skej21

Nice work mate! (Sorry for being a pedantic d!ck, but you've got 'John Meyer' and it's 'John Mayer' :S)

[quote name='aidanhallbass' timestamp='1317649053' post='1392668'] ive never understood why some people prefer b rather than # and visa versa, is there a right or wrong way? [/quote] Also, to clarify on Doddy's sentiment about choice of notes. When writing out key signatures, you should never repeat the use of a note. This is a rule used mainly for notated music but is carried over into theory when discussing key signatures etc. You're right that there's not much difference between you PLAYING/thinking about an A# or a Bb, but it becomes a problem when you are trying to communicate with others what you mean (in either notation or when talking). For example, F, G, A, A# etc is incorrect, because you have A twice. This means that if you are sightreading, you would have to constantly switch between a notated natural A and the use of a # incidental to communicate the use of the two notes. This would quickly get confusing and requires the reader to have more to think about. (See top line in image below) By using consecutive note letters, you get rid of this confusion. For example, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E allows you to simply add a "Bb" into the key signature at the start of the written music, and that communicates the use of an A and Bb without having to continuously flip between the two. (See bottom line in image below) Hope this helps

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1317735387' post='1393869'] They do exist in certain key signatures. E# exists in the keys of F# major and C# major,while Fb can be found in the key of Cb (and their relative minors). [/quote] +1 Might I also suggest that the O.P has not included all the modes in all keys, but simply included all of the naturally occuring modes in each key without taking into account any alterations to the key centre, such as the use of harmonic/melodic minor scales. If you were going to include all of the modes for all keys, you need to include the modes that are created when using the Harmonic Minor Scale and the Melodic Minor Scale. Whether they are used as a consistent key centre or appear due to the inclusive of a modulation (transient or complete), you still need to know them for when the altered chords crop up, especially when using lead sheets for solo improvisation. For example, the modes of the melodic minor are considerably different: i - ascending melodic minor scale ii - Dorian b2 (for [i]dom7 sus b9 [/i]chord) iii - Lydian Augmented (for m[i]aj7+5 [/i]chord) iv - Lydian Dominant (for [i]dom7#11 [/i]chord) v- Mixolydian b6 (for [i]dom7b13 [/i]chord) vi - Half-diminished/Locrian [font=Arial Unicode MS, Lucida Sans Unicode]♮[/font]2 (for [i]min7b5 [/i]chord) vii - Altered scale (for [i]dom7#9b13 [/i]chord)

Why do Fender think that we all want a maple neck with black block inlays? There are at least 5 models I can think of that feature it now... American Vintage '75 RI Jazz, Geddy Lee Sig, VM Squier Jazz, Fender 70s P Bass and now these! Why don't they balance it out a bit and give us a mid-ground bass with a maple neck and WHITE binding/block inlays. At the moment, it's just the Marcus Miller sig or the '77 Squier. Something in the same mould/price range as the '70s series Jazzes but with that option and I'd be buying one without a second thought! Fender.... sort it aaaaaaaaat!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1350784' date='Aug 24 2011, 09:41 PM']My dads harder than your dad [/quote] My dog is bigger than your dog!

[quote name='silddx' post='1348456' date='Aug 22 2011, 09:45 PM'].. that this quest for the perfect bass bullshit, is BULLSHIT! Being on basschat has somewhat corrupted my thinking, that I need a bass that's perfect for me. I don't. I need a good bass, good strings, and my brain. That is all. I've been playing, not talking, and I have found out that all I need is a decent bass. There is little difference between any of the basses I have had, only practical things. Playing and thinking about music has shown me that any decent bass will do. I've talked about bass far too long. When you actually PLAY, you start getting a more real connection with yourself, and the instrument itself becomes less and less important. Your LIFE is what is important. Live it and you will speak though your bass.[/quote] Have to agree with a huge +1 I've begun to spend a lot less time on basschat recently and realised the same thing. Far too many threads that are just full of bullsh!t/pointless cyclic arguments about something totally irrelevant. I'll be browsing the 'for sale' section but will be following your fine example and actually spend more time being a musician in the real world, where you not only have to talk the talk, but walk the walk (literally on most of my function/jazz gigs! )

+ 1000000000000000000 to all of the points above. One thing I found really useful was something my old tutor said to me when I first got into teaching. Don't have a bass with you. Just let the student hold the bass during lessons when you first start. This makes you rely mostly on being able to explain what you want the student to do. Then you can gauge how successful you are based on how many times you have to take the bass from them to show them what you mean. Nowadays, I sit with my bass strings facing down on my lap for most of the lesson and rarely play, which seems to really work as the students seems to learn more and enjoy it more if they're playing a lot in lessons. Oh, and also, try not to let a student dictate the lesson. The amount of times you'll teach them something new and they'll say 'just let me practice it a couple more times'. They are often just excited that they've learnt something new and want to immerse themselves in it. Only let them practice new things in lessons if they NEED to. If they've got it, but just want to practice to perfect it, that's what home practice outside of lessons is for. Make sure you're firm yet positive (and prepared)... have the exercises/studies from the lessons written down so that they can take them home and practice/perfect it in their own time.

