Bilbo

Slam rocks. An underated player if ever I heard one. He had perfect pitch, apparently. There is a lovely quote out there somewhere about the fact that SS used to play with Art Tatum (arguable the greatest jazz pianist of all time) and Tatum couldn't lose him even if he tried. Paul Chambers would not have existed without Slam. Talking of which, PC was someone who sang along with his solos - I have listened to hundreds of hours of his playing and you can often hear him humming away in the background. It really works but, as Jake already knows, it is easy to fall into the trap of humming what you are playing not playing what you are humming! What this technique does do is draw your own attention to the depth (or otherwise) of your harmonic knowledge. I need to woodshed.

The trouble with this is that everyone thinks they are playing to the same audience when all of us are always playing to several audiences at once, depending on the function. Whenever I see a band covering an endless list of 'must plays' like MS, WT, Dock Of The Bay, Billie Jean etc ad nauseum, it turns me off in an instant and I know that I am not alone. There are always people too young for your set, others too old, more too sophisiticates and some too distracted. If we all play the same material, we will become like TV - homogenised, predictable, mainstream, unchallenging, unstimulating etc etc. Arguably, we are already. I guess the art is to come up with a set of songs that everyone knows and loves but noone else plays. Good luck.

I think there is an argument that some players (not all by any means) are trying to 'buy' talent and, rather than working on legitimate, tried and tested methods of musical learning, try and adress their shortcomings by buying gear. I heard even Guy Pratt talking about a bass with a 'fast neck'. I don't care how fast the neck is, if a player has no musical knolwedge and lacks core competences like time etc, a 'fast neck' ain't going to solve the problem. I make no secret of the fact that most of the talk on here about gear is irrelevant nonsense - there is a thread on here about the best material to make a nut out of (walnut, obviously). What possible difference can that make to anything? I get that you get more sustain from this or that material but how many times a night do you hit a note that sustains long enough for that to matter? In fact, you are as likely to NOT want it to sustain. I think its all smoke and mirrors. I can't tell the difference in sound between a Jazz and a Precision or a Ken Smith or a Fodera. I [i]can[/i] tell the difference between a Dorian minor and a Phrygian minor. [i]That[/i] matters. But an ebony vs plastic nut? As important as the colour of your lead, methinks.

Muhal Richard Abrams 'Young at Heart / Wise in Time'

[quote name='J.R.Bass' post='1127804' date='Feb 14 2011, 11:22 PM']The Red One - Pat Methany & John Scofield[/quote] Try the Metheny version with Christian McBride on Daytrip. Might help you make sense of it. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kc8BrGLEJA&feature=fvst"]The Red One[/url]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1128248' date='Feb 15 2011, 12:40 PM']Heres a handy link called [url="http://readsheetmusic.info/readingmusic.shtml"]Read Sheet Music.[/url][/quote] Great site. Thanks for the link.

[quote name='misrule' post='1127978' date='Feb 15 2011, 09:04 AM']I got one yesterday ... for £23. A new set of strings? [/quote] Or, if you play double bass, half a string

You will certainly get to the point where you could read well enough to cover most reading gigs. There will be some passages that would still catch you out but these would be few and far between and your ears will help you cover most of those passages. It will be fun.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='1127217' date='Feb 14 2011, 04:05 PM']That surprises me somewhat... It's a synth part so I agree it's difficult to capture the feel but if you're on that groove with a really locked down drummer it can rock... I find it interesting to try to get the notes in the right place. Especially because it's quite jerky.[/quote] It never gels for me (even on the original). When I play it with the function band I play in, I do a sixteenth note variation that kind of works but I still feel its a bit like polishing a turd.

My double bass is a five stringer and I like the fact that my intonation is better for a wider range than it was on teh 4 string i.e two octaves within third position).

Good for her. Nice to see a jazz act/non-mainstreamer getting it although I haven't really heard her yet, other than briefly on Spotify.

Ain't Nobody - hate it. Doesn't groove, doesn't do anything. Punters love it. Go figure.

I am on such a steep learninig curve with the double bass that an hour spent on that sees a greater return that an hour spent on the Wal.

The hardest thing about finding your own sound is in the acceptance that you already have it.

[quote name='HMX' post='1122065' date='Feb 9 2011, 11:09 PM']My dad really got me into ELO tunes.[/quote] Thunk (head hits table)

Transcribe is great - I live by it. Learn to read music and it will be even better. Which little town is Wales (I'm Welsh)?

[quote name='clagooey' post='1123598' date='Feb 11 2011, 09:52 AM']I assume you accidentally switched the first two note values here...! I hope you don't mind me editing it slightly so people just starting out don't get too confused:[/quote] Nothing accidental about it. I was plain wrong I have been operating on a misconception for a decade or more...... Thanks for the correction. - I have fixed it as you suggested to avoid confusing any newcomers (or 30 year vets who should know better). I have learned something today (about humility apart from anything else!!)

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' post='1123097' date='Feb 10 2011, 07:45 PM']Ron Carter is over 6 foot tall,[/quote] 6' 4'' to be exact - it amused me that the bass player that replaced 'Big Paul' is Miles' band was 'even bigger Ron'.

RUN!!!!!

John Patitucci - Imprint

On the occasion I traded, the other guy came to my house and we did the deal there. He took a six string version of his bass and I got a 5 string version in return. He did well out of the deal but I did it with my eyes open. Its a judgement call. Some trades include an additional exchange of cash one way or ther other but that has to be negotiated on a case by case basis, The whole transaction is a matter for the individuals concerned. Personally, I wouldn't trade by post (i.e without seeing the bass) unless I knew the other party well and could be sure of their integrity.

I am watching this aspect of playing the double bass very carefully. My thoughts (and I would be loathe to take this as expert advice) are that the important thing is to keep the wrist straight (which requires you to keep the arm. elbow up) and, over time, develop the grace (not strength) within your hand to make sure it is working as efficiently as possible. My action is a little tougher than other basses I have played but, as I have progressed, I have found that it is not that I was too weak to play it properly but that the muscles in my left hand were not yet working together to get the most secure fretting of the note, particularly at speed. As I have practiced and progressed, my left hand is gradually getting more relaxed and more able to execute ideas without 'collapsing' into a claw shape (as it did early on). I particularly find it important to ensure that the thumb continues to work as a pivot and that the left hand doesn't 'grab' the neck. This grabbing is, if I am reading the symptoms correctly, a consequence of fatigue which is reducing as I play more and improve the efficiency of my left hand. I have, however, pulled a muscle in my upper arm and am having to manage that as I practice. am a great believer in the benefits of the Alexander Technique and am learning to listen to my body as it finds its way. My biggest challenge at the moment, however, is trying to play without gritting my teeth!!

Was it Breath by The Prodigy

Where are you? I have a MU directory that cover the UK! Must be some numbers in there!! Call a local teacher (see Google) and ask if they have any students who may want to branch out.

I love percussionists. There are so few good ones about (in Suffolk). I'd also love to be in a tango band with a real bandoneon (preferrably one who could play like Richard Galliano or Astor Piazolla).