Bilbo

[quote name='Shonks' post='1348380' date='Aug 22 2011, 08:29 PM']That's me using the Alembic on the 'Chicken Song'![/quote] I though that was Carol Kaye?

Completely agree. Any credible, professional standard instrument is good enough. Its the music that counts.

[quote name='risingson' post='1348109' date='Aug 22 2011, 04:07 PM']I still disagree. Teaching can only strengthen and broaden the foundations of an existing talent and develop a better understanding of this talent... but unless you have a passion for a certain kind of music and have submerged yourself for years at playing and listening to it then it cannot be taught. You would agree then for example that a person who has never listened to jazz in their life can be taught over a few hours how to play like Charlie Parker from scratch? It's an extreme example but I don't see much of a difference. Teaching is fine up to a point, but there's just no way you're going to be able to play like these guys without the personal investment of your own time and passion for that music. It's not a framework that teachers can suddenly offer to a student over a couple of teaching hours. The best the teacher will do is offer them the means to explore a certain style of music through introduction and example.[/quote] Noone said it would be easy! THe statement was it cannot be taught, not it cannot be taught quickly. Your argument shows only that it can't be taught in a couple of lessons. THAT I would agree with. But that does not mean it cannot be taught. Took me 17 lessons to learn to drive. I reckon I could get Blademan up to speed in 17 hours

[quote name='whynot' post='1348040' date='Aug 22 2011, 02:43 PM']I'm certainly not implying superiority so apologise if it came over as that and am frankly pretty pissed off that you would even suggest that I was trying to make that point. But also to suggest we are all capable of the same standard is also utter nonsense. Surely you agree we all have different strengths and weaknesses?[/quote] My point is simply that what determines your strengths and weaknesses is what you have and have not practised, not some illisive 'it' that you have ot haven't got. If a player can't move forward in some area, it is usually a lack of application and of investment. I have never got beyond the basics of tapping and slapping but it is not because I can't do it (I once was able to play Motherlode and 5G by Jeff Berlin and a couple if Stu Hamm pieces etc). I fail to get good at those areas because I actually don't really value those elements in music and saw no real purpose in investing the time it would take to get to a Manring or Wooten level. Now when we are talking about playing funk, we are not talking about techniques that take thousands of hours to learn like Manring's stuff, we are often talking about relatively minimal lines played in a certain way. To suggest that playing something like 'Cissy Strut' or 'Good Times' can't be taught is, in my mind, a nonsense.

[quote name='whynot' post='1347997' date='Aug 22 2011, 01:42 PM']Are we saying they didn't have good teachers or is there something else more to do with the make-up of that person?[/quote] Its because they focussed too much attention on one skill set and not enough on another. Could have been their teacher, could have been themselves - coudl simply be that the trait you love in a player is not something they value or aspire to. But, if you hold onto the fact that we are all life-long learners, it may be sufficient to say that they are not yet complete in terms of mastering the instrument they play. To suggest it is because there is 'something missing', some inherent ability that a few chosen people are gifted with, is utter nonsense. The only relationship that determines how good people are is the amount of time they spent playing the music. Most of the great funk players are probably funk players who only ever play funk so, it stands to reason that they will be better at it than people who also do Country, shows, jazz, rock, folk and zydeco. The best players in most genres are specialists. Jack of all trades Maseter on none etc. But to suggest that it is innate in some and not in others is a dangerous road to go down. It implies superiority through an accident of birth.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1347907' date='Aug 22 2011, 12:32 PM']Can't go with this at all. Othewise we would all be world class this or that..if only we put the time in. Sorry, but that is nonsense. I agree that pointers/teaching/influence can get you so far...and this is relative... but some people can go miles and others don't get off first bass.[/quote] Because the teaching input will only ever be part of the equation. Its not just about spending time with your instrumet, but about what you spend that time doing. Its not just about what you listen to but about what you hear. You can teach it if the student is in the right space to learn. If I took a 12 year old classical flautist and tried to teach her funk bass, I would need to get here whole head space changed which would take longer than it would a fifteen year old bass player who grew up in a house full of reggae. BUt if the 12 year old kid listened to his teacher and WANTED to play funk bass, it woudl get there quicker that the 15 year old who was so ficed on being a reggae bass player that FUnk was only something he toyed with. Its an attitude to the learning not the difficulty of the subject. Playing Funk bass is not a magic thing, its a practise and listening thing. And we would all be world class if we put the time in and focussed on that goal at the expense of everything else. But most of us get distracted by life. Which is also cool because life can be funky as f***.

Sorry, guys, but I don't buy this 'its the spooky magic mojo thing you either have or you haven't got'. You'll be saying only Black people can play Funk next. The ability to teach and to learn are things that are central to the sharing of any concept, including what makes something 'funky'. If I say to someone, for instance, 'leave more space' and they don't, they only have themselves to blame for not being funkier. I can teach it, they aren't in a space to learn it. If they do 'leave more space', as was suggested, then they will have moved forward in learning how to be funky. Put 100 other related concepts through that same process, including listening to funk, and you will have a funky bass player. WHat is the difference between that and a kid learning to phrase as part of a string section, or a horn player to phrase in a saxophone section? You learn the idiom from those who teach you, those you play with and those you listen to. Funk is not a magic ingredient for the chosen few. To suggest any 'skill' is a natural gift that some have and others don't is a dead end.

If it can be learned, it can be taught.

Learn to read music.