[quote name='janmaat' post='1338418' date='Aug 13 2011, 08:35 AM']I would actually really like to read something qualified about GAS from a psychologist. Fact is that if we'd all spent half the money we spend on gear on lessons instead we'd surely be going somewhere. It surely has aspects of "Ersatzhandlung" ie. act of compensation. How much time do you spend browsing stuff rather than practising, or even better: playing? My theory is that because making music is somehow addictive, and bass players have the particular difficulty to always need a band to do so, we dive into gear instead. I know quite a lot of musicians too busy playing to develop gas - most professionals that I know have very little gear (mostly due to being broke, moving house all the time and so forth). Could be worth hinting some psychology student towards this board to conduct a study.[/quote] I kind of agree to some extent. It seems that a lot of players find it easier to get knowledgable about basses/gear and 'talk the talk' to other bass players about gear than it is to practise hard and reach a similarly in-depth knowledge of PLAYING a bass. I believe the description for people with 'incurable GAS' is simple... "All the gear, no idea"

Pino... Pino... and again. Pino. No contest!

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1315554' date='Jul 25 2011, 11:22 AM']every so often I'll make a point to make sure my pinky is being used as much as possible as I often find it's dead weight.[/quote] Having read through the thread, this is the part that sticks out. You appear to be putting in the practice time, but if your pinky is "dead weight" and you need to go out of your way to focus your practice to include it, I would suggest your technique is not good enough to allow you to get what's in your head out on to your fingers. If I was you, I'd practice technical/fingering exercises and get a teacher to help you rectify your technique. If your technique was right, you'd be using your pinky all the time when playing and once you get this sorted out, you'll be flying! Like you said, some days you'll nail it and some days it feels like you're making it difficult for yourself. The chances are that if your technique isn't great and you're not using your pinky, you actually are making it more difficult for yourself.

I use lots of things. Usually use theory to start with (picking time sig/feel/key centre) to get the chord chart written out, then pick up the guitar and work out the best way to play them (arpeggiated chord, full chord, strum patterns) then notate the chord part. Then I record it roughly, to play along with. This gives me a skeleton to flesh out. Then I get my bass out and work out the bass line (then record it) and the melody parts. The decide what/who will play the melodic parts. Then I give it to my drummer mate who works out a drum beat with me. The one thing I never fele comfortable writing is drums. I think, because I don't play to a really good standard, by "drummer brain" isn't good enough to come up with any original/creative beats on my own. So I get someone to help me who can do the job Simples

Have to agree with Doddy and Chris2112. I think she's a solid player, and agree that she'd do a the job with ease on a pro circuit but her playing is just a collection of pastiche phrases and cliches. Bland, predictable, technical and boring. Great qualities for a functional bassist but not for a solo bassist.

Have to agree with most of the ideas on here. Ive also found that index tabs are quite useful for grabbing quickly. And you can use the colours for colour coding, so if the MD gives you any awkward "over the page" codas or segues or repeats, you know which one to grab and turn And you can write on them! Only cost a couple of quid too (These are the ones I use [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004M3PYHA/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000J68BR4&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0ENNGK7Q3MZEX92D09KW)"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004M3P...7Q3MZEX92D09KW)[/url]

I've always found that NOT playing the same thing for too long is good. It doesn't take long before the "memory" skills you've been using for learning music kick in and you stop reading the dots. Try having lots of different bits of music to look at. Play through one until you make a mistake/stutter/stop playing, then flick away from those dots onto something new. If you have enough material to flick between so you don't repeat what you're reading too often, you'll pick it up in no time

[quote name='Machines' post='1302252' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:56 PM']I nearly liked it until I saw the weird top horn plus the lower cutaway looks a bit extreme. Thomann has the price for the 4 string at £527, that means it's going to compete with Tanglewaters, Sterling by EBMM, G&L Tributes etc. Not sure if it'll be a big success based on the looks, but the tonal options should be pretty good.[/quote] Personally, I can't see this competing with any of those basses, purely based on aesthetics. As a bassist who loves the styling of the Tanglewaters, G & L tributes and Sterlings, I can tell you I wouldn't go anywhere near this monster and I imagine most people with similar taste would agree. It's utterly hideous! I could see it competing with Ibanez and other more "metal" looking basses... possibly.

