Barking Spiders

nae probs. I've managed to take my slapping from an upper intermediate to a more advanced level pretty much entirely due to Mark's courses. Hope you find these do the trick

Well then, Mark Smith's Talking Bass is the place. Check this out. Mark's a top player and explains really well

Sure thing, esp in my 20s-early 30s, the waste of time and who I spent that time with when I could've been doing something more worthwhile. I made some bad , bad choices including two disastrous marriages that cost time and a shedload of money. I gigged in quite a few bands but was never committed enough to put the effort in to make a go of it and more than once I'd go on stage half cut or a tad stoned. In retrospect I'd say I was probably a bit of a git.

With you there. I calculates that had I been teetotal I could've owned my house outright about eight years ago. I no longer see any of my beer buddies of the last 25-30 years and I look back thinking what a bluddy waste of money and time drinking is. I have a couple of Jack Daniels or so a week but that's it. Think I've spent more time honing my bass playing over the last year than I did throughout my entire 20s and 30s. Back then I was a bit of a poser with front I guess.

Scott Devine, Mark Smith and Davey Pollitt's slap lessons are all on YT. Another good one i use Josh Fossgreen. He's American but dont hold that against him . He's got some nice unusual slap licks there. His approach is quite chatty, a bit like Scott if you don't mind that.

Just in case you don't know. ToP will be playing their only UK on May 6 at the Cheltenham Jazz fest. Tickets cost 30 of your English pounds. Never seen them meself so it'll be great to see Rocco P strutting his stuff live

Probably I Get High On You by Sly Stone , with Bobby Vega on bass and not Larry G

ha ha yes, same thought occurred to me

I'm pretty open minded about music whenever it was made but I really don't get the fuss and kudos heaped on Kendrick Lamarr. I'm a big fan of the great era of hip hop - Eric B & Rakim, Wu Tang Clan, Public Enemy, NWA/Cube/Dre, Snoop, 2pac, etc - but Lamarr can't hold a candle to any of these. He might be the best of the current bunch of rappers but heaping praise on him is liking getting all worked up about Luton Town because they're topping League 2.

cheers for this. just checked some demos on YT. Took a few to find someone getting the right sound for me but one going back to 2009 gets it right. Now to see if i can get hold of one. Which year do you suggest?

One of my fave sounds in music is the squelchy bass sound made by the Roland TB 303. I'd really like to be able to reproduce this sound on the bass guitar but dunno how. Any fans here of classic Acid House that might be able to offer some pointers?

Over the last few days it's been all back to back Hardfloor, 90s German pioneers of the classic squelchy 303 acid house sound though they're still going strong

Her gurns are about the most entertaining thing in current mainstream music. Give me more of her ace bass face

I was too busy with the QVC Style channel on Freeview to take any notice of The BRITS. Discussions about costume jewellery was a far more interesting proposition

Fair play. If I'd had to play Sex on Fire I'd have knocked up a bacon butty,, watched a bit of rugby and got myself a pint of Shipyard at the same time.

These come to mind straight away Get Up For The Down Stroke with Parliament, more for chanting along with the rest of the band than owt else I Wanna Take You Higher with Sly ATFS - again it's joining in with the boom-shacka-lackas

In one band I used to play in back when I lived in that there London we'd not only like to have a snack on stage and swill a couple of beers but socialise with the punters too. I've never liked the them and us approach viz gigging but prefer gigs to be more like parties. If we could get people in the 'audience' involved in joining in playing something all the better

In these PC times I'm not sure whether anyone is now allowed to attach a ciggie atop their head(less)stock (EVH stylee) and take a puff while riffing, smoke a pipe like Duck Dunn or sup from a can of Red Stripe while on stage in a public venue?? Or can they. Anyone here apt to have a few beers on stage, nibble on a biryani, read a book, watch TV etc while performing?

This is just another sign of the shift in economic power from West to East. Chinese, Indonesian and Korean instruments. They're mostly now very well made and blimmin' great value. Unless you're a pro why shell out £2k plus for a US manufactured product when you can get get something that does the job for a fraction the cost.

Generally sound like you know what you're talking about. This is the equivalent of going to your doc and reeling off a number of medical conditions you've been able to rule out with confidence before he tells you how irritated he his with people who use webMD for self diagnosis. Both GPs and music shop staff want you to be ignorant and at the mercy of their expertise.

Then again, there are many tunes where the basslines are just a bit too rudimentary or minimalist and could've done with a bit more to have made the songs work better. Essentially I'm referring to those songs where the bassist just holds down the bottom end with root 8ths or 16ths, occasionally throwing in a couple of other notes, especially where the guitar work isn't exactly dynamic and all the melody is in the vocals. It's a fine line between being effectively sparse and unimaginative or incapable.

Not for me I'm afraid. Tight and played well enough but somewhat anonymous

Thought there've been a fair few over the years although we could argue the toss about the singing bit. Anyway, what about these, starting for ten: Paul McCartney, Sting, Mark King, Phil Lynott, Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Troy Sanders, Lemmy, Jack Bruce, Greg Lake, Roger Waters, Tom Araya,

+1 here too. cracking bass line, as is this one ...

The thread on sparse bass lines and specific references to Walking On The Moon got me thinking for a few seconds about why the minimalist flanged guitar in that song is also so effective, while 40 minute blues rock w*nkathons or interminable 'neo-classical' metal widdling have me running screaming for the door. So if there's a Malmsteen wannabe in your band what songs would you suggest they listen to that show less is usually more. A couple that come to my mind are on Chris Isaak's Wicked Game and Blue Hotel and on I'm In Love With A German Film Star by The Passions.