Coilte

I change mine all at the same time. However, I loosen the old strings gently and gradually, so the neck can adjust easily. Changing all together makes it easier to give the fret board a quick clean.

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1444146753' post='2880659'] So it's ok to slag off Adam Clayton or Nickelback, but never Paul McCartney or the bloody Beatles! [/quote] Slag off whoever you like. I never said that you were not entitled to do so.

This guy gets by on one string. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcpjY1KQhpM

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1443864152' post='2878222'] That's interesting, as I was also sure I was hearing a pick. I guess he could have got a similar sound with a little fingernail contact, or very hard calluses. [/quote] I too was pretty sure that he used a pick, at least on some songs... but there ya go.....!!

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1443828730' post='2878090'] not being a fan of the use of picks, this is one of my very favourite performances.[/quote] There was a thread over on "Talkbass" about whether Wilton used (or did not..) a pick. In the end someone emailed one of Wilton's close associates, and the answer came back that he [u]never[/u] used a pick. See post # 40 here: http://www.talkbass.com/threads/wilton-felder-tone.1012078/page-2

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1443781343' post='2877608'] But the current musical landscape is littered with time wasters - probably more-some than ever. The internet has made it far too easy for people who think they might like to be in a band, but when faced with the reality find that they don't have the ability time or general inclination to put in the work that is required. In the past if you wanted to be in a band you had to at the very least get yourself down to your local musical instrument or trendy record shop and browse through the ads posted there to find something that piqued your interest and them phone them up. Now all you have to do is spend a couple of minutes signing up to one of the Join My Band sites and then fire off a bunch of semi-literate replies to any and every ad without even having to shift your bum of the settee. They are the "musicians" who turn up to auditions clearly having not listened to your songs more than once who've wasted your (and the rest of the band's) evening and money as they struggle to play even the simplest of chord progressions, riffs and song structures. And then those who somehow make it through this process who once in the band suddenly can't be arsed to turn up on time for rehearsals, are only available for a fraction of the gigs the band is offered and are generally negative and grumpy about almost everything the band does. These are the time wasters and they should all f*** off and die! [/quote] I agree with the above, but you left out one other specie of time waster....the one who does not turn up .....[i]AT ALL!!![/i] Recently, my band were on the look out for a drummer. Two replied, and we booked the rehearsal room for a given time and evening. Both drummers seemed keen to audition. On the afternoon of the audition I texted both to check that all was well for the evening jam. Both said yes, and that they were looking forward to the audition. Neither turned up and when I tried to ring them, it rang off or I got a voice mail. Granted, including "no time wasters" in an advert wont stop these type of people.

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1442661266' post='2868560'] I thought it was only me [/quote] Same here. I was an avid LP and CD collector for decades. Over the last ten or fifteen years (I'm sixty) I find that I seldom put on an LP or CD with the intention of just listening and chilling out.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1443513319' post='2875318'] You might want to check out "I [color=#ff0000][i][b]think [/b][/i][/color]George [color=#ff0000][i][b]thought [/b][/i][/color]..." as a piece of logical positivism. [/quote] I agree. I am no Beatles expert, but Harrison always struck me as one who would not be bullied into releasing a self penned song in which he was not happy with some aspect of the playing on it.

Great news indeed.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1443506229' post='2875254'] The bloke who wrote it was, and he doesn't like it either :-) [/quote] It always puzzles me as to why Harrison, as he did not like Macca's lines, did not insist that he (Macca) make the lines less busy. It was his composition after all and I would have thought he had an input as to how it eventually sounded. Perhaps Beatles experts will verify if Harrison eventually changed his view on the bass lines.

I'm really sad to learn about this. His death follows not too long after Joe Sample's. An amazing sax player and a real funky bassist. R.I.P. Wilton.

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1443374299' post='2874209'] I can't stand him , or the Beatles! [/quote] I'm sure he'll be devastated to learn about this !!!

Yes, it is a busy bass line. We hear a lot about playing.."what the song requires." IMO McCartney's lines fit the song perfectly...i.e. busy...but not just for the sake of it.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1443130714' post='2872597'] my choice of string is Thomastik. [/quote] +1. They are not for everyone though, as they are very low tension.

