Bilbo

Stewart had perfect pitch. Apparently his duets with Art Tatum, who also had it, were legendary (but I have not heard them). He was also one of the first to solo with a bow and was a mjaor influence on Paul Chambers, who had worked with a 'Slam Stewart' tutorial book.

You use and open string when it is called for and a fretted one where it is not. As long as you are in control of the lines you are playing, it matters not a jot.

Yes. It is easy, when reading, to read rhythms as the points where notes atart but easy to forget that the chart also tells you where they end. Its a common mistake in developing learners and one that can easily br overlooked. i.e. the length of the note is the distance between the start of the note and the end. A simple point but am important one.

Agree with the mportance of the end of the note. When I write a chart for any instrument, I am profoundly aware of the length of the notes I require and, as a result, I try to remain in tune with that element of a piece when I am reading it.

Can't help thinking of the sound of a Lancaster Bomber.......

Pollution. All around. Sometimes up and sometimes down. But always around. We are on different buses. But we are both burning petrol. Seriously, these debates are a minefield. My take has always been to do what I can and to manage my life as ethically as my knowledge base allows at any given time. If I discover something about a product I use that suggests something untenable, I will act accordingly but, at the same time, I don't feel guilty about what I don't know because I can't keep tabs on every element of everything I buy/use even if I spent every waking hour trying to do so.

You can get a secondhand version here for £2 + postage (total £4.80). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Al-Meolas-Picking-Techniques-Meola/dp/079351018X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326990058&sr=1-1

HAve you tried a radical strap adjustment so you are always playing with straight wrists? I don't know how you carry the bass so I don't know if I am talking sh*te. Another thought is that I had wrist problems years ago and couldn't seem to get the aches and pains to stop but I had an Microsoft Natural ergonomic keyboard 4000 v.1 fitted in work and the discomfort gradually fell away and has never returned. I am typing on it as we speak and its keeps me wrists straight all of the time. Its not always the bass; it can be the PC/typing aggravating the bass issues or jsut preventing recovery!!

Haslip is a bass tart and changes basses every 5 minutes (probably once a decade but time distorts when you get to my age . I spoke to Martin at The Gallery once (1990s) and he told me Haslip was looking at his Flamoboyants although I have never seen him with one; just a lot of basses with a similar look. I went through a phase of loving the Jackets when I was into fusion but I find them a bit lightweight now. Unquestionably great players, though, and Haslips' 'Ninos' from his solo CD ARc is a real favourite (wish I could get a chart for it; I can't figure the harmony out at all).

Got the new strings on last night and noticed an immediate improvement in some areas; the bass certaonly seems to 'sing' more and the attack on the notes is quicker, giving me more ocntril over phrases etc but the overall sound is still not what I want it to be so I will have to try other things (pick up height, action etc), Trouble with these things is that I have to steal moments to look at it and can't ever sit down and work at the issue for hours.

Just a thought. I got a lot of my picking technique from Al DiMeola's book (which is about guitar not bass). Essentially its all about economy of movement and making sure that the pick remains near the strings at all times in order to contribute to the accuracy of phrasing etc. I never gig with a pick on bass and only use one on guitar but, on the occasions when I pick one up and rip off a few licks, its obvious that the skill is completely transferable. It is also important to note the rhythmic potential of the up-stroke vs the downstroke in terms of phrasing.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmpZx_g6kXw&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmpZx_g6kXw&feature=related[/url]

Watch this guy....... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xUcV05ebZQ&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xUcV05ebZQ&feature=related[/url] Carles Benevant - THE nuevo flamenco bassist, Plays with Paco De Lucia and loads of others, Monster player.

Good work.

PMd

The Miles Smiles version (Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter, Williams) is in 4, IIRC.

The wonderful thing about Footprints is that it allows for all sorts of clever rhythmic tricks. It is essentially in 3:4 but you can think of it as 6:8 or 6:4 or 3 against 4. Because of this, as the tune progresses, you can take it through all of the above and change it quite easily into a slow 4 by playing first in 3:4 then in 6:4 before playing 4 against 6 then turning that 4 into the main pulse, a slow walk, then double that time feel into a double time walk or fast Samba and then playing the main riff as 3 against 4 before returning to the original riff.

Music theoiy books, yum yum.....

Don't underestimate maipulation. We all do it. All of the time. Without malice, I hope, but we do it. But, yes, not a good idea in this situation.

The importance of friendship is not the issue here. Be adult about it and have the discussion with him. Breaking the band up and reforming it without him, new name or not, is not going to fool the guy, is it? You want to be professional about it then you have to deal with the issue, not mince around it. Its not like you are on the verge of the greatest record deal in history (if you were, by the way, the label would tell you to get rid of him)

I saw Diamond Head live and still have their white lp somewhere. Was that Robbie (the album has no credits....its white )

Fun....

My Dad was a lovely guy but I never booked him as a drummer..... You can't compromise your music to protect the feelings of a weak link. He is clearly not as commtted as the rest of you. ALl you need to do is to say 'Hey bud. We love you and value your friendship but, as far as the band is concerned, you aren't cutting it. We need the music to be as good as it can be and your approach to your instrument and to the band is undermining its credibility. So you need to know that we are loking to replace you.....etc.

Just looked at Joe's exercise. Useful for a relative beginner, I guess, but I had that nailed about 25 years ago!! When I was starting out, I saw a video of Victor Bailey w. Weather Report (Domino Theory, Live In Japan) and watched him jumping around all over the neck and I realised then that I needed to learn where the notes were if I wanted to do this properly. The real skill is doing it without looking at the neck i.e. when you are reading.

Dots on neck - ickle Ends of fingers - big Trust your ears over your eyes every time. (says 'Rob of the perfick intonation' - not)