JPS

I like the sing/play idea for coming up with phrases, licks etc. I'd imagine that's a great way of breaking out of the same tired, cliched ideas that I always fall back on on. I suppose to some extent playing, for example, a 1-2-3-5 line over and over again under lots of different types of chords helps you to eventually internalise it to the point where it comes naturally and can be mixed up with and used with lots of other ideas. I find the biggest challenge at the moment is playing several consecutive bars over the same, or similar chord. Trying to keep it interesting and flowing without constanly returning to the root note at the start of every bar. All good stuff though and I imagine you can get lost in this stuff for a liftetime and still not have enough time. Cheers.

Thanks guys that's really helpful. I'm reasonably comfortable walking over a blues (not claiming to be Ray Brown obviously) and can write lines using arpeggios, passing notes, chromatic approach notes etc. I read somewhere that you should always play the stronger notes - i.e. root, third or fifth - on the 1st and 3rd beats of the bar. Is this sound advice? I find it a bit difficult to be quite that precise at the moment. Wouldn't know where to start in terms of soloing to be honest. I'd probably make the classic bass player's mistake and fall back on arpeggios starting from the root upwards. Any useful tips on how to start soloing? I've also started learning melodies for the first time. I take it they can be a useful starting point for modest solos. Thanks again.

What are the main things that you'd consider most important in terms of practice when starting to play jazz? I've read a few suggestions including: 1. arpeggios - mainly 7th chords. 2. scales - major minor, modes, pentatonics. 3. Learning tunes. 4. Learning melodies. 5. Writing walking lines. 6. Transcribing. All seems logical but I just struggle to know how to practise these things e.g. do I just practise dom7th chords in various positions, inversions etc. Do I try to learn as many fingerings as possble? As for transcribing for example I wouldn't know where to start. Any advice/suggestions greatly received. Cheers JPS.

Great advice guys cheers. I've got the setlist, have already asked for the keys etc and have have got one rehearsal to iron out any major misunderstandings. Is it acceptable to use chord charts for a one off dep gig? I know it can look a bit naff but it makes life a lot easier when having to try and learn 20 odd songs most of which I've never played before.

I've got my first ever dep gig in a few weeks. Seem like a nice bunch of guys, got about 20 songs to learn as I already know a few, setlist looks fun etc. Just wondering whether anyone has got any good advice for the virgin dep (as it were) in terms of learning the songs, dos and don'ts on the night etc. Cheers JPS.

The middle 8 of Amazed by Lonestar on the (thankfully) rare occasions I've had to play it as a first dance.

I've got 6 gigs (not that I'm counting) with my current band and then we are calling it a day. God mates, good band but oh the agony of playing weddings after nearly 5 years of it. Couple of possible little projects in the pipeline just for fun which may, or may not come off. Bit ambivalent about music full stop at the moment. Some days I can't imagine a life without it and start eagerly looking for a new band, other days I could quite happily never pick up a bass or play another gig again. I imagine that's not an uncommon feeling for a lot of people in fairness.

Thanks guys. What a brilliant set of replies and suggestions. I'm trying hard to relearn how to play purely for fun, rather than for any particular end. I'm also teaching a son of a friend which I plan to do more of. I already read music (albeit not brilliantly) and am a complete technophobe so that rules out homestudios/recording etc. As for jam nights I live in Planet Thanet in deepest, darkest Kent so I'm not sure where the nearest one will be. Good idea though and I will look into it. Maybe a band that played a style of music I actualy like and only played live once or twice a month would be good. As I've turned 40 that will obviously have to be a blues band as it's the law! Anyway thanks again guys. Great advice and interesting to hear your own experiences. Keep em coming.

For the first time in over 5 years I'm shortly to find myself without a band. My function band have decided to call it a day. It was a mutual agreement and although I don't doubt for a second we've made the right decision I'm at a bit of a loss to know what to do basswise now. I really, really don't fancy another band as I've had enough of gigging and need a break. I haven't got enough spare cash to pay for lessons etc. I have got a couple of people I can "jam" with but I'm not sure how long that will last. If anyone's got any tips or ideas that will help keep me motivated and playing I'd appreciate it. I'd hate to see my bassplaying just grind to a halt after 25+ years (although I'm sure my wife would be more than happy) but I'm worried that might happen. I also find it very hard to motivate myself to things just for the sake of it. Unless there's a gig, a session in the studio, an exam etc at the end of it I lose interest quickly. Shallow but true! Any inspiration mcuh appreciated. Would love to know what others have done in a similar situation.

It's nice to hear "blues" bass playing being pushed in a slightly different direction, but done with taste and musicality. I'm a big fan of Tommy Shannon and am looking for other "modern" blues bassists to listen to hence the interest in Roscoe Beck. Any other names spring to mind?

