jakenewmanbass

[quote name='guyl' post='645011' date='Nov 4 2009, 09:35 AM']Fly Me To The Moon as a Waltz or Quickstep![/quote] As a quickstep, medium up swing (or brisk) I've played fly me to the moon thousands of times and at various tempi and (funnily enough) for strict tempo dancing. I didn't suggest it as a waltz although I have heard it done.

moon river is the nicest waltz written. quicksteps... any medium up swing tempo e.g fly me to the moon.. If they are strict tempo folk then get metronome markings from them as they are real sticklers

fine here

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='643602' date='Nov 2 2009, 05:09 PM']Les I've always loved the sound of a major triad with the major 3rd as the root (1st inversion).[/quote] MMMM you and me both... lovely sound

Garry said it all, the only thing I would re-iterate is knowing how the conductor is beating AT ALL TIMES. not knowing where you are is horrible. Don't be scared to ask the MD to be clear and very explicit about how it's being beaten where, and mark your parts accordingly. As I said losing your place is a horrible feeling but not as horrible as the time I had engine failure in a summer downpour (it took 30mins to dry out) and as I pulled up (dumping the car at the stage door) at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool I could hear the overture of the show playing and had to run upstairs and get changed before I could go to the pit as we were onstage in the second act... Soooooooo painful. Mostly enjoy it. Am dram can be fun as it's mostly people doing it for the love and as Garry said there are likely to be some nice young things who may or may not be impressed by the size of your instrument

To build strength in individual fingers (if they are weaker than others) it's helpful to find exercises that pay specific attention to that finger's movement. There are a few exercises that involve doing hammer on and pull off whilst holding the other fingers in a fixed position but to put it in text is quite lengthy and difficult (to make sure one is understood) You really just need to be shown (by a teacher eg ME*) or read from music. The problem with doing exercises that work on all fingers is the improve dexterity evenly so some fingers end up still stronger than others. I guess it depends how perfect you want to be. *sorry couldn't resist the punt as you're only 30 mins from me.

[quote name='benzies123' post='637494' date='Oct 26 2009, 11:32 PM']Thanks very much, this is exactly the kind of response I hoped for (That wasn't meant to sound sarcastic!). But yeah I have some real books, and you are right about going through it, I will set upon that now I think. Cheers[/quote] Hi Jamie, didn't sound sarcastic to me at all . I was bass tutor at Salford university for 8 years (and a couple of smaller colleges) so I know what is expected. I hear some good things about Trinity, I know a few people attending (and past tense) and bizarrely I was in a band with Nic Murcott (their head of music technology) when I was about 13-14 yrs old. Haven't seen him since but we have both gone on to make a living from music. All the best Jake

Hi Jamie, Spain is not really a standard mate... Check what they mean by 'standard'. To my mind a standard is a tune from the American songbook, ie written by one of the great show writers from the first half of the last century. So Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Rogers and Hammerstein etc. Spain (as good as it is) is a modern jazz classic so slightly different in definition. I'm not splitting hairs for the sake of it, if they want to hear you playing real standards it will be to assess your fundamental knowledge of, and ability with the core material of the genre (jazz), so it's important to be sure that thats what you give them. They will prob want to hear your walking abilities and how you cope with the bass role in Jazz. So good examples would be All the things you are, Days of wine and roses, Bewitched, When I fall in love, etc etc If the remit is wider and extends to modern jazz classics then Spain would be fine. Just be sure of what they want before you invest a load of time learning something a little bit outside what is expected. My advice would be to get a real book and play through a load of melodies and listen to the ones that capture your ear then work out a little showpiece. Best of luck. Jake

Yep pro for a shade under 20 years. I eat (very well in fact) Have been flown to every corner of the world to play to thousands including presidents and royalty, eaten in the best restaurants and stately homes, even palaces, been given hotel rooms bigger than my house, have met and worked with tons of 'celebrities' and backed a ton of UK tv artists, appeared on tv shows, toured with some very very good US artists, recorded for major labels, and minor ones, have (probably) been heard playing bass by almost everyone on this forum on tv and radio jingles. And to top it all.... last March (that's '08).... I played to an enthralled.... couple (might have been four) on the freezing Easter bank holiday in a tent in a field at a game fayre in Northamptonshire (not a game show... a game fayre, you know,... attended by people who want to shoot stuff) It was so cold I had an oil radiator between my legs for the entire set. And that was the beginning of the outdoor season in the wind, pissing rain, blistering heat, in a wool tail suit. The point is, you have to be able to approach it all with a level head and be good wherever you are whatever the conditions. It's the best job in the world for me because I love to play my bass....

