norvegicusbass

I resist the urge to post a pic of myself on the grounds of the results of a website I once tried to establish .[url="http://www.uglyf***ersneedaplace.com"]www.uglyf***ersneedaplace.com[/url] I posted my pic there and after one other brave person Miguel Jesus Hernandez from Contagem, Brazil with all his warts and hairiness posted a pic it was shut down. I dont want Basschat to be shut down so it is perhaps best if I describe myself instead of posting a pic. I am six foot one, black hair, looks best described by reference to my other job which is a Brad Pitt body double.

Haven't got a clue who anyone is in that first video as I was in a coma during the entire Hit Factory period. The doctors could have brought me out at any time but thought it would be cruel while Waterman et al ruled the airwaves.

Yeah I can see it now. Sweet playing

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1343569634' post='1752145'] I've managed to record a couple of youtube covers I know I'm a terrible player, and I know the audio and the video aren't [i]quite [/i]synced 100%, but it could be worse! [media]http://youtu.be/V7hurQmoUwY[/media] P.S. I told you I have hooters and am very overweight! [/quote] Awww I cant see it

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1343378396' post='1749684'] I can totally sympathise with this as many times I hear myself and feel like packing it all in The question you have to ask yourself is what are you comparing yourself to , if its a recorded bass sound played by a professional recorded by a professional with all the added studio effects then your not really comparing like with like. Best advice -go to a proper teacher , even if its only for one lesson , play him something and ask his honest opinion ( I am of course assuming that you can find a good teacher) the cost of this will be less than trying to chase the perfect amp ! [/quote] Excellent point. When I listen to isolated bass tracks I am often struck by how much better they sound when included within the original track. BTW something odd that I noticed is when my partner is busy doing her hair and using her hairdryer my tone sounds a lot better when I am in the same room as her. So I have figured that the best place for me to gig is a bedroom with a large wardrobe and a hairdryer.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1343304999' post='1748582'] the perfect album: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S70y1MnJT4M[/media] Passover track3 - is totally worn out on my vinyl - it is perfection. and Twenty Four hours is magic [/quote] Saw an interview once where George Michael in his Wham days said that Closer was a "beautiful album" I was like Huh?? George Michael likes JD!!!

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1343343179' post='1749413'] By the sound of it a wardrobe will sound better than your 20w practise amp.. Good luck matey and .... Persevere [/quote] Yeah it was an hundred watt warbrobe

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1343309559' post='1748697'] I played for a year with nothing to amplify my bass other than a wardrobe (bass pushed up against it to give me a bit of volume). I recommend the bit of spongue under the bridge to get rid of clanky noises but ideally you should play along to your favorite tracks and slowly the clanky noises will disappear as you get better at dampening strings with your fingers. [/quote] In this big wide world of ours I thought I was the only person who used his wardrobe as a sound box LOL

All excellent points thank you all very much for your replies it has given me a bit more heart.

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1343304981' post='1748581'] Have a look at your technique on your fretting hand, how close are you fretting the notes to the actual frets? If you're pressing the string halfway between the frets, or even closer to the fret below, then you'll need to press really hard to stop buzzes and clatters. So instead, make sure you're fretting as close to the fret as possible without actually muting the string, you'll play with a lighter touch and with less buzzes. It'll help you play faster, do less damage to your hands, plus if you decide to play fretless you'll be halfway to getting your intonation right. Next up, string muting. A lot of people mute purely by lifting the string off the fret but this can cause buzzing and clicks, particularly on the thicker strings that have more momentum to stop. If you're playing fingerstyle try some muting with your picking fingers, or if you're playing slap or with a pick use your palm. Practice playing really staccato, and then playing looser (all controlled by your picking hand) it'll help tidy up your playing as note lengths are super important. Now you've got your amp you'll soon notice an improvement, I'd strongly suggest recording yourself somehow and you'll be able to hear yourself progress and also analyse what needs work to improve your playing. It's amazing the number of musicians who don't actually know what they sound like, don't find out like I did in the control room of an expensive studio surrounded by people thinking they'd hired an idiot Good luck! [/quote] Excellent advice thanks very much. I have heard some of those isolated tracks and yeah the amount of extraneous noise didn't seem to affect those guys. The set up I have, that is bass, amp and strings cost less than £120 brand new so maybe I am being a little harsh on myself although I shouldn't try to make that an excuse. If I can get good on this gear maybe Lottery win or some rich relatives passing might let me get hold of decent gear and hopefully I can get the sound i want.

