scalpy

I inherited mine when I bought my cabs off here, and I'm not overly delighted... There's a hole for a handle on both sides when the cabs only have one, they're a little loose and since I've seen the manufacturers version I've been aiming to set aside the funds to replace them. Sorry to Roqsolid fans.

The G&L ASAT The lakland jo 5 string with the pre-amp on here a week or two ago, white. Sweet. Aggie DB751 and 4 by 12. In tweed.

I can't remember this one being up or not but here it is (again!) On his recent radio show with Flea Ronnie explains that Willie was playing in the band and used this line as a warm up. The other guys told him it wasn't an exercise but a song in itself, and fixed Willie up with his first publishing deal! I couldn't find the original on youtube but this is pretty fine as it stands, although Keef barely does!

My old band once supported a band at Hammersmith Uni I think it was when the drummer took an hour to soundcheck the kick drum. We were going crazy after 5 minutes! In my experience once the gear is set up the best guys are soundchecked and happy by the end of the first chorus of the one tune they try. 3 hours for your rig is too long as I'm sure you'll be pointing out to the band. I used to set up an 18 piece soul band in that time, by myself!

A friend of mine spent 6 months doing this animation in a kind of Heath Robinson/ Simon's Cat kind of vein. He then thought some bespoke music would be nice and asked for something that was a cross between My Name Is Earl and Chess era Johnny Cash. I don't know it's turned out exactly like that, and it's a reminder that I need a 6 saddle bridge for my tele, but enjoy! By the way, recording all the sound effects was hilarious, the chicken is my partner, Hannah. Thanks Harry

I've done it, in a silly size band, with no adverse effects.

It sounds daft, but actually practise your explanations, to the point of scripting them if necessary. Record them, and play them back. The best teachers are clear, concise and positive.

John Paul Jones will run a Fender Twin sometimes with his SWR, if I recall from Bassist Magazine Issue 1!

I depped for a band, straight ahead pub rock stuff, only one bass moment in two hours, which I put a lot of work in for, learning the songs in funny keys because of the singer. Got to Alright Now, it's a well worn tune true but it is a fantastic bass moment just before the long full edit guitar solo, but he doubles the bass line before the foot on the monitor bit. Annoyed.

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1332633' date='Aug 8 2011, 07:52 PM']It's complicated. At the age of 11 I had lessons for brass, and played tuba in various orchestras and a military band until I was 19, becoming reasonably proficient and reading music. At 16 I picked up the guitar and after 3 months could play a couple of simple songs, using chord books and words with chords. Went on from there to play by ear, playing lead in a couple of bands and buying my first bass (part-ex'd fairly quickly - horrid thing - in favour of a nice guitar). About 18 months ago I was 'out of work' musically speaking for the first time in 30 years, and picked up a couple of budget basses to learn how to play. I'm hardly proficient, but I can play like a bass player - watched what other players do and watched a couple of you-tube vids too.[/quote] I ended up on bass after playing the trumpet too. So many people seem to end up down here after playing brass! What I should have made more clear in the OP is as well as the medium of learning, and the poll should have included books OBBM, I forgot, is that it would be interesting to find what is generating the motivation. Where does the dedication and focus come from to develop what is a complicated skill? For me, it was a strong sense of identity, I felt like I belonged with the musicians I was meeting and I wanted to be better than any other bass players in town so that I would be the one always offered the gig. (That didn't happen..!) Harry

These are all really interesting, especially the fact that "by ear" is in the lead at the moment. In the classroom, this is one of the hardest skills to explain and incorporate into a lesson when dealing with large numbers of students. It also demands quite a high level of skill and motivation early on, something that's probably worth exploring. Keep it up people, this is useful stuff! Harry

