seashell Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Well folks I am disproportionately over-excited about this, so I thought I would share my glee with the good people of Basschat. I have my bass lessons at a local music academy that does private lessons at weekends. This year they are doing an end of term concert and I am going to be in it!! They are putting together a 'scratch' band consisting of some of the other adults who are having private lessons. Apparently the line up will be me, a drummer and male and female vocalists (one of each) who are all students plus the guitar tutor on guitar. We are all working on our individual parts with our own tutors, then getting together 8 December for a mega rehearsal to put it all together. Then the concert is 16 Dec. The songs we are doing have all been chosen by the singers, and they will be Run to You, Bryan Adams I Want to Go Home, Michael Buble Warwick Avenue, Duffy Time after Time, Cindi Lauper Zombie, Cranberries None of the above are songs I was hugely fond of TBH, but now I am feverishly practising them they are growing on me. Especially 'Run to You' - the bass line on that is great and enough of a challenge to be interesting but achievable! I'm really looking forward to meeting the other students. Plus the facilities at the Academy are great - they've got a proper little theatre so it should sound and look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 YAY! Go Shelley go! It's going to be awesome for you all, and we want to see photos and watch vids To my personal taste the only tolerable song on your list is Run To Me - can't stand the others, but hey ho, I'm sure they'll be fun to play on the night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 There's some great bass lines in that selection , to be sure . Time After Time has a superb and highly effective bass part that makes the song , in my opinion , and I would find all of those songs challenging in one way or another and fun to play . I'm glad your looking forward to the show and I will be interested to see and hear how it went . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker2807 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 hope it goes well for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Yay go Shell!! I used to do Run To You, quite like the bassline meself, great fun to play. Zombie is a good song too, never tried playing bass to it though. good luck ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 Thanks guys:-) I'll let you know how it goes. I've been practising all evening - my fingers need a rest now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Sounds good ...but I genuinely don't think I could perform "time after time" live. I hate it *that* much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RejectFly Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 good luck and enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Hey, that sounds great! Keep us posted on your progress. I only recognise two of the songs though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 The one I'm having most trouble with at the moment is Warwick Avenue tbh. I got a tab off tinternet, but I'm sure there's a lot more bass going on on the tab than there is on the record. I don't want to over play it. But on the other hand there is also a full string section on the record, so since we won't be having that (!) maybe I should play a bit more bass to beef it up a bit. I think what I will do is learn it as per the tab and then if the general consensus at the rehearsal is that it's too much, I'll pare it down a bit. I think it will be easier to do it that way than have to put in extra bits at the last minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 Report from first rehearsal: Met the rest of the band. Two singers and drummer have, like me, been having private lessons at the Academy. Guitarist I think is a 'day student' who has been drafted in. Somewhat younger and bouncier than the rest of us and didn't know the songs so well. But that could be because he was notified later than us. The others all seemed a bit nervous, esp. the young drummer as he hasn't been having lessons that long. But he did fine - kept it simple, and kept the beat constant which was very helpful for me! The singers are both likeable and interesting people. The male used to sing in a metal band, but damaged his voice over the years so is taking lessons to learn how to do it properly without injury. Now he's singing Michael Buble numbers! The female is a young woman who just wanted to see if she could do it. Has been having lessons 18 months now and sounds beautiful. But has still never sung in public so quite nervous about it. The rehearsal was taken by the drum tutor who is acting as musical director. It was great to have someone in charge! My bass tutor stayed for the first half hour or so to make sure I was OK. I felt ridiculously nervous about it all. I know all the 5 songs inside out now, but even so played some duff notes out of sheer nerves. Stupid really. But lovely tutor sent me a text yesterday saying that I sounded fine and not to worry etc. We're having another rehearsal on Sat, which I am really looking forward to. I think I'll be far less nervous this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Glad to hear it's going well 'shell. The guitarist isn't as well prepared not because he's been notified late, it's because he's a guitarist. They're nearly all like that, trust me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1355140738' post='1894466'] Glad to hear it's going well 'shell. The guitarist isn't as well prepared not because he's been notified late, it's because he's a guitarist. They're nearly all like that, trust me [/quote] Hmm.. I suspected as much, but I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Don't you dare stand at the back with your head down.....I'll be watching !