[quote name='merlin' timestamp='1343303530' post='1748541'] Dont give up, play through head phones,Ive been playing for 37years and Im still insecure about my playing.. dont worry you will improve [/quote] Cheers I will just keep practicing and hopefully in 37 years I can still be insecure LOL. Mind you I will be the oldest rocker in town by then

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1343303423' post='1748539'] Cut the top end a bit if you're getting excessive string/fretting noise. And if your damping skills are a bit wayward, stick a bit of sponge under the bridge - if it's good enough for Bob Babbitt... And as has been said, it's all about practice. You've become used to the tone of your bass played acoustically, it's bound to take time to get used to it amplified... for one thing, the sound is now coming [i]from somewhere else![/i] Spooky! Edit: And a cheap practice amp is going to sound... cheap. Not much you can do about that! [/quote] Yeah it does sound weird coming from somewhere else LOL.

[quote name='TPTroll' timestamp='1343302618' post='1748524'] There's no point really in cheap practice amps. What's the wattage? If there isn't enough headroom (i.e. you have the volume up full) then it's going to sound a little worked. A cheap/lower power practice amp will never, save for a few exceptions, give you amazing tone and sound. The amp is probably more important for quality of sound in many ways than the bass and pups. Don't worry about the sound. If you want to get used to playing amped up, maybe stick some headphones on for a bit and get used to playing through an amp. If you want to try playing really loud through a decent amp, see if any of the rehearsal rooms in your area do cheaper rates for solo practices. This will give you the chance to go high volume with a good amp, but on your own. [/quote] The wattage is twenty Like I say its just a cheap practice one

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1343302466' post='1748520'] It sounds pretty natural to me, as [i]everything[/i] will be amplified, not just the good stuff. It's mostly about practice practice practice when amplified, and after time you'll start to eliminate unwanted sounds. A couple of other suggestions to reduce the nasty sounds - make sure you have a good setup, try playing with a lighter touch, and higher tension strings will help. How do you feel about flats? [/quote] I have flats

It might sound odd but I have only just got around to buying an amp for the bass I have been playing these last eighteen months. A combination of going through lean times financially and not being a gigging player has prevented me from justifying purchasing one when there are more pressing matters. The bass I have is semi acoustic anyway so I could always hear what I played so I never really needed one. I was also beginning to get quite happy with my tone until I got my hands on a cheap practice amp. When I plugged it in I sounded awful. I am really down about how bad I sound I know I have to fiddle around a bit to get the tone I want but I just think I sound sloppy regards excessive finger noise etc. Maybe I should have got an amp from the start and been aware that I needed to tighten up my technique. There is something else though. Its really the first time I have heard myself at volume and its as though I am frightened to play as I normally do somehow. Its hard to explain but its like the tone and extraneous noises are putting me off and leading to me making mistakes.

[quote name='joeystrange' timestamp='1343290758' post='1748261'] I can't stand Joy DIvision. It's not just that I don't like them either, a good band is a good band regardless of whether I like them or not, but I actually think Joy Division are terrible. They sound (to my ears, at least) like the band you start when you're 15 when you've had a guitar for three weeks and you don't know how to play said guitar or how to write songs. And yet people go on like they're some kind of genius band. Does not compute with me. [/quote] I have virtually the opposite opinion. JD to my mind were one of the most important bands to come out of that period. Regards musicianship then no they werent great ( though Morris was a more than competent drummer ) but collectively they were very inventive and "otherworldly". Atrocity Exhibition and the rest of Closer were great songs that had a huge impact on me when I was younger. But like someone said each to his own.

This one springs to mind [url="http://youtu.be/4KIdLQDgAn0"]http://youtu.be/4KIdLQDgAn0[/url]

[quote name='Jack Cahalane' timestamp='1342574762' post='1737367'] I used to watch Paul Wolfe's lessons, they were a massive help in my first year of playing. [/quote] Yeah with you there. His lessons have helped me enormously really natural teacher and makes things a lot easier

My above reply looked a bit sparse and lacklustre I meant to ad a . Well Done hope you enjoy your playing

Congratulations

Oooh this brings back memories watching this on Saturday mornings, loved it Remember The Dickies version?

Congratulations joining a band will like the others have said definately improve your playing this being said from someone who never plucked up the courage to join one. BTW whats the name of the band?

[quote name='grumble' timestamp='1341873863' post='1725634'] I'm sorry laddies, you've been rumbled. We will have none of that 'back of the bike sheds' sniggering about parts of ladies anatomy in here ! Simply because god gifted certain members of the fair sex with extremely large/ well shaped top bollocks is no reason for an outbreak of 'fnarr fnarr' type humour. The Fun Police are watching, you have been cautioned. [/quote] Not sure if this thread has descended or ascended to a whole different level.

[quote name='wrinkleygit' timestamp='1341772170' post='1723891'] excellent, also worth checking out " what duck done", mike b. [/quote] Is that a book?

How accurate are the transcriptions in the book Standing In The Shadows Of Motown?