ambient

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1476103592' post='3151263'] BTW how do you tell whether they key is the major or the minor one that uses the same notes? [/quote] You can generally tell by the chords.

[quote name='naxos10' timestamp='1476081748' post='3150975'] Unfortunately I think a lot of people forgot that for Brexit to work we have to buy more British goods. The good thing is that for bass guitars we have some first class manufacturers/luthiers in this country, just think of the ones on this site. [/quote] Do we have a large scale producer in the U.K. ? The ones I know of are small scale and expensive. The parts that they use, pickups and preamps for example tend to be made in the USA, bartolini etc. Then there are the woods. I think that we'll see already expensive instruments getting more expensive.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1476100783' post='3151218'] Well, most UK bass builders are, AFAIA, towards the top end of the market, in which case I imaging the cost of the parts is a relatively small part of the cost (labour being the largest part). So price rises for the whole instrument should be considerably less than the change in the exchange rate, unless people cry 'Brexit' and put their total price up by the exchange rate change! Also the exchange rate changes will make British manufactured parts cheaper to source so,,[i] in the longer term,[/i] once things adjust, you might find bass parts being manufactured here in the UK, and even exporting abroad. I work in machine tools and we can already see increased interest in our products from abroad. Don't want to get into the politics of Brexit here, just saying that a low currency value can work both ways. Also, some Chinese stuff is sh*te, but a lot of it isn't. [/quote] As long as the materials that the parts are made from aren't imported.

If anyone is planning on buying something made in the US, then they maybe better do it soon. According to what I was reading a couple of days ago, the pound is expected to continue falling, they're even saying it could reach parity with the dollar. It'll certainly be parity with the euro sooner or later.

Three of the jazz bands that I gig with, comprise of guys well into their 70s. The guitarist in the one band is 86, though he doesn't gig nowadays, but he still teaches, and loves to play still. Playing music is my life, it's about all that I'm any good at. I fully intend to play until a time when I can't hold an instrument. I'm vegan, I don't smoke, and have never drunk alcohol. I try and practice yoga every day, and meditate. When I had my blood pressure tested back in March it was that of a fit and healthy 17 year old. I know that none of this really means anything, and that illness can strike anyone, I fully intend to stay as fit and healthy as is possible.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1476049538' post='3150895'] For those that don't know, I'm 63 and plan on staying in the game for another 10 years. What else would I do? Blue [/quote] Only another 10 years ? I bet, (hope) you're still doing in another 20 years.

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1476049101' post='3150888'] I guess it's because Bass is typically an accompanists instrument - ie it exists to back up another musician/s. Of course there are honorable exceptions, but for most of us who gig, we're there to make the Guitarist look good... [/quote] You should have been at my gig last night. A bass duo sounding nothing like a bass duo, and 2 solo bassists. I know what you're saying though.

Nobody has to do anything. A couple of the guys that I teach will never gig, they just love playing,it's their hobby. If you can afford to buy nice instruments, then why not ?

Richard Barbieri in Birmingham next month.

Where are you applying to ? When I auditioned I had to play something of my choosing, and everything else was their choice, with them supplying the backing track. I guess this was so everyone was on a level playing field. We were given the chart and had ten minutes to prepare it, then had the audition. There were sections of sight-reading and sections with just chords for me to play my own lines.

[quote name='zbd1960' timestamp='1475958138' post='3150139'] I also play cello and tenor sax. The music world isn't very large and I've had a few calls over the last couple of years to dep in various concerts for several orchestras (I should be doing one tonight in Kidderminster, but I decided I needed a rest). Now, I don't want to imply I'm a genius, I'm not - I'm around grade 6 or 7 on cello, but my sight-reading is pretty good (because I'm an experienced choral singer and used to reading lots of stuff). I've done a lot of theory (because I like doing it). The end result is I can go to one of these gigs and do a decent job - I'm not being held back by my reading and the theory means I'm not thrown by weird things happening (e.g. odd time signatures or performance direction e.g. bowing spiccato or col legno as happened with a piece of Piazolla recently ([url="https://youtu.be/dMXoyJ8P1oE"]Tangazo[/url])). But, that's me. [/quote] Exactly, it all opens doors for you. I came to bass playing via playing violin at school, then classical guitar. I had weekly lessons for both instruments, learning to read etc. When it came to playing bass, I expected to be given charts to read from, it never occurred to me that you could play any other way.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1475955852' post='3150117'] That's great, and I'm sure no one begrudges you that. All that the theorists are saying is that for those of us who are [i]not[/i] content to rest on our laurels, learning theory is the way to progress. Personally, while I enjoy playing and gigging, I always want to be just that little better than I presently am. I'd hate to be so happy with it, that I had no goals to strive for. I'd be bored out of my tree in no time. YMMV. [/quote] That's pretty much something that I said in another thread the other day. This was the reply: [i][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Yea, its the new obsession . You have to be better,bigger, stronger, faster, fitter, blah. blah.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]No you dont. You only have to be happy and healthy. If you are happy with how and who you are, no matter how average, then you have cracked the meaning of life.. If you are not happy cos you are constantly striving to be perceived as "better" at something, so much so you cant accept or enjoy what you already have, then I am truly sorry for you.[/font][/color][/i]

Spirit of eden is one of my very favourite albums.

