Witters

Bummer, I feel your pain. I remember one of my gigs from years ago, so embarrassing! I was playing a double neck (pretentious, moi?). It was all tuned up ready to go. I didn’t have a stand for it so I laid it flat on an innocent looking black box......which turned out to be the lights. It was so far out of tune when I picked it up to play that I couldn’t rectify the situation as there were 18 strings all out and no reference point! The shame! Still, learnt a valuable lesson and didn’t use the double live again, and checked where all the heat sources were at each venue (my favourite being the real log fire just behind the drummer). i still have gigs that don’t go well but I just swear a bit, play my bass or guitar at home to remind myself why I play, then go do it again (maybe having learnt what went “wrong” and taken steps to avoid it, also accept mistakes happen and are no big deal). Get together with your music partner and play those tunes again, then drink beer and play some more. Then drink more and play some beer; tune some beer and drink s9me play, repeat......

Oh yes! Best to walk away and do something else on those occasions. I’ve had it last months when I’ve just lost my mojo. Worst case was about five years when I thought I’d never play again. I think it’s just a mood thing or a point in life when the energy isn’t there or one’s headspace is wrong. It comes and goes. Talking helps. My fathers advice was to “embrace it, go do something else, it’ll come back”...it did, big time!

Thank you for your kind words but I couldn’t do what I do without the musicians with me. We guitarists can be very dull on our own (unless we are Martin Taylor)

Wow, what a fantastic wealth of replies! This is why I prefer bass players to guitarists (like me); you are so much nicer! Also, I love bass and am really enjoying it, so much to learn and this is where to learn. Some great responses to my original post, some entertaining, some a little close for comfort, some shot me down and some really good advice; especially as you only got my side of an incomplete picture. Thank you all so much, you were a great help. The meeting was an unexpected success, the singer held his hand up and said “I’ve been an derrière and thrown my toys out of the cot, I’m sorry”. We have started a set of band rules/expectations, the existing band diary is to be reinvigorated and handed over to me, a gig finders fee has been introduced, a deps-Black-book will be started. We all realise what we’ve got and we want to keep it. A plan of action has been created and there is a willingness to meet more regularly without instruments. We have been surprisingly mature for a bunch of musicians.

Bit of a rant this one, but I’m still trying to make sense of it. After a weekend of brilliant gigs (posted on here) the singer announced “When I started this band I never dreamt I’d be in one this good”. Well, nearly two weeks later and he isn’t. After a couple of minor digs at my commitment to learn new songs HE suggested (yet he rarely does tunes anyone else suggests and it was a rubbish number), virtually ordering the keys player to learn this particular number, he decided to up the anti. At the beginning of term I’d made it clear that I was going to be very difficult to get hold of during the week. He was getting more and more irritated that I was not responding to “can you do this gig” and seemed to not understand repeated “I am in front of students until very late in the evening four days a week, I cannot respond.” There was more but this will get lengthy. When the bassist (who is on BC) said he couldn’t make a couple of new dates next year due to work and family the singer blew up. “That’s not bl00dy good enough! Now that you’re married with a new job perhaps you should leave and spend more time with your family” or words to that effect. If he reads this he may want to correct me, but this is my view and rant. Turns out he was considering leaving anyway, for those reasons, but it was the singer’s attitude that got me. When the drummer suggested we meet for a chat the singer didn’t understand why and thought we might have a rehearsal instead. Wtf? Then there is the “team” aspect where he makes decisions without consulting anyone and gets angry when we can’t comply, accusing us of not being team players. I’m missing the details to keep this short and aid my rant. The keyboard player wants to keep it going, the singer is busy back pedalling as fast as he can, I don’t know what the drummer wants, and I’m in the middle going “wtf?” Having been “the dream band” it’s now a car crash. We have a meeting tonight but I don’t know where I stand. I’m torn between not wanting to let my friends down (bass, drums, keys), not wanting to share the same airspace as the singer, wanting to walk away right now. Stunned. Singers....why?

