StringNavigator

Must be Canadian tourists. I hear that the EU is looking for a few good positive people. They're calling their new program, Brentry, where the dog comes back with a winning lottery ticket in his mouth, the van gets repaired by the insurance company at no cost, the best friend dumps your wife, the wife returns in a thong with a case of Foster's and you win that new ruby red Rickenbacker bass from Sweetwater's Monthly Gear Giveaway..., Then you wake up and can remember the whole dream.

You can't train an old dog..

God bless your military mind! You'd be promoted in no time. In my little world, I use index cards. I keep them in a leather folder. Too late to change, now!. See what you're missing..

Cheers! You always were a devil, Del! Keep us smilin'.

I guess if one lives in Las Vegas, they take stardom for granted. They're everywhere, supermarkets, gas stations... People in Washington D.C. take job security and pensions for granted. People in California take everything for granted. If you live in the UK where tourism is a way of making a living instead of manufacturing, everyone drinks, goes to pubs, listens to live music, (4000 per wedding!?), and depends upon Big Brother to divvy out the dole when they hit a rough patch (and they still can make money under the table in a black market), then I guess it's hard to imagine a place where music has died. People in Kansas do without French cuisine. People in Alaska do without people. People in Seattle get wet and people in Chicago get shot. I'm sure that in the UK you have learned to live with less than your first world counterparts. But I'd be the last to try and sound like a hero and explain how I live off the stock market in North America. Or describe the water while you're drowning. I tried to discuss a real issue that will soon affect you, too. But instead all I got was pop-psych and psycho-babble. No one wants a gu-ru. I'm simply stuck in a DNA locale where people think that a good ear is one that doesn't wax up. Where music is becoming a thing that older people used to do. AI is a small thing with a great affect. When the first record was turned, live music began to die. Millions died with it, in essence. Music was a career for many talented people. Just as we can now create anything with 3D software, causing millions more to become unemployable, and manual skills to become useless. Like the video, I decry the loss of music, and we are seeing it in this part of the world first, because there is always a lag across the Atlantic Yes, The Beatles were merely a product copy of American R&B and later a poor man's copy of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. The cascading shut-down of music venues as property values go through the roof is unstoppable. But you cannot see the train, because it hasn't hit you yet. But that shouldn't make you chuff... Trains always appear to be farther than they are. And they used to kill messengers.

You're my hero, Dave!

Yes, but how many years have we been worshipping at the altar of "Great Canadian Icons"... The Guess Who and Gordon Lightfoot? Really? They're entering Old Age Homes now as we speak. And these newer wannabee favourites aren't well-known famous. I'm not paying $437.95 CDN to watch their sorry sixty minute stage occupation. I'm into the hobby-band, weekend-warrior type of old man's shed bands. I would never call myself a pro and 99% of musicians in Toronto work for free. Half of them pay to play at a bar. I almost have a belly laugh when I see ads placed by "professional bass players"... How did they become "professional"? As a kid I played two shows with JL Hooker and met BB King in one night. That didn't make me a "pro". I have been paid, but that doesn't make me a professional musician, either. It also seems that in Toronto, there's a perceived difference between ages 58 and 64. "Oh, I'm 42 and a half, but I look much younger...I act young for my age... you wouldn't know it..." That's how desperate it is here. Hair tint products are flying off the shelves. But I diverse... But it's hard for a retired guy to pick up and move to a more artistic clime. They actually cut your pensions depending on which country you go to. I guess I'm waking from denial to anger as I slowly realise that the paradigm has changed. Music as I know it has disappeared. Not changed into a new generation's way of playing, but quickly vanishing. Exponentially in the past three years. Just when I have the time to play till the sun sets, I feel like I've been placed by aliens into that twilight zone episode where there's only one guy left, who always wanted to be alone, and now he is... with a store full of mannequins. But I have to rig them up to fan motors with belts to make them move and appear "human"... like in Home Alone. Hey, that's not a bad idea... kind of a Devo thing, eh...? You know, I'm watching way to many House DVD's.

If I wanted friendly I'd move in with the Eskimos. Canada is a music wasteland. I'd gladly endure the British if I could play with other musicians.