Hi there. I am interested in how people learn to be a musician, and I thought a general quiz of this delightful forum would be a good place to start before I apply for an MA, looking at student motivation. Generating and maintaining motivation is central to my job as a classroom teacher, and whilst there is a lot of information out there from a teacher's perspective it would be interesting to hear from people who have maintained their enthusiasm for music beyond the age of 16 and the classroom. I realise that it is a complicated process and most people don't learn from a single source, but if you could tell me how you got going in the first place that would be very useful. For instance, my dad started me with Keep On Running, and after that I started playing along to his Soul compilations, so I would have put from a parent. I sat in with a jam session with some older kids at school and felt a strong sense of right-ness. Before long being a bass player became central to what I wanted to be as a person and I had to start a band "to do it properly". If you would be so kind anecdotes about how you got going and what kept you going would be very interesting. Music being a big part of the family or community is traditionally a big influence but this may be changing, if that's you let me know. What genre or direction you've ended up taking is not so much an issue, it's the period you spent getting your basic chops together that I want to focus on. I know this isn't very scientific but your input might help me improve my teaching and find an angle to research in a more thorough manner at a later date. Thank you Harry

If it's a keeper you're after, hold out for an American G&L. It'll be absolutely worth it.

As with any art, it is better when the artist has something to say, and says it eloquently, with genuine sentiment. Sometimes that requires a sophisticated technique, a lot of the time it doesn't.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1317146' date='Jul 26 2011, 02:57 PM']I voted Boss Tweed even though I own the (popular) black![/quote] Good man! Although I agree that the material thickness depends on the colour. A friend has the chocolate ones and they seem much more snag resistant. Liking aggies and going for black shows a distinct lack of imagination!

Sometimes I manage to blag the odd session or two and if there's one thing that marks a good one that has everybody happy is the speed it all kicks off. If the songwriter or producer asks for something you have to be able to say "yes" and think of the part quickly, and play it right in one. There seems to be an inverse proportion to the amount of time you spend playing and the amount you get paid, in other words, the best session players only need to do two or three passes and that's it, job done. More often than not the key to this is the accuracy of the rhythmic playing and the feel you provide. Being gig sharp isn't necessarily good enough when you hear playback, you might find you're not smack on the one after a fill for example, and people like Nathan East will be, no matter what! What I've done to prepare for the next mystery session is actually practise recording with a jazz fake book and different drum feels. I'll do a few goes with a motown loop, then a straight rock loop, and just keep listening back for when I'm pushing (my worst habit). Todays standards normally dictate that every note is microsecond perfect with the attack of the rhythm track, the need for old school behind the beat playing comes across as sloppy now, with the two studios I go to. At one session the Keyboard player was in Joan Armatradings band and he was absolutely pedantic about note length, finishing every note at exactly the right point. For instance, one track required a funk style "one", but he wasn't just interested in the emphasis, he wanted every crochet to come off right on the tick of the snare just starting on beat two. Proper producers pay attention to this kind of detail, plus it really tidies up your playing. Sorry if you've heard all of this before but noticing this kind of thing has proven really useful for me.

I thought the first hour of the Lemmy film was interesting but after that it lost it's way. It would appear to be first class rock god you have to be a very unusual person, and all of the people interviewed were martyring themselves to the cause. I've seen and read this before and drawn the same conclusion but it was most evident listening to Lemmy's comments on fatherhood and his attitude to women. And I bet he's got a lot more memorabilia in that crazy apartment that he doesn't show to cameras.

Reading music seems to be a mental hurdle for many people but it gets much easier if you just view it as a graph. Lots of notes close together left to right, play fast. Lots of dots far apart, up and down, play big intervals. Likewise, lots of dots close together, up and down, don't move much. Apply this knowledge in any combination and you won't be far off. Scalpy. BMus (Hons) P.G.C.E

If you're using poly pockets for copies, buy decent ones from WH Smiths. The cheapo jobs have an alarming habit of breaking around the ring binder holes and going flying, normally on that really tricky turn that you also have to repeat in 16 bars time... I normally just pencil in the upcoming chord as well on the bottom right hand corner of the right hand page as well just to free up a bit of brain space so I don't have to concentrate on fretting, turning and remembering all at once. Finally, sit near your keyboard player if they're reading as well, it's a good safety net if it all goes belly up!

Let G&L do their thing without worrying about the older siblings. Aaaah, the perils of being the youngest in a successful family...