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 [quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1355145436' post='1894545'] Don't you dare stand at the back with your head down.....I'll be watching !! [/quote] I intend to look moodily at the audience during Zombie, as that one's quiet easy. Also will look pensively at the audience during the Michael Buble song as also quite easy. But for the others I might have to stare fixedly at the the fretboard I'm afraid, because I'm so scared of going wrong. But one eye on the drummer, and the other eye on.. oh wait, I've run out of eyes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Try illuminated fire exit signs. That's what I look at. I pretend they're people. I sometimes think you're more - rather than less - likely to go wrong if you pay too much attention to your own fretboard. I'd let your acting skills help you here - I'm certain you could take the role of a confident musician and I'm sure that if you did you would feel more like one. It's all a con trick really !! I bet you now I made more cock ups on Saturday night than you will at the event. I just let it go and crack on. Nobody ever knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 [quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1355157689' post='1894762'] Try illuminated fire exit signs. That's what I look at. I pretend they're people. I sometimes think you're more - rather than less - likely to go wrong if you pay too much attention to your own fretboard. I'd let your acting skills help you here - I'm certain you could take the role of a confident musician and I'm sure that if you did you would feel more like one. It's all a con trick really !! I bet you now I made more cock ups on Saturday night than you will at the event. I just let it go and crack on. Nobody ever knows. [/quote] Thanks Dave, you are quite right of course. I will definitley try looking up a bit more at next week's rehearsal. Also I think the acting skills will probably kick in automatically when I'm in front of an audience. I think I was extra nervous on Sat because it was the first time I'd met them all. But really they were all as nervous as me (apart from bouncy guitar boy)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 Well, I've done it folks and it was great. I was lovely to work with people who although inexperienced (like me!) were willng to learn and put in some hard work. Also to have the benefit of the drum tutor as MD was wonderful. There was a bit of a shaky moment at the Sat rehearsal the day before the event, when a text came through from male singer saying he was in bed with flu and would have to pull out! But female singer stepped up to the plate and said she was willing to have bash at doing 'Run to You'. So she learned it in 24 hours and it sounded great! Way to go Michelle. Although it was only a little concert I was still quite nervous and managed to go wrong on the intro to Warwick Avenue. God knows what I was playing, but at least it was all in the right key.Anyway, managed to recover and the rest of it all went pretty well. Finished with a storming version of Zombie by the Cranberries. I love that cos the bass line is so easy even I couldn't go wrong, but it sounds really wicked. In fact I've never heard my bass sounding so good. Of course we had the benefit of all the college facilities, so the sound was bang on. We all felt brilliant afterwards and all said we would love to get the chance to work together again. I've swapped contact details with the singer, so if the college doesn't give us another opportunity I'm going to contact her and see if we can get something off the ground together. A friend of mine came and took some pics and a little vid, so as soon as she sends them to me I will post them. Unless the vid includes the start of Warwick Avenue, in which case I might chicken out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I'm so pleased it went well Shell well done you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 that sounds awesome!! Good for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Any minor glitches will be instantly forgotten as soon as you have your next gig/jam/rehearsal I can guarantee it, well done shell. Funny you mention 'Zombie'. I did it in a band for a while but the band leader insisted on a slightly different arrangement in the middle somewhere which meant I had to adapt the bassline in that part. We did it at an open mic night somewhere and sure enough I got some local bass player buttonhole me afterwards to tell me I didn't play it 'properly' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Looking forward to seeing the vid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 You say it's 'only a little concert ' , 'shell. Here you are full of beans about what you've done - swapping numbers with other musicians with a view to getting something together............. sounds like a big deal to me. Nice one , matey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushbo Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I really think that there's no such thing as a 'little' concert.... It sounds like a great experience - I'm a Music teacher myself and my school is just about to finish it's pretty intensive round of Christmas gigs. We do one for the local residents of nursing homes, one at Birmingham Cathedral (ooh posh!) and one at school. That's in addition to a few low key/impromptu performances to amuse various other classes. What I love is seeing students really blossom and grow in confidence, especially if they are fairly new to an instrument. It's also great to see big, hairy Megadeth fans playing 'I wish it could be Christmas everyday' and loving it! I hope this is the first of many gigs and you can maintain that fantastic level of drive and enthuisiasm. More power to yer elbow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 Thanks for all the great comments, guys. :-) I really do appreciate your advice and encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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