Linus27

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABxlQkIOfmA[/media]

Thanks Bilbo. I was hoping you would add your views to this thread so very appreciated.

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful and to think I nearly never started this thread for fear of sounding like a knob and to be ridiculed. Just goes to show hey.

[quote name='jjay69' timestamp='1328730315' post='1531887'] Linus im just reading you post for the first time, brilliant, I could have written that myself. 43 this year, played in loads of original and cover rock / blues style bands to next to no punters and am in dire need of a change / new challenge. I too have taken my first steps down the route of "the Jazz" ! So far it's working for me, as in giving me the challange i was after and a complete change of style. Practicing at home has taken on a whole new meaning, new scales, modes and arpeggios to learn, suddenly everything about playing bass has become more interesting again. [/quote] Hey jjay69, that is so cool and it seem along with Urb and yourself that I am not alone in how I am feeling. Can I ask you to share how you went about the change. Was it just a case of learning to play lots of jazz songs or head first into a new band? Any other tips or direction you can share. Thanks

[quote name='phil625sxc' timestamp='1328723085' post='1531729'] If you're ever anywhere near Stoke Newington on a Monday night I play in the house band for a really laid back, friendly and informal jazz jam night, you'd be welcome to come and sit in for a few numbers if you fancy that for a bit of experience ?? [/quote] Hey thank you very much. I'm not that close I'm afraid but thanks for the offer and when I am a bit further down the road, it would be good experience for me.

[quote name='Thurbs' timestamp='1328717852' post='1531619'] + loads... It is the best and most valuable purchase I have made. [/quote] I would have to agree with this also.

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1328715692' post='1531577'] No worries - glad to be of help - I should add I also joined a funk band and a world music / Algerian band - both of which I got to play a lot of very fun and often really cool/exciting gigs with - I love jazz but I love a ton of other music too - I don't discriminate now in terms of what I'm prepared to play - as long as it's good and I 'feel' it.... RE starting I was lucky in that I know two very talented guitar-playing brothers who were ten times better than me - I would learn jazz tunes by wrote, not reading charts at all but learning the chords etc wholesale - then combing that with my limited scale/harmony knowledge and a bit of technique I just went out and started gigging - sometimes it was good, sometimes it was horrible - but you have to just throw yourself in there - there's no substitute for learning to do this stuff on a gig. Mike Stern made a nice point once that 'it takes a minute' to get the stuff you practice at home onto a gig - and he's right, playing all those ideas in the heat of the moment live, in front of an audience that's sitting just inches from you in a small club really gives you nowhere to hide... and when you do dot it, it's bloody brilliant - it's the best feeling to be playing freely, completely improvising new music in front of a crowd who are enjoying it is really something... you have to do it to really appreciate it - but when it works it's really satisfying. EDIT - the iReal app is very cool - if you have the latest version you can even export the songs as MIDI files and can drop them into Logic / Cubase - and then create your own tunes - it's great and I love using it as a practice tool - working on specific things like 2/5/1 chord sequences, all the different scales - major, minor, alterted, augmented, melodic/harmonic minors, learning about chord substitutions, different picking techniques - reading and transcribing - it all adds so much more to your musical outlook - so instead of just following the friggin' guitardist you can write your own tunes, explain to other musicians how you want this bit played etc - and feel a lot more confident as a MUSICIAN - not just the bass player..... [/quote] Once again, many thanks for the reply. It has been very helpful and given me a lot more confidence in my new direction.

Thanks Urb, its really reassuring to know that you have been through the same sort of thing as I am feeling now. Its interesting that you mention about improvising over chord charts. To get the ball rolling and see how I fared, I got the iReal app for my Itouch and downloaded hundreds of Jazz songs and then just jammed over the charts and it was a real surprise at how well I could do it and how much fun it was. Its been a great starting point for me. Thanks also for all the links, they are a great help. When I first decided to play bass some 23 years ago, I locked myself in my room for two years and studied solidly and came out and hit the ground running. So I am planning this year to do something similar and totally immerse myself and soak up as much info as I can. May I ask, how did you get started? What was the first thing you did to move over into the Jazz scene and away from rock etc? Did you just join a band, start a band or spend a long time studying songs? Again some direction or tips would be appreciated.

[quote name='blackmn90' timestamp='1328704848' post='1531360'] [url="http://www.stefanredtenbacher.com/2012/01/08/the-funkestra-proudly-announce-their-monthly-gig-at-the-farncombe-cavern-on-the-outskirts-of-guilford/"]http://www.stefanred...ts-of-guilford/[/url] [/quote] Thank you.

