Dad3353

'Better' is the enemy of 'Good'.

Playing just G, F and A when that's what the music, and band, require is competent skills. The 'competent' part is the knowing when that's the case and when it isn't. There are thousands of very competent, professional bass players that play G, F and A very well indeed, and not much more. They get the gigs exactly because of that.

It sounds as if you're not the best fit for that band anyway; you've dodged a bullet, I'd suggest.

'Live steamed benefit concert for Steve Lawson', eh..? Hot stuff. ... (Thanks for posting ...)

One basic rule, as a starting point, is to listen to what the drummer is doing. In many styles, that's the 'holding down the song' part; the rest can maybe come later, but bass/drums are a good foundation to build from. Just my tuppence-worth; good luck in your search.

Many fretless players close their eyes whilst playing; rare are those that need to see what their left hand is doing. It's all in the ears. I might agree that one needs to hear the sound of the bass, but I don't see (hear..?) that as much of a difference between fretted and fretless. Disclaimer : Our Youngest plays my 6-string fretless in our pop/rock group, and one wouldn't know it's fretless; it's never been remarked upon. To me, it's a non-issue (but I'm a drummer, so...).

There are a thousand, maybe more, reasons why folk don't get the gig or the place in the band, just like going for a job interview. One may tick all of the boxes, but there's more than competence or professionalism (although that helps, obviously, for most situations...). Don't get hung up about the gear; it's only one tiny factor in a complex equation. Maybe they don't like suede shoes, or curly hair, a squeeky voice or a limp handshake. There are no rules, really; each meet-up is different, so just go in with a positive attitude and a smile. If it's meant to be, it will be.

Edit : Post removed.

So, you play the tuba..? ...

@Leonard Smalls... The explanation is simple... The reason why limericks work And drive some people berserk Is because there's a rhyme And that, over time Folk don't have to think for themselves any more, it's all cut'n'dried for 'em, the dainty little lambs.

I've had a look at EmVoice, too (free trial version, limited in range for the voices...). Here's a quickie, done in a few seconds, and only a few seconds long. It's far easier, I find, than Vocaloids or Synth V, for sketching stuff out. It doesn't sound too bad, to my cloth ears. (Three voices, 'gash' harmony of sorts...)...

Word. 👆

For UK customers, the £ price is 'all inclusive', so if it's quoted as £200, that's what you'll pay.

On bass, for me, other than the 'slinging one's 'ook' as in the video, and bass solos, I'd add... Pedal boards (or pedals at all, really...). Use of a pick. Round-wound strings. 'Softly, softly' is more my style (it might get loud, but softly...).

I've been doing stuff with Vocaloids and Alter Ego for some years, and would be interested in this synth voice once my budget allows it. There's a learning curve, but the vocal results are quite impressive (within a certain genre; I doubt there's much to rival Janis Joplin...). Far better, in any case, than anything I could come up with with my own dulcit tones. I'll get to it later, and would hope for some male voices, too.

Yeah, I do that trick of tossing my gear around my head. Goes down a treat, along with the head-banging. I'm weak on pirouettes, though, so I'll practise them more. Disclaimer : I'm a drummer.

When I play 'Misty', it certainly doesn't sound like Errol Gardner..!

Following the same ''logic', one wouldn't read a book, but write one's own..? Poems, too..? One can learn much from that which others have written, be it on prose, poetry, lyrics or musical notation. There's no shame in reading books, so why music..? It doesn't stop one from creating at all, quite the opposite. It can (if one has the will...) provide stimulus to further one's own creations. That's what I've always found, anyway. Disclaimer : I play drums. I play what comes into my head much of the time, but also know how to play a wide variety of styles others have established. When I'm playing calypso-style, for instance, I'm not simply copying what I learned by reading, but my own version, adapted to the piece being performed. It makes complete sense to me.

I concur; this is a very efficient (and free...!) easy-to-use drum kit, which works well straight out of the box, so no need to faff around. Many options, though, all easy to access, to get variety or inspiration. Recommended; worth a trial, at least. Good Call, Skank.

There is a quantum leap in difficulty between reading monophonic lines (essentially bass, or solo voice, or brass, with exceptions...), and polyphonic lines (keys, guitar, some choral works, drums...). getting one pitch right at a time compared to getting several pitches right, is a challenge, when learning. In that sense, bass is an easy one, and it's a reasonable excuse for a guitarist to say 'Thanks, but No thanks'.

This is true; sight-reading is an extension of 'reading', and has its own challenges. For most purposes, reading, albeit slowly and methodically, would be enough to get the enormous benefit that it brings; sight reading becomes a 'must' when depping theatre pit shows, concerts or studio session work. Many (most..?) concert pianists, and other performers, have the score in front of them, but have practised and rehearsed enough to not read from it, as it's been committed to memory. They have spent the time beforehand, though, studying the piece (reading it, obviously, but more than that, mostly...), and playing it through a number of times. Memorising is part of the skill in reading; few will be reading from the score 'live'.

Pretty fluent on drums, a bit more laborious for bass, tricky for guitar and very, very slow for keys. Luckily, I'm a drummer.

'Whom' seems to be on its way out of late. Such is Life, maybe; what can be done, I wonder..?

I'm not sure that that's an absolute. Most of the folk atttending our gigs know us personally, and would be very surprised if we started any out of character capers. They've come to see/hear us play the songs we do, and applaud after each. Some folk want exhibitionism, others don't appreciate it at all (it's my case, as it happens...). When I assist at a classical concert, I wouldn't be impressed by the conductor or solist prancing about. I often close my eyes, when listening to music, anyway. To me, music is essentially an audio experience. If I want to see party tricks (I don't...), I'd go to the circus. Just sayin'.