ubassman

Cant say that I am expert in any shape or form on the subject of AT but what I do know has helped immensely with my understanding of how to play naturally, fluidly and adapt the position of my instrument without aching. Occasionally I get a stiff shoulder - but I am still learning and I can usually identify what I am doing that causes the issue ( usually having too high an elbow). We all come in so many different shapes and sizes, arm length, heights etc that there is no absolute 'one size fits all ' position even with a standard instrument and AT is about finding the most comfortable and efficient 'you' and then getting the instrument into the optimum place rather than the player twisting and bending awkwardly so as to fit the instrument. All good stuff and Im sure no co-incidence that if you enrol on a DB course at the RCM, each of the three years there is an AT module to complete!

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1389189349' post='2331062'] Happy Jack's real name ... Andy Fallon [/quote] NO ! ....I am Andy Fallon (should I rename this the 'Spartacus' thread? )

FWIW I dont agree with the way he describes his left hand theory either but I think that it just takes some interpretation What I think he is meaning is to not actively engage the muscles of the left arm and shoulder pulling on the bass like it is a giant lever. That I agree with because it locks everything and creates tension. Like all things AT its about playing with ease and not stressing the body and again like all things AT, everyone is different and has to find what is natural and right for them which will different to the next person. My view is that the left arm has to be fluid and it is a balance of using the natural weight of the arm anchored back through the shoulder but able to move with ease. The book is a good primer for the subject and good to get underway with some exploration of AT ideas. Its a fascinating area !

Anyone use the AT for improving their playing and comfort?

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1389108749' post='2330094'] How about one of those "Faker" logos in Fender typeface? [/quote]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1389101163' post='2329867'] Vocalising is necessary for singers, helpful for all others, but not (again, ime and o...) the be-all and end-all of music. Just sayin' (...but then again, I'm only a drummer; what would I know about music..? ) [/quote] Gotcha , I can see that its different for non melodic instruments. That said, the more complex music scores that I get through all have rehearsal marks where something changes such as the saxes coming in, or a tempo / time signature/ key change that kind of thing. I do a lot of counting sometimes for bars on end but I have to know where I am in the music so I come in at just the right time ...often just with a twiddly bit and then its back to counting again. I find its really useful to get the structure of the piece broken down into these identifiable chunks and learn the cues. So I guess the technique is listen and count as two distinct skills. But what do I know about your art of drumming - I dumpy dum b ass player

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1389100301' post='2329851'] Hmm... We're not going to get along very well, methinks. I'm a drummer. Any opinions on how I/we learn songs..? [/quote] ....OOhhh Douggie ....where do we begin on that one I find actually humming or singing a line in a song is actually really helpful in committing the track to memory - it really helps on more complicated music before I start looking at the dots.

Hybrid basses are very common especially in mass production manufacturers such as Strunal. There are plenty of basses that have ebonised fingerboards which are hardwood dyed black . Even if you have to replace the fingerboard at some stage it will not break the bank

[quote name='pnefc42' timestamp='1389099052' post='2329823'] Tascam Basstrainer!!! [/quote] +1 They are great for those difficult passages where you can loop a section, slow it down, cut the original bass completely out of the mix , and DI your bass into the unit, listen through headphones or amp, make a set playlist - great little peice of kit. I personally like the old black ones rather than the new ones. Easy to input any MP3 and you are away.

[quote name='dudi8' timestamp='1389085986' post='2329617'] i will check it, by the way the price he wants is 500 pounds, is it a fair price, if its in great condition? [/quote] Yes I would say so !

Looks like a nice enough bass. If you can, its always advisable to visit and play the instrument and one thing to check for is whether the bass bar is still intact. You can tell by looking at the top for distortion ( the top invariably sinks under the bridge foot ) . Its an expensive repair and I have walked away from many a ply/ hybrid bass as they are beyond economical repair given the cost of taking the top off, taking the distortion out of the top, carving a new bass bar, often fitting a new bridge, putting the top back on, repairing the varnish, setting the sound post, restringing ..not cheap! Good luck with it.

+1 on Rabbies advice really lots of variables in the mix that might affect what is a suitable price . You can get some wonderfully sturdy and good sounding instruments from the 1950/1960s and eastern European countries and good luck with it if you decide to go ahead. Some fetch a lot of money such as an East German Rubner hybrid. Are there any labels inside the bass?

To change the title to SOLD the OP needs to go back into the edit the very 1st post . It cant be done once the thread has been locked . IBTL folks !

Probably the answer depends on the feel of the music and what musically you need to come up with as the bassist. A lot of guitarists use DADGAD, and an array of other tunings for bluesy / country/ acoustic open tuning style and tuning the bass down to low D can sound too growly and deep for that type of music ( it dominates the sound ). As an alternative example , if its a metal / rock sound then a low D compliments the sound and is a foundation to what is going on above. Thats all fine when thinking about the feel of the music but theres also the musical side of things to graft in. If a track is written in D and the lowest you can get is an E ... a descending riff always sound naff when you have to reach up an octave to play the last note. But then if you tune your E down to a D all the notes on the E string are two frets out and you will need to adapt playing accordingly as the notes dont fall under the fingers in the same way as normal. If youve only been playing a year then this may be difficult territory at first. Musically you may need to experiment to figure out whats right to do for your ease of playing but also for the bands sound. Good luck with it!

Hi bassgirl17, this area I think is more for 'repairs and technical' issues relating to instruments rather than playing technique - try posting in the Double Bass forum - hopefully you will get a few more replies.

[quote name='kennyrodg' timestamp='1388962135' post='2328277'] A bit pricey too for a STD. I'll find one eventually [/quote] STD? ....oh, I see what you mean

Thanks for the links. Going to go and check some of those guys out. Playing well all melts into one in the end doesnt it ! Quite intrigued by the side on stance - with my classical playing Ive been playing around for ages experimenting with subtle differences standing , sitting, end pin height, lean, angle of dangle etc and then slapping has its own posture and left hand navigation seems to be very different - but all seems to work.

Welcome ! Please feel free to ask any questions here and I am sure you will get many replies .

[quote name='Donnyboy' timestamp='1387822569' post='2316147'] Handsome Young Man Alert!! Handsome Young Man Alert!! [/quote] ...nope the photos just to dark to spot him! How many shifts have ye done now Donny ? Impressive stuff ! Well done everyone and happy new year !

...theres a supply of Cr[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]è[/font][/color]me de Menthe?

[size=2][size=4]Slapping isnt something that I am good at or know much about but I was amazed by Joe Fick [/size][/size]technique - how does one get this good and how does one get started? Seems to be in a league of his own and wondering if he used to be a drummer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRhD2ku1lI#t=94

+1 on the nice looking bass Probably best to go for a 4/4 - have you tried Thomanns? http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=double+bass+bag&bn=&gk= Good luck with it.

We are done here guys. Thanks for keeping it relatively amicable.

That is the way of the world. The seller can take or leave the advice. At the end of the day they still have not sold the bass and the marketplace will ultimately pay what the marketplace feels the bass is worth. So far in this thread I have seen nothing that factually ties Gareth's communication with the sale being pulled. A huge assumption has been made here.