bass_dinger

My ideal would be the melodic and harmonic inventiveness of Bach, and the dexterity and danceability of James Jamerson. However, that would require more skill than I have. It's not often needed either - or even possible, when other musicians need help keeping time (drummers and strummers, most often). So, I am happy to hear "more is more" music, but my gig (and lack of talent) requires Less is More.

I have been asked to join a Socially Distanced church band. That means that the musicians will all be on a large stage, two metres apart, with separate monitor mixes - from right to left we have keys, mic'd drums, bass, acoustic guitar and two singers from the same family. There will be no congregation. It is, in effect, a soundcheck in which we get to test: the new stage monitors (which is driven by its own on-stage mixing desk); the room mix (driven by the house mixing desk) The separate Live YouTube broadcast mix (which will be driven by a second and different mix from the house mixing desk) the quality and positioning of the four cameras Our ability to play with each other, maintain eye contact, and play with feeling and sensitivity Our ability not look like total buffoons on camera. Item 1 is fine - I am (reasonably okay with adjusting the stage mix). Items 2, 3 and 4 will be handled by the Worship Leader, whose day job is broadcast engineer with Sky News. Item 5 I have done before. Ahhh . . . but Item 6. Does anyone have any advice for playing in front of a camera? This is not about performing. However, YouTube is a visual medium, so I want to be animated without being hyperactive. I want to look like I am enjoying myself (because, generally, I am having fun when I play). but I don't want to look silly. I am also struggling with the stage lighting - it hurts to look at it, and whenever I look up, it is in my eyes. The alternatives seem to be squinting, looking at my shoes, or wearing shades. So far, I have decided on a non-patterned shirt and smart trousers, and will use the microphones to talk to other musicians (otherwise, I get a bit shouty, as the room is large). Any other tips?

"Reading a self-contradictory comedy list of Bass Player Infractions, instead of practicing. $15"

A little late to the party, but mine was a black Tanglewood Rebel 4k (5K? It had five strings). I liked the 2 over 3 tuners. I liked that it was £80. My next electric bass was a Washburn XB500 - it just feels so right for me, that I have not bothered to look for other basses. Oddly, the only other reference to Washburn XB series on Basschat seems to be the one on this very thread.

Until I joined basschat, the concept of More Than One Bass never occurred to me - even though I had two myself (acoustic and electric). I am keeping the acoustic bass, as it looks the part for unplugged gigs.

I have successfully bought two basses on ebay. Dropping £500 on an instrument, unseen, and delivered by UPS, is scary. My fears were made less, when I got into contact with the seller, and saw that he seemed to be a decent chap. The other bass, I picked up in person from a new seller. ("Great buyer! Gave me the full asking price!" was his feedback). All good so far.

Now that I have reset my password, I can at last comment on this video. Very good! It also made me smile to see that your band has the same general demographics as in my own church - Women sing; Men play instruments. Latterly, our videos are a little different, however. We started with the "singing heads" that you have, but it all became too much effort to sustain that level of effort. Now, the worship leader has a video of himself playing alone, or does it live. On occasion he has also multi tracked himself playing guitar, piano, bass, drums, vocals and harmonies. Those "Tiled Church" videos are hard work! So, great effort, and a good reference point for that song, if ever I need to play it.

Does playing on a stage to three people in the building, and having it broadcast live, count as a gig? If so, to my utter surprise, probably the middle of August. I am surprised because it is a church band that is being formed during lockdown, and two (or three) of the band members, have not played together before. However, two of them are professional / experienced musicians. I am also surprised to be asked - it's amazing what a good impression turning up, and playing in time with the drummer, can make . . .

Plus 1 on this. I have a Washburn XB500, and put some flatwounds on it when I first had it set up. It was dull and lifeless, and I rarely picked it up to play. I preferred a 32" scale 5 string acoustic bass. However, I needed to use an electric bass for a gig, tuned up, snapped a string, and decided to replace the whole set with Dunlop steels (40 to 120). Now, it is my main bass - wonderful instrument, lively, responsive, and exciting to play. The acoustic bass is now for sale (but I already have another - see below). To select the strings, I went into The Gallery, and played a few electric basses, until I found one that I liked the sound and feel of. I asked "what strings do I need to make my Washburn sound like this bass here?". "Er . . . that looks like a set of Dunlop steels". So, for me, it was the strings - and not the bass - that needed changing. I have a Boulder Creek 5 string now, fitted with a set of AB345 strings (phosphor bronze round wound winding around a nylon core), which I had not played for a while. When I returned to it, it sounded dreadful - but that was because I was playing with the same technique as I used on the electric bass. It took me a while to adjust, but once I had persisted, and learnt the instrument (rather than the bassline), I was rewarded with a rich, musical tone. So, perhaps changing the strings, and persisting with that instrument exclusively for a week or two, will yield a result. Let us know how you get on!

