Bilbo

Yes, of course. PM on its way.

I have been having a clearout recently and have sold some stuff on here but I am now left with a hundred/two hundred or more pre-recorded cassettes of various (primarily) jazz albums that I no longer want to keep. It feels wrong to throw them out (I am my father's son) so I wanted to ask whether anyone wanted them? I am not going to list them (can't be arsed) but, off the top of my head, they include things like Art Blakey, Gary Burton, Montreux, Michael Manring, Cassandra Wilson (or did that one go already?), Jazz Warriors, Chick Corea - some big names, some more obscure - I am struggling to remember as these have all been in drawers for years and I have only recently selected them for disposal. So, in a nutshell, anyone interested? For emphasis, I am not selling these but giving them away.

I am working through Neil Tarlton's books at the moment and focussing on very small details liek position shifting. It is having a really positive effect on my playing. Its a real case of slow and steady/less is more and I am finding that, by spending less time ripping it up with Scott LaFaro transcriptions, I am making steadier progress in both arco and pizz.

You had me beat at Grade one

Is it a mono stereo thing. IIRC, most old tape recorders had single condensor mics? Its also important to note that you are probably not comparing like with like i.e. different rooms etc. BUt I agree that, sometimes, old school solutions are best. Like all the efforts of the electronic keyboard industry to replicate a real piano. There is now an electric piano out there that costs £6K and weighs as much as, you guessed it, a real piano. What was the point of that!!

Anyone who knows my thoughts on this will know that I am not that bothered by the set up - I knew that, whatever I had, I would have to adapt my technique. What I needed was to make sure my instrument was credible and that it wasn't a total piece of junk. After that, I woudl find my way over time. I had a bass before on loan for six months so knew what to expect but to suggest that I would have an informed opinion on set up woudl be disingenuous. I am in no position to decide what my ideal set up woudl be so go with the flow. As I develop and learn, I can form an opinion and get any modifications I need made as and when it makes sense to do so.

I'm no drummer but I can knock out a rhythm. Playing the drums and lkeaving out the bass drum makes its very easy. He's taking the easy route and fooling some of the people all of the time. To be blunt, he doesn't sound like a player at all (not suggesting he can't be but, without practice? No chance). As for the nice guy bit, my Dad was a lovely bloke but I would never have booked him as a drummer. WHat you have here is a simple dilemma regarding where you want the band to sit in terms of quality. If you are a bunch of mates having a knock, 'nice guy' may be good enough - your social life may be more important than the music. If you have any sort of performance standards, you will probably be frustrated with chummy at the back as he is not delivering on core skills. Its you call. Personally, I feel that one of the main issues in terms of standards in British musicians (of all genres) is their unwillingness to challange medicority in their peers. If a musician is not up to it, they should be told and asked to make a choice; practice/improve or get off the bandstand. No aggression, no bull, just a straight 'are you up to the job? Yes/No? Stay/Go. Competence is a requirement. If you haven't got it, give the gig to someone who has. Your drummer is undermining your ability to deliver the music. He needs to be told to improve on his shortcomings or you will need to find someone who has the ability to make the music the best it can be. You deserve that. And, to be blunt, so does he.

I can recommend Jon as a very approachable and capable teacher. I have known him for nearly 20 years and can vouch for his competence and approach to teaching. If you are in the Cardiff area and are considering lessons, you could do far worse than contact Jon.

Straight wrists are a must - take it from one who knows. I played upright incorrectly for a realatively short period and messed my wrist/arm up a lot for a long time. One lesson from Jakesbass and I was back on course. Deal with it now.

I get this sometimes. You are pressing too hard. You don't need to press strings as hard as you think you do to get them to do their thing. Its a nervous affectation aggravated by loud drummers and guitarists; you feel that in order to be heard you have to play harder (r/h) so, logically, you tend to grip the strings/neck harder with your left hand. Try fretting a string and then lossening your grip on it and see how much tension you can release before the note is choked. I bet it is more than you thought? Then transfer that knowledge into your normal playing technique and the numbness will reduce/disappear.

