El Bajo

Little sh*t hehe. I thinks its awesome. Theres always going to be kids like this in any field, like when a 5 year is completing a university degree in quantum physics, its just one of those amazing one in a million kids that just 'get it'. I like the way he has to play with grown ups becasue no one else his age can play to his standard

Thanks all for the responses so far very helpful. I left a message with his um...dad!?! (or elderly lover) as he was teaching at a school during the day. In any case he hasn't called back yet so perhaps he isn't taking on students, i'll try him again later. However... [quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1339619818' post='1691732'] If he doesn't work out I have a very good teacher in the Warrington area. Pro guy so sometimes there's a month or two without a lesson, but a top notch teacher. Think I'm seeing him myself while I back from uni! [/quote] I may be interested, Warringtons a bit of a treck but I do have some family nearby that I need to vist more regularly so it might work out for the best. Where abouts is he based and how much does he charge? thanks

Figured I need some direction as I've plateued for years now. Waiting for a tutor to call me back. What kind of things should I be asking? I wanted to find a bass only tutor ather than a guitarist tutor who only teached bass. This guy plays guitar, bass and double bass. I figured if he can play double bass then he's actually taken the time to study our role. He also teached at a pretty good school in Bolton and has Uni degrees in music. All sounds promising but when I sit down with him what should I be asking and looking out for? When he ask me to play somthing, should I make HIM play something to hehe Thanks

Thanks all for the advice, its been really appreciated, especially you sildxx

[quote name='12stringbassist' timestamp='1338506789' post='1675743'] All turned out a bit more towards ok then. More chance to make the NEXT recordings a real band effort. Good luck. Ian (also from Bolton) [/quote] I know, I clocked you a while back Seen you a couple of times playing in Kerbcrawlers, good band!

Didn't get a reply from my email the other day so thought I'd call him to get the low down. Turns out he's been stressing about it ever since he made the changes and feels awful about it. Now I feel bad for posting hehe. It seems a few things where different once everything was down. The drums where changed slightly and the singer sung his parts differently. The fiddly parts I'd put in filled space because In my opinion something needed to be there but he felt they clashed or stuck out so he made the call and recorded some straight roots. Anyway he sent me a veerrrryyyy rough mix of one of the songs, the drums where way too high so I couldn't really pick out the guitars and bass to well. It sounds fine, but I do think some of my lines, not all mind, but some could have added value but ah well. I don't think any of my parts are in this one However on a positive note It will just make my life easier when I play the song live And yes I'm very much in the band. Onwards and Upwards Apologies if I haven't responded to many of your posts, some very valid points have been raised and I could literally write an essay on the band, myself and the whole situation but i don't want to bore you. I am just an average guy that's played in my bedroom for the last 13 years and decided to just go for it and join a band...I got lucky with this one. So if I come across as a noob, or naive it because I am!

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1338399148' post='1674000'] There's a lot of posts which I haven't read yet BUT you do need to get down to the nitty gritty and find out why he re-recorded your tracks. Because if he doesn't like your playing you may as well find out now rather than when he introduces you to the new bass player the day before the band starts the european tour. Because if it happened to me I'd assume the writing was on the wall. [/quote] Yeah I do, I'mm seeing the producer on Friday because he's returning a bass so I'll ask him about it too I'm going to ask for more feedback in future.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338396265' post='1673942'] I typed it on my BB and missed your other posts saying you didn't really do this, that and the other. Stop being rubbish on the phone. You are not a 12 year old. If you are seriously considering a career in music, you are going to have to deal with comms in all its forms. Someone talks you down on the blower, you clam up and agree to all sorts of sh*t you can't deliver, you will get a crap rep very swiftly. Get some help, and follow it. I suppose I should add that someone saying they're sh*te on the phone, and then complaining about comms from their bandleader makes my shake my head and chuckle a bit [/quote] Yeah I know. My job is actually in sales hehe so from a business perspective I'm ok, its just that we're friends also so i guess I'm blurring the lines a little which from experience is never a good thing to do.

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1338401738' post='1674064'] You know something, the older I get the more I see that as an admirable quality, that every band needs someone like that. [/quote] I actually agree with you at least it sets the standard and leads the band in a direction...I just hope he doesn't get rid of me lol!

Not quite sure where that came from silddx, you've summed all that from my posts! I don't resent the songwriter, I was angry, theres a difference. On the advice that was given I understand more where he's coming from and now I'm not angry. I emailed becasue I AM rubbish on the phone, always have been, I get talked down easily and clam up. and as I said I made sure the email was light hearted.

[quote name='paul torch' timestamp='1338394416' post='1673888'] there speaks a wise man. [/quote] Exactly, which is what I did but made it more about building upon the band rather than throwing accusations and critques. I also added lols, smileys, dude, mate etc... And I've already posted I was joking about the subliminal message.

