The Funk

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='371066' date='Jan 5 2009, 04:17 PM']Willie Weeks - Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Ronnie Wood, Aretha Franklin, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, David Bowie, Gregg Allman, Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers, Kevin Chalfant, Hank Crawford, Wynonna Judd, Vince Gill, Richard and Linda Thompson, Don McLean and Lyle Lovett. He has also played with B.B. King, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Joe Walsh, Robert Cray, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Buffett, Bette Midler, Randy Newman, James Taylor, Billy Joel and John Mayer[/quote] And that was just at one gig...

Thanks for the clip! Really, really enjoyed that. My friend used to teach Dominic Miller's son guitar - talk about a tough job!

Wicked! Like it. I think I'm in love with one or more of the backing singers now.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='370770' date='Jan 5 2009, 11:43 AM']100% agree - if it works better on the bass, it should be played on the bass. Most of Manrings stuff couldn't be played on anything other than his Hyperbass.[/quote] I once stumbled across a video of a singer-songwriter who happened to accompany himself on bass guitar, doing a slap/strum thing, kind of like a white folk-rock Larry Graham. [i]That[/i] wouldn't work on piano at all and wouldn't sound as good on acoustic guitar. In the Jeff Berlin/Steve Bailey debate I remember Steve saying that he didn't see why a singer-songwriter in a coffee shop shouldn't be accompanying himself on bass guitar rather than acoustic and I agree with him. Obviously on some things it just wouldn't work but people shouldn't be afraid to try. Off-topic, I didn't realise that Manring played with Hedges - can you point me in the direction of some of their best collaborations?

[quote name='ritch' post='365512' date='Dec 29 2008, 03:06 PM']Now, something that took me by surprise, was when i put my head infront of each cab, the 1x15 'sounds' louder than the 4x10. I think I was expecting the 4x10 to create more of the sound as it has more speakers and probably moves more air (maybe). Has anybody else had a similar experience with a similar set up? Is this what I should expect?[/quote] First off, stop putting your head in front of bass cabs! Secondly, yeah, when I had a Hartke 2x10 and 1x15, the 1x15 was louder - because I had a 2-channel power amp, I could adjust the levels of each cab to match. When I just ran through a head into the cabs, the 2x10 was a little subdued in comparison. (The 1x15 had a higher sensitivity rating than the 2x10).

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='370682' date='Jan 5 2009, 10:26 AM']Keep up at the back, son![/quote] Just got back from abroad - jetlagged and sloooooow.

[quote name='Alun' post='362860' date='Dec 24 2008, 03:10 PM']I am a member but don't use it a lot TBH. There is some great stuff over there but you do need to rummage a bit - like the TK Maxx of the bass forum world [/quote] Agreed.

Either record with a clean valve preamp, such as the now out of production Warwicks/Aguilars, or with a gritty solid state DI, such as the ones built into Gallien-Krueger heads. Out of all the ones on your list, I'd go for the SWR. I have the EBS and I love it for live stuff. I wouldn't record with it though.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='366951' date='Dec 31 2008, 11:27 AM']You should in my view be able to create a really solid feel and play free of any device or other player consistently and in time. If you never learn the sensation of doing that all by yourself you might always be the 'passenger' you are rightly fearful of being.[/quote] Agree 100% with Jake on this. [quote name='YouMa' post='367383' date='Dec 31 2008, 07:33 PM']Just not thinking about it to much seems to work for me.[/quote] That's what works best for me on stage. I like to work on my time a bit at home though. [quote name='endorka' post='367547' date='Jan 1 2009, 07:41 AM']A singer will help greatly with this, as it will free you from the counting of bars, as you say, at least for the most part. However, it is best if you know the material sufficiently well that you are not dependent on literally counting bars to determine your place in the tune.[/quote] Yeah, I think it's best just to learn the tune and then be able to adapt when the singer misses their cues! [quote name='cytania' post='368682' date='Jan 2 2009, 06:23 PM']The trouble with not thinking about it is you could be playing way off the beat and nobody will tell you.[...] Being off beat is the reason why perfectly decent playing can drag.[/quote] It's good to think about time at home when you're practising or in the rehearsal room as a band but you shouldn't be thinking about it at all on stage. It should take care of itself. (I make sure I can hear the snare or hi-hats and that's enough for me). I don't like your use of the term "off beat" though. To me "off beat" means the 1/8th note "ands" in a 4/4 bar, ie. | 1 - AND - 2 - AND - 3 - AND - 4 - AND |. I prefer to say "behind the beat", "ahead of the beat" or "on the beat" when talking about everything else. I tend to play ahead of the beat so that the main 'bwawh' of a bass note rings dead on the beat and to give everything a sense of urgency. My keyboard player tends to play behind the beat so that the whole things has a laid-back, unhurried vibe. The two can fit together with the drummer and guitarist playing dead on. So long as noone gets confused by the playing ahead or behind, then the band won't lose its place and speed up or slow down. I also don't think playing can be perfectly decent if someone has bad time. If they have bad time, their playing can only be lousy.

