jakenewmanbass

[quote name='ARGH' post='337819' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:33 PM']Nope,never said it didnt work for me,It just was a massive strain on one person to sustain over a loooong period of time (maybe if I didnt live in a posh part of the UK,or had a morgage),me and an ex both did gigs,lessons,ran open mic's...but it isnt playing alone..its multitasking,and if you both do it,then you both understand the ebb and flow,some days its quids in,I dont think you need to be told about the other days,but hey you roll with it. I was on the cusp of the £100-£200 a gig shot till the drummer blew us out and the band folded (Yes Adrenochrome thats when the bough broke),which would have been a cruise for Xmas....Im just glad Ive been offered a higher position at work,its harder work,but its compensation..Lord giveth ,lord taketh away....[/quote] So ok that sounds more reasonable and I wouldn't seek to denigrate your position or outlook, it's just in the first few posts you were sort of telling me that I didn't exist so I felt compelled to say "well I do.... look here I am" And I live in the South East, house prices etc

I've made a living from playing bass for over 20 yrs, I do teach (very few private students now though) but who wouldn't when there are no gigs on a monday morning. I have a mortgage, 3 kids, an annual holiday etc etc. I am never skint. I don't earn a fortune but both me and the misses are musicians (she was at home for 10 yrs with the kids though I was sole breadwinner) and we do fine. I regularly get paid over £250 a gig and I do sessions and lots of functions. I usually have 150 plus gigs a year. and I've never been out of work. Aargh I know it may look like it doesn't work for you, maybe you have an attitude that makes you a less desirable proposition than musicians that do make money.. I have a diary full of colleagues just like me, ranging from skint to wealthy... It is not only how you see it mate so please don't call me a liar by proxy ok.

I'll add a voice to the 'why change it camp' I will go a little further and say: if you want to be a good bass player, realise the depth and integrity that exists in doing that simple support job as well as it can be done. There is a modern disease in bass playing and other instruments that it's all about how fast, how high, how screaming it can be, the cost? The music. Melody, lyricism, poise, dignity are all given over in favour of chops and showing off. The great bass players will move you with great simplicity. Don't get me wrong, I am not some old curmudgeon who thinks that you shouldn't be able to play fast and furious (and I can) I just think there is a place for it and it's limited. Most good bass in my opinion is found in taste, placement, choice and poise.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='335448' date='Nov 24 2008, 01:33 PM']The copyright laws surrounding basslines are very shaky indeed some saying there is no cover for it. Unless you are the published artist then PPL will be far more useful than a lawyer.[/quote] which reminds me Chrisdabass, register as a performer with PPL, just ring them up and ask for a PID (performer Identity Number) and they will collect and deliver to you your performance fees from radio play etc. Their number is 020 7534 1000 They are a licensing body and all the work they do is good stuff IMO. It would also be in your interest to join the MU and get the standard session contracts and get your guy to sign them, this will ensure you get your rights as the aforementioned PID is recorded on the contract. Jake

It's been a while but the last number I have for him is: 0208 691 8300. and he was in a warehouse in Greenwich. Hope this is useful Jake

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' post='335266' date='Nov 24 2008, 06:45 AM']cheers for all the advice guys!! well we finally agreed on what im being paid! at first i was offered 1000 Dollars for 10 tracks! i was cheeky and said i wanted 1000 Pounds! he agreed to it so im pretty happy! i dont call that bad considering its my first paid work and its not taking very long to do! i reckon this should open some doors for me! [/quote] Its a decent start, I would aim for around £300 a track eventually, but congrats on getting some decent work

[quote name='steve-soar' post='335339' date='Nov 24 2008, 10:40 AM']Do you have a music lawyer? Have you given this person the intellectual rights to your music. Say if one of your bass lines was to be used on a video game or sampled into a huge hit or used in a TV campaign, what sort of deal do you have with this person. I think £1000 for 10 tracks is a good deal for the guy in the US.[/quote] The copyright laws surrounding basslines are very shaky indeed some saying there is no cover for it. Unless you are the published artist then PPL will be far more useful than a lawyer.

you can't play those notes.... because you'll be diving around the room trying to catch all the falling objects

Anything from nothing to a lot. If I am recording for unsigned projects I will do it for points and make sure I have the details recorded for PPL. Sometimes it's for points and part payment, and sometimes for payment outright. A very good drummer friend of mine had a buyout session for which he was paid £300. The album sold 15million copies in America. If recording for major labels and developing artists (in other words through a producer) £300-£500 is not unreasonable for 3 hrs. Developed artists will have bigger budgets and it's usually down to whether they want YOU or just a bass player.