[quote name='paul torch' timestamp='1338394227' post='1673877'] not that great in an email either. [/quote] What do you mean? You didn't see what I put.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338393685' post='1673864'] Don't make things easy for yourself do you. Being a musician is mostly about you as a person, not your playing skills. [/quote] I probably should have added...I didnt really do the hidden message thing

[quote name='ZMech' timestamp='1338366561' post='1673209'] With performance arts I find that there are two main sides that you can develop, either the flashy side of things (crazy slap/tap/harmonic madness), or those qualities that the general punter probably won't consciously notice (timing/groove/harmony knowledge). So it depends which of those two sides it is you wish to develop, the icing or the cake. I think most teenagers (myself included) get too excited about the flashy side first, before realising that spending many hours with a metronome will benefit them far more as a musician. Therefore, I'd say learn to play walking basslines, as this will dramatically improve your knowledge of harmony and how to generate a complimentary bassline. Of equal importance is timing, so I'd say try one of the various exercises where you maintain your own speed whilst continuously halving the metronome, so that it goes from clicking on every beat to once every four bars. ([url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR9to6lbqTY&feature=player_embedded"]A Wooten video about that metronome exercise[/url]) ([url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilh4uMAdss8"]Scott Devine's walking bassline lesson[/url]) ([url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8QazNAZjhM"]A Ray Brown masterclass, where he talks about these kind of skills[/url], notice his timing and swing for his intro bassline) Hope that helps [/quote] +1 to those links, I'm working on both Vics and Scotts lessons at the moment.

Sent him an email. It started of scathing, that got deleted, then it got re-written in a light hearted manner but with an emphasis on 'next time let me know', and 'in future lets work together more closely on our parts to save time and money'. And I made sure to put in that if its for the greater good of the song then ok, bit dissapointed but ok. I also put in a background object with very very faint grey text saying D*CK in capital letters. Subliminal I'll dive into it further next time I see him, I'm not very good over the phone. If he ever pulls this kind of thing again though I'm gone, and I'm sure to have my guard up from now on.

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1338387390' post='1673702'] There did you go to record in Bradford? [/quote] It was in Batley by a guy called Steve Wray

Hi all, some great responses and advice, I feel over welmed, it seems many people have been in similar situations. I'll just clarify that he used to be a bass player, he's actually pretty good in a Duff Mackagan kind of way and his rhythm guitar has a lot of groove to it. The producer did want to use some of my parts but the Guiraist made a judgment call and re-recorded The one thing I am hearing alot of is communication, I do need to sit down with him and find out what he expects of me, or expects from the bass. In the past he's just said in the middle 8 go crazy...so I did but it looks like it hasn't worked out like he wanted. It would be different if from the outset my role was defined I can handle being a session player just fine, if anything it would probably suit my lifestyle (job, family etc..). Can I just say I feel I've cast him in a bad light, as a person he's a great guy...just a bit ruthless when it comes to music and views people as expendable if they don't pull their weight...I just hope he thinks that I haven't. A few of you have mentioned money, he's listed us all as song co-writers (which makes me feel like a fraud). I do expect to be paid for gigs if payment is offered by the venue/promotor. He's also included me in all developments so far and asked for my opinion...which he's never followed (meow). This is is baby (and money) and he's been let down in the past so I understand why he is this way. I'm going to reply and express my dissapointment at not being notified at the time and the need for better communication. Also if he does want me to contribute, and that if we go into the studios again, I want to work and develop parts together so this kind of thing doesen't happen. If not then what kind of expectations does he have of me, am i considered part of the band? Or just a live player. Still gonna feel a bit daft handing out CDs to friends though.

be straight with your mum on whats happened. She may be mad at you at first but theres nothing more vicious some ones mum coming after you. Also if you have FB messages or texts then keep them. If it does go to court then you have proof that you tried to get it back.