A late reply - apologies. I consider reading music on the bass so important, that I reactivated my account to say so. I have just recently used this same forum to find written music, and downloaded it to sight-read. To my utter surprise, I had somehow managed to improve my rhythm-reading reading skills, even though I had not read much music in the past two years. I have no idea how I managed to improve my skills,. but I can now take a simple page of music and read it. And . . . . it is so incredibly efficient! No need to learn a piece, no need to transcribe it, just play it! So, I am sold on the idea of reading music. Robert.

Best? A set of Dunlop round wouxnd strings. They turned a dull thuddy uninspiring unplayed Washburn XB500 into a lively, tactile and melodic instrument - my main bass. Worse purchase? A chorus pedal. I bought it for my acoustic guitar, but it thumps when I switch it on. The fault is with the guitar but I had intended to use it with the bass. However, it made the bass sound uninspiring and wobbly... Happily, my list of good purchases is longer than the list of purchases that were not right for me at this moment in time. Good stuff includes a Yamaha AG03 mixer - bass, YouTube on the PC and a set of headphones and I can practice in silence. A single case for all my kit. Two ring binders so I can separate out the ukulele chord stuff from the proper transcriptions of music from great YouTube artists like Infusion26. Most of my bass purchases are not basses....

How a ukulele sounds very much depends on the people playing it. 30 people in a village hall, all strumming the same chords on an Argos instrument, and all singing, will sound less musical than (say) George Harrison and Paul McCartney performing Ain't She Sweet. Some songs lend themselves to the ukulele; others don't. Nile Rodgers' strumming on the 5th fret of a guitar works well; the original guitar solo from Make Me Smile doesn't, as the ukulele does not have the necessary range. Fewer strings, and less sustain, compels the player to devise new ways of playing. Sometimes, that means 30 people playing badly. But it can also result in great musicianship.

The singer? A Shure SM58, a crackly lead, and a packet of throat lozenges and they are done.

I would have applied myself to learning music theory (rather than learn it by osmosis); and make the effort to learn a new tune every week (rather than simply noodle through what I already know) Wait..... I still can!! It was not all a disaster though - I think that I got my instrument upgrade route right, buying a much better one each time, so that upgrades were exponential rather than simply a change of instrument. Two electric basses, two acoustic basses, two acoustic guitars, four amps. In 40 years...

A tambourine is like perfume. A little bit in the right place is very effective. But too much, sprayed all around, is not good. Foot tambourines are very effective in an acoustic setting - a guy in the uke band has one. All tambourines seem to be able to cut through a mix, and the one foot version that I have heard has a nice tight sound - a short delay that really defines the beat. Cheaper tambourines can sound like a drawer full of cutlery being dropped down the stairs - lots of overtones and uncontrolled sustain. As for a foot tambourine in Hey Jude, I have to say Nah. Nah. Nah nanna na na, nanna na na, hey Jude.....

I have been lurking for a while, so, it's time to introduce myself. I play bass in both a ukulele themed covers band, and church. I enjoy trying to learn great bass lines from YouTube; I have one too many bass guitars; I wish I played better; I am pleased to see that my ear training is improving. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this great forum.

A 12 went on ebay for a piffling £110 (or a little less). Again, collection only (this time from Derby). A second one in (oddly again in Derby, but this time a 15) did not reach its reserve, but was bid up to £105. It's on again, and this time has reached £106. New 15s are for sale here, for £700 < [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/swr.html"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/swr.html[/url] > From what I have heard about these, they really ought to be a lot more desirable (and thus, costly). But perhaps their combination of rarity and high-end pedigree means that many buyers have not come across them before, and so do not know what they are. But I do .... which is why I am looking for one. Robert