ambient

Would you have to tell them you played golf, or went fishing, or a myriad other things that people do as hobbies that require you to have expensive equipment?

Don’t mention it. when I used to drive I called myself a teacher. I do teach, and it forms the bulk of my income.

Maybe the other winners don’t want their names printed? Why not email them?

I'd generally always play low E at the 5th fret on the B string. Having low F etc from the 6 fret upwards means that pretty much without moving position gives you a 2 octave range, low E at the 5th fret B string up to an E at the 9th fret on the G string. So, so much easier than having to keep moving about, especially if it's a reading gig or improvising following chords.

My bass is a 7 string, which to many people is the work of the devil. I get comments quite regularly on Facebook, and occasionally live from people, generally bass players. Remember that everything that can be played on a four stringed instrument, can also be played on a five. Though not the other way around without detuning or transposing. I'd quite like to see a four string player play this, without taking it up the octave and totally ruining it in the process.

It’s not, in my opinion anyway, just the extra notes. It’s the positional thing too. I’m not understanding why there should have to be a progression from 4 to 5? Having to master a 4 before progressing to a 5 isn’t necessary. They’re, again in my opinion, different instruments. Your first instrument could be a 5 string. I’ve got a student who’s first instrument was a 6 string bass.

It’s weird, but I only play original solo bass stuff. I’m gigging very regularly, I’m having at the moment to turn things down because of my university course. I’ve had stuff released by a label on vinyl. I get regular offers for doing collaboration. I’ve played abroad, this year was two gigs in Paris, and I’ve played with guys who’ve been huge influences of mine. Admittedly it’s not as well paid as regular pro gigs, but it’s far, far more rewarding.

Oddly I found the transition to 6 easier. Possibly due to the symmetry.

The reason 5 strings gained popularity in the 80s was because they no longer did cover the range.

Best is to get along to a shop and try a few. Stick with it too, maybe take a lesson or two off an experienced teacher. A 5 string is as much about the positional benefits it offers as it is the extra 5 notes. I can never understand why people take a 4 and a 5 to gigs. Unless the 4 gives something the 5 doesn’t ie fretless or other distinctive sound, just use the 5.

Music to me has always been about creativity and art. If I have been envolvd in playing covers then I’ve always preferred rearranging them. I’ve played in bands and on cruise ships where I’ve been expected to play stuff off charts, just replicating what was played originally. I see the point in this, it’s just not for me particularly fulfilling artistically.

Yes. I hate playing stuff that I have little or no connection to. It means that I limit my income potential, but I’m happier for it.

That's it yes, yes. You're aware of what they're doing. You know it's live and improvised. That awareness itself generates an excitement I guess.

How an audience reacts to a gig is quite a genre specific thing, I think anyway. What we're talking about is performance. There's an excellent book called 'Musicking' by Christopher Small. He defines 'musicking' as: To music is to take part, in any capacity, in a musical performance, whether by performing, by listening, by rehearsing or practicing, by providing material for performance (what is called composing), or by dancing. So either by going along to watch a gig, or by being a musician performing, we're all taking part in the process of 'musicking'. The book is really excellent, I encourage anyone who has any interest in music to read it, particularly if you do perform. There's another article that I was reading recently called 'Performing Performance: Interface design, liveness, and listener orientation', by Mark J. Butler. It's aimed mostly at the electronic music scene, but is sill relevant. Performance is central to what I do, and I guess to what we all on here who gig do. I'm personally very aware when I gig that people are watching me. Even though it's only me sat on stage with a MacBook and a bunch of effects pedals, I do make a definite effort to interact with the music, and to demonstrate my part in what they're hearing. I definitely don't dance or move about, but that's not expected. It would be expected though maybe in a rock and roll gig, and definitely would be in a more dance orientated genre. Which is my point. The article by Mark Butler describes how electronic musicians, and DJs sometimes over state their movements on stage, there might only be them on stage with a MacBook and nothing else, but they are still 'performing', and by the somewhat dramatic gestures they're showing their participation in the production of the music. I occasionally play gigs where I'm sharing the bill with laptop artists, sometimes they're using treated instruments too. Again, they're engrossed in what they're doing and their interaction is evident. They're not expected to get up and move or dance, but it's still obvious by what they do do, that they're not just checking their emails :). To reiterate, it all depends on the actual music that's being performed.

Thanks I wasn't sure if it was my phone or not.

I love that video Thomas. I think that's his Wechter acoustic? Have you heard the album? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Life-Jonas-Hellborg/dp/B00J8BUZUW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1512690911&sr=8-1&keywords=jonas+hellborg

Maybe nothing to do with the site, I don't know. On an iPhone 6s when you insert a full stop or a new paragraph, something where you'd usually expect it to automatically change the next letter to a capital, it doesn't.

I didn't like the look of his not so new one. I owned an early model JP1. That was a monster bass.

My older brother had a tape of I think it was 'War'. I remember hearing it for the first time, and you're absolutely right, there was a track where a trumpet comes from nowhere.

I don't think there is an actual formula, if there was then you'd be able to follow it and become famous :). I'd argue that dire straits were a little different to everything else that was around at the time. Wasn't it mostly synth based pop? So along comes a guitar based English band lead by someone who looked very normal and down to earth. They were making records that wasn't your average 'pop' record.