jakenewmanbass

Hi Inca, as has been said, the guys who you've had contact with so far are completely wrong on all counts. I only charge £25 and I have been teaching up to and including university level for ten years. Rochester is a fair old trek from here but I'm sure you could find someone on the east side of London (for no more than I charge) There are guys that have been to Trinity in Greenwich on that side of town. I'll see if I can find anyone for you. How far would you be willing to travel? Jake ps and no, it is certainly not the best you'll find. There are many professional standard bass players who will teach during the week (when they tend to be less busy)

Cello is my second favourite instrument. Such a sonorous register, but like all string instruments until it sounds great, it sounds f***ing awful.

[quote name='nick' post='195771' date='May 9 2008, 11:53 PM']'Wishing Well' - Black Sabbath[/quote] Am I confusing this with Free 'wishing well'?

[quote name='Linus27' post='195766' date='May 9 2008, 11:43 PM']Well today, he taught me Cmaj7, Dmin7 and G7 but not a sausage about Jazzcakes. How does he expect me to improve if he does not teach me about jazzcakes. I think i'm going to have to have a word with our jakesbass. [/quote] Jazzcakes are a very special recipe. Patience Linus. karate face

[quote name='BeLow' post='195606' date='May 9 2008, 06:15 PM']It is easy to forget with all the other contoversial posts that Basschat really is at its best when we are talking bass.[/quote] I think of this EUB/DB forum as a little quiet haven where the waves are crashing at the cliffs 200yds out but lapping ashore in here.

[quote name='OldGit' post='195209' date='May 9 2008, 08:59 AM']The DB tutor is a tad hard to pin down ....[/quote] [s]They always are[/s] I always am, worthless f***head[s]s[/s]. Actually, seriously I'm not

BTW BeLow thanks so much for posting that info, this: [color="#48D1CC"]ADJUSTING THE FEET: This is often ok from the factory, but if not, it's a simple matter to lay a piece of sandpaper on the surface of the bass, where the bridge feet will go and then just work the bridge back and forth gently until the proper contour is created. Be very careful not to allow the sandpaper to scratch the bass' surface. I masking-tape down a sheet of white paper first - before taping down the sandpaper. Even at that, it's possible to mar the finsih or wood if you're not careful --- my suggestion is to not use very heavy pressure when sanding. Use many lighter strokes instead of a lesser number of heavy strokes.[/color] in particular is such a great thing to find out

[quote name='OldGit' post='195132' date='May 9 2008, 12:04 AM'].. any other comedy classics that are relatively easy to play on upright?[/quote] The obvious one is 'Fever' [quote name='OldGit' post='195132' date='May 9 2008, 12:04 AM']I'll be using it on for a few tunes only, and then towards the end of the evening in case it's overly popular. No way I could play this thing for more than a couple of tunes at this point. My arms would fall off .... [/quote] Once you learn a decent left hand approach you will be able to be much more efficient (it shouldn't really be a strenuous process), so trying not to drone on about it, getting lessons sooner rather than later will save you time in the long run. Jake

Hi BeLow the string height on my jazz bass <----(not fender) is 11mm at the end of the fingerboard, on my arco bass its 17mm. The 11mm is an absolute minimum for me as I like to be able to roll the flesh of my pizz finger off the string producing a nice weighty ping, this percussive effect has two benefits, one is volume projection the other, especially when walking 4 in a bar, is it gives a solid front to the note which when played with a good driving feel really propels the music forward (swing) There are people who prefer a much lower string height, the sound is less percussive and softer more like a fretless. It is purely a matter of taste. When giving Linus27 and Rainbass lessons on their Staggs I have noticed how despite not being the top of the range of EUBs the Stagg has the most percussive tone I have encountered, making it, to my taste, closer to the real thing than others I have played. I think the main contributor to this is the string tension, which requires a minimum energy to get a sound so when you get to the minimum and beyond you are really making the string work. In summary, set the action to your taste and hand strength being aware that a little bit more height can give a little more percussion. The nut I have less of a feeling for, both my basses were set up by a luthier genius so all I can say is they are right. and I think fitting a business card in is just about where mine are. Feel free to ask further if you feel I've missed anything or you think of something else, I will do my best to the extent of my knowledge and then point you to people who really know what they're talking about. Most of my knowledge is anecdotal not empirical. enjoy, slowly slowly (at first) Jake

He's on Donald Fagens latest album 'Morph the Cat' His playing is great on it.

Has to be Me'Shelle for me, fabulous groove, using the language of the whole of bass history and making it sound entirely her own. Now thats an artist.

[quote name='Jobiebass' post='193611' date='May 7 2008, 08:36 AM'], I was guttered..[/quote] You need down pipes mate

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='165186' date='Mar 28 2008, 01:39 PM']I would also insist that 'Precision' basses should be played with precision and that all Double Basses should be played twice. [/quote] My Double bass is a 3/4 so I shall only play it 1.5 times, any requests for me to play it twice should be forwarded in writing to my manager as new clauses will apply. My Jazz is redundant for Jazz as I Jazz on my 1.5 Bass although as a Jazz player at least in part or parts, 1.5 specifically, Jazz can be heard in approximately 3/4 or 75% of the noises I make of a non-Jazz nature but that notwithstanding, still, at least in part, specifically 50% (from now known as 'the proportion') divided as it is between my duties as a 1.5 bass player and an electric player on either Jazz or Alembic which I am now considering employing to create a large volume of whisky rendering only 50% of its duties to bass playing by 'the proportion' 75% of which by aforementioned tendency will be at least Jazz(y). Put another way, nobody is getting their hands on my Jazz missus. or my 3/4 x2 (1.5)