[quote name='Clarky' post='636844' date='Oct 26 2009, 12:48 PM']Nigel on stage, 2010 [attachment=35193:Cheap_Tr...t_guitar.jpg][/quote]

If I could add a totally unhelpful post... learn to play with your eyes closed... no seriously! (says he with leds)

I just want a fretless..... But it has to be an Alembic with series or sig electronics

It's totally subjective as people will simply put their favourite, so I'll try to be objective. I would say our most accomplished bassist is Dave Holland because he is an artist that will transcend popular culture in the historical sense. The fact that he was a Miles Davis band member and the sheer volume of the worlds great jazz players he has accompanied to me elevate him above even someone as loved as Entwhistle (whom I also really dig) but not only from a status perspective, but as a craftsman too. There is no-one to touch his ability on these shores. I'm sure some would say I lack objectivity because I like jazz, but I love all kinds of music equally and I have a very firm belief in fair minded appraisal.

[quote name='ped' post='632632' date='Oct 21 2009, 06:11 PM']I quite like to tap the strings rhythmically in between notes like dead notes, mimicking the drums and emphasising the rhythmic content of the groove. It's hard to explain, but I guess it helps me with keeping the groove and I feel really comfortable venturing around with different grooves and keeping the click/tap/clank of the beat under it. ped[/quote] Ped that's a very natural self contained groovy thing to do which can sound very funky if done right... but a word of caution. If you learn to rely on those little taps as part of your groove they can be very difficult to eliminate should the need arise, that need is likely to be when you realise in playback in a session that your taps and clicks are competing with the drums especially the snare on the back beat, it can be doubly problematic if you're not as accurate as your drummer because it can create a flam effect on the backbeat. So it's a cautionary tale... I'm not saying don't do it. I am saying be able to play without doing it with no loss of groove for the sake of squeaky clean recording.

[quote name='tredders' post='630516' date='Oct 19 2009, 04:52 PM']Sorry to go a little off topic, but I've just been listening to the songs on [url="http://www.myspace.com/jakebassnewman"]http://www.myspace.com/jakebassnewman[/url] and they're great! Are they available to buy either on CD or download? Cheers Mark.[/quote] Thanks Mark. you have a PM

[quote name='Cairobill' post='631906' date='Oct 20 2009, 10:43 PM']Meditate on these Two Words... James Jamerson.... Listen to this... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND-iW51idC0&feature=fvw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND-iW51idC0&feature=fvw[/url] Then buy this... [url="http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Shadows-Motown-Legendary-Jamerson/dp/0881888826"]http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Shadows-Mot...n/dp/0881888826[/url] Then study it deeply and enjoy. Nick[/quote] Very good advice indeed

[quote name='cheddatom' post='631269' date='Oct 20 2009, 12:40 PM']If you want to record lots of channcels at the same time, you need an interface with that many inputs AND one pre-amp per mic channel. Most external interfaces come with only 2 pre-amps built in.[/quote] Tom, quick diversion from the main question re your post above. I've just got a presonus firestudio project as my interface. The manufacturer claim that the pre amps on each of the 8 ins are good enough in their own right. I also own a focusright octopre from a previous incarnation of my studio (AW HD recorder for sale btw) would you hook the focusright into the presonus and have 2 sets of preamps? or would you rely on the presonus alone? I'd appreciate your thoughts on this (this is before it gets to my overpriced mac ) Sorry for the hijack but it did come up...

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='631960' date='Oct 20 2009, 11:30 PM']I can see where you are coming from - its more like a drum solo on bass guitar but he made it accesible for most normal `non musos' who (don't forget its 25 years ago!) were like `wow thats a bit flash - blimey, thats someone playing a bass guitar - hows he doing that?!'. Yes, Stan Clarke was doing a similar thing perhaps as were other players but Mark popularised bass guitar, whereas the other greats were more underground if you see what I mean. He is a very melodic player too - listen to the live version of `Foundation and Empire' - he did some fingerstyle runs that would rival Pastorius in terms of content![/quote] Indeed, we have that to thank him for.

[quote name='crez5150' post='631953' date='Oct 20 2009, 11:26 PM']I don't understand what your saying here?[/quote] I guess it's personal, for me music is less flash and more beauty, as I said I have respect for the ability but the whole vibe of Marks level 42 persona does nothing for me. I have seen some footage of him just jamming stuff and preferred it immensely, so I'm sure there's music in there it's just that the thing that popularised the guy to my taste at least is as unmusical as coal being delivered. That said I have respect for anyone who can achieve that kind of ability in any field (he is undoubtedly a very skillful guy)

I have no problem with the skill involved and hats off for that, for me there's very little music in it. Thats not to say he isn't a good musician, but the public face does very little for me.

If my wife was saying to me that she wanted me to gig less then she would also be saying I want you to stop paying the mortgage, so it's a moot point really.