Yeah it was, plus some really driving blues playing and a bit of funky blues. Some the clips were part of Fenders Anniversary concert I think.

Thanks a lot appreciate it.

Which Robben Ford album would you recommend as a good starting point mate?

Can anyone recommend any decent tracks/CDs featuring Roscoe Beck on bass? I've watched a few clips on youtube and would love to hear him on CD but I'm not sure where to start. Cheers JPS.

Only a very modest bass, but I've got a real soft spot for my Yamaha BB414. No frills, solid and reliable with a neck that's comfortable (for me) to play. Obviously it will fall to pieces during the first dance at Saturday's wedding now I've said that.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions guys. I'll try your ideas and use my ear to see what works best. More interesting than playing Mustang Sally though, which is what I normally have to do!

Thanks Bilbo, knew you'd come up trumps! I'm using the New Real Book Volume Two by Chuck Sher. Hope that helps. Can you recommend any other versions of Bye Bye Blackbird out of interest? [quote name='bilbo230763' post='587602' date='Sep 2 2009, 03:57 PM']Which real book? These are substitutions that Davis didn't use. I think it is in F as I recall (not 100% sure and am not at home). If you let us know which fake book you are working to, we may be able to help explain what's going on. I picked these up off the net. Your chords are a common variation but, rather than starting on an F7 and descending chromatically, they start on the third of the F7b9, the Am7b5. The Abdim7 in the 6th bar is a tritone substition for the more diatonic D7b9. F --- l ----- l ----- l ----- F---- l Abdim7 l Gm7 l C7 Gm7 l ----- l ----- l C7 Gm7 l C7 l F l ----- F7 l ---- l Am7b5 l D7 Gm7 l Gm7 l Bbm Eb7 l Gm7 C7 F l ---- l Am7b5 l D7 Gm7 l C7 l F l ----- I think there is a good chart in the Chuck Sher Real Book.[/quote]

I'm trying to learn Bye Bye Blackbird, the Miles Davis version. I'm happy with most of it, however, I'm a bit confused by the first four chords in section B. My real book lists them as: Am7b5/E9/Eb9/D7(b9) When I try to play along using these chords as the basis it just sounds awkward/wrong. I was wondering therefore, if anyone has a better/different idea what the actual chords on the Miles Davis version are? Thanks JPS. P.S It could just be my rubbish playing in fairness!

Sounds great. I'd appreciate anything that stopped me playing the same tired old nonsense. If you could just teach me how to stay awake when I'm playing Amazed and consequently not make a total hash of the middle 8 I'd be over the moon.

A few weeks ago I did the only gig I've ever done where I had to read. It was a favour to a friend of mine who is a vicar. I didn't know any of the songs (they were all worship songs) and I was playing with a choir and a horn section for the first time. It was hard work, the songs weren't exactly my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed the challenge of having to read. Most of the parts were quite simple, but the MD wrote out some specific bass parts on a couple of songs that were a bit trickier. Really made me wish that I was a more confident reader and that I had the reading ability to do more gigs in this way. Needless to say I haven't done a single piece of reading since and have gone back to relying on chord charts, memory and ear.

Probably Wonderful Tonight as requested by about 1 in 4 brides (must be a Kent thing!). Plenty of other strong contenders though - Angels, Daydream Believer, Hi Ho Silver Lining, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Mustang Sally etc etc etc. It's actually quite theraputic writing this.

Entwistle's sound on Quadrophenia for me. Or maybe Bruce Thomas' sound on some of the Costello stuff. As you can see the last 30 years of bass playing seems to have passed me by somewhat.

The usual suspects: major scale, minor scale, minor pentatonic, blues scale, major pentatonic, mixolydian, chord tones, 1-3-5 + plus lots of chromatic passing notes. Oh and completely the wrong scale, chord, note about 10% of the time unfortunately!

My best mate had a bass that he didn't play and a guitar that he did. I picked up the bass and joined in (without having a clue what I was doing) and 25 years later I love it more than ever, although I still don't really know what I'm doing. I just loved the feel and huge sound that it made. I found myself naturally listening to the bass rather than the guitar or vocals. Influence wise for me it was John Entwistle and John Paul Jones. Hearing tracks like My Generation, Won't Get Fooled Again and The Real Me just blew me away and made me realise that the bass could be so fluid and exciting, even in the context of good songs. JPJ's playing on Led Zepp II amazed me as well (and still does after trying to learn the Lemon Song and all it's little subtleties yesterday). Great thread.

That's an excellent point bilbo. I've got a fairly good grasp of scales, chords, patterns etc, but after 25 years of playing I tend to fall back on the same shapes, patterns and ideas. It's hard to find ways of breaking out of that rut.