thepurpleblob

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1266852' date='Jun 13 2011, 12:24 AM']Probably the right place for it, tbh. Keep it all 'in-house' and on the QT, so to speak. Ooops. My mistake. Wrong blob. Meant [b]thepurpleblob[/b]. It's all [i]very [/i]confusing. Sorry [/quote] the the is very important.......

Always a hard case, then it's safe. I don't understand what's awkward about a hard case. House => Car => Gig (and reverse).

I used to manage a car audio retailer that had a big repair shop (and so dealt with spare parts day in day out). We eventually had to stop selling them directly to the public completely because it was bad for business. We'd get into this sort of thing all the time. Sure, we can order that 10 pence screw, but Alpine/Pioneer/Kenwood/Whoever have minimum order rates plus I'm going to charge you an engineer's time for identifying the right part number phoning in the order (it was back in the dark ages) and sending it off to you. You should see their faces when 10 pence turns to 30-odd quid. Problem was that all these costs were built in if we were doing the repair ourselves but there was no way to charge a (to the punters) "sensible" price to someone off the street. So rather than being called "w*nkers", we stopped doing it altogether. Companies that speciailise in selling small low cost spare parts are geared up to do that in quantity. Presumably by having very low paid people to do the donkey work. My point - my experience of working for myself is that the public don't understand overheads!

I have some sympathy - not much, but some. I sometimes have to mail out DVDs of backup data to clients. I charge £75 for that. The DVD is pennies and the postage is less than a fiver special delivery. However, it takes time that I could be doing something else and my hourly rate is 75 quid an hour. Hence 75 quid for sending a disk!!

[quote name='RhysP' post='1256866' date='Jun 4 2011, 09:48 PM']I've got to put this in the quotes thread - it's one of the funniest things I've ever read. Bet all you guys who have spent years having lessons & refining their playing are feeling pretty stupid now, aren't you? Two weeks. [/quote] Kids eh? To be fair, his profile says he plays other stuff including guitar. So, he's a guitarist who thinks that qualifies them to play bass. Worse!!! (Just kidding Scott, keep up the good work)

[quote name='ZMech' post='1256786' date='Jun 4 2011, 08:26 PM']I'm not sure that's true, I think it's just that they have excessive amounts of time. People say 'oh, but when you're a baby you learn how to speak in just a few years', whilst that's true, would it take any longer to learn if you just dumped an adult in a foreign country? I reckon they'd pick it up faster. If you didn't have school/work, and instead could spend many hours a day playing around with music, then yes, you'd learn it quickly too! The difference with starting as a kid is that if you average two hours a day from age 5, then you'll have your 10,000 hours by your early 20's. I think this is enhanced much further if you're surrounded by a musical family who constantly expose you to it.[/quote] It's actually (so I understand) way more complicated in reality. On a certain level, adults learn faster as they have much more prior knowledge and experience to rely on. However, children's brains are growing so have neurons actively making new connections. I think this means that they are better at soaking up stuff and remembering it.

What I don't think anybody else has explicitly mentioned is the advantage of starting as a kid. Children's brains are wired up to learn stuff quickly. If you can nail down the basics of music when you a child I think it makes a massive difference. I think this is what people call "natural ability".

I think it's ridiculous to suggest that anybody has some sort of innate ability to play the bass or play anything else for that matter. Well, you might be physically more adept in some way but I suspect it is of marginal affect. You get there by doing it and thinking about it.... exactly the same as any other activity. I am very, very good at my boring IT day job (and modest) and that's because I've done it a hell of a lot and seen everything before. If I have a propensity for sitting in a dark room working out complicated IT problems I would blame my upbringing a long time before I would claim any genetic advantage. After all, the ability to program a computer wouldn't do much good thousands of years ago when being chased by a tiger (nor, indeed, would musical ability). The other thing I have noticed is that musicians lie like hell. While anybody else will tell you, "I'm a great tennis player because I've been practicing for twelve hours a day for the last fifteen years", musicians say "Hey, I just picked it up and could play it". They didn't. They've been playing the thing in their bedrooms since they were 6 but don't see it as practicing or something ! EDIT: I meant to add.... the annoying thing about these debates is that while people (including me) are shooting off their opinions, there actually will be an answer to the question. Has anybody done any actual scientific research I wonder?

Thanks everyone... in your own weird ways you have all helped a lot

The thing is, I like the guys in the band. They aren't alcoholics (a new type of musician on me) and learn the songs that they say they are going to (also a new thing). I'm keen to stick with it...

I'm not suggesting that the drummer is rubbish or anything. He's not perfect but he makes an effort. He just doesn't have that air of confidence that I think I'm used to. I guess I've been lucky!

