El Bajo

I find if I EQ my Markbass CMD 121H to how I like my bass to sound it just doesn't cut through, yet if I adjust it while the band is playing during sound check to get the levels right its sounds really good. However when I play the adjusted EQ without the band it sounds terrible on its own. Strange.

First bass was a terrible hohner bass with flat wounds in 1994. Lasted about 6 months until I 'upgraded' to a Hamer Slammer P bass copy. Still got it, the necks bowed, the frest uneven, action high desote lowering it as low as the bridge will allow, buzzes and the input jack crackles. Still use it in the bedroom, its got a great classic rock sound and I use of for annoying tunings such as half step lower songs. Would never use it live though, its to unreliable. First amp was massive HH Electronic 100w amp taht was soooo heavy. Really loud though with a great sound. It still in the garage but keeps shorting out. Not really sure what to do with it.

Interesting suggestion, School Days, then Sunshine for your love. Ones very hard, the other very easy! I agree on anything Jack Bruce has done. Badge is a cool song on bass as is White Room. My Generation is great on Bass and you could really go to town with the outro and come up with something new. How about something form the Chillis like Scar Tissue or All around the World. they are not too difficult but are really driven by bass and are interesting to play.

Sometimes my guitarist has a jam on my bass (its a fair swap, I have a bash on his guitar and make everyone have a laugh at my expense) he always sounds better but I think its a point of view thing. For example the age old penis size conundrum where it looks smaller from the wielders point of view. You get to stand back an listen to your amp from the audience point of view. Nowadays I get the drummer to adjust my tone in sound checks because I can't get the sonic perspective right when I'm trying to play and twiddle knobs at the same time.

Hey all. At work at the moment but can't wait to get home and listen to some of your music! I'm in a prog rock band in the vein of Dreamtheater based around Bolton/manchester area. We're on hiatus at the moment due to new born parental duties for me and the guitarist. Its not to bad though becasue we've been doing some recording and below is what we have so far: [url="http://www.mymusicstream.com/raisingangels"]http://www.mymusicstream.com/raisingangels[/url] Its part of a 4 track EP and is missin the keyboards and vocals (though we havent got a singer at the moment). Its unmixed henced the 4 or 5 guitar track versions, difference in tone and sound, and very dry. Bass effects to be added later.

Yeah man, get the singer back. Tell him that the only reason we said no in the first place was because of the female singer and lead guitarist didnt want him, which isn't far from the truth. Then honour the gigs and find a new lead. Can the rythym player not 'blag' the solos for a couple of gigs?

Can you stomach jazz? Building Walking Basslines by Ed Friedland is pretty good. It basically teaches students how to construct bebop style walking bass lines using chord and scale tones. All the lines in the book are accompanied by a full band and could be used in any elevator music style background. The point is it teaches how to analyse bass lines and construct bass lines in a more chordal way (as opposed to just learning scales like many theory books teach). You may not feel as though your sitting down and learning endless chord and scale constructions, but at the end you'll have learn't it all through playing the songs with out noticing if that makes sense. Its a series of books too which get harder. The only gripe is you have to sit down and listen to lines by ear and transpose them as standard notation, which is great for learning, but it needs a good hour of uninterrupted practice and most of it will be spent NOT playing. I've only managed half the book because I have a new born, but i'll get back into to it soon. I go through phases of learning and theory isn't one of them at the moment.

Definatley helps. I've got Standing in the Shadows of Motown: James Jamerson and its hard going. The pieces aren't difficult to play but I can't sight read very well. I have to slow things down and read the notes with out music/metronome then go back to the song, but eventually I know I will get there. It has put all the scales and chords theory into context and wish I started on reading music ten years ago instead of spending endless hours on theory books that don't show the practical application. It has also helped my fretboard knowledge to the point where I hardly ever shift position (James Jamerson style!!!) It is hard to find standard notation, especially for music I like (Prog Rock) but I found looking through the classical sections of music stores for Cello music helps. I've recently completed some Bach sheet music.

I play with a Keyboard player and a drummer who both did music at uni. The drummer leaned towards the recording side and now has a decent job at a big school in the music and production dept. Its more orientated around engeneering but he loves it. The keyboard player is on a management scheme for graduates and he enjoys it. Nowadays many businesses just look at the degree grade rather than the actual subject so if music doesnt work out then theres always a regular job to fall back on, just make sure you get some office experience, prehaps get a part time job while your at uni. On the other hand I have another friend that plays in Tenerife as a house band and he is LOADED!!! though he is sick of playing Sweet Home Alabama for tourists and the work is seasonal.

