ambient

[quote name='dontregartha' timestamp='1473284721' post='3128789'] With you all the way there. As the bass player in a seven piece Funk Band - apart from our keys player who must be some kind of octopus...! the bass player has a sh*t load of stuff to learn for a set. But you have to learn it so you can then start to FEEL it and lock with the drummer. You can't do that if you're reading the dots or tabs. Yeah a good horn player makes it come alive and I know they need the dots to work well together, but learning it is the only way. [/quote] Surely the idea is to get people up dancing, not watching the bass player to see if he or she is sight reading charts sitting on a music stand ? If I sight read a chart, it has exactly the same feel, and is played as well as if I'd learned it. All this is nonsense. The average attendee of a function couldn't care less if there are stands on the stage, as long as the music is good, and played correctly.

[quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1473328206' post='3129083'] I have quite a selection of such things, built up over the years. One of the best for me, even with a low B, is the Planet Waves NS Micro Tuner. Tiny, so I've almost lost it a couple of times, but it's size means it can stay on the bass when putting it back in the case. [/quote] Yes, I have one of these too. Nice, and like you say, it's very unobtrusive and can stay on the bass whilst in its gig bag. You can also set the reference tuning too, so it doesn't have to be A=440hz.

I use the Intellitouch PT10. I think Michael Manring uses them too, I figure if they're good enough for him. They tune my 6 string basses perfectly, even the low B.

The lead sheet as played by one of the jazz bands I play for. Don't know if it's of any use ? [attachment=227336:Cry me a river.png]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1473205561' post='3128042'] There's a certain licks you should know. It's not art. [/quote] I usually agree with a lot that you post, I generally think that even though you have an American slant on things, there's a lot of wisdom gleamed from years of experience. However on this occasion, I disagree. I don't see that there are certain licks that you should know. What is music if it's not art ? [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1473191975' post='3127925'] A lot of these "essential" bass lines are from songs I can't stand anyway (Rhythm Stick, Town Called Malice, pretty much all Soul & Motown stuff). I always found it far more enjoyable to just play stuff I enjoyed rather than what was thought of as essential. [/quote] I totally agree. I've just never really had the time, inclination or seen the point in spending time learning 'classic' lines. I have done a lot of transcribing of lines, and solos, but I don't remember any of them. I have them written out, so could play them if necessary, but don't see the point in committing them to memory. [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1473176467' post='3127699'] I simply don't remember bass lines I no longer play. I could play you my bands songs [/quote] The only one I know from the list is the into to Miles Davis's So what. I had to learn loads of lines for uni, but I don't remember any of them.

I have others, but I'd have to scan them. [attachment=227257:signed-sealed-delivered-p1.jpg][attachment=227258:signed-sealed-delivered-p2.jpg][attachment=227259:Get lucky.png][attachment=227260:I feel good.png][attachment=227261:Forget you.png]

I have charts for some of those. Standard notation though, is that OK ?

Try Thwaites in Watford ?

I think we sometimes maybe play too loud, causing problems for ourselves. We also sometimes mess about with the tone controls on our amps too much.

Have you considered just having, if it's possible, a maple veneer ?

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[quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1473156482' post='3127397'] I hear this quite often and I'll admit now, after 30 years of bass playing I have no idea what a 'chart' is! I dep a bit and get given a set list and the keys that they are in - is this a 'chart'? I have a short attention span too, so I tend to string all the songs together in a playlist and run through the playlist a few times giving each song more or less equal attention, noting down the starting chords to form my own cheat sheet. I find that with many many songs, as the Jack Bruce example, the chord sequences can be anticipated. Or maybe I'm just being asked to learn really boring song...! Steve [/quote] I'd at least expect the chords, as a starting point. Ive depped for bands where they've done different interpretations shall we say , of songs. So the chords I've worked out from the recording have been wrong. Also a lot of people will tell you what key a song is in, only they're wrong. Having the chords makes the job a lot faster and easier, and more accurate. Ideally I'd want the dots. That's the only dep gig I would do, it's acceptable on those to sight-read it anyway, so there's nothing really to learn.

I'll just reiterate what others have said. They're great for playing chords, melodic lines, soloing etc. In my solo stuff I use the high C all the time, usually up past the 12th fret. I don't use the high C so much in my jazz gigs, though it is really nice to end a song on a nicely voiced chord. I get a lot of nice comments about doing stuff like that. A lot of jazz guys, like Matt Garrison, Janek Gwizdala, Hadrien, I think Richard Bona, have their 5 string basses strung with a high C. Check out some players, people like John Patitucci, Steve Lawson, Neil Fountain, Jared Lees or Anthony Jackson, John Myung in. There's a whole load of bassists using a 6 string.

Do they give you charts to learn off, or have you got to work them out ? I wouldn't bother if they didn't.

It's free, just take advantage of it. The good thing about it is people can just go on and listen to stuff. They don't have to download anything, or subscribe or register.

It's a great way. Look at the people who use it. Olafur Arnalds, Harold Budd, Steve Lawson, Eric Whitacre, they all have Soundcloud pages. It can look as professional or otherwise. Add a good biography, and photos. Link from it to Facebook and other sites. I think it's brilliant.

A friend of mine plays trombone. It's a fantastically expressive instrument.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1473062939' post='3126409'] I'd rather watch paint dry than spend even one fraction of a second worrying about the visual appearance of my machine heads! [/quote] I've heard people criticise the clip on tuners for making their bass ugly, spoiling the aesthetic of their headstocks. Maybe try the Ibanez knurled knobs that they use on their Gary Willis models ?

[quote name='ixlramp' timestamp='1473071753' post='3126507'] Yves Carbonne and 12 string fretless [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPwMoiKaNOY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=hPwMoiKaNOY[/url] [/quote] Yves is an amazing player .

Just play scales up and down, using both fingers. That's the easiest way.

Birmingham city council used to have a New Years eve thing. I played there about 15 years ago. There was an estimated 10, 000 people there.