I'd enjoy a long drive like that to a good session. Cheers, Dave!

Lucky Ducky! I'd like 5 hour rehearsals. Just asked because most here are 2 hours due to room rental fees of $40/hr. In my case, 2 hours is hardly worth a 1 hour drive. I'm just warming up when it's done.. I really feel limited here in Ontario. Music as a pastime or part-time job is increasingly very rare. The UK seems to be the place for musical enthusiasts, unless it's a European, pub or drinking thing? Folks here actually look down on it and it's considered a teen-age thing. Even the US is full of music, with bands rivaling carpentry as a hobby and gazebos in every park. Places like Austin or Memphis have musicians hanging out windows and busking in the streets. You won't see that here. Australia has more music and less people than Canada.It's quite shocking when you realise that England has 400 people per square km and Toronto has 4000! You'd think that the population of musicians would rise accordingly. Our music section on Craigslist has more ads for Henna Skin Painting than musicians. Where you live is so critical as a musician. How do you network so well?

How long are your rehearsals?

God Bless you Brits. eh! I was born in the wrong country... Checklists work for me.They're a nerve saver.

Playing the 44" scale double bass turned me onto Simandl fingering and then I applied it to the low end of my Fender bass. Talk about comfort. Especially in Latin bass playing and R&B where we use the octave box repetitively. Alternating the index and pinky beats using the index and ring fingers even on a 34" scale. I can't believe that bass method books still teach guitar fingering in the first position (which would be akin to half-position on DB), except for Ed Friedland, who recommends SimandlI on the low end of the bass guitar. A word to the wise. At times I'll use guitar fingering in first/second position, especially with chromatic passages, but prefer Simandl as I can concentrate on other stage matters while the stopping hand goes into auto-drive. The minor shifting involved becomes automatic soon enough. Especially with the pentatonic major scale which falls right into Simandl seamlessly as 1-2-4-2-4-1. I guess the really important issue is carpal tunnel syndrome in beginners. My advice to beginners is to stay away from guitar fingering in the lower neck positions on bass. Use 1-2-3-4 around the 12fth fret and then start working down the neck over time until the stretched hand is comfortable. In time a beginning bassist will be able to play guitar fingering near the nut without shocking the tendons into RSI and cutting short a rewarding hobby. I've studied some cello books years ago when I had a cello and learned to play one string major scales with their fingering of 1-1-3-4, 1-1-3-4. But I had to decide between the cello and the bass. That cello fingering opened up a lot of the fingerboard for me on bass as it connects different neck areas - like am elevator to the dusty end...

Unbelievable! This just does not happen here around Toronto. Everything is DJ. I often see American musicians coming to Toronto, but I don't think they stay long once they see how slim things are.

You're right about agencies. You get work often, but they gouge you on expenses... and you pay taxe$! I toured with a rock band for an agency in Quebec when I was 16 and this very skinny guy who didn't speak English drove us and our gear all over Northern Que. I remember that he was always happy and I never realised it then, but most of our money was going to him. We didn't have enough money to eat a meal in a restaurant and he was walking away with a wad of our earnings. Paid by the mile. We starved and ended up raiding the wine and cheese in the hotel kitchen, which was closed for bankruptcy. We rightly got fired, and the agency handled the police, but he was hired to drive us all the way back to Montreal where "he" received the balance of our money and we returned home penniless. I can also back you up on function bands. My big touch of grey doesn't cut it with them. Age is the first question they ask. There just doesn't seem to be enough 60+ bands in Toronto. I'd be content to find an old boys shed band.

This is how I feel exactly about auditions. And they give you a slot... 19:30-20:10... And you have to be packed and gone before the next slot begins... And then you wait for a call that may never come... And it's even worse for the band! They're there all night! And they get nothing out of it either. And deciding on which lad/lassie to tap is gut wrenching. Bands I've spoken to about it never want to do it a second time. They just take a referral instead.

Thank you! That's how it is... Not for the faint of heart... It's the same intensity level as being a priest or a doctor or a cop or a porno star... You have to pray that you don't make a mistake, you have to nurse it, you have to walk the beat and you have to keep it up. It's exhausting...