I am currently looking at a total change in direction and a new challenge over the next year or two. My whole musical career has been a case of playing original music, either a mix of guitar based punk pop, folk, rock and my current project which is acoustic soul pop. However, as I get older (42 this year) and as times have moved on, I am finding that less people my age are going to pubs and clubs to listen to the genre of music I am playing. Its not a case of them not liking it, far from it as my acoustic band is doing very well (Mojo cover CD next month, radio sessions, Paul Weller tour support next month etc) but from a live situation, there are less places to play than say ten years ago and a lot of the venues seem empty. It just seems to be cover bands or teenagers playing to their mates. Nothing wrong with this at all but at my age, I feel like a square peg trying to fit into a circle. If I am also totally honest, I am getting a little bored of the whole thing. From a bass playing point of view I don't feel challenged anymore. This might sound really cocky but I have always been one of the most if not the most experienced musician in the bands I have played in as well as the most skilled or accomplished. I am also getting really fed up with playing to 5 - 10 people in pubs/clubs. I am getting to the point where I can't be bothered with it anymore. I am just bored of the genre and scene I find myself playing in as well as not feeling challenged as a bass player anymore. I feel old and need to put things in place for what i am going to do for the next 10 - 20 years as a player and playing the same genre to a few people is not what I am looking at. It would be great to be thrown in at the deep end and work with musicians who are better than me. To start from the bottom again, playing from the seat of your pants, having to think and work things out again knowing that you need to come up to scratch to match the talent of the other musicians. So, I think its time for a new challenge. I have a couple of ideas for two projects but need to research the feasibility of them first. I have always loved Jazz and my bass lines have always had some kind of walking part to them or jazz feel where possible. Ok, so when I say Jazz that really is a sweeping statement so what I mean is more Jazz venues and the type of music that is played in them rather than guitar based rock, pop, folk, punk etc which I have grown up with. However, I know nothing of the jazz scene and if there is one at all. Is it isolated to London and is it on its arse like a lot of other music venues or is it thriving with people actively going out and listening to bands? Where does one go to check out Jazz bands live and get all the info of new bands, venues etc? I only know of Ronnie Scotts, Jagz in Ascot and I think some Jazz club in Reading. After that i am totally ignorant to the whole scene. I need to walk away from what i am doing and have done for years as I am bored of it and feel i can't take it any further as a player and as a genre and come back, start again at the bottom. Sorry for the ramble but needed to get this of my chest and hopefully I can get some good advice, direction and input from people here.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1328695936' post='1531160'] I'd love to. The current mrs discreet speaks of little else. [/quote] I am confused by when you say the current Mrs Discreet. Only last week I met three young ladies who claimed to be [i]the[/i] current Mrs Discreet and not a week goes by without at least one new lady claiming to be [i]the[/i] current Mrs Discreet. I just assumed you either had some kind of weird religion thing going on, very unlucky in love or Henry VIII

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1328694291' post='1531129'] OMG, you're [i]that[/i] Linus! Get out!! Nice selection of wigs and harnesses, btw. [/quote] HAHA you should see my collection of attachments. They are quite impresive

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1328694169' post='1531127'] So it was you peeping in the window last night, didnt recognise you because you had that mask on [/quote] No, thats no mask, thats what I normally look like

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1328693608' post='1531119'] Aww! Go on... I'll post pics of the current mrs discreet in her sleeping pants in return. [/quote] I have those pictures also and I admit, they are pretty good

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1328693300' post='1531114'] [sub][i][sup]Didn't happen[/sup][/i][/sub] [/quote] Yep, we all know he lives alone with his pet goat called billy

[quote name='Jack Cahalane' timestamp='1328636666' post='1530482'] Tell us the figure when you find out [/quote] Ok will do. Really interested personally as on our wiki page it says 5,000 in the first week which a. seems quite impresive and b. I never knew. I can't really see it being much more though but its nice to know.

Many thanks and replied to.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1328631451' post='1530355'] MCPS [/quote] OK, it seems I can search the database for the album. However, my PRS membership has expired as it was so long ago and I have to pay £30 to sign up to be able to search for it ... Bugger

My old band 12 years ago, was signed to a label and released an album. I know that in its first week we sold over 5,000 copies. However, what I would love to know is what the total album sales were. Is there any way of finding this information out?

[quote name='jcater' timestamp='1328619217' post='1530028'] PM sent [/quote] Thank you. I have just ordered one. Not a bad price either. Just need to sort out some kind of hard case for the Reidmar now.

[quote name='jcater' timestamp='1328603298' post='1529666'] I have sent dimensions to Roqsolid. Waiting for a price [/quote] Cool stuff. Please keep me posted as I will buy one also.

Top job fella and great little tune.

[quote name='jcater' timestamp='1328550095' post='1528935'] Has anyone ordered covers for the classic 12 cabinets. If so where from. Was thinking of Roqsolid but thought i would check here first [/quote] I need covers badly for a small tour in March so if you find anyone that does them then let me know. So far I have not found anywhere yet.