Bilbo

[quote name='Paul S' post='994958' date='Oct 20 2010, 03:37 PM']So you do play covers, Bilbo? I thought you didn't.[/quote] I wish. I deeply regret the fact that it is a lot tougher to do things with original material and that this industry relies so much on covers. I try to advocate for original music and focus my personal efforts on that area of work but, as with most musicians, it is an aspiration and inspiration not a reality. The reality is I primarily play covers, the same as everyone else although I am getting increasingly choosy and have a growing list of 'won't plays'.

[quote name='casapete' post='994930' date='Oct 20 2010, 03:20 PM']Depending on how loud you need it, Gallien Krueger MB150 series have been a favourite of DB players for a few years. Great little things, and s/h ones often crop up on eaby etc.[/quote] Try before you buy. I don't think they are very good and that double bass players buy them because they are light not because they sound good. I think they lack any depth at all and do not deliver any real bass response so would avoid. I use my Eden Metro and it sounds great.

'The book' (We don't do them all every gig!) Olho grande To dentro, to fora Ta a fim de sambar Mina de fe Samba rock do molejao Samba diferente/Danca da vassoura Estrela da Paz Hoje vou pagodiar Armadilha Amor e amizade 24 horas de amor Sai da minha aba Minha fantasia Domingo Mineirinho Que se chama amor Meu jeito de ser O que que essa nega quer? Fricote Sai da frente Grades do coracao Coracao radiante Vacilao Nao pedi pra me apaixonar Essencia da paixao Deixa acontecer Shortinho saint-tropez Supra sumo do amor Tendencia Conselho Insensato destino Maravilha te amar Caviar Deixa a vida me levar Faixa amarela Seu balance Nao sou mais disso Samba pras mocas Posso ate me apaixonar Mulheres Devagarinho Madalena do Jucu Eu e voce Sempre Identidade Coisa de pele Ja e… (Convite de Casamento Dormi na praca Trem das onze Morango do Nordeste Sozinho) Rindo a Toa Xote dos Milagres Xote da Alegria 100 Anos Deixa entrar Colo de menina Asas Um anjo Proibida pra mim Esperando na janela Abre as pernas Sequestro do Tonho Morena tropicana Forro no escuro Xote swingado Sapatilha 37 Xote das meninas Eu so quero um xodo Que nem gilo Balanco do buzao Lorota Garagem da vizinha Mexe mexe que e bom Saudade pulou no peito Treme treme Voce virou saudade La bomba Nega Diga que Valeu Arere Cabelo duro Amor perfeito Milla Mal acostumado Araketu bom demais Pipoca Dandalunda Danca do vampiro Danca da manivela Sorte grande Com amor Te amar e preciso Agachadinho Desafio Nossa paradinha Ligeirinho /Dona de Sinha / Long Dong / Aviaozinho / Remador Largadinho Melo da escolinha Se eu pedir voce me da Banho de chuveiro Manteiga Tique-bom Peneira Destrambelhada Tesouro do pirata Danca da maozinha To indo Toma-lhe fica Fissura Agora mexe Brincadeira da tomada Deslizando Vem nenem Boneco Doido Rodopio Sentei na Moto Acelerei Joga o Laco Tira a mao do bolso Fica caladinha Tapa na cara Swing de rua Rala no pezinho Chupeta de trem Carreirinha Juju Aviao Overdose de carinho Pressao Arrocha Aninha na praia Festa do passa a mao Domingo de manha No balance Pancadao Pescaria Quebre quebre quebre Te desejo Sambadinha Nova danca Liberar Geral Pisa no milho Nega do balacobaco Swing sangue bom Xeque-mate Cara de pidona Com mao no juizo Enroscadinho Quebre e sambe Diana quer varrer Mustango Sallyana

I think it depends on which aspect of the process you are focussing on. If you are at the note recognition stage, it may be of limited use as, at this stage, it is more important to get the note right than to readin it 'in time'. If you are at the reading rhythms stage, I would say it may or may not be useful depending on what level you are at and whether you are reading complex rhythms over several bars or just one bar of eighth notes. If you are at the stage where you are trying to bring it all together as a professional skill, I would say that a metronome has value in that it does place a discipline on you to 'keep going at all costs', as you would if you were on a gig.

To me, an 'advanced' teacher should know everything there is to know about harmony, melody and rhythm. In short, if I go to a teacher, it is to find stuff out and if they don't know it, how can they be advanced? Now, having said that, I think it is important to acknowledge that you can use different teachers for different aspects of your playing. If you want to learn about jazz, you may want to seek a bass playing teacher if you want to learn about walking bass lines but, if you want to know advanced harmony, you may be better off looking up a pianist. Do you want to learn groove playing, ear training, improvisation - each area could require a different teacher. There is, of course, the argument that a well rounded teacher may not have the superficial chops that some of us here can throw around at a Bass Bash but may be far more in tune with the fundamentals of playing and can nail those gaps that us self taught players ineveitably have. In his biography, one of Ron Carter's students, some guy called Victor Bailey, tells of his first lesson with Carter and describes being asked to play an F. Not an F arpeggio or an F scale. Just an F; a single note. And the lesson starts from there. Is your lesson one of a weekly series over years or a one off masterclass to nail a specific flaw in your playing? All of these scenarios may mean you want a different teacher. When I had a lesson off Jake, I didn't need him to tell me what scale to play over an F7b9, I needed him to show me how to hold the thing and get a note out of it without busting a blood vessel! If I want lessons in advanced arco playing, I know Jake would recommend another teacher more familiar with that kind of playing. Its horses for courses. What I do fear is that people who can play some VIctor Wooten tricks think that this makes them advanced players (I know when I naield a few Jaco and Jeff Berlin things I thought I was the dogs... 20 years later I STILL can't get through a 12-bar blues in F to my own satisfaction). But the 'advanced' tag on a teachers advertisement is like the 'new and improved' tag on any other product. Its a sales trick to lure you into parting with your moolah. It is more important that you make sure that the teacher can teach you that which you wish to learn.

