stewblack

+1 I'm just starting to emerge from the pit myself and music has played a big part in my recovery - but not until I was ready for it. I picked up my bass in an idle moment last year having had no interest in it for ages and decided it might be interesting to learn a difficult bassline. The key thing here was however I set no goals, no daily targets. I said to myself it doesn't matter if I'm still learning this in six months time, progress not perfection is the only criteria. I played just a little some days and a bit more on others gradually working my way into a complex and satisfying bassline. When an opportunity arose to play a dep gig at the end of the year that small bit of daily bass work had hardened my finger tips, blown away a few cobwebs, got the hands moving and I was in a better place to learn a proper set. What works for me may of course not work for you, but putting ourselves under pressure when depressed is, in my very humble opinion, never a good thing. Good luck and feel free to pm if you'd like a chat any time.

Learn "Forget You" by something called Cee Lo Green they said. Is that a band? A person? I wondered. Never mind let's have a listen. Ah good, given my hectic learning schedule a nice repeated three chord pattern is just what I need. I like days like these, they make up for the 'now let's learn Everybody Dance' days. Then, just as I'm smiling at myself for having essentially learned the bassline during my first ever listen to the tune, just under three minutes in and the bloody bass player wakes up and decides he's bored. Never count your tofu until it curdles folks.

Just bought a lovely little combo from Andy. Great bloke to deal with, excellent comms, good packaging, fast delivery, happy to recommend this most reliable Basschatter.

Getting right into Donny Hathaway at the moment (clever Amazon algorithm to thank for that) and as a result I've discovered Louis Satterfield and what I consider to be some rather excellent bass work. His cv is pretty impressive too. Check this out

Just teamed up with a great vocalist who is also a voice coach. She proudly claimed she could teach anyone to sing and I couldn't resist. No band I've ever been in would let me near a microphone unless there was a fire and we needed to clear the room. I sing like a cow with a throat infection giving birth to a tumble dryer. However she has taken up the challenge. All of the work so far has been around understanding my body, breathing properly, hissing and humming. Not a word has passed my lips in three lessons and I am amazed to find the process fascinating. I'm actually excited to continue and while I still doubt her chances of getting a noise from me which wouldn't startle passers by and cause the dogs to hide, I am enjoying finding out just how a real singer goes about their business. Turns out that they actually practice every bit as hard as we do. The voice really is an instrument which requires work. Who knew? My respect for vocalists will of course never be more than marginally higher than that with which I esteem guitarists, but I do feel slightly less contempt for them.

I have a similar situation but in potentia. New band, three rehearsals in and only the most recent one with full kit and PA. All of us new to the songs. I noticed immediately some obvious places for dynamic lifts and drops suggested them, overcame a little resistance which was based around not dropping the song so low that it lost its oomph, and we had another go. Problem is not everyone went with it. Now dynamics within a song is to me an absolute corner stone of a good band. In all other respects things sound good and the guys can play but I will have to say something if people can't grasp that the best way to make a part of a song sound strong, loud and powerful is to play more quietly just before going into that particular part. It may just be the fact that it's all new material to us and concentration is elsewhere at times. I shall certainly let it lie for a couple more rehearsals and see if things improve.

How about a bit of the late great Donny Hathaway?

£12 is a steal I reckon, come on boys and girls get yer feckin' money out!!!

I wouldn't be able to us the expression pedal. I fall over if I try to do too many complicated things with my feet while I'm playing!

Yes I hadn't even thought to mention the drum machine and looper functions!

Isn't the B1on just the best value for money thing any bassist could ever buy? After my Vox amplug suffered a prolapsed input due to me standing on my cable I recalled folk here saying the Zoom can do the same job and more. At £45 I thought why not take a punt. I'm stunned. It is a superb piece of kit. Perfect headphone amp, with aux input. Now with Audacity on my pc and this beauty connected to the sound card song learning has never been so easy. Oh and it has an excellent tuner too. Oh and the effects are really nice and easily customisable. And did I mention it only cost me 45 quid? Brand new? In the future people will describe any wonderful and innovative novelty as "The best thing since Zoom B1on" trust me.

This is a porn forum so lets put our basses on to the bed. Here's a few of mine reclining on the duvet Bass by Stew Black, on Flickr

So glad you got it all sorted. Looks the business and it now sounds the business too!

That Sire looks really lovely. Tempted now. Darn it.

I'm happily using them on my old Aria. They have a different feel from my Rotosound flats but all strings have their own feel. Nowt wrong with them and at a bargain price too.

That looks the bollocks, it really does. Convinced me not to bin an old broken down combo but strip it down for parts. I see a cab build in my future.

Love the way you set up your graphic

Can I add my voice to the chorus of praise and thanks for this wonderful insight into what goes into a huge gig like this. I could feel the excitement and joy you experienced coming through your posts. Oh, and from one photog to another, your shots were outstanding.

My first experience of flats was very similar then they played themselves in and I love them now. It did take a while though.

You win the internet