[quote name='dc2009' post='1303263' date='Jul 14 2011, 10:02 AM']At age 11 I'd have to recommend 3/4 size, short scale, something cheapish to get him going until he grows. I started at 14 and my hands were not up for many of the stretches I can now perform. Better to learn correct technique on something smaller than to struggle along on something too big for a few years IMO.[/quote] Have to disagree. Having taught music in secondary school to pupils from 11-16, I've never had a 3/4 bass or the use for one. I had one pupil who had one and brought it in, only to tell his mates that his dad (a guitarist) bought it for him because it was guitar size but easier to play because it was a bass, and he would move onto guitar when he got good enough *rolls eyes*... At the end of the day, if he's learning "the correct technique" as you put it, ideally he'll be playing in the first 5 frets really. The difference between short scale and full size electric bass guitar is never drastic enough to make enough difference to justify restricting a pupil to a 3/4 size IMO. If we were talking double bass it would be a totally different story. I only say this because I think the OP should consider all the options in this thread, and not restrict himself to only 3/4 basses. As for my recommendation, a Squier Precision is a good idea. Give him a bass that really is a bass and let him decide whether it's for him or not!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1301522' date='Jul 12 2011, 08:08 PM']Pino. Nuff said. Totally original. Instantly recognisable.[/quote] +1000000000000000000000 Jeff Berlin is just a bitter old man. Bitter that we was always standing in Jaco's shadow, and bitter Pino (and others such as Baghiti Khumalo and Michael Manring) have found success and individuality on a fretless bass and proven themselves to be better players than him by stepping out of Jaco's shadow.

Jeff Berlin is a Cliche. I sad, bitter old Cliche. That is all.

The main reason posting stuff to yourself is not often foolproof is because people usually don't put enough effort into making sure they do it properly. Simply posting a recording (which could have been picked up at someone's house) and then sending it through the post by regular mail, where there is no proof of the date or sender can easily make the exercise pointless. There is no way to prove that the recording belongs to you or that you did indeed send it on a specific date. However, if you do a couple of extra little things, then it should be a perfectly good way to ensure your material is not plagiarised. I know it's a ball ache but you would better off if you also transcribe the music (even a lead sheet or tab but obviously the more info and direction you can express in the transcription, the better) so that you have written evidence of your intentions for the song. Then make a recording of it. Then buy a newspaper from the date (i.e. today), fold that up and place it in an envelope with the transcription/s and the recording and get it sent to yourself via Recorded Delivery. The newspaper and the stamped date provided by the post office will prove the dates if you ever need to (and the letter details will be stored with the Post Office as they keep details on recorded deliverypost, including who it was sent to and the date it was sent), and the transcriptions and recordings will provide a definitive version of the song to compare any stolen version too, in order to make a judgement as to whether the intellectual copyright has been breached. Then once the letter is posted back to you, file it away and leave it unopened until you need it. Which you never will.

I started playing/gigging about 11 years, but have only studied/understood my playing/music for the past 6 years. High points - Playing at The Royal Albert Hall - Getting through my first paid reading gig - First paid gig in LANDAN - First recording session Low Points - Recording a backing track for one of the acts from the 2010 X-Factor finals - 98% of all the depping gigs I've done for "friends"

If he's such a good drummer, why does he hide behind a mask? *P.S. Like all highly-strung threads on here, this is quickly turning into a joke fest. Good times*

IMO, Fender don't try hard enough to give us more basses with a maple neck and white binding and pearl block inlays! Unlike the maple neck black binding/blocks, where you can have a Squier VM, one of these P basses, a Geddy Lee sig etc. Or the rosewood neck with white binding/pearl inlays on the Classic 70s MIM Jazzes or MIJ RIs. With maple neck and white binding/pearl inlays, it's either the Squier '77 VM Jazz or the Marcus Miller Jazz (which, IMO, is too modern in the aesthetics of the body/scratchplate/controls etc to capture the "classic" feel of the neck!) SORT IT AAAAAAAAAAAAT FENDER, YOU SHLAAAAAAGS!