Glad that my post on my bass has proven useful. I am increasingly happy with the bass. As my technique settles in and I am starting to find things coming a little easier, I am finding that the bass' potential reveals itself more and more. The build quality is pretty good for the money; I am particularly happy with the end-pin and the machine heads (are they called that on a db?) but the whole thing feels robust and fit for purpose. With the new Evah strings, it sounds better and better as my hands get comfortable with the wider neck (watch that l/h thumb folks).

Bump - reduced price

Nice. Very Patitucci but with your own slant on it.

Original tune called Power and the Key by a band called No Quarter. Mason's Arms, Pantygasseg - Aria SB700 through Sound City Amp. I was 17. The tune was later recorded for Heavy Metal Heroes Vol. II (not on Spotify but it may be out there somewhere).

After 30 years of playing, thousands of gigs, dozens of recordings, I STILL want so much to be a musician. Despite intellectually knowing that I can play the bass and contribute to the performance of music, I continue to struggle emotionally about feeling able to define myself as a musician. I think it may be something to do with not being a pro or with never having recorded anything I would consider to be more than charity shop fodder. I kind of feel that, if I can just deliver something worthy, I may be able to say 'I am a jazz musician'. As it is its more like 'I am trying to be a jazz musician'. I guess I am a bit screwed up!

Photos?

Bump

Its so exciting, isn't it. I am finding a new impetus to my practice and am focussing on basic skills and basic bass disciplines, filling gaps in my playing and knowledge. The arco thing is a buzz (both literally and figuratively ) and even listening to the double bass on cds etc is more rewarding. I got a Finale French carbon fiber bow from the String Emporium in the US (£270ish) but they start at £40 (yitamusic ebay - endorka recomneds the £100 models). I got a db bass stand from DJM which is surprisingly robust for £30 and holds the bass comfortably. Pick ups - I got a K&K model for £70 (Golihur Music in the States) but that is a credible budget model rather than a must have. Plenty of useful advice on here, as you have clearly already found out!!

You could tune it to a Nashvlle tuning (EADG one octave higher than usual (the high strings of a 12 string set) and an ordinary B & E string. Sounds like a harp.

Kenny Garret - Triology (Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass - who? Real powerhouse of a player - great sound, great time)

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='908080' date='Jul 28 2010, 12:22 PM']So where's a good, non boring, place for a non reading, no theory, never had a lesson, self taught chap to start?[/quote] Learn the names of all the notes on the neck.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='908076' date='Jul 28 2010, 12:17 PM']I can read music.[/quote] So find some charts chock full of syncopation and work with them.

Learn to read music.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='908048' date='Jul 28 2010, 11:59 AM']What is this "four finger tapping riff"?[/quote] It's Gonzobass's metaphor for 'some superficial party trick'. i.e students wanting to know a lick or trick that is of no intrinsic musical value but which [i]looks[/i] clever instead of learning something that is useful like a scale, arpeggio or chord.

I am now locked into that battle with double bass strings where I find I like them one minute and not the next and start talking myself into wanting Spiros or whatever. At the gig on Sunday, the E and A strings sounded HUGE and really growly but the D, G and C strings were a bit less satisfying. Was it me, was it the bass or was it the strings? Ask me again tomorrow and I will probably give you a different answer. More to the point, I felt, with hindsight, that the volume, poor sound and freneticism of the pianist undermined my own sound as I was concentrating on keeping up/in time rather than on the more musical aspects of the art. In short, I suspect I would have sounded better with more sensitive accompaniment. I think I need to concentrate on the music and let the sound develop as it does for now. As my technique beds in, I will get more of an idea of what works. It sounds pretty good on its own and in recordings so it is probably an amplification thing as much as a string thing. I also want to get it professionally set up but have to wait for the cash to present itself before I can proceed!!