Hi! I downloaded the album before I went abroad. I had a good listen to it while I was away. Just got back so haven't had a chance to post about it before now. I think it sounds great! Good riffs, good grooves and good bass playing! The only criticism I'd have of it is that on each song it's too clear who your direct influence was: on a few songs it sounds like Jaco, on a few other songs it sounds like Stanley Clarke and on a few others it sounds like Marcus Miller. I'd like to know what YOU sound like.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='370640' date='Jan 5 2009, 09:29 AM']And my earlier comment stands - Please Fender, I know your instruments sell like hot cakes, but for gawd's sake, design something new![/quote] I'd rather they just were honest: we do 3 basses - finish/hardware/pick-ups/electronics/wood/neck-body combination etc. to be chosen by you.

[quote name='fragility' post='365421' date='Dec 29 2008, 12:41 PM']I always think this sort of thing is sort of a non-debate...to me, there's room for everything and I might not always chose to listen to every type of playing, but ultimately I'd rather there was more diversity out there, and I can appreciate most types of playing. I'm glad that all these musicians do their own thing and play what they want rather than playing what anyone else tells them they should.[/quote] Agreed. I'd like to see more bass & drum duos but I think I'm the only one!

[quote name='steve-soar' post='366130' date='Dec 30 2008, 11:56 AM']What's the difference between Relic and Road Worn?...about a grand probably. "This guitar has seen its share of smokey bars", total utter lies. You can have the guitar to go with your distressed jeans, all the hard work of actally living an interesting life where you sometimes take risks and get a little knock here and there has now been all taken care of for you. WoT, I don't want them to go out of business but how much longer will they carry on diluting the magic of the brand? It seems totally perverse that a guitar is finished to a good standard and then knocked about a little to simulate player wear, the owner should be responsible for any "player wear" and have the memories to go with each knock and scratch.[/quote] Agree 100%. I know where all the blood stains on my Infinity came from.

I do this and you're right - it does slow you down and wear you out more quickly. I do have a certain sound though and a wide dynamic range in my fingers as a result. I do intend to start practising through an amp though.

I don't get nervous really 'cos I'm not a solo performer and 'cos I'm doing something I'm good at. Even if I'm only at around 60%, then the band shouldn't sound awful overall. And I've also learnt to put bad gigs behind me very quickly. That takes a while and wise words from more experienced players. An experienced bass player once said to me for most people it's like this: "20% of the time you're awful; 20% of the time you're on fire; and the rest of the time you're fine". And that's pretty much true. Some days things just won't click, other days it'll be effortless and most days it'll be just fine. So you shouldn't really worry about it too much. Just go out there and do what you do! It works.

Again, thanks for all the replies. Very, very helpful. I've pulled the free calendars idea (the moment's gone now anyway). One BC member asked for one and his is on its way. I am still drawn to the idea of some free merch though - and I think you guys are right that if it is to be done at all it has to be targeted and not overly expensive to produce. And you've convinced me that there's a risk of getting a reputation for giving things away for free - and that people would come to expect that from us.

Yes, mate! Well done! I'll be on a plane flying abroad at the time. Otherwise I would have tried to pop down. Great stuff! Enjoy it and put on a great show. Don't forget to chat to the man afterwards too.

[quote name='OldGit' post='359251' date='Dec 19 2008, 10:52 PM']London? Where's that? Funk, you are clearly living in the real world and, as you have said, you have graduated from the toilet circuit circus because you are entertaining enough to sell a reasonable amount of tickets and you also put your own gigs on. My post was only a reality check for people who whinge about being expected to contribute a tiny amount to the overall costs of creating an opportunity for them to play their gigs by bringing a very small number of punters to their gigs. Call it play to play if you want. It was ever thus and it will always be because every average band playing uninspired music in an unentertaining way still thinks that they somehow deserve a platform, and more than that, the venue and promoter should subsidise their performance.[/quote] Hah, well, I only graduated to the real world recently. Two years ago I posted a thread about my my first gig leading my own band. We'd overestimated our audience and afterwards the promoter very apologetically said he couldn't book us back until our audience was a bit bigger. I remember one of your posts in response to that thread with the same message as you always give out - and you were bang on then and you're right now. Looking at things in the most practical way possible, in the early days it's easier for a band to just worry about their material, their playing, their performance, their equipment, their transport and generating an audience than to worry about putting on a show themselves as well - and that's where the established promoters and venues come in handy. To get booked back, your audience needs to get to a reasonable size. Once it's at a reasonable size and the material, playing, performance, equipment and transport are all sorted, then it can start to make sense to put on your own nights under your own control with your own financial risk. Depending on where you think you deserve to play that could cost between £500 and £1000. In a way that's still pay to play - except if your audience is as large as your ambition then you end up with a profit at the end of the night.

