The Funk

[quote name='Twigman' post='443638' date='Mar 24 2009, 12:21 PM']everytime I turn it up a little the guitarist comes along and turns it down again!![/quote] Everytime he does that, go over and urinate on his amp. He needs to learn who the alpha dog is. EDIT: Being serious though, make sure your hands, fretboard and stings are always clean. I can't stand sweaty or grimy fretboards.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='443897' date='Mar 24 2009, 03:43 PM']Don't learn improvisation/soloing from bass players. Try other instruments; sax, trumpet, trombone (good for similar range) piano (guitar is another one to avoid becuase it is sometimes too pattern oritenated andsimilar to bass.[/quote] Thank you! Someone had to say it. Personally, though, I would cop as many blues-rock guitar licks as possible as well. Patterns are fine for getting cool sounding stuff under your belt fast. Yes, they're ultimately limiting and can be extremely repetitive but then [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_changes"]Rhythm Changes[/url] can be a bit repetitive too!

[quote name='Zoe_BillySheehan' post='444093' date='Mar 24 2009, 06:43 PM']That would be awesome.... but theres a problem... I can't sing...at all haha Z x[/quote] Neither can I, seriously. But I write about half of the lyrics and vocal melodies for my band's material. Even if you can't sing, you should still try to come up with something. If you're not in a band right now, then start one (with people who actually like real rock) and get them to cowrite it with you. As you've done most of the hard work on your own, I think you may as well finish it on your own. Songwriting's tough but so much more rewarding (for me anyway) than practising arpeggios all day.

You may as well just re-record the bass parts for the first one. You should force yourself to turn the second one into a full on song with vocals. Just come up with a vocal melody and then try fitting some words to it.

They don't have a house bass there unfortunately. If there are any other bassists there that night, then you should be able to borrow one. It's most of the same people as the Ain't Nothin' But and Spice of Life jams - but with a bit more room.

[quote name='Buzz' post='442958' date='Mar 23 2009, 07:29 PM']Now, this recent spate of threads degenerating into conversations in Offtopic pinged off the ol' thought processes [...] I then thought...why not just have a discussion board? [...] Yes/No/Get back to your hole?[/quote] I think the threads in Off-topic which degenerate into conversations are probably the whole point of Off-topic.

I like [i]Zoe's Bass 2[/i]. I just wish you'd bring that opening riff back into it somewhere - it's too good to just throw away like that. Your time's pretty good and it grooves hard!

[quote name='Duarte' post='442266' date='Mar 23 2009, 10:37 AM']that is just my opinion. However you are wrong.[/quote] love it!

[quote name='Simon' post='443073' date='Mar 23 2009, 08:42 PM']Hi Ritch, personally I use my left hand to mute ringing notes. It's hard to explain, but i just use my fingers (on the left hand) to muffle the string from vibrating before fretting the next note.[/quote] Same here!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='443319' date='Mar 24 2009, 12:29 AM']Hahaha. I have been putting it on its side, but - like a clown - the other side. So the inside 12" is pointing at the floor... I'll try your way at rehearsal on Sunday![/quote] That's rather amusing. Hope the 180 works for you!

So, err... can we hear it?

I've only recently noticed that my drummer speeds up and slows down from time to time - but he is seriously one of the best young drummers in town and his time/feel are excellent. The usual reason for it is that we've either started the song too slow or too fast or that we haven't yet worked out the best tempo for it.

[quote name='xgsjx' post='443236' date='Mar 23 2009, 10:41 PM']If you want a Vette, I'd save up a bit longer for a Warwick.[/quote] You can pick up a proper Warwick Corvette 2nd hand for about 300 quid these days - maybe less.

[quote name='Clive Thorne' post='442494' date='Mar 23 2009, 02:55 PM']Never heard of this lady before, but I (personally, IMHO, etc) would put her playing well above Walkenfeld's.[/quote] Me too. But then I'm not really a fan of Wilkenfraud.

[quote name='Wil' post='442294' date='Mar 23 2009, 11:24 AM']I felt much the same around a year ago, the band I was in came to a head, and I haven't touched a bass since, nor had the urge to.[/quote] I had the same thing except I stopped playing for two years because I was so disgusted with the way the band ended. I only started playing again when I was at my old bass teacher's gig and he announced from the stage at the end of the first set that I'd be playing the rest of the gig - he did like throwing people in at the deep end!

I've never played one but I've been impressed with the tone people get out of them. There was a Japanese girl playing one at a blues jam I go to sometimes (basement of The Spice Of Life, Cambridge Circus, Soho - Monday nights) - sounded great! It looked pretty cool too. She had a blue one.

[quote name='Gazm' post='442685' date='Mar 23 2009, 05:11 PM']Thanks for that, not far at all from where I'm staying. I'll see you if you're there, Pete.[/quote] Pete, sadly I won't be there this Thursday. I'll be in the studio instead unfortunately. But do head on down there and tell Niall that Syed sent you - and that he is to buy you a drink on me (and I'll buy him one next week)!

Awesome. It's cool that you guys share that rig and a flat.

Please tell me that's your rig.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='441932' date='Mar 22 2009, 07:15 PM']If you have lost interest in playing music why not start a Prog Rock band ? [/quote] Oh, brilliant.

Fascinating thread. I don't think I have the balls or discipline to do this. Do you have to be at a certain level to enrol on a course - or do they take people who can barely read (notation)?

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='441564' date='Mar 22 2009, 10:44 AM']Isn't this a bit sexist?[/quote] Yes. You're getting the hang of it now.

[quote name='chris_b' post='441481' date='Mar 22 2009, 02:42 AM']Has anyone ever had an amp fail and had to use their backup amp?[/quote] Not yet but I take my EBS MicroBassII as a back-up in case a preamp valve dies on me - as they are reputed to do from time to time. This has never happened to me though. I use the EBS as my DI anyway so it's nothing extra to take.