[quote name='Skol303' post='1345531' date='Aug 19 2011, 03:10 PM']^ Sounds very interesting. I have a feeling that what you deem as being "of merit" would probably be a great achievement for most folks,[/quote] For me, the secret of a good jazz composition is that it stands alone as an interesting piece of music but that it also allows for the musicians performing it to stretch. There are some stunning through composed jazz pieces (Self Portrait in Three Colors by Mingus is one that comes to mind) but I find my preference is for the blowers, My own compositions tend to lie in that area so its about finding players who will get on board. I have a drummer to die for but my sax player, whilst a great, great player, is more 'at home' with the standard/bebop repertiore. I try to write with his needs in mind but he seems reluctant to stray out of his comfort zone. I'm working on it!!

I pride myself on my shut downs. Quickest from last note to fully loaded car is 4 minutes (the stage/my set up was in front of some French doors and my car was right outside). Set up i snormalyy 15 minutes max (no rigs or lights )

[quote name='Skol303' post='1345185' date='Aug 19 2011, 10:21 AM']Although there are plenty of folks here (and on other forums) who I'm sure would be happy to collaborate. Just an idea...[/quote] And a very good one. But I always find myself thinking 'why'? with these things. If I could put together a major work of some intrinsic value that would contribute to the canon, it would be worth it but, if all I end up doing is produicing another 'vanity' cd that would impress my Mum and sell 11 copies, its pretty pointless. I'll keep plugging away at my composing and, may be one day, if I come up with something of merit, I can look to get it played/recorded. I am working on my own sax.bass/drums trio at the moment (which gigs) so maybe writing something for that and then recording it woudl be more useful.

[quote name='urb' post='1344565' date='Aug 18 2011, 04:38 PM']Sounds wicked Rob - great playing and tone - do some more, get creative, do some harmony stuff - you know go a little nuts... [/quote] Its finding the time, Mike. I can knock out bass lines in moments but structuring a backing track takes me hours I haven't got!! Must try harder!!

Sei Flamboyant 6s have very narrow necks, IIRC.

[quote name='KevB' post='1343137' date='Aug 17 2011, 02:12 PM']I suppoose we should respect Waters for not writing overly complicated bass lines just because he was the bass player but sticking to the golden rule of creating what was right for the song.[/quote] Or, alternatively, we could call his lines predictable, boring and lacking in imagination Never got into the Floyd. Never played any of their songs. Unlikley to

Which PF tribute band, barney? There are so many?

I guess the weight thing is lost on me as I haven't really played anything else for so long. But, on the other hand, I have also never finished a gig thinking 'oooo! Me poor shoulder(s)'. I am 6'1'' so that may have some bearing on it but, as I said, the weight thing is a non-issue for me. I always think things like neck profile only matter for about an hour and lots of the 'playability' stuff is about working with what you have rather than expecting an 'off the peg' players dream. For the record, the set up on my Wal is entirely stock and it has only been in a workshop twice: once with Pete The Fish (when he built it) and once with Paul Herman. The last 'visit' was pre-Millenium, IIRC. It fits me perfectly and I can reach every note on it, there are no bits digging in, the bridge is perfick, as are the machine heads, the pick-up and the pots. I nornally put it in a gig bag in tune and take it out still in tune.

I have a version of Cubase Stonehenge v.1 which meets my needs in terms of home recording. I use Sibelius Orthapeadic, Transcribe Quill © and Band in an orange Box and they do everything I want them to. I get the motivation for providers to up-date software (primarily commercial) but have never really bothered with it as the core purpose of the earlier versions is working perfectly well. I still only use 'play' on a dvd player, one setting on a washing machine and 'on/off' for the central heating. Is it just me?

A lot of software lets you download a trial version taht doesn't let you save more than a small amount of data or some other built in data capture flaw that means you will need to buy if you want to use the product properly. Have you tried to download Reason?

Depends. When I play gigs, it is now unknown for me to not know the tune as it is being counted in. One chorus later I have a sense of it, two chorsus in, I'm pretty much there and aat three, we are home and dry.

Wal don't sponsor/give basses to anyone. If someone, even a celebrity bass player like Geddy Lee etc, plays a Wal, they bought it.

Try anything by Brand X (Product, Nobody Goes to Sweden, Wal To Wal, April). For me, it is the bass that allows you to sound like you. I have played my Wal Custom Fretless (4-string) pretty much exclusively since 1986 and have to say that I can't recognise a distinctive 'Wal' sound at all (but, then again, I can't tell the difference in sound between a Jazz Bass and a Rickenbacker 4001). What I do know is, if I hear myself playing, I know its me (so does my wife). For a jazz player, that's pretty important. Its reliable (no breakdowns (or broken strings) in 25 years), versatile (jazz/blues/funk/rock/shows. big band/duos/ live/studio) - it just delivers. Everyone who I play with is complementary about the sound and I pretty much always get called back. Some examples of the bass di'd into my PC (noodles, not proper pieces) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=150684&st=0&p=1340108&#entry1340108"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...p;#entry1340108[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=42836&hl=wal+street+crash"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...al+street+crash[/url] Other stuff on my Soundcloud page (See below). If its me on electric bass, its all the Wal.

It doesn't change tempo at all but the first bar is a semibreve, the second two minims, the third is a triplet minim, the fourth 4 crotchets, the fifth 5 crotchets against 4 beats, the sixth two sets of triplet crotchests, the seventh is 7 against 4 and the eighth bar is eight quavers. |it then does kind of does the same thing in reverse but only half as much . Its a Jeff Tain Watts arrangement and it was done in 1986, 25 years ago. A simple but effective idea but one that cannot be replicated because it is too obvious.

I have used bags for 25 years on my Wal - it has fallen sideways, forwards, backwards, been left unattended on the road in a car park (for 45 minutes minimum) and been banged, wedged, stood on and spilt over. My bass is still in full working order although the pots are a bit scratched - serious mojo! Its a bass not a rare antique. Its gonna get bished and boshed. But that's all superficial. Hardcases are a pain.

Ugly little whatnots. They appear in Felixstowe occasionally, in a tiny little shop near the train station.