Matt303

I've just been going through my old Elton John records after watching a classic albums DVD where Gus Dudgeon raves about the bass player Davie Johnston? I'm guessing he's heard a few bassists In his time so I thought I'd check it out. A song called Suzie (dramas) on an album called Honky Chateau is as funky as hell. An underated player indeed!

Seventh string software. A program called Transcribe. It plays most file formats or direct fron cd. It can be downloaded from the seventh string website it's not too expensive, certainly less than tascam unit. If you raise a tune by an octave and isolate the bass it jumps out of the track for most tunes. You can also slow down the track which is useful for play alongs

I started playing bass a fewyears ago. I'd previously played keys. I got inspired by the dr lick's Motown book. As a consequence I started with the Motown songbook which in retrospect seems a good if not challenging place to start. I started by transcribing I'ts a Shame by the Spinners which was partially transcribed in the Motown book. Then jnr walker Come See About Me another Jamerson tune Joy (takes over me)- Stevie Wonder Sugar- Stevie Wonder Smooth- Santana Forget me nots-Patrice Rushen Peg - Steely Dan Josie - Steely dan Currently I'm working on Glamour Profession by Steely Dan which I think is an Anthony Jackson bass line (someone very good anyway) I'm upfor a chart swap if anyone is interested. They take an age to finish.

Look after the guy in your band that sorts out the money, deals with agents and contracts. This is a thankless task and the time and effort involved is seldom understood or apprecaited. Just doing the music, irrespective of going the extra mile is no compensation. We all play through choice but few sign up for the grief and hassle associated with punters who like to take their own prejudices and insecurities and make them our problem. I'm not sure I agree with changing up cover material though. I tend to think cover bands are booked to play popular tunes. Typically these can be cheesy ballads or disco tunes you might not choose to play. In my experience people want to hear authentic versions with practiced endings, this tends to mark out the higher paid acts from the pub bands. Consider the point that most major hits are played by very accomplished musicians so this authenticity rather than a kop out is actually quite demanding. I suggest this is why so many cover bands fail to make the grade. Remember that in addition to the music you are the focal point of the evening so you need to collectively engage the crowd and break down their inhibitions. If no one in the band does this naturally then you will need to contrive an approach. I know this sounds corny but I'm sure it is necessary. Good luck with it