Hi all Apologies in advance of the long post, Its a rant but also a request for advice. I'l try to keep it short and balanced. I joined up with a guitarist about 8 months ago who had a whole load of demos recorded on a Boos BSR that I thought had potential. Its pretty simple metal but very catchy. I'm from a prog rock background but felt like a change, so I went for it. Over the next 6 months we tried in vein looking for singers, drummer and lead guitarists to no avail. In the end an old friend of his who has been in some well know UK Metal Bands put some scratch vocals to the demos just for a bit of fun. They sounded great so the Guitarist thought f*ck it I'm going to record an EP then get a band together. He had a big budget, well 3 months wages for me, to plow into it and hired a producer/guitarist that had been in bands previoulsy with the singer. He never asked me for anything back. Drummer wise the producer used superior drummer and agreed to put some solos in the songs where required. All sounded great. The only draw back was getting rehersal time together was so difficult, the singer lives in Yorkshire so we never practiced with him, it was just me and the guitarist in a room playing along to drum beats but everything sounded fine to me. I worked my ass of on these songs, there where 5 for an EP. I transcribed them on Power tabs. Not only the tabs but also making sure the standard notaton was correct and in time. I carefully considered bass lines that where interesting and fitted the song, I also took into consideration that I needed to be flexible because ideas or last minute changes can happen in a recording environment. The big day came, or should I say 2 week scheduled time in Bradford. I booked two days off, precious days because my holiday allowance is low due to holidays and childcare booked in advance. That day got reduced to a day because the singer had child care issues and needed one of my days. I thought ok, I'm prepared and I can sacrifice one song that stays very faithful to the original bass line thought out by the guitarist so he can play it. On the day things didn't go to well, out of the 4 songs 2 I were all my own playing. 1 was mainly the guitarist because the producer wanted the original writer to play the verses in order to get it nice and tight...which was fine becasue he plays with a pick so he could really articulate those percussive muted notes, and some other parts becasue they clashed with the vocals or I just couldnt nail. The other he played large portions to due to changes and it saved time. It hurt my ego a little to see someone else playing my parts and I felt a bit of a failure...how can I tell people that cool riff was me playing when it wasn't. But I took it and thought its for the greater good and time IS limited. During the rest of the recording period I went back to work and didn't really hear much, which was fine. To be honest I'd worked hard and wanted a break for a week from the bass and the band. Last night I got an email from the guitarist saying he'd had to re-record large portions of the bass. All the parts that I thought where clever and added value and basically my style. And I know what he would have recorded, very simplistic in the pocket bass lines, which is all good except its not me playing on there. He didn't call at the time and tell me he was doing it he just did it. He said parts clashed with vocals, or guitar, or just didn't sound good in the mix. He might aswell just done the whole lot! Firstly I feel like a failure as a bassist. 13 years I've playing and this is the culmination of it. Secondly, I've told friends family that the demos are going to sound great, I'm playing on it and I'm proud of what I've done.. blah blah blah. Now theres very little of me playing, when I say me, I mean my feel. they've probably left in the very simplistic parts that I've done. So I'm going to feel pretty stupid if people comment on bass lines that I haven't written or played. Then there's the live situation, playing bass lines that I didn't create. There is nothing to feel proud of here. What do I do? Sack bass off, because clearly I'm not as good as I thought I was? Sack the band off and find a band with more creative freedom and who respect one another, though it means starting from scratch? Put this experience aside and try better next time, be more involved with the writing in the first place, simplify my lines so that it fits with what everybody wants, sell my 6 string and play with a pick? [i]I'm not slating 4 strings or picks, its just what I've been playing for the last 8 years![/i] Just play as a session musician, the guitarist is a great song writer, I can't compare, just play what he wants me to play and go along for the ride? The band has just been signed, the EP has all the artwork completed photshoot imminent, drummers and guitarists lined up for auditions, gigs in good venues due to contacts via the singer. Theres good opportunity here. Its just the Guitarist seems to dominate everything, the planning, songwriting, album design, who we hire and fire, my bass lines! I even invited a good friend of mine to join the band as a lead some time ago. He left because he felt to constricted, nothing was ever good enough. If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading, I appreciate it as this is really important to me.

I get in an hour 3 times a week plus a rehersal with the band. When the band is writing then its all I do, I don't like turning up unprepared. When I'm not writing then I re-visit finger exercises with a cool online metronome (see link below), Practice walking bass lines (scales and arpeggios + application all in one practice session) and then either work on some improv or work on a song. Sometimes I get bored and start working on a bit of slap or tap but eventually retrun to the above once I get bored of that. [url="http://bestdrumtrainer.com/tt/"]http://bestdrumtrainer.com/tt/[/url] This is a cool little metronome where it will play a number of bars then cut the sound for a few bars. Check out tutorials by Victor Wooten on you tube for seomthing similar.

At least they had the cojones and get up there. And infront of school, there is no tougher crowd!

Got a pack of D'Addarios steels which I will put on tonight, It'll be a first for me, should be right by Thursday. Isn't weird when you've been playing for years, in my case 15, and you turn up to a music shop and have to ask for assistance over something so trivial. I felt like I'd just picked up a bass. I really should learn more about my instrument.

I did think of that hehe but there is one song that is a bit busy. And also in my own time I play all sorts. just in case anybody is wondering, or in fact bothered here's a dirty demo of our upcoming EP . Wait for the chorus... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86GGkSSJW1o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86GGkSSJW1o[/url]

I think I will go and buy some just in case the tech bertates me. I play 6 string but in this band I generally just bounce along on the D (E) and A so I will probably just get a set of 5. I'm using a 105 for the E so I may try a 110

It is a little more professional than what I've described