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Frank Blank

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Everything posted by Frank Blank

  1. Frank Blank
    Thank you. I want to learn because I don’t know if I need it or will use it and unless I find out I will always have the thought in the back of my mind that I might benefit in some way. Even if I go down the learning route far enough to realise it really isn’t for me at least then I’ll know but until then I’m left wondering what I’m missing.
  2. Frank Blank
    Thanks Sir.
  3. Frank Blank
    Thanks for the wise words.
  4. Frank Blank
    It’s just how I’ve always played, we used to cover an old Discharge track, Protest & Survive (but we played it a lot faster than the original) and that used to occasionally result in a bleeding index finger but if it’s the way you’ve always done it you don’t know any better. Anyway, thanks for the excuse...
  5. Frank Blank
    I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that your username derives from the William Burroughs / Malcolm Mc Neill collaboration? I may well be mistaken as I am far from educated but would class myself as an enthusiastic autodidact, hence the detailed specialisms alongside many gaping voids in my education. I spent a lot of time in the corridor outside class but usually reading the books I wanted to but I actually do think I have a tendency to throw my toys out of the pram before my inabilities are revealed. Learning theory after you know the practice is very enlightening - "so THAT'S why that works"... ...is exactly what I want, along it’s some kind of discipline to practice along with which I am assuming would be scales.
  6. Frank Blank
    This is hugely helpful because I think I’m honing my reasoning for wanting to learn via everyone’s contributions to my post. Although I would like to hone my technique (obviously, who wouldn’t) I think it’s more wanting to understand at least the rudiments of theory and it’s applica to what I do. One of the things on here that kicked it off was a post called, something like, Do You Practice in All 30 Keys, I don’t practice (to my knowledge) in any key and more to the point I don’t know what a key is. I suppose I feel a bit foolish and I would just like to understand more. The other day we were rehearsing and I did a run at the end of a verse and the singer/guitarist said “Oh I like that, it’s a whole tone scale” at least I think that’s what she said, I just looked at her blankly. I should have asked for an explanation but I just felt a bit dumb.
  7. Frank Blank
    I never think of it this way, classic arriviste that I am, doughing my hat like a farm labourer when the Squire comes round. I tend do what I’m told by tutors and then on the way home Babylon’s Burning will come on the iPod and I’ll go all ‘I used to be a punk’ and give up on any traditional training route and play along to Metal Box for the next two weeks. I need a prolonged dabble. Excellent username btw.
  8. Frank Blank
    I have no idea what an interval is btw. In the thrash band we jam songs into existence. Someone will come up with a riff and then we join in or I will come up with a bass line and they join in. In the acoustic duo I write the lyrics, the singer/guitarist will take the lyrics and put guitar and vocals to it, I will take that and put bass to it to finish or we jam in the same way as the thrash band, I’ll have a bass line that she’ll put guitar to or she will have a riff I put bass to. As far as how I create bass lines I have no idea, I just play sequences of notes that appeal, I like dissonance and I like odd time signatures so I am often wrong-footing players who are classically or traditionally trained, I’ll often stick to a note that I’m told is incorrect because I like the clash, I can discern (I think) between a real bum note and one that (to me) causes a pleasing clash or dissonance.
  9. Frank Blank
    The first point is roughly what I am referring to, I am not sure what I want to learn nor how to start. Apart from noodling along to songs I like as well as my own tunes I have no idea how to approach the rudiments. Until I experience those I will not know if they are for me. i play in an acoustic duo with a classically trained violinist who sings and plays guitar, I will put the same dilemma to her and she will prolly teach me but I just wanted to hear what other people would do for inspiration.
  10. Frank Blank
    Oh no, the two bands I play in (one ridiculous thrash metal, the other a folky duo) are running quite happily with my abilities as they are, I just feel, for my own benefit, that I’d like to learn more in a ‘traditional’ vein, I might well get a way along that road and think, ‘you know what! I was doing ok on my own’ but conversely I may also get into it and think why didn’t I do this years ago. I just don’t want to miss out on the benefits if they are there to be had.
  11. Frank Blank
    Yes, but... ...actually you are right.
  12. Frank Blank
    Belinda Carlisle with Zodiac Mindwarp...
  13. Frank Blank
    So here’s the thing. I have been playing for almost thirty years, I cannot read music nor have I ever knowingly played a scale, either in a song or as practice. I have no knowledge of music theory whatsoever. I need to start practicing with some kind of discipline, but I have no idea how or where to start? I have balked at being tutored because I think a tutor will try and talk me out of my (admittedly unfortunate but ingrained) method of playing with one plucking finger instead of two, I can still play rapidly using up and down strokes rather than the two digits. I get the feeling I am going to be discouraged from doing this but I think it would be extremely hard to unlearn this method and we might not get past this and on to the rudiments that I’m so eager to learn. If you where in my situation what would you do?
  14. Frank Blank
    I’m tempted to come with you!
  15. Frank Blank
    Great band, criminal dress sense, criminal...
  16. Frank Blank
    Swing from Gentlemen Wear Polaroids by Japan...
  17. Frank Blank
    I do hope you don't have to include a tribute to his Barnet...
  18. Frank Blank
    I used to have a bottle holder on the side of my cab for Champagne, I would fashion three or four straws that led from the bottle to my gob thus enabling me to imbibe whilst playing. Unfortunately on occasion hydrodynamics meant once the straw was dropped the flow continued thus emptying the bottle on the floor rather than down my gullet. An idea nicked from Paul Raven RIP who would sometimes do this with a can of special brew attached to his stack, I opted for the classier beverage.
  19. Frank Blank
    Prong / Cleansing was a big favourite of his, some excellent bass lines on that album.
  20. Frank Blank
    They are huge albums, I think Revelations is my favourite but I do love Brighter Than A Thousand Suns although hearing his bass playing makes me sad because he was a top chap.
  21. Frank Blank
    I’m just having one of those silly ‘nothing else matters’ moments. Flux had, at various times, mates of mine playing for them so they get a pass. I never really heard Butthole Surfers but I was once sitting in a van backstage at the Reading Festival waiting to load out when my fellow tech jumped out having spied Ice-T, “I’m gonna shake that dudes hand” he said excitedly. Ice-T gave him a look and said “Not now man, I gotta see Butthole Surfers”. I blame the wearing of a white biker jacket with tassels, never a good move in any circles.
  22. Frank Blank
    Sleaford Mods have made me realise that there was Crass and now there's Sleaford Mods, practically everything between has been a waste of time...
  23. Frank Blank
    It would wipe the floor with any 1x12 combo imho and can be used for such gigs with electric bass.
  24. Frank Blank
    I had to...
  25. Frank Blank
    +1 I’m tempted myself, just so I can have two! I paid twice this and I don’t have a cover.
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