JBP

Voted

Not quite identical... but definitely related

Done

Nice 👍 Pan pipes are banned too.... that scuppers my Peruvian Symphony idea...

Lol so true...

Voted... may the bast man win.... its like a musical dual...

I'm gonna have to duck for this month as well, i did get something started a couple of weeks ago but have just not had to time to get it finished. I will be back for November though.

I have only just started using Reaper myself, and someone with more experience could have a much better answer for you, but have you checked the input and output levels on the bass effect? If the input or output are turned down when you turn the effect on you will effectively mute the track. Not sure about the other problem, hopefully someone else can help with that one.

I've still got three years to go before I hit the big 'five o' but I am the only one under 50 in the band and all the other guys seem to be managing ok, and were all having a right laugh .

Ooop's I confess that was me, apologies to all, I never really thought about it and just assumed everyone did it. Is there any way you can reset my vote and I will do it appropriately. I am ahead by one vote and now just feel terribly guilty. I don't want to be ahead with a vote of shame ☹️

So here is this months entry, I hope you enjoy. A bit of an experiment this time as i have worked in Reaper instead of Pro Tools so a bit of a learning curve. I have only been recording my own stuff for a few months and i think production wise this is the best result I have had so far... definitely liking Reaper 👍

Dark Matter, from a Blackstar

I will second Mark Studio 2. I use it all the time always sounds great and the effects are pretty good with a little tweaking.

Cheers guys 😁 Ok new pic is incoming

This is the point, reading and theory are just more tools for the tools box. If we go back in time to when early man started banging bones together and his mate jumped up and said 'that sounds cool lets jam, you bang the bones and I will bash on this dead mammoth' music was always passed on aurally, then people started writing it down because back then that was the best recording they could get. That developed into the written music system we have today, but everyone got on fine before that. Today we have so many ways to communicate music to each other that being able to sight read is far less important than it used to be. Though I think a good understanding of music theory can only be a good thing... but each to their own. But it has definitely improved my playing, both in what I play and how I communicate with other musicians.

I'm always more impressed with bass more then guitar, because there is more of a size restriction there, even with a short scale my youngest student is 11. My wife teaches piano and she has had some students who she has been teaching since they were 4 or 5 who are now in there teens and they are phenomonal. My daughter has been playing piano since she was 3 she is 14 now and thinks nothing of siting down and site reading grade 8 stuff or anything she fancies... I wish i had started so much younger. ... yes I am jealous 😞

Thats very true.

Musical notation is just another form of communication, from a quick glance you know the key and time signatures, and the rhythmic and harmonic structure of a piece of music you may have never heard. As you play it you begin to commit it to memory and put your own stamp on it. I still learn stuff by ear, but if I am being paid to turn up and play the dots that what I do. I teach for a living so I use my reading skills everyday, but not everyday in my playing that's very situational. I play in a rock covers band, I don't read for that, but If I'm doing a theatre gig, or reading charts for a jazz gig that bit of music theory really helps. It just opens more doors for you. But there are plenty of great players out there who don't read or know a lot about music theory who are still great players.

I would go with a Sadowsky every one I have ever tried has been fantastic and I am seriously eyeing up something special for my 50th in a few years time (got the Wife saving up). But to echo the thoughts above, why does it have to be American?

I've had a few P basses over the years and many of my favourite players play them, Rocco, Pino... its a big list. But I have personally always found them a bit uncomfortable to play the neck on a Fender P is just not what I enjoy at all. These days I prefer to use a far more modern bass that will give a wide variety of sounds but will do a good P, J or MM sound if that's what I want or need, but with the ergonomics that I am happy with.

I think I would be more worried if I was not feeling nervous. That little rush of adrenaline is a wonderful positive thing, my mindset has always been to use it and enjoy it. If I was not feeling that before going onstage then its probably time to pack it in.

The analogy that I like to use when I am teaching is that music is a language that everyone understands. When you play you are speaking that language, but you can learn more if you learn to read it as well.

Hand written music can be a beautiful thing, my wife's piano teacher collects copies of original manuscripts from Bach, Handle etc and they are amazing things to look at. But it can swing the other way though, years ago I played in a production of Hairspray and the MD hand wrote all the parts... non of us could read them his writing was terrible. We all went out and bought original copies to play from and noted on the changes that he had made, then we had to hide them behind his originals so we wouldn't upset him.

I'm so glad I learned to read, I just wish I had done it sooner. I did not place much importance on it until i went to Uni (late 20's), there I had a great bass teacher who really helped and encouraged me to learn and I am so glad he did. Combining good reading with good theory, scales, arpeggios etc it all links together and opens up so many things to explore on any instrument. I would recommend it to anyone.