Geek99

[quote name='Muppet' post='278091' date='Sep 5 2008, 06:08 PM']I have short arms and stubby fingers! I found the thumb in the back of the neck was actually easier in the long run but you do have to be a little more precise with finger placement. I play precisions and have had a Stingray in the past and prefer wide necks in general. I have found three things of help. The first is to get the guitar at the right position for you, not too high up under your chin and not too low so that it's swinging round your knees. The best position will feel comfortable for both hands. The second is to ensure the guitar is set up properly. This ensures your fretting hand is not working harder than it needs to in fretting the strings. The third is as has been said, perhaps try a 1,2,4 finger combination for starters.[/quote] thanks, by 124, does everyone mean "dont use the third finger?"

[quote name='budget bassist' post='277948' date='Sep 5 2008, 03:52 PM']I found that sitting position like in the above post easier to play when i was just starting out, but i moved it over to my right leg once i got used to it. It's just about practice really, keep practicing long enough and your reach will get better etc. There isn't really a correct way to play, it's just how you're comfortable. and FWIW i play with my thumb on the back of the neck and over the top depending what i'm playing.[/quote] thanks for that, I've gone back to basics to fix my timing and some technique issues so I'm determined to correct my hand positioning too. I'm currently torturing myself with exercises to make my third and fourth fingers work properly under control instead of doing permanent hammer-ons. I will bear in mind the idea of moving the block over to my right leg though, thats an interesting idea.

[quote name='OldGit' post='277839' date='Sep 5 2008, 02:13 PM']Try practicing sitting down and putting your bass on your left thigh with your foot raised like a classical guitarist, at least to start with. That makes the "correct" hand position easier. Then you can move on once you've got the hang of it. You may not want to use this technique on stage [/quote] Being a handy sort, I've made a foot raising platform from four blocks of wood that I happened to have lying around. I'll report back. Thanks for the tip.

I'm struggling with the "thumb in the back of the neck" thing as trying also to do one finger per fret is killing my forearms (the part of them which is facing the floor) when I practise. Does everyone go through this or should I go for the easier "thumb over" copout? btw I have a a Vintage Stingray copy, in case neck dimensions are significant here. I dont really want to go short scale if it can be avoided. I also have fairly stubby fingers (although I'm working on stretching their spread), I notivced in another thread that someone else with the same short fingers foudn a jazz bass easier.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='109166' date='Dec 25 2007, 12:25 AM']Not quite the whole song but the bass line in 'Alright Now' is so brilliant when it's in the higher register, it kind of makes the song for me..[/quote] It was seeing some video of this, and hearing it that made me want a bass

no joe_bass, because if anyone plays his work (presumably fairly obviously derived from the two originals) then the owners are entitled to payment for use or performance of their intellectual property. If he only played his work at home (ie not in public, no audience) then he doesnt need permission because you get rights to do that when you buy the recording. Definitely get advice from the PRS or MCPS before proceeding.

a no-name white/maple P Bass copy for me. I painted it black, then the pickguard was painted black (I didnt know you could buy them) then it went white, then I added a J pickup but with both pickups going though the one volume because I didnt know any better. I honestly dont know what happened to it. Then I bought a red shop-damaged Aria Magna 5 string which got an EMG treble/bass preamp which I sold on Ebay for £100. I now have a Vintage Stringray copy and hanker after a 70style jazz.

"stuff good bass players should know" (Glenn Letsch, publ. Hal Leonard, around £13 with cd) I bought this at Meadowhell and its really good. Informative with small chunks of well-chosen info organised alphabetically. Has a good section on scales, modes and arpeggios (attention Sarah ). The CD examples are quite clear. One downside, and its minor one - its a bit american in style, he mentions "studio cats", I presume he doesnt mean some tabby hiding under the mixing desk.

not really, the law here is pretty strict. If you had bought the book, even secondhand, I'd be comfortable with the technical infringement - I see that as "fair use", I dont think photocopies are in the right ball-park, sorry but someone else may be able to help you.

as long as someone /bought/ the book (so the author was paid), I dont have a big problem with it. Faithless, have you bought the book, or been given it by someone who did? If you're working off photocopies, I cant assist you in this. The CDs arent much help without the book.

you want Mp3 format? I'll try and email it to you if you PM me an address but beware that your inbox may only accept a certain size of file

[shudder]