I've never liked steel strings, I prefer nickel. Steels do vary too, I found Dunlops very rough feeling, whereas D'Addario were much smoother and more nicer.

In my opinion at least, a reasonable knowledge of harmony, rhythm, interpretation of each with regard to styles/genre, is something every musician should know. However, it's up to each person to make their own mind up how much they want to learn, and feel that they need to learn. In fact it quite baffles me as to why people belittle knowledge, and those who have it, or strive to have it.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1475935942' post='3149917'] ooh ooh dont forget theory is also rythm . Ok everything in any song ever written has to do with theory.ill shut up now. [/quote] I see where you're coming from. I'd have included rhythm in with styles though, at least that's where it came at uni. We covered rhythm when we'd look at latin, jazz etc. Different genres where rhythms each have their own individual feel. Reggae for instance has it's own 'feel'. I can't play reggae to save my life. Jazz, latin etc are no problem, but I've never gotten reggae.

I think people are confusing things. To me at least, theory is the harmony side of things, scales, arpeggios etc. How you use them, what you play and when is more a styles kind of thing. You use each of them to to be able to play to a good and versatile standard. Reading is just that, reading. At least that's how things were broken down and taught on my degree course. My knowledge of harmony/theory teaches me what notes can be played over a given chord sequence or in a part. My experience and teaching of styles tells me how those notes should be played given the genre or song that I'm playing. My sight-reading skills get me paid gigs and opportunities like playing for a summer on a cruise ship around the med 6 years ago. And playing at shows at Birmingham Rep theatre. Getting called for last minute paid gigs because the guys know I can turn up, and just play, and not have to faff around learning each song. [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Being a good sight-reader goes with the other things. I can sight-read something, and use the information given to me in the chart, it's not just dots don't forget, to play in a way that will sound right for that song or piece of music.[/font][/color] Whether anyone needs to have, or to bother and learn anything, is entirely down to that particular individual. However neither being able to sight-read pretty much anything put in front of me, or having a really good harmonic knowledge has ever held me back creatively, in fact it has helped me enormously.

[quote name='mikeswals' timestamp='1472075173' post='3118379'] I dig shedua, especially with fairly heavy ribboning: And if you like pink, then can't see why you wouldn't like violet either! [/quote] I love the top 2, I don't like coloured one though, why hide that beautiful wood ? I've never played a Way, always been intrigued by them though. I've only ever seen one in real life too, and that was an amazing 6 string one owned by the guy that had my Roscoe 6 string fretless. They seem to encapsulate what a real instrument should be, same as Ken Smiths and Fodera etc. I

[quote name='danonearth' timestamp='1475873971' post='3149497'] Thanks again, everyone... [color=#141414]I was just wondering if people prefer to re-position their hand so it is placed on the new root of the chord (as if you were starting a new scale), or keep their hand in the original scale position and always play from there? So, in a sense do you play within a scale, or move as in chords on a guitar?[/color] [/quote] It would depend on what was coming up afterwards whether I'd shift position. If I'm given a chord chart/lead sheet to play that's new to me, I can usually get through anyway, but I like to quickly scan through it first of all, given the time. Most notes can be reached from pretty much one position.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1475869874' post='3149460'] Knowing what note or chord you are playing is hardly theory. I know the notes on the fretboard and guitar chords but I dont read music. [/quote] Reading music isn't theory, it's reading music. There's only one of my current students that is learning to read, but they're all learning some theory/harmony. Knowing what notes you're playing, and knowing how they work against a given chord or scale is theory, or harmony. If you can construct an arpeggio then that again is demonstrating a knowledge harmony.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1475851752' post='3149254'] Well, surely they did learn what fits, and in real time. They learned the notes on the neck at the same time, and while learning a song. Also, lots of new stuff can come from a happy accident. As for playing a minor blues scale run instead of a major? perhaps thats exactly what the player intended, it fits but its not what the music theorist would have played. [/quote] Well no, they didn't learn, that's my point. Whenever their band started a new song, it'd be trial and error writing a bass line. Minor over a major isn't anything to do with a theorist.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1475844921' post='3149175'] Its Rock and Roll, there are no rules. [/quote] It's music, no matter what you call it, or how you dress it up, and there are rules. You can learn or study them, or discover them accidentally, but they're there. I remember seeing a similar thread a while ago. Someone posted that they didn't know what they were playing, and used to just play all the notes randomly until they found something that would fit over a chord, then they'd do the same over the next chord. So trial and error. Wouldn't it be easier and quicker to know what you could play over a chord, and how what you choose to play would sound like ?

Silly question maybe, but have you tried phoning them ?

One thing I would add to my previous post, is don't get caught in the trap of relying on shapes and patterns, play notes not bass lines. Also, neither knowing what you're playing, or being able to read music will ever impede your creativity in any way, shape or form.