Another amazing bass player who plays with his thumb over the top of the neck. Something for the "technique police" to ponder.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1441291863' post='2857644'] one of the other problems with theory is it can get in the way of song writing, it can stop you putting a certain chord with another because it's 'wrong' but discordant can sound good [/quote] I have come across the above way of thinking on previous occasions where people regard theory as [i]rules.[/i] IMO theory contains the building blocks for music and a way for people to communicate with each other. It is not the fault of theory itself, if people use or approach it in a different way to what it is intended for. The old saying..."a bad workman blames his tools.." springs to mind.

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1441286173' post='2857552'] I've often wondered about lessons, I've been playing since the age of 15 (I'm 53 now) never had a lesson which is why I'm probably not very good. I get by, but there's lots of things I can't do. I was once told by someone who studied at The Conservatorium Of Music in Amsterdam that I was "better than you think you are" So perhaps you can do ok without lessons? If I had my time over though, I'd find a good teacher and at least have maybe a dozen, to get the basics right. There's more to playing the bass than knowing notes and scales etc. [/quote] I suppose it depends on your goals and ambitions. IMO the biggest problem/disadvantage with learning on your own is where to start and how to proceed. With the amount of information at our disposal it is a bewildering experience for a beginner learning alone, as to where to start. Often a beginner with the best intentions and will in the world will start too far along the learning path. This often results in frustration, which in turn can often lead to him/her giving up. All this, because a definitive path where one lesson builds, starting with the basics and continues incrementally from there, has not been taken. As well as the above, I think it is generally accepted that you will learn more...and faster...from a teacher than on your own. As well as teaching, a good teacher can provide inspiration and guidance. I genuinely think the OP's problem lies in the caliber of the teachers he has so far had.

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1441266877' post='2857304'] I've just found that so far I turn up and its pretty much left up to me to decide what we are doing that day. It feels like there is little direction or structure being offered to me which is perhaps the problem. [/quote] For me, this is the nub of the problem. A "real" teacher will (should) be able to assess your ability/status reasonably quickly, then proceed to teach and guide you based on this. A pupil is not in the position to know or dictate how the lessons should go.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1441111801' post='2856096'] I dont mind playing them. Although SWA bores me rigid, the punters love them. [/quote] Agreed. There are certain songs that [b]I[/b] hate playing, but I assume the reason we play in public is to satisfy the punters ?

[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1441054651' post='2855776'] Someone will come along and recommend some good you tube courses, [/quote] ...and here is one... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLImrzCNnL5PkSfa1gUpsGzSMELR31yW9h The good thing about the above, is that the lessons start basic and each lesson builds on what went before. Ditto for this site..... http://www.studybass.com/study-guide/ IMO investing in a few lessons from a good teacher would get you off to a great start.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1440673291' post='2852826'] As the OP is apparently female, I think 'manning it out' would be unlikely. [/quote] Fair enough....so let us put it another way...[i]"dont be an injured hero..." [/i]

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1440659098' post='2852669'] I would seek some professional advice on this, either/or GP or an osteopath. There will be plenty of useful advice on here which might help. Osteopaths can manipulate joints which can help release trapped nerves which might or might not be causing your problem. Most of all get some help and don't be a bloke and just "man it out". That might only allow it to get worse. [/quote] +1 to the above. When you get the OK from the GP or an osteopath, [i]then[/i] you can start to see if trying a different technique will help. On the "man it out" concept....playing the bass should NEVER involve pain. Some things to check out, [i]after you have sought medical advice[/i] would be to experiment with different heights at which you wear the bass. Generally a good compromise is to have the main body of the bass at about belt buckle height. A minimum strap width of 3" would be a good idea IMO. Your shoulder problems could also be a case of tension. Sometimes, without realising, we play with the body tensed up. Play in front of a mirror and try to be aware of your body and whether it is tensing up or not. The "finger" problem is probably due to you pressing down too hard when you fret. The action on your bass may also be too high. Here is a clip on left hand technique that may be of help : [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeRoQuXlj9w"]https://www.youtube....h?v=IeRoQuXlj9w[/url]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1440593931' post='2852221'] I think the story about classical players not being able to play without notation is just that, a story.[/quote] I am not so sure, as I have a friend who plays double bass in an orchestra, who readily admits to not being able to play anything without having it written down. IMO it is not a case of "what camp are you in" as asked by the OP. Being an [i]all round[/i] musician involves learning many things, each being important in it's own right. IMO having a good ear is among the most beneficial.

I was never a believer in Jamerson's concept of.."the funk is in the gunk...".