Earbrass

[quote name='lanark' post='987838' date='Oct 14 2010, 11:10 AM']I don't know how The Watersons, Yo Yo Ma, Nouvelle Vague and The Beatles ever live with themselves for playing other peoples' music. ... Do you include folk bands, symphony orchestras, opera companies, jazz bands, ...?[/quote] For me, there is a big difference between playing music written by someone else, and slavishly trying to copy a particular famous recorded version of a song or piece of music. You don't find many folk groups, symphony orchestras or jazz bands doing the latter - not the ones worth their salt anyway. It seems to be primarily a pop / rock phenomenon. I can see why people would want to do it, though; if performing is what you really love, it's probably the easiest way to perform music in front of an appreciative audience of decent size. It doesn't appeal to me, but each to his own, I say.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='985986' date='Oct 12 2010, 05:52 PM']I write with a singer and sometimes she'll give me completed lyrics & melody and some ideas of style, tempo & feel. To be honest that's easier for me,[/quote] For similar reasons, I used to find it much easier to compose for theatre and film than I do now to write a piece from scratch. With a film or theatre cue, you're always aware that the music has to perform a specific job, and you've already got a length, and a mood, or other instructions from the director, to start from. That and the fact that there was ALWAYS a tight deadline made it much easier to come up with something than it is now when I just have a blank sheet of paper, so to speak, and all the time in the world. I think it was the great songwriter Sammy Cahn who, when asked which came first, the words or the music, replied "The phone call, always the phone call".

A good knowledge of harmony is a great help when it comes to stitching bits of melody and riffs together to make a whole song; understanding the implied harmonies in a melody-line may suggest where it should go next, and understanding what chord patterns go well with others helps when trying to sort the whole thing into a manageable shape, adding a middle 8 or other linking passages etc. In my experience / opinion obviously.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='982996' date='Oct 10 2010, 12:26 AM']blah blah blah... still find this music naff..?[/quote] Yup. Totally naff. Be boring if we all liked the same stuff, though, wouldn't it?

Looks too heavy to me.

Thanks for posting that. Never been a Genesis fan, for some reason, not sure why since I love a lot of other prog bands (Crimson, Yes, Gong, Soft Machine, Henry Cow etc), but I love JW's playing and really enjoyed this.

Ditch the bass, and take up the didge and wobble-board?

Played two gigs in the last few days. First was the Rhythm Factory in Aldgate, last Thursday. Good stage, PA and monitors, lights and soundman....but we were first on and only 4 of our mates showed up to watch. We really enjoyed playing, though, and it warmed us up for Saturday, when we played the Birds Nest in Deptford. This pub is also a hostel of some kind, I believe, so there's always a good few people there. We had a few friends in as well, and two or three got up and danced in the limited space in front of the stage. Everyone was very friendly, and I got complimented on my playing, and my choice of T-shirt, by the bassist from the band who went on after us. It's only about a mile and a half from where I live, and I was home by ten. Result!

[quote name='Sonic_Groove' post='977322' date='Oct 4 2010, 04:33 PM']Erm because he [b]could not[/b] stand-up (or sit-up in chair)...[/quote] "You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." - Dean Martin.

[quote name='Lord Sausage' post='969141' date='Sep 27 2010, 09:19 AM']Is it me or are there never any decent combos for sale on here! Just Rigs and cabs. I've got a rig. What i need is a decent combo for playing pubs with just backline and vocal PA. Can't be arsed carting my rig about![/quote] So when DO you use your rig? I would have thought that a pub gig without PA support is one of the most demanding jobs that backline amplification is asked to perform; surely for bigger gigs, you'd have a proper PA, so backline would be just for stage monitoring. Or am I missing something?

Just listening to the music out of interest - really like it. Very Tom Waits. Good luck with it Clarky.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='969261' date='Sep 27 2010, 11:10 AM']If I got turned down for a band just because of the bass i'd played I would be well pissed off.[/quote] But then again you'd have had a lucky escape. You might not have found out they were idiots until after you'd joined.

