Bilbo

Have you tried verbalising the pulse and it's sub divisions? Egg, Apple. Banana. Loganberry and so on.

http://youtu.be/-25KSWNJ7mA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smwVh2hzzWs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQKDRed7QLc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV6N340QoLY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzwAy6AbhiU

Every Jazz Guitarist ever. I always struggle with the underrated thing because it is inevitably subjective but there are a million Jazz guitarists who can outplay the more populist players yet remain obscure even amongst musicians. I am not going to list them as there are far too many.

I recall a lot of Jaco v. Stanley baiting at the time. They apparently agreed that Jaco wouldn't slap and Stanley wouldn't play Fretless.

Start at half speed and work up. There is nothing that cannot be achieved using this approach. One of the first fusion LPs I bought was Land of the Midnight Sun by Al Di Meola. There is a track called Suite: Golden Dawn which has this killer guitar riff in it. Impossible to play. After years of playing it slowly, I can now do it. Took me 30 years but I can do it. It's all possible if you start slowly. Now I can work on the third bar....

I haven't even started thinking about it yet!

Location/Venue: The Mason's Arms, Pantygasseg, Monmouthshire (Nr. Pontypool) Your age: 17 Your bass: Aria SB700 Your amp: Soundcity Amp w. custom Cab (2x15) The set list (some of it): All No Quarter originals plus Dazed And Confused and Silver Machine Anything else that might be funny/interesting/embarrassing - I was told after the gig that fans of the previous bass player had threatened to beat me up. Fortunately, they didn't.

I bought this..... But I got this....

Sorry, Dad. I edited your post instead of quoting it. Sorry if it fails to inspire.

That's a tough question, Beads. I have an Ovation Custom Legend (steel string) and a Takamine Cd132sc (nylon) which meets my needs but I have no idea whether these are going to give you the sounds you are looking for. I also have Harley Benton 12 string and 6 string which I can record with (these are all on my Soundcloud page). They are OK for the money. The Ovation gives me the best sound but I know that Ovations are marmite. I suspect a decent Taylor would do it but I think you should think carefully about what kinds of sound you are looking for.

Let's see you Rockers and Funksters make something out of that!!

Thanks, guys.

Go me. October picture selected. Shall I send it to you, Dad, or to Paul?

I think there are a range of considerations here. I play about 3-4 gigs a month. I have had periods when it was nearer 10-12 but I didn't like the music and made a conscious decision to filter out the non-Jazz gigs with a few exceptions and it plummeted to really low levels before slowly building up again. If I wanted to go pro, I would have to fill up with gigs I wouldn't like to get anywhere near a living wage. I am not one of those guys that will play anything and only play music I like. Some guys can do anything and enjoy it. Good for them but it isn't something I can do.

Papa's bought a brand new bass. I would change the strings as a starter for 10, Paul.

4 string, 7 string and a double bass. And five guitars.

Not something I fret about, if I am honest. As long as the instrument works, the cosmetics are pretty much incidental.

Did a trio gig with a current and ex member of the Pasadena Roof on a boat. Problem was, they put us in a room next to the very loud engine and I spent the whole gig trying to play standards against a drone in Eb.

My first experience of Jaco was on the Al Di Meola LP 'Land Of The Midnight Sun' - the track was 'Suite - Golden Dawn', a three part suite. It was a new sound for me and a real ear-opener. Been a fan ever since. I even remember where I was the day that I heard he had died.

I used to do 100s of gigs with people where I was the best in the band and it sucked the life out of me, in spite of the money. I took the decision several years ago to not do these shot gigs just for the money and, since then, I have nearly always been the worst player in the band. I am not sure whether I have improved but I am certainly happier. I only do about 35 gigs a year but they are with people like Alan Barnes, Pete Long, Mike Gorman, Derek Nash etc etc. Quality not quantity. I am not a pro so my day job pays the bills so it is important to me that the gigs are not factory work.

'The Rite of Spring' is a ballet. If you can dance to that......

I just remembered that Paul Gray of The Damned and Eddie and the Hot Rods fame produced (and played keyboards on) a single I was on with NWOBHM unknowns No Quarter. I would add that the keyboard in question was a nasty sounding Casio thing.

Half size won't be any good as a starter instrument and may even do more harm than good. I would avoid.