ambient

There's some lovely playing on Richard Barbieri's albums, which actually is where I first came across Percy Jones. I saw Richard do a masterclass recently in Birmingham, he played some isolated bass tracks, fantastic!

it's a bit green.

I've never really understood the term 'pro attitude', or why people assume that a professional musician will have a certain personality. They're pros because that's how they make their living. My brother is a professional car mechanic, that's how he makes his living, as opposed to someone who does it as a hobby. He's reliable, friendly and good, but he knows an awful lot of people who only share a few of those attributes, some none. My mom was an accountant until she was forced to retire, that was her profession. From my experience I've met professional players who've been amazing musicians, others who've just been very average, but they still manage to make a living in their particular niche. They're people, and their personalities vary as much as anyone else's.

The engineer who's name I don't remember now, but he later became a part of the art of noise, gave a guest lecture at Goldsmiths last year. He spoke a lot about this, They'd been trying for ages to get the tracks to work, they'd had all sorts of session guys in, but it just didn't feel right. Apparently he stayed over late in the studio, messing about with various samples in the Fairlight, and he got a sequence running. Trevor Horn came back and loved it, the two of them spent the night then just improving and building on it. Basically it's all sequenced Fairlight.

I know very little about Carol Kaye or Dunn. From what I've read about Jamerson, the parts were written for him, but he was expected to add his thing, and improvise. The standing in the shadows of Motown book is a great resource if you're interested in Jamerson's work. You can see the improvisation, subtle changes and development as the line progresses.

[quote name='The Jaywalker' timestamp='1504877474' post='3367980'] Yeah, absolutely. No way a lot of those arrangements and chord progressions would have happened without GM, simply because he re-wrote them and the band were into it. It was his job. Some of the greatest pop music of all time. Flip side of that is also evident as well - even officially-approved Beatles bios have mentioned McCartney's ego-tendency to lay claim to GM's stuff (brass band stuff springs to mind). I guess the point is that it's not only session players who play parts producers/MD have put in the music. It's pretty common. [/quote] I think GM's input is evident from the way they went from being a pop band producing stuff that was very similar to that of many other bands of the time, to producing Yesterday and Eleanor Rigby.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1504884101' post='3368078'] Duck Dunn, Carol Kaye and Jamerson improvised and/or read their lines. It all depended on the producer. Some producers insisted that their parts were played exactly as written and some just came with the chords scribbled on a fag packet. There was every other kind of session in between. Nathan East, Sean Hurley and Alex Al etc say that many producers expect the bass player to "leave something to the table", ie come up with an interesting twist on the bass lines. [/quote] Which is why they'd be booked, they want 'their' signature on the part.

[quote name='paul_c2' timestamp='1504882187' post='3368042'] I've seen cello music where a cellist has pencilled-in the names of the notes above the (standard) notation. The reason - because it was on the tenor clef, and they're obviously unfamiliar with it, hence the extra markings to help themselves. However I also know cello players who are quite comfortable with the tenor (and treble) clef, and don't need to pencil in reminders of note names. So it just shows that its not so much one or another system (ie tab vs standard notation) is better, but that players who learn, comprehend and master their instrument get good at what they practice. If you haven't learnt/don't practice reading standard notation, its no surprise that its difficult and also no surprise that its perceived as a mystery to some. But its just an aspect of learning a musical instrument. Its the same with playing by ear, or improvising - classical musicians typically don't (and don't need to) do this, thus these areas are poorly developed. Its recently changing, Trinity (exam board) now have an improvisation section in their graded exams, however ABRSM don't. [/quote] One of my tutors once told me, "never be afraid to pencil in". I did a lot of orchestral stuff at uni, treble and bass clef were fine, alto was a pain.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1504880109' post='3368022'] I've only ever seen tablature for fretted instruments where IMO it makes the most sense. For me the whole point of fretless instruments is that you can play "in-between the notes". Incidentally how does standard notation show quarter tones and the like? Apparently according Wikipedia there also tablature for chromatic mouth organ! [/quote]

Excellent, highly recommended. Immediate despatch, the pedal was exactly as described, and very well packaged.

Maybe email Mark at Bass direct? They usually have a good selection of instruments, he's also very knowledgeable and generally helpful.

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1504786487' post='3367288'] Yes, I get all that. But knowledge of the notes, intervals and theory is all independent of the ability to read notation which was at least the original question. In some ways learning theory using tab is more difficult (eg for C minor the standard notation will tell you which notes are flat, tab wont). You have to work backwards or remember the intervals. [/quote] I think I learned both at the same time.