These learninig tools make me laugh!!! Its got to be easier just to learn them by rote than to remember these formulas!!

Just get a bag of spanners and throw them down the stairs. Save yourself a lot of time OK!!! OK!!! I was joking

Someone oncetold my kid brother; 'play as fast as you can, not as fast as you can't' I go t'other way round, Doddy!! C no flats, up a fourth, (f one flat), up a fourth (Bb two flats), up a fourth (Eb three flats), up a fourth (Ab four flats), up a fourth (Db 5 flats) Or C DOWN a fourth (G one sharp), DOWN a foourth (D two sharps) and so on....

Yuk!!

[quote name='Davo-London' post='992887' date='Oct 18 2010, 10:41 PM']Relayer was the last Yes album that counts in my opinion.[/quote] No fair!! I loved both Going for the One and Tormato and even liked Drama a lot more than I expected to when I heard the 'Buggles' news but, I agree, 90125 was a bit too mainstream for my tastes.

I have a K&K Sound Double Big Twin Upright Bass Pickup (£70ish) which sticks to the underside of the bridge (see pic attached) and its ok but I am thinking of a Plat Pro to help manage the sound at higher volumes (which I rarely require). It is interesting to add that, as my double bass is a five-string, I have to stick the pads under [i]the gaps between the strings [/i]and not under the strings as per instructed (they have since introduced a 5 string model but I am not going to buy it as I would probably prefer to wait until I can afford an upgrade). [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/1426-KANDK_SOUND_DOUBLE_BIG_TWIN_UPRIGHT_BASS_PICKUP.html"]K&K DBASS_PICKUP[/url]

Keep 'em coming, Jake. Its all good reading practice (instead of tedious repetitive Simandl exercises!!!)

Always found Sanborn to be a bit of a lightweight. Great production values and some good players etc but no depth.

Got a budget in mind, as this will determine your options? The more money you, have the more options.

I have actually reached the point where I won't work with some people because of these kinds of problems. If a player makes rudimentary mistakes, I will tell them. If they don't 'deal with it', I won't book them again or take a gig that they are on. There are plenty of good players around so I don't need to book those that can't deliver a musical performance. I have done too many bad gigs 'for the money' and my self esteem has been undermined by it so I decided to take affirmative action. Less gigs but better quality music. I win!

This is a tune off the Wynton Marsalis Septet 'Live at the Village Vanguard' 7 cd boxed set. Its a blues in C. The tune is on Spotify if you don't want to buy it but I urge you all to go to iTunes where you can get this 7 CD boxed set as a 63 tune download for £8.99!! (Watch it, though as there are compilations of the 63 songs for the same price. Make sure its the full set you are getting for £9). Its a great set by a great band at a phenomenal price. The line is by Ben Wolfe (Reginald Veal plays on most of the tunes) and its a straight swinging blues (which is is what I am looking at now as I need to nail straight time playing on the double bass as a stamina building exercise). Its also an easy read, which is nice!

Another guitar! I swapped an Ibanez AR300 solid body guitar in the mid 1980s and still regret it. Wish I could get it back but I have no idea where it is!!

First jazz gig I ever had was a Leeds graduate (Dick Hamer - Cardiff). Great player and even better mentor to young players.

[quote name='lowdown' post='989147' date='Oct 15 2010, 01:13 PM']I see you got hold of it then.... Garry[/quote] Yeah. Downloaded it last month. Its pretty.

I got a great sound recording with a mic (Rode NT1A) just in front/off centre to the bridge. My big issue, which is such an important part of this, is the getting of the best sound you can with your hands! I find that, when I start playing, I can be a bit inconsistent but, as I carry on, it tightens up, improving the sound greatly, before, a while later, the hand positions collapse with fatigue and the sound quality goes with it. Its all about building up the stamina. Gettign a good sound that is consistent over an evenings performance is my goal. All my (K&K) pick up is really doing is amplifying the inconsistencies in my playing!!

Something like Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden's 'Jasmine' cd.

[quote name='lojo' post='988335' date='Oct 14 2010, 07:33 PM']I guess its like me not wanting to play mustang sally, but amplified greatly in your case to cover alot more music[/quote] Exactly.

[quote name='crez5150' post='988314' date='Oct 14 2010, 07:15 PM']I write loads of original songs and instrumentals, spend hours recording.... I never perform any of it live though cause I'm too busy with my function band playing covers[/quote] That sooooo sucks. But that's what the Macdonaldsisation of music has done to us all.

You are wrong, but not for the reasons you think. When I gig with a function band and play something that involves straight root note quavers and its locked in, I get a little buzz, the same as everyone else. But I have been doing this for 30+ years and that little buzz is not enough and hasn't been for a long, long time. Its better than nothing but its like watching the same movie 1,000 times. Even if you like the story, knowing the outcome limits the pleasure gleaned. Its like those old records that you used to love. You still love them but familiarity breeds its own ambivalence and you like to listen to them less and less frequently. I find most covers, particularly the usual crowd pleasers, are in that area; uninspiring through overuse. When you find yourself doing something fresh, inventive, provocative and intense, the buzz is that much greater.