Oscar South

[quote name='Eight' post='498692' date='May 27 2009, 12:59 PM']On a loosely related note: anyone got any genius suggestions of how I can do some transcriptions at work? i.e no bass/instruments and without installing any software. Unfortunately I'm not so talented I can do it like a classical composer and just write the stuff straight on to notation paper after one listen on the iPod. All my projects have stalled and I'm stupidly bored right now.[/quote] Just write out the structures, make notes of any significant variations and meter changes, write out the harmonic rhythms, make vocal cues etc. I always find that if you just sit down and start working out notes it can be time consuming and tedious, if you take the song apart structurally first then you're usually done in a quarter the time when you actually start working out specific notes/chords.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='491033' date='May 18 2009, 12:13 AM']I played one of these in a local music shop a few years ago - couldn't put it down & [i]almost[/i] ended up taking it home... I've subsequently watched a few on Ebay & they don't go for huge sums - I suppose because Cort ain't a hugely fashionable brand. Jon.[/quote] Which is strange considering they're one of the best brands going inside their price range. If I hadn't picked up my Status I'd have gotten an A4 without a doubt, and my C4 Ltd. is a top class backup/pub gig bass. That demo video sounds brutally compressed though, ouch.

Getting good at transcription is all about attention to detail, don't half arse it regardless of how tedious it is. You pick it up a LOT faster than you'd expect, over the last few weeks I've been transcribing 15 or so fusion tunes for a band which are a lot harder than anything I've done before and at the start I thought that some of it was waaaayyy beyond my ability, this weekend I finished the last one. It always seems a lot harder when you listen to it prospectively than when you actually sit down with it; don't get discouraged. Also, a decent knowledge of theory helps, because it gives you a good idea of what *probably* comes next, its not essential though and you'll pick up a lot of 'theory without the terminology' from transcription itself.

The bassline is as simple as it gets, just roots, fifths and a few chromatic approach notes. its just a 16 bar blues, get the chords from somewhere (can prob get em from one of the links in this thread) and figure it out.

I love the tone higher up the neck on the fender, and the low end on the warwick. The Yamaha sounds a bit generic to me though.

As far as the 'kills your dynamics' argument goes, I don't agree with it. As someone said earlier theres a lot more to it than just volume.. timbre, tone, attack, decay, release etc. are all much more important. Without compression manipulating a lot of these things either causes you to drop out of the mix or become ear piercingly loud and abrasive. If used right compression gives you a lot more new option dynamically than it takes away. As far as what I use: If I'm using my rig I use the built in compresser on the head (Hartke HA3500), if I'm just plugging in I use an Aphex Punch Factory.

[quote name='Schnozzalee' post='486280' date='May 12 2009, 07:36 PM']D'addario all the way... [/quote] Heh, D'addarios have the highest tension/worst flexibility compared to gauge of any brand of string I've tried. La Bella Hard Rockin' Steels are my personal favourate. Great feel, great life, great tone.

edited the original post with a link that should work (and then fixed it)

Recorded just after I figured it out so its not perfect, close enough though. Theres also one dire 'fill' I play where I hit the notes a tone lower than I indended to, heh. [url="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=57167805"]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...ideoID=57167805[/url]

This is the most ridiculous argument in music. Do you see professional tennis players using classic style wooden rackets? Do you see office workers using typewriters? Do you see the military sending out spitfires to fight aeriel battles? Do you see mathematicians working out complex equations on an abacus? You use the best tools available for your trade, and what constitutes the best is an entirely subjective judgement.

[quote name='mcgraham' post='482855' date='May 8 2009, 12:20 PM']This is such a great advance in MIDI technology. I've been planning on (eventually) shelling out for the Axon midi system, which would set me back at least 500 quid in hardware alone, let alone installing things. But now people are making ones that simply plug into normal pickups. Genius! Whilst it may not track as well as more expensive ones (I don't know, does it?) it's a step in the right direction technology wise, and brings the price right down so that it's affordable to the masses. Mark[/quote] The MIDI pickup systems are still by far superior if you can afford them because as far as I'm aware they'll pretty much track the whole bass neck (no idea of latency though) and they are polyphonic. Affordable and reliable midi conversion is a great leap for technology though.

[quote name='owen' post='482610' date='May 8 2009, 12:04 AM']So, I paid my money and it came. The good news is that up above the 7th fret - for me - it works. The latency is certainly there, but I could happily play it without that being an issue as I adapted to it. I put a capo on 7th fret and noodled away for an hour this evening. A lot depends on the synth patch being used. I dusted off my old Alesis Nanobass module which I had been keeping for just the right occasion and with the right patch I was good to go. Not sure what else to say really - it is fun and useable. It will track down to just above an open D (depending on the patch) but is not really interested in anything beneath that as far as useable triggering goes. I know have sound module GAS. There is no sustain pedal input on the Alesis. Any questions?[/quote] Sounds good enough to me, I'm putting mine on order I have an old Nano-synth module lying around so I have a few Nano-related questions: 1. Do you know if you can program a patch on these synths to transpose the octave down (or up)? 2. Do you use a Librarian/Editor program? Which do you use?

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='481533' date='May 6 2009, 11:54 PM']or just buy a synth...[/quote] The whole point of this is so you can play it on your guitar/bass, its just a fun gadget and not intended to be a serious piece of gear. Who cares if you can do the same job but a ton better on a synth, its not as fun and its not as cool.