[quote name='maxrossell' post='969249' date='Sep 27 2010, 10:57 AM']What's the latest bit of gear you got[/quote] New jack socket for my Peavey Milestone III. This is the only bass-related purchase I've made for a year or two. [quote name='maxrossell' post='969249' date='Sep 27 2010, 10:57 AM']why did you get it and what did you pay/trade for it?[/quote] Playing 2 gigs this week and the old one was loose and crackly. Want to feel confident that it won't let me down. (I don't do the "backup bass" thing). Paid £20 to the Gallery, for parts and labour. (I can't solder for toffee). [quote name='maxrossell' post='969249' date='Sep 27 2010, 10:57 AM']And crucially, was it worth it, or are you a bit disappointed?[/quote] Money well spent. Feeling totally comfortable with the bass again. Many things may yet go horribly wrong this week (worst ever band practice yesterday, kit share still to be agreed for gig on Thursday, no idea how we're going to be able to get gear to the venue as its a parking and traffic black-spot, etc etc), but I'd be very surprised if the jack socket is one of them.

[quote name='observer' post='966448' date='Sep 24 2010, 10:08 AM']Of course attachment is not my band poster [/quote] Pity. Delivering Quality, Convenience and Value was a seminal album. The Larder were never as good after that, imho.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='965588' date='Sep 23 2010, 01:46 PM']This thread and others like it remind me of this: [/quote] So true.

My bass has 4 strings, JJ pickups with 2 vols pots and one tone, 20 frets, Jazz-dimension neck and it is passive. I'd never call it a jazz bass, though, because it isn't jazz shaped. I might say it was [b]like[/b] a jazz bass, if asked to describe its feel and tone (and I used to own a Fender Jazz, so I have some point of comparison). [attachment=59411:Ms3R.jpg]

[quote name='chris_b' post='585671' date='Aug 31 2009, 11:27 AM']Many people didn't like "pop" Motown in the 60's, now you can't say a bad word.[/quote] I bloody can.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='959653' date='Sep 17 2010, 04:46 PM']We all know good places for porn and shizzle, this isn't it.[/quote] Well said.

[quote name='ahpook' post='959509' date='Sep 17 2010, 02:38 PM']to me it seems a shame that just cos a few people want to have possibly NSFW avatars, those people who might get into trouble for those avatars have to turn everybody's off. seems a tad unfair to me. if it was up to me i'd not have any NSFW avatars on the site, cos frankly i think theyre tacky, but that's just my view.[/quote] +1

I use a cheap plastic sports hold-all type bag: useful for stuffing clothes into that you've worn on the journey to the venue but will shed before going on stage. For a gig: 2 * guitar leads 1 * Korg Pitchblack tuner 1 * Behringer BDI21 (just in case) 1 * smaller bag containing: screwdriver set, allen key set, spare set of strings, spare batteries + usually whatever book I'm reading at the time - there's usually a lot of sitting around waiting for things to happen. (and if I'm taking an amp to the gig, probably a mains extension/multi-socket lead. But I've never had to yet...) For rehearsal: All the above plus 1 * guitar stand 1 * music stand 1 * folder containing all our songs + pen And I think that's everything apart from my bass and my combo.

[quote name='algmusic' post='959320' date='Sep 17 2010, 12:05 PM']How can you view without avatars?[/quote] MyControls >> Board Settings

[quote name='peted' post='958699' date='Sep 16 2010, 07:22 PM']I have had to switch off avatars on my forum settings for this reason. I'd suggest anyone worried about this issue does the same.[/quote] +1. I've been viewing without avatars for a while for similar reasons. I think it is a shame, though, as some people's avatars are worth seeing, and it helps to identify posters quickly when scrolling down the page, so instead I'm going to try just blocking those users whose avatars fall into the "sad old perv" category, so that their posts are no longer visible. EDIT: OK, this doesn't work - if you block a user, you still get to see their avatar - it's just the text of the message that's blocked. Bugger. So it's a choice of missing out on all the good avatars, or having to put up with the pervy ones. Not very satisfactory.