[quote name='bassace' post='329620' date='Nov 15 2008, 12:19 PM']Yea, sure I've done the Kind of Blue stuff and its influence has to be acknowledged. How's this for a Saturday stirrer? There is one, just one, CD that will bring a smile to everybody's face, that even the most hardened jazz-haters will enjoy - The Atomic Mr Basie. Go try![/quote] A truly magnificent album!!

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='288225' date='Sep 20 2008, 07:53 PM']As an electric jazzer, I find I, like you, favour the neck end of things to the bridge area. If you actually look at a double bass player, s/he is generally playing in a similar position relative to the bridge/neck. That is why the sound is deeper and more rounded. When I solo, I find I move slightly towards the bridge so itcuts through a little more but rarely do I play right up at that bridge end.[/quote] I pretty much agree with Bilbo as above, but I would add one real specific advantage, I find (and it might just be me) that raking is much easier in a 'near the neck' position as there is a radial action available with the forearm. It seems to me that reducing muscle movement in the wrist produces a greater degree of accuracy so that I can be much deeper into the note in a fast arpegiated movement. In particular if combined with high register -open string- low register passages can all be given a one phrase feel. This makes quite simple and easily controlled register switches sound really death defying when in fact they are quite easy.

[quote name='bumnote' post='327404' date='Nov 12 2008, 10:55 AM']If you or know anyone who is in the musicians union, look on their web site for the going rates for ships[/quote] Union rates are minimums. I would be asking considerably more.

[quote name='chris_b' post='327399' date='Nov 12 2008, 10:46 AM']Get the wife and kids some maracas and take them with you![/quote] That would be my only other consideration, we had a sniff of Christmas in Geneva, I was willing to spend the fee on taking the family. Sadly didn't materialise but the same agent sent us to Dubai in Oct for 10 days instead. WooHoo.

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='327385' date='Nov 12 2008, 10:31 AM']Jake that info is quite useful, is there an argument that as you move out of the Christian west, the tolerance for stuff like dancing and enjoying yourself and playing western music is less and therefore the chances of you competing against a band from the east that plays the sort of rubbish that cover bands like mine do, is less likely? Just a thought[/quote] I was not clear in my earlier post... The clientele on a ship is largely American or English/European. The eastern reference was to Philipino bands that will play for 8 hrs a night for a dollar a day.... is what you're competing with. And I am not exaggerating one bit. When I did the Holland America world cruise in 2004 I got friendly with the stage manager, a very professional and capable Philipino guy, He was one of the most senior Philipinos on the ship and was earning $15 a week.

Ultimately your ears should be the judge of whether you are in tune as your eyes are nowhere near sensitive enough to judge from spatial awareness alone whether or not you are in tune. So IMO don't waste time training your eyes to marks, train your ears to sound.

In my experience not many musicians have the kind of understanding of other instruments to qualify them to teach it at anything other than a rudimentary level, there are exceptions, but it sounds to me like your teacher is not one. Get a bass teacher, someone who has experience, preferably at a professional standard (that does not mean necessarily a pro player) I would not take flying lessons from a motorbike instructor!!!

