Bilbo

Same happened to me years ago. Did a session for a producer in Risca (S. Wales), playing bass on a very raw track (just drums and keys) and then went away. Couple of years later, I was played a track by a [i]different[/i] producer and asked what I thought of the bass player. 'solid enough but nothing remarkable'. He laughed. Of course, it was me. The producer had addded layers of stuff and I just hadn't recognised any elements of the original track.

John Taylor's 'Angel of the Presence

That's the wonder of it. You never stop learning. The further you get in understanding the stuff, the further away the horizon gets. The secret is not to try to learn it all but to learn what you need to be you.

I have an article in an old Double Bassist magazine that suggests that the mic should be about five feet above the ground about five feet in front of the bass, pointing downwards at the bass (the instrument is meant to project so the best sound is not at the bass itself - remember bass frequencies have a long wave cycle so too near and you will lose a lot). Trouble with this is you will have a lot of potential difficulties with ambient noise if others are playing too. My own recordings are done with a Rode NT1-A about 12" in front of the bridge - the sound is warm and full - but that will obviously depend on your bass. The 'mic in a towel wedged in the bridge' idea zero9 suggests was used by Rudy Gelder in experiments with Paul Chambers on all those 50s Blue Note recordings so it may be worth a try. IME, its all about experimenting as the different mics/basses/techniques will impact on the sound captured.

The biggest problem with playing bebop is not in playing that fast but in THINKING that fast. It takes practice, nothing more and nothing less

These shred fests just don't do anything for me any more (I used to buy it wholesale). I can appreciate the technical skills in evidence but, as they often say of acting, if you can see it, it isn't very good! Watch Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. No acting in evidence: she IS Marple. Find me a bass player that plays like these two but who doesn't draw attention to him/herself and you will have found a diamond.

I have to defer to your obvious knowledge but, by my reckoning, if the first note is D, the tune is in Cm, not Dm. I'm off to check!!

Derren - sorry if my humour was thought to be undermining. It is a long standing tradition here that, if anyone mentions Moondance, I have to intervene disparagingly - its my job Whilst I can see the arguments for the 'crossover' appeal of Moondance, like Fever, Watermelon Man, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and several other 'evergreens that aren't', it gets requested almost every time you play a gig. These tunes are almost universally crucified at gigs and their shortcomings as compositions quickly become apparent - they are heard often because they are easy to replicate, not because they are any good. As a staunch advocate for the beautiful music that is jazz, I believe it is the responsible thing to do to draw attention to the fact that stuff like Moondance is pseudo jazz and only that. I will not advocate for mediocrity in place of quality. Moondance is objectively (and subjectvley) poorly written, poorly played and a pale imitation of all that is good about jazz. If people like it, so be it, but people like X Factor, Eastenders and daytime TV - doesn't make it any good. Its appeal is based on ignorance and ignorance should be challenged - not because we are snobs but because our 30 years of experience give us a greater pool of knowledge on which to draw. If that makes me a snob, then every teacher in the world who seeks to enlighten their students is a snob. Our approach is mischievious but the message is the same. This is low grade stuff - there are richer pickings out there.

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='879921' date='Jun 28 2010, 02:47 PM']This is gonna sound very pedantic ! BUT This hand written copy has several mistakes (assuming you want to get somewhere close to the original). Apart from the fact it should be written, as Jennifer has pointed out, an octave higher for a bass player to read (ie sounding an octave lower), the very first note (and of each repeat of this phrase) should be a D. And when it modulates to Eb minor, again the first note of the phrase is Eb (not F). Of course there is nothing wrong with varying your own version away from the original (I do it all the time on this tune), but I think it helps to get it right to start with. The Major[/quote] This is written an octave higher than it is played by most of us, Pete. I have always played it exactly as it is written here and the first note of the riff played this way is the lowest E on the bass. The main riff ends on the D that is the key centre of the first 16 bars (E A B C D E C D - 'soooo what'). I have a video of PC playing this - I will check it out when I get a chance but I recall he does play it higher up the neck that I do (I guess he wins that argument). I also agree that the first note of the riff in the middle 8 in Eb is F not Eb. I guess I could be wrong but, if I am, its a 28 year mistake that has never been corrected by anyone! NB - the recording of the original So What was recorded on two tape recorders simultaneously. One of them was set incorrectly. Noone noticed and the 'wrong' version went out on the original release of the recording sounding out of tune (a quarter tone too sharp).