Brilliant name!

I have to say Alex and I are clearly in the same camp on this and I don't have much to add. I would like to pick him up on two points though: [quote name='alexclaber' post='359011' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:56 PM']I'm sorry to come over all Jeff Berlin but that is complete rubbish. Everything in music is interconnected and thus during performance should be integrated as a cohesive whole but if you are to have any structure in your learning then you have to divorce the different components to develop an understanding of them.[/quote] I don't think Jeff Berlin is the right guy to compare yourself to on this. He believes that the concepts of right hand and left hand technique are pointless as you have to play with both hands. I disagree with him and agree with you on this: focus on louder and softer while working on dynamics, focus on positioning notes in relation to the beat and accents when thinking about phrasing. I tend to see phrasing as an individual thing and dynamics as a group thing. We are all arguing about words though. [quote name='alexclaber' post='359011' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:56 PM']P.P.S. Not saying that you lot are stupid... P.P.P.S. Apart from you - you know you I'm talking to.[/quote] Fine! That's the last time I agree with you!

I hate chorus. f***ing detest it. Seriously.

[quote name='OldGit' post='358998' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:39 PM']Rent a room, pay for an entertainments licence, bar licence, bar, bar staff, beer etc. to sell,[/quote] I'd only book places that already have these. But it doesn't have to be one of the "name" venues that offers f*** all value for money. [quote name='OldGit' post='358998' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:39 PM']security, door staff, stage[/quote] I'd tend to go for a place that has a stage already! Security - only ever played two gigs where there was security (ie. one doorman). And at most of the venues we've played the door staff have been incompetent. I'd rather place a trusted friend at the door. Almost anyone can do that job. [quote name='OldGit' post='358998' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:39 PM']backline, PA and driver, lights[/quote] We always provide our own backline. I'd normally book a place that had both a decent PA and lights. I'd pay for my own engineer. At least then I won't feel so bad for shouting at him at the end for ballsing up the sound so badly. [quote name='OldGit' post='358998' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:39 PM']printing and distribution of publicity materials and tickets etc., do the publicity, radio, Facebook mailout, Email mail out, website, myspace, flyer distribution, promote the event and sell the tickets.[/quote] Radio? Radio? Seriously? Publicity for most of these clowns = listing it on their myspace page/website (free to do and takes no more than 2 minutes) and/or getting Time Out to list it (again, free to do and takes no more than a 2 minute email). Tickets - only played one gig where there were physical tickets. I've seen flyers/posters only for the 1 good promoter we still play with. [quote name='OldGit' post='358998' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:39 PM']Then book the 5 compatible bands to make a fine show and decide who goes on when in the evening, make sure they act like grown ups, lend each other kit and minimise their Primadonna tendencies. Then manage the stage and bands on the night, make sure the fights are sorted out, pay the bands and sweep up after yourself...[/quote] I've only played for 1 promoter where the bands were compatible. And I have never, ever seen a promoter make bands act like grown-ups, force each other to share equipment or do anything to minimise Primadonna tendencies. I have seen promoters scrap the agreed running order, beg for equipment at the last minute that they were supposed to provide and weasle out of any kind of confrontation. I've also never seen a promoter cut short an overrunning soundcheck or support set. And I've never seen a promoter clean up afterwards. That's the venue staff's job and the promoter's usually gone home long before then. I'm not saying I disagree with you about a lot of bands thinking it's ok to be completely passive about self-promotion. I just think you have an idealised sense of what a lot of the clowns in London actually do - and therefore I think that bands should just put on gigs themselves.

[quote name='coasterbass' post='358966' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:06 PM']the problem I've found is that venues are reluctant or unable to give out nights directly to bands because they have contracts with the promoters and so don't have any free nights. In essence the venue have 'insured' themselves by selling each night to a promoter. Hey ho.[/quote] Who says you have to put them on at traditional music venues?

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='358967' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:06 PM']Also, I know all you oldies like fretless bass, but you've got to understand that us youngsters associate the sound of a fretless with people who go to Paul Young gigs and call their bird "my partner". It just sounds so dated (dated bad, not dated good).[/quote] Classic! The coollest fretless line I've heard is not by Jaco but his predecessor in Weather Report, Alphonso Johnson, on [i]Cucumber Slumber[/i]. I've been trying to rip it off for years!