I started off playing percussion. Mostly in Brass Bands of all things. Lots of competitions in big Victorian halls. Brass band music turns out (at the top end) to be a lot better than you'd think However, I always had this weird ambition to play in pub and club bands, which is weird because I don't drink and never liked pubs and clubs. Anyway, having made up my mind to do something about it - drums are out as I was sick of drums, guitarists are ten-a-penny, keyboard is supposedly difficult and that leaves the bass (and hopefully percussion experience will help). So bass it was - and I never looked back; good decision.

For one reason or another I am currently playing on two covers bands. The first has been playing for about 12 years - 3 years with me. They are all experienced, confident musicians. I am the least experienced by an order of magnitude. The band I played in for a number of years previously to this was pretty much the same. In both cases, I enjoy the playing and mostly find it quite an easy ride. Now the second, newer band are much less experienced. The drummer in particular is hasn't been playing long and, although he is ok, doesn't have the confidence (and volume) I am used to. The trouble is, I now feed completely exposed. My timing is all over the place and I feel like I have been put back about 5 years. I'm really having to concentrate and put tons of work in to keep up. What's going on? Is it just an old-fashioned "fitting in" thing or am I being totally carried by the experienced guys in the other band - exposed as a fraud if you will

I've given up.... my hearts not in it. He (the pub owner) got a decent photo and some factual information. He's not paying us enough to do all the work

Why do I get the feeling that nobody is taking this seriously??

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='1240958' date='May 22 2011, 10:25 PM']If you are playing "whats it called, Cumbernauld" is it the Twa Corries (think thats what it called) in the middle of Junkie bandit country? I`ve heard that they are having rock nights again. Jez[/quote] Twa Corbies. Errrrr...... maybe.... what about it? The last time we played a place in Cumbernauld we were advised to bring somebody along to keep an eye on the cars. Smashin'

[quote name='Musky' post='1240913' date='May 22 2011, 10:02 PM']It doesn't really seem to make much difference. Presumably you've wowing audiences from Glasgow to errr... Dumbarton? Why not look at the website from your local paper - I'm sure they'll have plenty of examples up there.[/quote] It's Cumbernauld. If we get out alive it'll be a good night

[quote name='Musky' post='1240888' date='May 22 2011, 09:44 PM']Aren't these things usually along the lines of "local band making huge strides towards pop stardom" and a list of achievements including a 3 week residency at the Dog & Duck, with plans to record an EP? At least that always seems to be the case whenever I've seen one of these articles in a local rag.[/quote] Perhaps if we were 17 and play originals. But we're all fat, bald guys in our 40s playing bloody Oasis and Kasabian covers to drunks. Perhaps that what I should put

[quote name='BassBus' post='1240886' date='May 22 2011, 09:43 PM']the music I play in I just play by ear and everyone seems happy with that. I would feel too constricted if I had to play exactly what was written. I'd want to go off and improvise all the time. I like the freedom of ear playing, if that sounds right.[/quote] But I don't think that's the point. Being able to read just mean that you know what somebody intended for that piece of music. There's no law that says you have to play it like that. It also means that you can never take those gigs where they stick the dots in front of you and you have to nail it first time. Me neither by the way (my sight reading isn't good enough). Reading is just another skill - it doesn't have to totally change the way you play.

I feel like you made a bit of a jump between some theory and excellent. I think my theory knowledge is pretty good but it's not top drawer stuff. I know enough to know what I don't know if you like. I'll just add my $00.02 to this. If you don't read and/or you have crap theory knowledge - do something about it. Trust me, the effort you make will pay back many time over. It's like a lot of things in music - you have to resist looking for a one-to-one relationship between a skill and its use. Being a musician is about pulling things from different places in a way that almost defies explanation.

[quote name='molan' post='1240846' date='May 22 2011, 09:17 PM']You really need to find out how many words are required - makes a huge difference to how you approach anything like this.[/quote] Won't be many, it'll just be a glorified add in the free sheet.

Erm... maybe I should have been clearer. Promoter phones and says "I'm putting an article in the local paper about you for Friday night's gig. Send me some words". That kind of thing Although, to be fair, yours might be better!!

I need to do a quick article for the local newspaper about our band. I'm a bit unsure. Has anybody got an example handy (to give me isnspiration)? We're just a local pub covers band - nothing exciting

Oh well... a little relaxing number then Thanks!

I can't give you any useful advice but can sympathise. I've tried loads of time and I just can't find a way to hold the pick. After a few strokes it falls out of my fingers. Annoying!