Before you spend more money on lead cords, look into the price of a Line Driver and try it out in the store. They act as a buffer amp to protect your bass signal from losses due to stray capacitance in your coaxial cables. The regained sparkle is unmistakable. The longer the cord, the more the losses. Some cords have been crushed and you can't tell from visual inspection. Cheap coax has high stray capacitance. It costs money to manufacture quality coaxial cables. They also have an adjustable instant boost of about 20 dB. Personally, I like the blue light.

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SNOOZE ALERT! If you don't like long winded posts, just pass this one by. Never lose sleep from anxiety over an audition, unless it's with Sir Paul McCartney... I think I've had a night terror like that... He said to leave the stage in front of 10,000 screaming people who suddenly went quiet as I trundled off... Then, realising that I had forgot my bass, I had to go back out again to get it... You could hear a pin drop... and then he took over the bass and everyone went wild. If you don't get picked, then you're both not on the same page or they have someone better in mind - and you're lucky to find out sooner than later. Besides, if you show up as a nervous wreck, you'll never pass muster anyway. Look at it as a jam session, except you know the song. If you're unsure with the song then you are not technically ready for that band or you hate the song on some level. This is a great time to mention the Tascam CD-BT2 Bass Trainer (play-along CD player). It makes you sound like you're the BP in the mix. I'm sure there are even greater things sold as computer software, but it's the greatest prep for auditions (or rehearsals). Everyone's on the same page before rehearsal. An old friend of mine, a drummer and a Limey, would show up at an audition and just before they started, he would say to them, "OK, boys... Show me what you got!" Now, that's the right stuff for an auditionee. You ARE auditioning that band every bit as much as they are auditioning you. You can phone them back later, just like they phone you, and tell them "Thanks, but no thanks!". Did you exchange pertinent information before all that packing and driving? Did you tell them that you were a BP? On Bass guitar or double bass? Four or five string? Fretted or Fretless? Pizzicato or plectrum? That you have YOUR OWN transporation or not? Do they? That you FULLY OWN excellent gear? Speaker size 8x10 or 1x10? 40W or 300W? Combo or Piggyback? What about their equipment quality? Yours and their locations? Discuss travel time/mileage? Rehearsal studio rental costs? That you are seeking an established or a start-up band? Covers or Originals or both? Improvisation required or not allowed? Dance Band, Pub Band, Function Band, Jam Band, Bar Band? Local gigs? Touring? Charity gigs? Just for fun? Yours and their repertoire list, musical interests and goals? Age range/limits, if any? Gender stipulations? Musical styles/genres? Are they looking for Rocco Prestia or John McVie? Or Carol Kaye? Sixties Soul, Disco, Jazz, Blues R&B, Ballads, Boogaloo, Funk, Gospel Texas, New Orleans or Chicago styles Jump Blues, 50's R&R, Doo-Wop Classic Rock, British Invasion, New Wave, Punk Beatles to AC/DC... Traditional Country, New Country, Country Rock, Southern Rock, Rockabilly, Cajun Reggae, Ska, Rock Steady, Calypso, Soca and Steel Pan Big Band Era, Popular vocal music, Ballroom music, Swing, Dixieland Waltzes, Polkas, Latin dance rhythms Some possible discussion points: Set-list (sequence, title, artist, band singer's key), Line-up (current and desired), Rehearsals (schedule, location, cost), Performance intentions (frequency, audience, venues, area, local/touring), Age range, if any. Experience has shown me that, for my own self-preservation and peace of mind, I need to avoid certain situations, and you should, too. Find out this stuff. Multiple-project band-hoppers Bands that can't seem to hold-on to a bass player Bands that keep their old bass player lurking about Bands desperate for a temp bass player that lead you into believing that you're permanent Bands with debts, covert overhead costs or requiring signatures Manipulative personalities, phonies, weasels, sneaks, liars and cons Bands that change out members for friends when they gain some success Unequal distribution of compensation Weaseling-in of friends/family into the band Weaseling-in of friends/family into position to run band operations, so that they can actually run it Bass line micro-managers, critics and advisors Musicians who bought a bass as a second instrument and now think that they are a bass player, too Self-appointed band-leaders with minute talent, no draw, no studio, no gigs and no charts Self-induced virtuosos or anyone that would refer to themselves as a "pro" without laughing Songwriters trolling for employees, or even worse, volunteers Originals and other anti-dance music. Also, petty re-arranging of hit songs, so the band leader can justify position Band-room potheads or intoxicated zombies. Maybe both. Band-room smoochers, relatives, cults and Fraternites Politicos Bands cashing in on tributes to the recently departed... We should make a useful checklist for ourselves and not say yea! until all items have been investigated. I'd be very interested to garner info from other BP's on Bass Chat...