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1504774645' post='3367167'] My cats don't like me to play, they get scared with the noise. I practise in my studio with a closed door to prevent them to enter and spread all kinds of mayhem trying to flee as soon as they hear the first note. They do love my gear. They're allways climbing up my bass case and cables trolley bag and using it as a nail scratcher whenever i forget them in the lobby after coming home late. I've posted this here some time ago but they also have a special fondness for my cab... this one time i was replacing the tweeter and had to step out of the room for a while... [/quote] That's lovely!

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1504773989' post='3367161'] I too have a Siamese cat, plus a tabby moggie The Siamese is just such a different breed. She's absolutely in your face, as often as she can be Loves a lap, hates it when I've got a bass on my lap, because she wants that lap! But she also loves a jam evening, when other musicians pop around - because she loves a well-padded gigbag but even better, she prefers a fur lined fiddle case or guitar case. She also doesn't mind the sound of live music in the house our moggie runs a mile when anyone plays an instrument - esp the violin. But oddly enough, even she doesn't mind the sound of my DB [/quote] Mine doesn't like strangers. When I have people over for lessons she'll occasionally look into the room, but won't come in. Like your's, she assumes that cases and bags are for her to sleep in .

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1504736392' post='3367034'] My cat does the same thing, bass time means lap time. [/quote] Lovely .

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1504733648' post='3367016'] Remind her from what the strings used to be made [/quote] Evil

[quote name='josie' timestamp='1504729206' post='3366984'] Monty (now sadly lost to cancer) - a very large, strong, heavy (not overweight) cat - never tried to climb into my lap, but he would leap on my guitar teacher and persistently head-butt him under the left arm while he was trying to play. Monty's true love, though, was my used-to-be duo partner, a lovely lady and fine singer with an "ample bosom" and fondness for low-cut tops. At any possible chance he would jump up and knead his front paws in her cleavage. Our best moment was when we were working on "Romeo and Juliet" and she improvised spoof "Monty" lyrics which I so wish I could remember - all I can remember is that we were both laughing so hard we literally cried. Good times. We never liked each other that much, to be honest, but I miss him. [/quote] Cats are brilliant, so full of character.

[quote name='Dandelion' timestamp='1504730935' post='3367002'] Buy a carpeted bass cab, a veritable cat magnet. [/quote] I know, I used to have one. She'd hang off it with her claws well and truly embedded.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1504729793' post='3366990'] Kick it out into the garden. [/quote] She's a house cat, she doesn't go out, only to sit in the sun occasionally.

She's a very determined Siamese. I do spend a very long time each day playing, I suppose I ought to spare her more time . She jumps up on to my desk, then steps on to my knee, from there she's able to get under the neck of the bass, then between to and me. She then starts howling at me until I relent and lie the bass down on my lap. Then she goes to sleep . [attachment=253029:20637977_746880238853573_7475737249451581024_n.jpg][attachment=253030:20914628_752131321661798_9147661950633448162_n.jpg]

The TC Dittos are great, and very simple to use. The only thing with using one in a band situation is to make sure that everyone can hear it, just to avoid timing issues.

I'm guessing that if the sponge is too rigid then it's maybe having the effect of shifting the bridge forward? Maybe make sure that whatever you use is just muting the strings.

I thought these guys were rather good. [url="https://ameaningfulsilence.bandcamp.com/album/emergence"]https://ameaningfulsilence.bandcamp.com/album/emergence[/url]

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1504706014' post='3366759'] Why would knowing the note names make the slightest difference? I know the fretboard well enough to find a note if someone asks for it, but if I'm playing a phrase the intervals are important, not the notes. If someone asks me to play an E# Major scale I can do it. In order to tell you the names of the scale tones I'd have to work backwards from where I put my fingers. My brain works better on patterns than on names. BTW I picked E# deliberately before you pedants start mocking me. Seems like you might have locked yourself in to a way of thinking purely because you read standard notation. [/quote] I know the note and it's relationship to the other notes and within the piece I'm playing. I'm not thinking patterns. I play a lot of chordal stuff, whether played as a straight chord or more horizontally, a good knowledge is prerequisite I think. 98% of what I do doesn't require sight-reading, I'm improvising solo, which again I think does require a thorough knowledge. I'm certainly not locked into a way of thinking, my knowledge frees my thinking.