I have never got over the fact that there are apparently enough people out there that have considered it worthwhile to pay me enough money to feed my kids, pay a mortgage etc for twenty years now. All for playing my bass. With that in mind I can't help feeling anything but one lucky SOB, so as a result I can see the fun side in playing pretty much anything. I think the one thing that has sustained that feeling is the variety of music I get to play. eg in the last month I have done 3 pop sessions an AOR type session a couple of weddings playing standards, a few parties, a game fair, a couple of corporates and in some of those I played teddy bears picnic whilst wearing a monocle and sporting a centre parting. Some would consider what I do as musical prostitution. But I'm having a great time. As for whether I have musical integrity? I'll let you decide. Jake

[quote name='dougal' post='193559' date='May 7 2008, 12:24 AM']And I've found a problem... Any one know where in the UK I can get a practice mute from? It's a touch loud arco. Like this one: [/quote] I see you're in Surrey depends which end but you've got Malcolm Healey in Sutton or Sound Post in Guildford They would both be able to order for you. Jake PM me if you want contact details

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='193809' date='May 7 2008, 12:59 PM']www.wajoco.com (I think) [/quote] Thanks

Glad to hear things are getting better for you HH, and thanks for a topic that has a v nice, positive feel to it. Enjoy the gig. Jake

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='193789' date='May 7 2008, 12:41 PM']Did you hear that stuff Jimmy Johnson did with the Wayne Johnson Trio (no relation)? Some of his best work for me.[/quote] I haven't and I must. I've heard [i]about[/i] it, I shall look it up.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='193735' date='May 7 2008, 11:56 AM']So you can't build up the stamina you need to develop to nail a long gig or fast tempos on DB. So you do damage.[/quote] Absolutely regarding stamina, I'm lucky I have a bread and butter gig (about 80-100 gigs a year) on double playing twenties stuff, it's great fun, really good tunes and I've got the thing in my hands, it's like a paid practice regime. I would have to put in a lot of hours to keep my chops that strong without that gig. DB is like trumpet in that respect, you have to do it, to be able to do it. [quote name='bilbo230763' post='193735' date='May 7 2008, 11:56 AM']Most good jazz is played on DB and the exceptions (Steve Swallow and, eh, Steve Swallow) are few and far between.[/quote] I agree about Steve Swallow one of my all time favourite improvisors, I think Jimmy Johnson deserves a mention at this point.

[quote name='TPJ' post='193650' date='May 7 2008, 09:43 AM']For what it's worth, you can get a 3/4 UDB in a Yaris. [/quote] I once got a DB in the footwell of my berlingo, I kid you not... It was in tiny smashed up pieces, it had seen the wrong side of a flight to Italy. Came out with neck off sound post dropped and a nice compression on the front table. So I had fun smashing it to bits. I'm not a bassopath (although some would disagree) and on the up side, it was a piece of junk to start with, nasty, nasty ply bass I got for a few hundred quid for exactly the destiny which it eventually suffered: Smashed in the hold of a plane. It was insured and now I've got a shiny piece of junk in its place which lives in a van. And always gets used for flying. My lovely hand made german basses are not five feet from me as I type and will never go near those unforgiveable bastards that clearly take great pleasure in 'handling' peoples precious goods with the least care they can manage. I hate them!

Welcome Mathew. I've already read and enjoyed some of your posts, I think you'll like it here. Jake

[quote name='NowVertical' post='193416' date='May 6 2008, 10:06 PM']I have done a quick search of the forum to no avail. Got a last minute dep in Singapore (my first international dep) and wanted to know if anyone knew: 1. Where to shop in Singapore - Looking for cheap strings (DR Hi-Beams) and possibly a 4 string jazz. 2. Do you need MU membership to take a bass on as hand luggage on BA flights (I have heard conflicting stories) Would appreciate any guidance. Cheers Jem[/quote] Sorry to report Jem that BA in my experience have not been helpful re instruments. (It's often DB for me though which I think makes it worse). If you are an MU member there is the agreement you can refer to, but I have heard people having difficulty in getting airlines to act on it. My advice, get a flight case and insurance (also provided by the MU) Onto Singapore: Not really sure about instruments, you can find good deals on shopping for electricals though. Make sure you take a trip and have a cocktail in the Raffles hotel, and walk along the river/harbour front restaurant area at night. I would also recommend a rickshaw (bicycle ride) where you will be asked repeatedly what types of girls you would like to see. The food is awesome, the weather is very balmy (high humidity) it's extremely clean and the people in my experience were really friendly. Most of all, enjoy Jake

Roger Innis is in Brum I think, a really lovely player, don't know if he teaches, Mikey D on here is also in the area, I don't know if he gives lessons on double but he's bound to know someone that does. Ask around you'll find someone. Good luck Jake

[quote name='XB26354' post='192909' date='May 6 2008, 01:40 PM']I would respectfully say that double bass technique is not necessary on a normal scale electric bass unless you have very small hands.[/quote] I quite agree and I only mentioned DB technique as an earlier poster had mentioned using a technique "like" DB which it was in fact not, I corrected and he agreed. There are however parralels between using ring finger to support little finger in octave movement, and DB technique. I personally use a combination of index and ring and 2nd and little, and I employ one finger per fret all over the instrument. I do have long, strong fingers though, ironically primarily because of my DB training.