ambient

I find playing a 6 string, that muting is a combination of the 2 hands. I use a moving thumb rather than floating thumb i.e. my thumb moves down the strings following the notes that I'm playing. I also use the free fingers of my left hand to mute. Unless I'm playing chords or double stops then I will probably only have one finger at a time doing the fretting, so the spare ones mute.

Bach's cello stuff is beautiful, and readily available. I had to play a piece 2 years ago as part of an interview to teach for my local music service. I chose something that I'd already don't whilst at uni. A solo bass, chord melody arrangement of what a wonderful world, Steve Lawson plays a beautiful arrangement of this piece sometimes.

I use them on my Yamaha JP bass. They're nice, and really smooth sound. Ideal for jazz and for my solo stuff.

[quote name='Rocker' timestamp='1485863370' post='3227232'] Thanks Ambient but I can't read music. I struggle with tab but usually get there in the end. One of my problems with this tune is that I only have it online, which is poor sound quality and hard to hear what is going on. And I don't have it on CD.... [/quote] It's not written out, it's just the chords, thought you could maybe just follow them, the bass line will be built from them.

Is this any good ? It's from the Hal Leonard TV theme real book. Can't vouch for it's accuracy, cos I'm not familiar with the programme.

If I'm selling a bass then it's collection or meet up somewhere only. Absolutely no other way. Same if I'm buying a bass too.

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1485616444' post='3225343'] Not a Level 42 fan then? Or Sly & the Family Stone, Fishbone or the Brothers Johnson [/quote] When was the last time any of them had a record in the charts ?

Slap doesn't tell you anything about the sound of the bass, other than how it sounds when it's slapped. When was the last time you heard slap bass on a contemporary recording on the radio ? In all my years of gigging I've only ever had to play it on one song, that was car wash. I hate slap bass. We had to do various slap things at uni as exam things, Frankenstein being one. I absolutely hated them.

Why stand to play ?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1485456542' post='3224131'] And what is wrong with giving the audience something interesting to look at? [/quote] Nothing at all, isn't that what the music is for though ?

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1485452563' post='3224087'] You have only just heard it? It was released in 1990 and wasnt cliched when released, may have been copied since....... [/quote] I tend not to listen to radio stations that play this sort of thing. I tend to hate most of what they play.

Just heard what is probably the worst I've heard in a while. I think it's called thunder, by AC/DC. Boring, cliched and the vocal was like finger nails down a blackboard.

I guess in the right band it'd be ok. It's a bit like those pointless LEDs on Mark King's basses, I can see the point along the side of the fretboard, but not on the front, that's just for the audience, like this.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1485304111' post='3223043'] What like Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd.? Of course its obligatory [/quote] I'm not sure I'd class Floyd as being classic, I put them under prog, which I do like a lot.

I'm probably going to get banned from here, but another candidate for worst song, is Queen's 'I want to break free'.

Bat out of hell is a particular one that gets me shouting at the radio if it comes on. Though I dislike pretty much anything that comes under the banner of 'classic rock'.

Start with the melody, that's what I tend to do in a jazz solo. It gives the listener something that they recognise. After a few bars I tend to start improvising around the melody/chords. I try to think ahead, having what I'm playing in my head. Listen to some great soloists, not just bassists, but sax players and trumpet players. Transcribe their solos. I'm a huge fan of Miles Davis, and have a lot of his solos and lines from songs that I play transcribed.

I have a few solo gigs on in February. Sunday 12th February I'm at the Silent Strategies ambient/experimental event at the Lighthouse media centre and art gallery in Wolverhampton. Free entry, the show starts at 6pm. Friday 17th February I'm playing a lunchtime gig at St Martins church in the Bullring, city centre Birmingham. I played here back in November, it's an absolutely lovely venue. Just turn up, pick a pew and close your eyes. The performance starts at 12.30. Sunday 19th November, I'm playing at St Jame's wine vaults in Bath. The show starts at 6pm. [attachment=236609:Poster for Feb gigs.jpeg]

Dunlop superbrights ?

I use a 2012 MacBook for my solo stuff. It provides all the effect processing and I record my sets too, with no issues. I use Logic Pro for this. Re the overheating, where do you have it set up ? I have mine on a stand, so there's air circulating around it. Chances are, if you see someone on stage with a laptop, it'll be a MacBook.

One of the important thing with either a 5 or a 6 is effective muting. I advocate whatever technique works for you, as long as you're muting unused strings and avoiding extraneous noise and notes. I will rest my thumb on the B when playing notes on the E and A strings, moving down the strings as I play notes on the higher strings.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1485009946' post='3220379'] I remember the arches. Weren't there two or three music shops there? And Sound Control was just around the corner. [/quote] I remember a shop called City music, which I think is still there, or was last time I walked past that way.