Burns-bass

This is the only safe way to do it.

I’ll provide an answer but there are much more experienced players here that can help you. Firstly, I practice for short periods but often. Say 15 - 20 minutes several times a day. I use a mirror so I can see my fingering hand and look at what’s happening. It seems you’re using your thumb to apply pressure to your fingers. Discovering Double Bass was great at helping me understand how little pressure you need. I watch a lot of classical music live (part it my job sometimes) and the thumb is used as a reference point on the neck, but not to apply pressure. Every few minutes you’ll need to remember to relax your hand and use your arm weight to apply pressure. im struggling with all of this and have booked a lesson or two to help me. The best results will come from spending time with an experienced player. Build things up slowly and don’t agree to play 3 x 45s on Sunday this weekend.

The band is exceptional and the vocals terrible.

Anyone who thinks they've bought a bargain on Gumtree or eBay may experience what I have in the last week: being accused of selling stolen goods by the police. Thankfully, I've kept all information, pictures and correspondence but the lesson is: if it appears too good to be true, it is.

No I'm out of the vintage game now. This one I sold to a bass player who used to work in PMT in Bristol. When I did it had a tort scratchplate. I still remember the day in 1999 (I spoke with my friend) I bought this. I was about 9 stone and a bit of a weakling who had to walk to Stapleton Road – not a great part of the city – with £900 in cash that I'd saved up over about a year of working while a student (I mostly ate Co-Op madras and not an avocado in sight!). At some point about a decade ago it seemed all the vintage pieces started disappearing from sale. In the same week I tried out a 1978 EB Stingray for £500. (Didn't buy it.)

Fair enough. It’s worth taking a note of my post if you ever come to sell it because it much more comprehensive and accurate than the listing provided by the shop. Best of luck with the bass. The neck was lovely. It took me several years of saving to afford that at the time so I have very fond memories of it.

Is this the one from Vintage Rare and Retro? That was my old one and I wrote about it earlier in this thread.

Jack is 100% right. Anyone that would judge you on the instrument you play is a clown and best ignored.

I guess if you’re not worried about sound quality then all good! All joking aside, I’ve not seen many magnetic DB pickups for sale. I’m off to see some DB people so I’ll ask if they do.

I had mine made to order but you can buy them off the shelf https://www.thomann.de/gb/krivo_pickup_for_upright_bass.htm

I’ve got one of these: https://www.krivopickups.com/store/p6/The_Legendary_Krivo_Pickup_for_Upright_Bass..html It’s like the Schaller pickup but better made and better sounding. The guy also shapes it (within boundaries) you your DBs board. I’m 100% happy with mine:

When I was cycling seriously I went into a bike shop and asked what performance upgrade a new (and hugely expensive) bike would give me. The advice of the guy in the shop was to save the money and ride more. While it’s your money, I’d suggest that it’s probably worth persevering with the Stentor you have now and then look to upgrade when you know what you want. You may want a reliable gigging instrument or a vintage instrument with lots of character. If you’re in and out of pubs playing gigs, the Stentor would be fine. I had a £5000 bass that I never took out of the house as I was too worried I’d damage it. There are many other posters here with much more knowledge than me, and if you’re set on spending the cash there are loads of options. But I’d give it a year and invest in something that you’ll cherish and invest a lifetime in.

If you start swapping decals it’s a good idea to mark it somehow to avoid future potential purchasers mistaking it for a real one!

So, when you pluck the strings you’re arching your fingers round and grabbing the string. You don’t need to do this, it’s wasted effort. Instead, you can play more lightly which enables you to play faster. It’s hard to explain but your right hand is in control of dynamics. Your thumb anchor is fine. I meant your thumb on the back of the neck. Ideally you’d find one place (slightly under the mid line) and keep it there. Moving your thumb all over the place is likely to get you into trouble on faster passage. To be honest it’s minor things as your playing is great.

You’re moving your fingers on your right hand too much. This is a common thing but it’s wasted effort. As you play faster, you’ll struggle - but by straightening your fingers and focusing on economy of effort will help. That’ll help with the articulation, too. Your left hand is good. I’d work on getting more dexterity and finger independence. Loads of good exercises here. Also, watch your thumb. You’re moving it a a lot, but you don’t need to. I used to show my students that you don’t even need your thumb to fret notes. In the end it’s there to guide you to the right position, not drag or inhibit movement.

Those are fairly tough with the palm mutes and accents.

It’s hard to explain but we see it loads in my job. AI writing programmes don’t really “write” anything, they spin existing content (essentially reconstituting in a new way so it reads like original content but isn’t). So it will copy and subtly change whole sentences from publicly available websites. Heres one I asked GPT to write and it’s strikingly similar. What it lacks is the care and attention of a real human being/bass player. “As an American musician renowned for his prowess on the electric bass, Pastorius’s style revolutionized how the bass guitar is perceived in jazz music. His tenure with the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1976 to 1981 solidified his reputation, but his contributions extended beyond with collaborations with artists like Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, and his own band, the Word of Mouth. “Pastorius was known for his innovative techniques on the fretless bass, which included lyrical solos, bass chords, and the use of harmonics. His approach combined elements of funk, R&B, and jazz, creating complex bass lines that were both intricate and rhythmically powerful. Despite personal struggles with mental health and substance abuse, which affected his career and eventually his life, Pastorius’s influence on music and bass playing remains profound. He was posthumously inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame, a testament to his lasting impact on the music world.”

I run a content agency for brands and businesses and this is AI content. Red flags all over the place.