Thanks for your comments and suggestions folks, much appreciated.

Sorry to hear that but it does sound familiar. Our singer is the same. He complains he can’t hear himself (he plays harmonica too) but according to the punters he’s the loudest. Maybe it’s time to take some time away or find a new guitarist?

Great fun at the ABBA gig last night. Rehearsals were the hard part, I thought my hands weren’t going to last the night (I’m not used to bass in a gig situation, haven’t gigged bass in years!) When the band was announced we had to walk down the aisle, effectively, through 300 screaming teenage girls to get to our “stage” - six feet of space at the front of hall. Now I know how the Beatles felt....well, just a little. Ive played in cramped spaces before but this was crazy! Two music stands just in front of me and two inches in front of those.....dancing, singing, screaming girls. So glad I’d memorised most of the parts as the stands went flying at one point. What a blast! Great fun! I was very impressed with the girls behaviour and support of each other, nothing like state school. The house that was nominated to tidy up cheered when they were chosen! No complaints, very polite, very respectful, very loud! The TC Electronic BH250 and Eden cab were great, and both basses sound fab and quite different from each other. The Peavey Grind Six string was quite warm and the J&D jazz bass (purchased from BC) with the NYXL light gauge strings and low action seemed to growl, but I did hit quite hard. That particular scratch band has been asked back to play another school “do” sometime next year. Works for me!

Hi folks, I could do with some help with Dream Theater tunes that are good for bassists coming to grade five-ish. Any suggestions? Thanks

I will! I’ve seen/heard some and I’m working on his interpretation of “Tears in Heaven”. I’d like to get an album, maybe “Sonorous” and the book of transcriptions, but we shall see. At the moment I lack time and appropriate funds.

Not sure whether this is the right place to post this but I’ve just come across this on YouTube. What an amazing instrument and lovely sounds!

I have just discovered a possible downside to these Alaska piks.....the dogs LOVE having their tummies scratched with them, the buggers won’t leave me alone! 🐶🐕 Shoo....go play with the cats!

Addendum to the last entry. As I play artificial harmonics the classical guitar way, ie one finger to “fret” the note then another to pluck the string as opposed to the Jaco style (correct me if I’m wrong please) of thumb and finger (?), I need a nail. I’m using an Alaska pik on my third finger to achieve the desired result....useful for Birdland and others (probably...I haven’t got that far yet)

They’re supposed to go under a bit of nail to give them some resistance but that isn’t always easy. Having said that, with practise I think they will be the best yet. I’ve tried various other options, including girlie fake nails (which are great for guitar, rubbish for bass, very high maintenance and potentially expensive). One bonus with alaska piks is you can shape them. I’m almost at the point of saying the only thing better is real nails. They are not the most comfortable as they are quite tight fitting, but I guess they need to be. I will persevere as I don’t have a choice if I continue with what I want to do ..... play different guitar styles using nails AND play bass.

Right, the guitar pickin’ nails have gone in readiness for my Abba gig on Friday with many screaming schoolgirls. Something to do with some exams, I believe. It’s gonna be a blast, can’t wait!. 😁 Apparently I will need earplugs as the girls will be louder than the band! Oh dear. 😮 On the plus side my jazz bass sounds great now! Much closer to the sound I like, namely Geddy Lee. For anyone who is interested I’m using Alaska Piks for guitar picking, workable but a challenge. I’m gonna stick at it cos bass is so much damn fun!

We all are, it’s amazing and to think it’s spontaneous, too! Songs that were once upbeat are now slow and atmospheric, some are more funky, some have a ska influence, some are faster, it’s unpredictable in a good way, (mainly cos we can’t remember what we did last time and we fancy a change anyway), Gaz da Keyz is seriously good. Mind you, it can get silly, too, which is fun. Next gig is Tuesday November 20th Downend Tavern, Bristol. That should be good, they like us there and will respond well to what we do.