Welcome to the board. I've got one of those HH 100w amps in my garage gathering dust. Its broke and would probablty cost more in geting it fixed than its worth so there it stays!

Welcome! I've heard good things on the Vintage Guitar and basses. I'm thinking on investing in one for a backup.

Alreet! Welcome to the forum, and to bass!

Mine was surrounding myself with the wrong people when I was at University at Leeds. I'd been playing for 2 years and i should have sseked out musician/bands and the local music scene. Looking back it was a golden opportunity to practice practice and more pracctice before entering the rela word of nine to five. Now I struggle to pick up the bass more than twice a week for more than an hour and play in part time band which doesent satisfy my bass playing desire. Going back even further, I should have done GCSE Music rather than History. I certain it would have put my on the correct course to becoeming a musician. having said all that I wouldnt have met my lovely partner and had my son.

Currently learning Free Bird hahaha. I want to look for a covers band so I'm learning the usual cover band staples (Sweet Home Alabama to follow (groan) then Alright Now next (double groan)) The bass lines are actually quite good but I don't think I'm going to remember every single lick so I'll probably just learn the basic riff and improv.

[i]I've always admired the way bass glues the other instrumets together..and my favourite players are Jamerson, Larry Graham pre GCS, Billy Bass Nelson and Chris Squire [/i] Are you sure you aren't a bass player trying to wind us up by pretending to be a guitarist? If not, its to good to be true! can't go wrong with a Yammie. I have one and I love it. The BB 414 is decent enough for what you want to use it for and at a decent value. If you want something more powerful try the RBX series for Active pickups. Alternativly look at Ibenez as there lower price basses are supposed to be pretty decent and a good build quality though i've never played one

Its a difficult one becuse it can be broken down into so many elements. One could learn YYZ by tab but struggle on Day Tripper standard notation. They may learn Crossroads by ear but it could have taken them ages, however if they had some understanding of 12 bar blues and scales it would have been a doddle!

Brilliant thanks! I'm at work but i will have a bash when I get home.

Bump! I would of thought with the amount of people in cover bands someone may have the answer!

Hi all I've figured out 95% of the song which hasnt been to difficult but Im stuck on the tiniest 2 second riff and its really frustrating! Its the last few bars of the first solo where the bass does an ascending bass line to G then back down to Bb. I've got the phrasing right but not the actual note choice. Its one of thise riffs that if I was watching a bassist play this song in a bar I'd look out for it. Help much appreciated.

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='748125' date='Feb 17 2010, 10:28 AM']At a heavy rock gig I played a load of Rush and Iron maiden licks at soundcheck - no one noticed. At a classic rock covers gig I slipped the solo from Jethro Tull's Bouree into my solo - no one noticed. At a covers gig someone kept shouting out for some Bee Gees. Later in the set I slipped in the riff from Stayin' alive - he didn't notice. On the 20th anniversary of Jaco's death, I sneaked lots of Jaco licks into the set - no one noticed. Shortly after George Harrison's death, I slipped the melody from Here comes the sun into a song - no one noticed.[/quote] I just can't believe you've mentioned Bee Gees, Rush, Iron Maiden, George harrison, Jethro Tull and Jaco in one paragraph! Do you have a (bass) split personality!?!

+1 on the Yamaha TRBs. I got the Yamaha RBX JM2 but it was a close call as to which one to buy, I went for the RBX purely on looks. Also Peavey Cirrus is worth looking at and is great value. On another note it maybe worth buying a second hand one just to see if you like it. Some people just don't take it.

I agree, I learnt how to read music and practice arpeggios with Prelude in G.

Congratulations man!!! No comes the hard part. So do you go for the acustic electro because you've always fancied one just to have to hand for a quick practice but theres always been more important things to spend money on, do you go for a sexy J bass with Overwaters beautiful finish, or do you completly go all out and get a 6 string progress bass with all the trimmings because you know you would never in a million years be able to buy one, though it would never be used for stage performaces because its to precious. This is the biggest decision of your bass playing life, choose wisely

Hi bleedproof, I think you may have typed in the wrong email as I havent received my winning confirmation, can you resend please? (Worth a try)

My drummer who studied recording always cites Queen for this kinda thing, particularly Bohemian Rhapsody with out of tune guitars. Also Dreamtheater seemed to overlooked including the bass guitar on some of their latest releases