[quote name='The Funk' post='267138' date='Aug 21 2008, 03:35 PM']If you're waiting to hear the beep or click before you start trying to play the note on your bass, then you'll never be in time. If you hear four beeps or clicks and then know when the beats are going to beep or click, then you'll be able to play in time.[/quote] I think I can do the clicks, thanks, its the drum sounds that are muddying the water, but I am interested in Jase's idea of an ad - I hadnt considered that.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='267126' date='Aug 21 2008, 03:22 PM']Try watching your drummer play. Keep an eye on the exact moment that his/her sticks strike the drums' skins. Try to co-ordinate with that as well as the sound. It can help you to "read" what drummer's doing and predict what they may do next. Works for me. Don't become too reliant on it live, as you'll end up looking at the drummer all the time and not facing the audience!! With the Zoom, does the display change in any way as it goes along? Flashing or some other visual means of marking time? If so, try co-ordinating with that...[/quote] I dont have a drummer, that was my point (I would just ask him if I did). The Zoom does flash an LED on each beat, but I'm never quite sure which is beat 1, which prompted my question. I figure I cant be the only person to wonder this.

i have that book, it would take some time to turn the tracks into mp3 as I'm pretty busy. Can you wait a bit (like after the weekend) ?

hi, can I have your thoughts on this? I did start this topic on the "effects" page but I dont think I expressed the question very well and wanted more people's input/ I usually use a metronome (on my Zoom B2.1u) and I can get on with it farly well, I'm rarely more than half a beat off. I've tried the drum machine on my Zoom (I dont play in a band yet) as I'm aware that things called "Drummers" exist and that most bands have them, but its not proving easy to keep my place in the pattern. Does anyone have any tips for what to listen for and actually keeping tight? Taking the "rock" pattern on the zoom as an example nothing seems to mark out beat one particularly. thanks

I [b]really[/b] do like the look of that jazz in the first post. I clicked yes, but I actually prefer a light sunburst on nice wood, to a natural finsih, but prefer both to an opaque painted finish.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='262757' date='Aug 14 2008, 09:57 PM']He he...well she is a bass player and the thread is erm...great bass player photos.. [/quote] She appears not to be plugged in though, and I dont think wireless was invented back then?

thanks, I tried the metronome too (cant post here until lunchtime) and it does seem to be so. I tend to have the Zoom on reasonably quiet, maybe thats why I'm not hearing the (lower) drum sounds very well - I can hear the hi hat easily. I was looking out for drum sounds (like bass drum on beat s 1 & 3 and snare on 2 & 4) as described in Bass for Dummies and failing.

hi, I'm struggling a little with the drum machine. This is partly because I dont play in a band, and also because the manual isnt that great on this topic (Its quite good on the others). I know you can set the speed using the tap button/light, but when its just playing a pattern say "Rock" at 100bpm, am I right in thinking that the tap light shows each beat? Or is it each beat one? I've been trying to place the drum sounds against the beat/this light and failing - it doesnt seem to mark out beat one in any obvious way. Any ideas what I'm missing? thanks

yes, you are correct about "roots" - the "fifth" is the note that is two strings across and two frets down, or alternatively seven frets down the same string from your starting point. There is more to it in melodic terms than that though thats the simple version.

they're very easy to find on ebay -bone, plastic, brass etc.

well, unfortunately I dont have long arms either which might offset the short fingers problem. There are comparatively few music stores round our way and thtey tend to stick to the budget end of the market, hence my question about rickenbackers - I've never seen one in the flesh to try. Interesting to hear that BigRedX had no trouble with a 36 though

I'm really hankering for a jazz bass (probably a Squier VMJ) - I dont have the longest fingers in the world though. I've read that Rickenbackers have a shorter scale, does anyone know if that extra inch makes them that much easier to play? I want to know if the extra money is worth it for the comfort! thanks

tapping your foot does come in time (pardon the pun) - my foot always seemed welded to my fingers, slowing down or speeding up as the notes varied in length and offering no guide whatsoever to the beat, However in the last few days, with hard practice , its got better. I just sat there playing resolutely and slowly in time to the metronome with my fingers and tapping my feet. Recommend Bass Guitar for Dummies, also recommend "Stuff Good BAss PLayers should know" by Glen Letsch and also "100 tips for bass guitar" by Stuart Clayton (which utterly changed my thinking about all this)