Sat in my teaching room in school waiting for the next student and there are four instruments playing four different tunes. Each to a different degree of “standing on a cats tail” or beating with the subtlety of a blacksmiths hammer or producing fart noises, all at different tempos and tuning. 😩😜🤪

Big fan up to and including Topographic Oceans, still some of my favourite music.. Steve Howe was one of my major influences, in fact they all influenced my musical thinking. I also like “going for the one”, “talk”, “drama” for the bass work, “magnification” is ok,, my favourite is “Yessongs”, I love the energy! I’ve seen them five times, one of which may have been the symphonic tour. However, I think Howe has lost the plot. I can’t blame him for continuing but his version of the band has been getting steadily worse for years. The music is dull, performances that I’ve seen on YouTube have been lacklustre; no energy any more, tempos are down. I get it, they’re knocking on but really? Since Howe went digital his tone sucks. I could say more but I’ll stop here. At least I have the early stuff. Now for ARW...Pomeroy (?) on bass is brilliant and the drummer has the energy to propel the band. If Yes are to be a covers band then have this rhythm section. As much as I liked Rabin on Talk he mangles the other Yes material, just as Howe would mangle the Rabin stuff, and I’d mangle both! Ok, I’ve wanted to say that for years, lol! I am very disappointed cos I used to love this band. Another live (or studio) album? No thanks.

Well, a very unexpected night tonight. So different from last night. Usually, this venue is really quiet and it’s hard work. They like us, we get encores etc, but it’s hard work, especially after the previous night’s stonking gig at the blues festival. This was amazing, totally unexpected! From the off we were in Stevie Wonderland with some ska a couple of numbers later, the usual swing blues but with lots of interplay and throwing phrases between each other - where the hell did that come from? I think it’s the addition of our keys player; finally, I have the band of my dreams, this is something else! What a fabulous night! Now we need to work out how the hell we market a swing, funk, jazz, rock n roll, blues band?

Bummer! I feel your pain FinnDave.

Played the Royal Oak, Wotton under Edge, as part of the Wotton Blues Festival (The Phil Prowse Blues Band). Arrived at the venue to find five people and my heart sank. All through setting up maybe three more turned up and a couple left. I had that sinking feeling “must be the weather” and “oh well, paid rehearsal”. Ten minutes before showtime the place was rammed and the punters are six feet away, looking at you with that “go on then entertain us” look. We had been booked for 90 minutes but two and a half hours later decided we needed a break and the drummer needed wringing out. He looked decidedly moist! Great audience, great venue. We are a bit of a loose band, very few arranged songs, but we’ve all been doing this long enough to know what to do. The rhythm section disappeared into disco world at one point with the keys playing his best Stevie Wonder. A few tunes later and it’s funk city. No rock, coz we’re rubbish at that, but plenty of swing and unpredictable stuff. Thanks to Basschat Raymundo for coming down, lovely guy nice to meet you, hope you enjoy the rest of the festival. Our favourite dancers 💃🕺showed up. They are a sweet couple; they hold hands all night 😍💏and, boy, can they dance! Looking forward to more bookings at this venue! Different venue tonight, slightly slower songs and perhaps less energetic! After that, our two day mini-tour will be over. There’s a good reason we don’t do back-to-backs, we tend to hurt the day after a gig! Have good Sunday’s, people!

Great to meet up, thank you for coming down. That was a good night!

Seen your videos, you guys are good!

I’ll be at the Royal Oak, Saturday (today) 5:45, with the Phil Prowse Blues Band. Swing blues and a few twists! Come shout “play something we know!” and marvel at the wonderful bass player (not me). Honestly, he is very good. Heckle the guitarist, after all, what else are we for? Come say hello!

Cleaning the woody bits, fingerboard etc. What strings do you use on your six, ambient?