I saw it and found it disappointing. I agree that the tv speaker thing didn't help and whoever mixed it for tv needs a talking to but I found the whole thing steeped in nostalgia and very little else. 6/10

Always wanted one of these but that colour is rancid!!!

All these standards are pretty much Jazz 101. The dorian minor is the way to go on So What, as Doddy says but, as was also said, you will lose the form every now and then (we all did it...). Just look to the pianist for the cue to go to Eb. As for Moondance; don't worry. You can't polish that turd.....

I have used Rotosound Solo Bass strings on a fretless Wal for 24 years with no wear (ebony board so that helps). Here they are in action over the last 10 years (same set of strings for most of them). [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=42836&hl=wal+street+crash"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...al+street+crash[/url] [url="http://www.myspace.com/bilbopalmer"]http://www.myspace.com/bilbopalmer[/url]

A great source of several standards in the keys in which they appear in real books are the Miles Davis cds 'workin', steamin', 'relaxin' and 'cookin'. Paul Chambers is a very stable bassist (he had lessons with Ray Brown, Jake) and doesn't break it up veryu much so his lines are generally very logical and easy to follow. Three of them are here for less than £5 [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Workin-Relaxin-Steamin-Miles-Davis/dp/B001F4YTMA/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_2"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Workin-Relaxin-Ste...f=pd_rhf_shvl_2[/url]

Watch it, missus! You are already better qualified than me

I think BP are buying them all up to drop them into the Gulf of Mexico to plug a leaky oil field.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='874024' date='Jun 21 2010, 11:23 PM']Bilbo, whenever you do one of your lists it ends up costing me money.[/quote] But how many of those purchases have you regretted

Where in Ireland are you? My wife has family in Co. Limerick.

[quote name='fatback' post='873593' date='Jun 21 2010, 04:10 PM']Thanks Owen So much to consider. How on earth did peeps do this before the net and the likes of BC? Ask your tutor and hope for the best, i suppose.[/quote] We f***ed up, merrily. If you were lucky enough to live in a place where you had access to older and more experienced players who had made their mistakes and were willing to let you learn from them, you were lucky. My own development as a musician has been delayed time and time again by the fact that I couldn't find gear to try, couldn't find a teacher within 60 miles, couldn't get to venues because transport is not available (I spent the first 5 years as a jazz fan having to leave everything early to catch ther last bus/train home), couldn't buy any jazz records because no shops sold them near where I grew up - I was always scrabbling around for scraps..... where I grew up, Music was pretty much for the middle classes (I still think it fundamentally is). Now we have the internet, so much more is available to those who aren't in the centre of London, or able to attend colleges to study ELECTRIC BASS

[quote name='matski' post='873360' date='Jun 21 2010, 12:00 PM']????? Was this bandmate of yours deaf and blind...? [/quote] Saxophonist - dozed off (late night gig) and when he heard the boot opening and the sound of talking, he thought it was us checking something out. By the time he figured all was not well and started to get out of the car, they had lifted the GK MB150 and SWR 2x10 cab out and were running off towards a car with a driver in it. We made chase but lost them. Police called but they were as much use as a mule's d*** (just gave me a crime number - ignoring the fact that the thieves had been seen on CCTV at the service station we were parked). 15 years ago so old news.

Having seen someone else lose their gear, I just thought it may be useful to discuss how we manage load ins/outs to avoid thefts. Personally, I never leave an guitar unattended. Amps, yes, because, my reasoning is that, if someone tries to steal my amp (Eden Metro), they are unlikely to be able to get it out of my car and into another vehicle quickly or without being seen. They will also be unable to push it down the street without being seen or without making a LOT of noise. A bass guitar can be taken easily and quickly. If I get to the venue first, I wait until someone else arrives before I start unloading so one of you can watch the gear whilst the other loads in/out. A double bass is another thing that is hard (but not impossible) to get away with so I would leave that in the car before a bass guitar. But, in short, gear should never be left in a car for any length of time without someone watching it. Nothing is foolproof (my only loss was an amp/cab taken from a car with someone from the band SAT in it)... And always keep your eyes open for dubious characters watching you load in/out. And for credible people to watch your stuff for you (door security etc). If in doubt. Stay with the gear. 100%.

Ebony every time. 100%. Don't even think about it. Ebonised is not going to deliver.

Most desks let you turn the phantom power off....... at least that's what I thought.

Being a reader.......

Not learning per se but I am looking at the six Bach Cello Suites at the moment. Great reading practice and great for learning your way around the double bass without looking at your left hand fingering. Its also helping me nail my intonation. Also makes peractising more interesting that running straight scales and arpeggios.