LOL! I know this thread is 2012, but in 2018 the situation has slid even more. (Bass Chatters never quit, so I know you're all still around... unless you've moved on to your big reward... ) I'm near Toronto. Same here. You're lucky if you can find any old school musicians. You all might be interested in this video.

Using the ring finger in the first and half positions for most people, depending on the scale of your bass, causes the pinky to flail about needlessly and the hand tires quickly if stretched out through the whole song needlessly. (How to spot a guitard impersonating a BP!) Try the standard R&B box in F for four minutes at 133 bpm on a 34" scale bass with the 1-2-3-4 fingering (1-1 8-8 7b-7b 5-5 or F-F F'-F' Eb-Eb C-C) and then see if you feel like/enjoy continuing as the horn section is starting a series of solos. Even if you employ pivoting, it just don't feel right. With Simandl, a BP can play this all night without ever shifting the hand and laugh. Same goes for Disco octave playing. Same goes for using tenths in your bass line. 1-2-3-4 fingering becomes very awkward and limiting in lower positions. Even in higher positions, it is far more comfortable to use Simandl. There's also the advantage of keeping a parallel and balanced hand. This makes a difference in your sound. And it will become noticeable very quickly if you sight read music without looking at the fingerboard. On a fretless bass or upright bass (and especially if you bow) the Simandl 1-2-4 hand becomes a caliper that measures the intervals and lets you know your neck position by physical feedback. If your hand is so b-e-e-e-g that you can ignore all this, then why have we not heard of you? Surely you must be a rich and famous bass player... Have you not thought of beginning bass players with normal hands who will now follow your public lead and get carpal tunnel syndrome in the process...? Someone needs to put you in your place before innocent people read your rubbish and take you seriously... Next, you'll be telling us that you strap your bass down to your knees and play while having a smoke...

Bass Player / Bassist Fender Bass Guitar or Double Bass Ampeg Pro-Gear + Transportation All musical styles considered I'm seeking an established or start-up band that performs a mix of danceable hit covers, tailored to the audience. I'm into playing simply for the musical enjoyment, but I'm also available to gig locally or tour for compensation. I prefer to belong to only one band. I'm a versatile musician with a patchwork of experience in many styles (vintage, retro and current) to interest a wide audience: Sixties Soul from Motown, Stax or Atlantic including Disco Jazz & Blues in every style, by all artists including improvisation over changes R&B / Ballads, with influences from Boogaloo, Funk, Gospel, New Orleans, Latin, Caribbean Jump Blues, 50's Rock 'n' Roll and Doo-Wop Classic Rock, British Invasion and New Wave (Beatles, Stones, Led Zepellin, AC/DC...) Traditional & New Country, Country Rock, Southern Rock, Rockabilly, Cajun Caribbean Sounds (Reggae, Ska, Rock Steady, Calypso, Soca and Steel Pan) Popular Vocalists of the Big Bands (Swing, Dixieland, Waltz/Polka and all Latin dance rhythms) I play four string bass with heavy guage flat-wound strings in fingerstyle, but also use a plectrum for some songs. I read chord charts very well and just enough musical notation to learn material. I've studied harmony on bass and guitar and analysed many songs. I prepare at home before rehearsals with a portable Tascam CD Playalong Trainer to be on the exact same page with everyone else before hitting the band-room to save valuable time and effort spent on needless discussion, arguments and petty rearranging during rehearsals and to keep studio rental time to a minimum. Staying true to the CD avoids confusion and the path of my bass line can be depended on by everyone to follow the song from start to finish. Since the only necessary change is a key change to protect the vocalist, I use the CD Trainer "pitch change function" to practice songs in a different key. I prefer to play "covers only" of upbeat, danceable, memorable hit music as is preferred by venues and patrons. I can be a creative, improvising musician at a jam session, but as a band member learning repertoire it is more reasonable to stay very close to the recording with the same beats per minute and under 4 minutes. I play 'em as the audience knows 'em and likes 'em. I may play some very minor variations if the riff or part is repetitive, but I never mess with the structure, changes, tempo, main riffs, memorable licks, intros or outros of a hit song. Integrity of performance can revive the same vibe that made the song a hit in the first place and the patrons appreciate that effort. If you're a tribute band, I'm very good with running song medleys. I use a small pedal-board to guarantee a superb bass tone: line driver, volume boost, compressor, maximizer and volume pedal. I've selected Ampeg amps for any venue: Ampeg BA-110V2 40W 1x10" Ampeg B200R Rocket Combo 250W 1x15" + horn Ampeg Classic SVT 300W 8x10" Contact me for details if you're a serious musician or band and think that my playing may be of value. I'm available for a jam session or if you're holding band auditions. Please send me a copy of your set-list in playing order, with your key and the name of the artist for your cover versions. Also, current and proposed line-up, rehearsal location and age range if any.