[quote name='mathewsanchez' post='480300' date='May 5 2009, 07:43 PM']This may sound a bit mental but could you use an octave up pedal running into that and then an octave down pedal after it. Does that make any sense?[/quote] It'd probably be pretty terrible, you'd have the tracking issues from the original pitch shift then the tracking errors from the midi conversion added onto and augmented by the tracking errors of the octave up. I think the most viable solution is to just play everything an octave up and get a synth module or some other gadget that can transpose your midi signal for you. You could even go so far as to use a piccolo bass and transpose the midi down, if you really wanted a synth electric-bass in the same regester.

Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrel is great post-pub music, I also enjoy listening to Red Sparowes, Rush or King Crimson.

[quote name='sshorepunk' post='477524' date='May 2 2009, 08:51 AM']I have a transcription of this somewhere, it was published in a mag' many years ago The main melody is easy to play and sounds good, if you can do the SC thing on the complex bits, even better! Marcus Miller did it as well I think Tony[/quote] Would you be able to scan that in or take a picture of it? If so that'd be amazing. [quote name='Faithless' post='477627' date='May 2 2009, 11:58 AM']Here's Marcus, doin' his thing on that song.. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc3Brcn6MAY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc3Brcn6MAY[/url][/quote] Yea I had a listen to a recording of that version, sounds amazing. I'm playing another tune that Marcus played on, its a simpler one called 'Snakes' [quote name='Balcro' post='477655' date='May 2 2009, 12:49 PM']Hi there, I've dug out one of my S.C albums and listened to "Pork Pie Hat, but the version I have sounds fuller and "synthier" than your download. Yes, the synth stuff gets in the way, but I would go back to basics on this and only play the minimum. The sleeve notes on my CD say that SC'c version of P.P.H was written as a tribute to Jaco and Gil Evans, so let the silences, pauses & sustains happen if they're there. Sometimes the bass - if you can call it that - takes the lead and other times it fades back into the mix. Good luck. Balcro.[/quote] Yeah, I'm going to get together with the guitarists and we'll figure out whos playing what etc. and mess around with some stuff, should make it easier. I might try playing fretless on this one to bring the higher notes out a bit more, though I do like the bright tone Stanley gets on his fretted a lot.

I'm not sure where we'll be gigging yet other than venues centered around Chester. Probably the generic Chester ones like Alexanders, Frog and Nightingale, Telfords Warehouse etc. but we're going to look at areas around where we're based as well, Chesters not got the best selections of venues if you're not a pub covers band. This band is more about improving musically than gigging really but we're definately going to gig it as much as we can so if you know any good venues for this kind of stuff then let me know and I'll get in touch with them.

I'm learning 15 or so songs or so for some gigs with a fusion band at the moment (we'll be gigging around Cheshire in about 3 weeks-a months time, come see us if you can, it'll be well worth it), theres one thats giving me trouble though, Stanley Clarkes version of 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat'. I've played and looked at the original Mingus version in pretty good detail, I've transcribed and memorised every note Mingus played and learned the melodies, solo'd over all the different sections etc. I've got no clue where to start with this one though, I'm going to transcribe everything I can pick out asap and see if that makes the pieces fit into place a bit better, its just the layered up synthy stuff thats throwing me off, I can't even tell if the chords are the same/similar to the original or if he's just vaguely playing the melody then going off on one, and the bass tends to get covered up a bit too. Either way, if anyones played this song and/or can offer some advice on approaching it it'd be much appreciated. Here are the versions I'm working from: [url="http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/Stanley%20Clarke%20-%20Goodbye%20pork%20pie%20hat.mp3"]http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/Stanley%...20pie%20hat.mp3[/url] [url="http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/02%20Goodbye%20Pork%20Pie%20Hat.mp3"]http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/02%20Goo...20Pie%20Hat.mp3[/url] Also, heres the original Mingus version if you want to hear how that one sounds: [url="http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/1-02%20Goodbye%20Pork%20Pie%20Hat.mp3"]http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/1-02%20G...20Pie%20Hat.mp3[/url] Thanks, Oscar.

Not a well known song but I love this blues track by the Fusion band 'Tribal Tech' [url="http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/09%20Boat%20Gig.mp3"]http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/134504/09%20Boat%20Gig.mp3[/url] Some nice bass playing by Garry Willis on there.

I got them from the local library, just dealing with the pianists woes of trying to turn pages as I play.

I got an email this morning saying "Can you play bass for our performance of Rent, rehearsal is 7:30 tonight gig is tomorrow". Does anyone know where I can get hold of the piano scores or bass charts for this? Thanks, Oscar,

I think so yeah, I was using Ableton which I only just installed and noticed after that I'd not configured the audio settings so it was running with significantly more latency than I usually get. I also recorded to a click and added the drums retrospectively so it might be something to do with that too.

Yeah I was using a pick for the bass part, I tend to play with a pick when I use overdrive and use my fingers when I go clean. I guess the attack of the pick just brings out the drive better and clean you want a smoother articulation. For the harmonics I use the same technique as Steve Bailey (index and middle fingers to node, ring and pinky to pick, thumb free to play bass notes)

I bought this bass off a member of this forum last week and today recorded this just to see what kind of quality I can get on a recording, I reckon it sounds pretty good personally. Anyway this is just 2 tracks of bass, one a bassline and one some topnotes in artificial harmonics, it was just a quick 'play through' job so there are some mistakes in each track and the drums are pretty thrown in as well, but it sounds cool I reckon. It'd also work as a backing track so solo over.