I've cruised as a headline act quite extensively. In my experience they will not pay premium for the period as a band. There is a class structure aboard ships placing bands amongst crew and headliners amongst officers. Cruise lines have the entire world as a recruitment source for music, most of which is non Christian and often considerably lower paid than we in the west expect. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but I believe you have very little bargaining power as the fee will be in the hands of the booker and the agent, you will get what they are offering and if you don't want it you won't get the job. If you manage to prove me wrong on this (and I hope you do) please let me know the name of the cruise line and the agent who handled the job for you. I have worked for P&O, Holland America, Renaissance, Cunard, Saga and am looking at Silver Seas. Personally, I will not leave my family for anything less than £5000 (to me) for Christams day. Guess what.... I've never worked it

Hi Alun, just read through some of your blues ideas, nicely explained and most importantly for me the ideas are musical and sound and feel nice to play, walking bass should really flow and be created on lines that are musical. I think you've achieved that here. Jake

Hi Jamie, I have taught at all levels from beginner through to degree courses and everything inbetween. (and I teach a few basschatters) there is a huge amount needed to be really comprehensive as a teacher so without going on for too long I'll try and explain what I consider to be a few central tenets of teaching and the demands they place upon the teacher. First and most importantly never be afraid to admit to a student that you don't know something, it's far better to examine something new along with a student, as, being better than them (I would hope) you will have quicker insight, and more exhaustive analysis available to you, this will make the process of learning honest and interesting for both teacher and student. Remember that you are also learning all the time so show humility and willingness to absorb insights and abilities that the student may have, again this will encourage honesty and trust, a crucial part of the student teacher relationship. Moving into the domain of material, you MUST know your stuff, and you should have a huge range of material at which you are expert. If there is an area you don't cover make that clear before taking the student on. Teaching should ensure that you have many different ways of approaching a subject, which should enable you to tailor the approach of delivery to the student in a way that is appropriate to their methods of understanding and ability to absorb, as their teacher, analysis and understanding of this process is your responsibility, If they aren't getting it, it is most likely your fault, you should be able to motivate and excite the laziest people on earth with your enthusiasm for and knowledge of your subject. Be clear in your explanations and stop to ask if you are being understood, remember that it's really easy to over-face people who may have difficulty with what you find easy because you have been doing it for years. Education requires repetition, ask if it's understood... do it again... ask if it's understood... Be encouraging and complimentary, tell people what you think they can achieve, be realistic so they do and work out what it would take to keep pushing beyond their most recent boundaries.. build, build, build. Show the student the areas of your playing at which you still work, let them know that it's an ongoing process so they can understand and have empathy, this will embolden their whole outlook. In this country we are reluctant to admit to not knowing for fear of ridicule, showing a student that you are still learning will help with their self esteem. Having a student open to you will speed the process enormously. Your primary skill requirements are gaining trust and understanding of exactly how a student will improve quickest. Lastly examine your own playing... BE HONEST... about your strong points, and your weak points. realise from that honesty what you have to offer. It might be a good feel, great time, strong reading abilities, anything you do well... don't underestimate what use the simple things you take for granted are for a student. Let them see your love of music. It's infectious I promise. Hope thats useful. feel free to PM me with specific questions. Jake PS remember that becoming a teacher does not mean it's time for you to stop having lessons.

As you say yourself there is a lot of choice out there, have a troll through earlier threads in this section and you will find quite a bit of discussion about the various merits of the different options out there. I personally have tried mics, transducers and the stick strip type and found the transducer to be most reliable in the widest variety of settings. Good luck. Jake

[quote name='bassbloke' post='309422' date='Oct 18 2008, 07:46 PM']Does anyone know who the drummer is in that last video?[/quote] Vinnie Colaiuta

[quote name='OldGit' post='307683' date='Oct 16 2008, 10:14 AM']and folkin' clubs by night.[/quote] Heh Heh, I like the idea of "folkin'" as a verb, or adjective "folkin musicians, they're all lazy bastards the folkin' lot of 'em" "What you doing tonight Charlie?" "I'll be folkin' 'til two in the morning" "what a stud"

From the thread title I thought you were exaggerating but fuuuuuuuuck!!!! you weren't. That is so serious, I really want to know what is the cause as I have never heard of anything like it in 20 yrs of gigging/rehearsing.

Not last night but this morning and afternoon.. One of the worst paid gigs I do... in money that is, however the rewards are astonishing. It's for a charity called music in hospitals the gigs range from childrens wards in mental health institutions to acute care for badly injured and terminal patients through to old folks homes and hospices. It sounds cheesy but you really do feel a sense of doing something good as these people get so little of this sort of thing so they really appreciate it. I especially like playing for the older folk as they recognise some of the tunes and always respond.

Welcome to the forum mate.