Well done! Liked & Subscribed. Especially the part about using the plectrum on it's side. I play fingerstyle but also plectrum style for the tonal variations possible. What do think of Ladi Geisler who played with Bert Kaempfert's Orchestra? Knackbass! And Carol Kaye on Good Vibrations?

Thanks for the welcome. I find BassChat members to be most open, and they know what to ignore and how to deal with that which needs to be addressed. Either a result of the proud history of British comedy, or something peculiar in their island nature? From the zany to the profound, Goonies! Who else could sing in solidarity in a pub while their city was bombed to smithereens? I certainly mean no disrespect to the Queen's Own. All others, beware! In contrast, the online bass community in the US (uno?urtb) is a very uptight place with bands of gunslingers, trolling and lurking about; seeking to provoke you until you're triggered and then you're banned. Especially if you appear to be someone who doesn't need bass lessons from the trollers. (Is that a short form of patrollers hinting at the ugliness of a troll?) English is a great language, and lot's of fun. You can just make sh*t up. Everyone wants to learn it! But in their own way. I love how you can say one thing and mean another without actually saying it. And everyone listening knows it, but they all tip-toe around the elephant in the room! Unapologetic Aussie slang is also great fun, especially if you don't want anyone to know what you're saying. And all the other great variations from Cockney to Liverpudlian. All these dialects are like bas*ard children of an absentee mother. It's been said that even in Ye Olde Engalande, that a new dialect could be heard within a day's journey on foot, in any direction. Talk about the great Babylon! I read, recently, where one MP could not reply to another minister because he could not understand his Brogue! Perhaps he didn't want to. Now we know why they only speak to the Speaker. He must also be the translator. But every language is like that. Even in Quebec, where Parisian French is considered a foreign language, people in one region have difficulty understanding the patois of another. And Toronto is no better, for the people there speak 200 different languages, none of them being English. I believe the internet will help us all eventually to understand each other much better, right? (Dafuq, eli5 hifw udgaf, eh?! : `) So how do pianists / piano players around the world deal with this burning issue? Is it a class issue? Or one of ability? Do piano players or pianists read music? Can you be a piano player for the London Symphony Orchestra or out with The Academy Of Saint Martin In-The-Fields? Can a saloon hire a pianist or are they stuck with the piano player? Can one be Irish and still be a pianist? (I can say that because I have a little Irish in me. Or at least my great-granny did.) If I trade in my upright pianee for a baby grand, do I become a pianist? Can you be a pianist and not get paid? When a piano player grows up, will she become a pianist? I know I ask too many questions. I recently asked how I could make a million dollars as a musician... I was told to start off with two million! Then I found out how a Lead Guitard changes a light bulb...Apparently he just holds it and the whole world revolves around him.