspire me and also the ones that I periodically attempt to learn and end up murdering.

Cheers mate. The video was a big help, got it now. Thanks again.

I'm currently learning Oh What A Night by The Four Seasons (don't ask why!). I've managed to work out the majority of the song, but can't get my head around the tricky (for me anyway) little run that happens way up the neck at around the 1.56 mark. Any help would be much appreciated as it's driving me mad. Cheers. JPS

My old band, used to play in Whistable in Kent quite a lot. After nearly every gig we'd be told something along the lines of "you're one of the best bands in Whistable, nearly as good as Ben Mills". Ouch!

"Normal friends" Purple Blob! Are you suggesting that most musicians are not normal (not that I'd necessarily disagree)?

Juggling the different demands and needs of 4/5 people is a nightmare, not to mention massaging the various egos involved. Most of us aren't very good at straight talking, especially when we know someone probably won't want to hear what we are going to say. Not only that but people's priorities change, which can affect the direction a band takes. Communication and teamwork are not everybody's strong point either. Particularly drummers I find!

As I play either a Yamaha BB414, or a Fender Mexican Precision I would say no. However, if I wasn't so skint and could afford an expensive/high end bass then the answer may well be different. Ultimately I like to think that I just enjoy playing bass and as that as long as the bass in question plays OK, stays in tune and sounds good enough to play lame covers in the Dog & Patridge on a Friday night, then it's good enough for me.

I share your pain mate. I'm trying to find a band to play very similar stuff i.e. soul, blues, ska etc. My advert makes this perfectly clear (I hope!), yet I get people emailing me to see if I would like to join their rock band and help them with their 8 minute version of Rockin In The Free World, or join their wedding band and play Scissor Sisters covers! I'm not sure whether to keep trying and hold out for a band I really like, or sell all my gear and take up something less frustrating like fishing.

Ah good point.

So to summarise - learn to play arpeggios and scales confidently and quickly, don't over complicate things, maintain lots of energy, practise playing whilst running on the spot and don't try not to get involved in arguments about what constitutes "real" ska. Cool!

Ha ha. More first and second wave ska than, erm, modern/contemporary ska i.e. The Maytals/Bryon Lee through to 2-Tone.

I'm hoping to be auditioning for a ska band, or two, in the near future. Have never played ska in anger before, although know plenty of songs etc. I'd greatly appreciate any top tips from experienced ska bassists therefore, be it on playing styles and dos and don'ts, gear, types of gigs/venues that ska bands commonly play or whatever. Great - and perhaps underrated - style of bass playing and good fun to play as well. Cheers JPS

Looking to play soul, funk, blues, ska covers. Think Stax, Motown, Chess, Trojan, Studio One etc. Decent gear and own transport. Quick learner and flexible. Aiming to have fun and work with good musicians.

I think I need to spend more time discussing what he is learning to play in terms of theory etc. That way he gets to learn the song, plus some transferable skills and ideas he can build upon at a later date. Thanks for the advice btw. Good stuff.

Kid by the Pretenders, on an Aria Cardinal Pro II, through whatever amp Leicester University provided. It was 1990 and I was 21 - late starter!

Well-done, I admire your dedication! What was the most useful part of the exam/syllabus?

Thanks very much Pete. Some great songs and lines there. Cheers.

Interesting debate. My question is how do you get a 15 year old interested in learning and understanding theory and reading is they are not really motivated by these areas? I'm helping a lad to learn the bass, he learns songs very quickly, enjoys playing with other musicans and has a great natural feel etc. However, he is a lot less interested in understanding scales, triads, learning to read etc - even when it's related to the songs he's playing. He just wants to learn new songs. Lovely lad, bright, but not academic, or good at working from books etc. I don't want him to neglect these vital and transferable skills but am struggling to engage him with them so much and find a way that suits his learning style.

Don't forget the Tamla, Stax, r 'n' b, ska and blues stuff as well. All good mod tastes. Good luck. I'm jealous!

Interesting when he talks about varying your playing in the first video. Still amazes me all the little variations and subleties he put into the Lemon Song.

That's brilliant. Well done and enjoy!

Tony Butler of Big Country played some nice lines if my memory serves me right, also Bruce Thomas with Elvis Costello and Colin Moulding with XTC.