mic mac moe

That's it.... The life cafe. I recall seeing Nigel Clutter buck slapping away on rotosound stand (maybe). I had a yamaha trb 6 at the time and I picked up a set of strings from the Overwater stand. Brilliant

Some wise sage once told me that the biggest obstacle when practicing bass or guitar, is opening the case

That's a really good point, all the lyrics to learn. A pet hate of mine is singers with folders on stage

I once did a gig, as a drummer and was singing backing, and two women started a girl on girl kissing show on the dance floor..... Try concentrating while that's going on, and keeping your hi hat firmly shut whilst singing bahahaha!! 😆

Surely that's interpretation? That's why 50 people will play a score 50 different ways. Like you said earlier, music is a collection or set of skills rather than one thing. Victor Wootton once did a thing at a seminar, where he had the class divide all of music into just 10 parts-style, sound, interpretation, note choice etc. The upshot was that if you are hung up on just one of these ten things, you have 9 tenths still to do. My point about reading is that it gives a clearer, deeper understanding of music. It's like learning to drive and only doi g automatic because it's easier. I get that it's not for everyone but I find it a big help. As for your Bonham analogy, you are dead right. Feed it into a computer as a midi file and it'll be rubbish. But the way Bonham played is what made him Bonham, irrespective of written parts. Bonham was Bonham and that's why there's no Led Zeppelin anymore. Even his son can't faithfully play his parts

I've found it useful even for lessons in magazines. I wouldn't be able to do Steve gadds 50 ways to leave your lover groove if I couldn't read

My remark about time etc has been in my experience. Drummers that I know very well that don't read, actually struggle to count. Fills that run over etc. I have found that understanding the written note, and subdivisions, gives a deeper understanding. Even to 32nd note hip hop swing. When it's written, it can be explained easier, and therefore understood. Trying to explain a concept like that to someone not literate is like plaiting fog!! 😆

Brilliant, mate. It certainly does tie it all together. Plus I find written music is a beautiful thing, especially hand written Mike

In my early years of being interested in music, and with my naiive ear, the sound of a p bass really stood out like a Welsh baritone voice. It's the first instrument that I could identify by ear thanks to Sting with The Police, and more so Thin Lizzy with the live and dangerous album. I love the sound because it's so unassuming. It doesn't seek attention, and yet it's presence is so powerful. And the playing experience, the simplicity, the neck that you need to engage with and the pickup puts your fingers in the perfect playing position. I've had countless other basses over the years.... You name it, I've probably had one and yet I keep coming back to the trusty precision.

+1 for the beatbuddy. It's really flexible and simple to use

I personally think that reading is paramount, maybe not for getting gigs in dad rock bands, but it certainly gives a deeper understanding of time, subdivision and maybe groove. I'm currently trying to brush up my reading and writing. Even bought a nice caligraphy pen!! My last few bands have been heavy on the covers, and me being as lazy as poss, tend to trust tab sites etc. How many times I've been wrong!! 😆

Nice one Robbie. Yeah, an extra dimension. I think of bass sometimes as solving a puzzle, especially when jamming Mike

I agree with that, wholly. I always recommended at least a year on drums for all my students. Playing bass and drums has tightened my groove also, along with 80's electronic music(when I was a kid!)

Good stuff. Is that the band with Mike on drums? I'm in an 80's band called Quarterlight (I'm not on bass though)

Crikey! Are you in a local band?

#12 thou shalt only treasure thy bass, whence forth thou hast vouchsafed thine drum groove. The rimshot is mine, sayeth the Lord

You are near me then? I'm in Fleetwood

Mandolin is a lovely sounding instrument. Sadly, I have two pound of sausages for fingers hahaha!! I'd been playing drums for years, and was yearning for more. Had my eye on bass for a long time, and when I did commit to buy my first, it was fretless. An 80's aria from cash converters.

Strength-I'm dead reliable, really keen sense of groove, excellent meter, I can slap, I can read, I sing, I teach, I know my place in the mix, I will play any gig without complaint Weakness-i struggle to jam unless I have a chart, arthritic pain in my right hand (caused by playing electronic drums) hampers my speed.

Safety first, mate. I'd never heard of people doing the returns claim scam before. All this stuff is rife with the spread of the internet

True that, mate!!! 😆 😆

Good shout mate. I love early Kings X. The tone is legendary