risingson

[quote]the other droning on about DJ Shadow like he was the next big thing. The BG guy did not seem to know who he was, and after all, 'Endtroducing' was only realesed in '96 (sorry, being a bit of a bitch here).[/quote] Amazing! Anyway, that's a pretty shocking. It was only last month that I posted up what a brilliant visit I'd had to the Gallery and how forthcoming John had been about letting me get my hands on some incredibly expensive instruments without knowing about me or my background. He wasn't incredibly chatty or anything, but more than forthcoming, very quick to help out. Furthermore Martin was a great help in sorting out shipment of my amp and a few technical difficulties I had with it a few months after purchase. The first time I went to the Gallery though, I was greeted (or not greeted actually) by Alex, and if I'm totally honest his social skills left my drummer and I less than impressed, especially considering I'd trekked all the way from Liverpool (3 hours one way £50 return) with 2k to spend on a new amp. He initially seemed reluctant and hostile, although after a while he started to warm to me for some reason or another (I was only 19 at the time, maybe he thought I was a time waster, although quite frankly my age and the amount of money I had on me is neither here nor there). I put it down to him having a bad day, and actually after a while I did end up having a brief chat with him and figured that's the kind of person he was. I'm not surprised you're not impressed though. I'd hate to think that the Gallery would become one of those places where elitism started to take hold. I'm sure one of the guys from the shop will be along to explain their position on this anytime soon.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1357921' date='Aug 31 2011, 07:31 PM']Why does everyone think that they are good enough to post lessons on Youtube?[/quote] Give him the benefit of the doubt, he's only a young lad out to impress. He'll get enough comments under his video telling how bad his video is without us adding to it.

[quote name='silddx' post='1356833' date='Aug 30 2011, 08:52 PM']Over the past couple of months, I have hardly played bass at home, but I play guitar every day. And when I go to rehearsals as a bassist and play songs we know, and work on new songs, I am a much better bassist. I am more fluid, more imaginative, more dynamic, more expressive and more comfortable. I am also playing more with a pick and right hand damping more. Along with the volume pedal which has become a large part of my natural style, I am really feeling it now, not just mechanical. I am a much better player through not playing at home. Not that I am advocating this approach you understand. I am finally happy not being a reader, I got fed up of feeling guilty about it and shed that stupid burden. I am a happy bassist (for a f***ing change ).[/quote] I am in exactly the same boat. This is because I don't actually have any basses at home right now, only an acoustic so I find myself playing much more guitar each day. As BigRedX pointed out it's one of the best reasons to take up another instrument; to have a slightly higher understanding of your role as a bassist.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1357592' date='Aug 31 2011, 02:48 PM']I've always found the problem with guitar to learn theory is it is too easy to rely on movable fingering patterns and chord shapes without knowing anything about what you are playing other than the shape,which is why many guitar and bass players don't know things like chord tones and scales-they can play the pattern,but they don't know what they are playing.You can't do this on a keyboard.[/quote] And for the same reason, I find that guitar is a much more accessible instrument to play. As a younger child I was taken to piano lessons and hated it and showed no interest in carrying it on as a hobby. By the time I was 12 and had discovered guitar and all these sounds were just falling under my fingers, it felt much more natural than a piano ever did. Thus my entry into music and a greater understanding of theory was through guitar, scales, chordal knowledge, the lot.

Two, one for live, one for studio. Live would be an Aguilar DB751 and the DB412 (I'm not carrying it either), studio rig would be an Ampeg B-15 Portaflex with an Audix D6/Shure Beta 52 to capture the low end, and a Neumann U87 for upper end content. Endless fun! Bass wise, a few Sadowskys and Fenders, sorted I reckon.

[quote name='urb' post='1356022' date='Aug 30 2011, 10:26 AM']Don't worry my eye is very much on the ball - well more like I'm keeping my eye on you - I just don't mind a musician as talented as Vic having a bit of fun and musically that's a cool tune whether you agree with the philosophy or not, 'crap' is just your opinion of it and one which I respect but I've heard a lot worse... my earlier comment is based on the fact that AS SOON as a thread on Victor appears anywhere on the web what starts out as something positive soon turns negative - he either plays to fast and flashy and is perceived as a show off and nothing more - or his wisdom and musical abilities are flamed because he's so open and is prepared to write a song about an interesting subject - in terms of it being 'crap you might want to check out some African music - it's all good - but then I suspect not. Anyway - feel free to cary on hating - go for it if it makes you feel better - and as for implying Vic is er 'gay' - I think his wife and four kids might have something to say about that too [/quote] Don't worry Mike, everyone has an axe to grind over certain players and Victor Wooten is often the player that most often takes the most flak but he's a remarkably talented player and a definite virtuoso, those are really two things that can't be argued with. Not my kind of player but brilliant all the same.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1355186' date='Aug 29 2011, 12:56 PM']The tops not bad, but the piece of wood on the back is so dull I wouldn't consider it suitable for fake laminate flooring. Also what's up with the neck joint? Surely the neck and body are made specially for each other so there shouldn't really be any ridge between the heel and the body?[/quote] The top is beautiful, and I don't agree at all about the wood on the back either. It looks great in fact, I'm not usually a fan of the 'coffee table' look at all but they look like two great pieces of wood. I'd partially agree that the heel of the neck looks out of place but as long as it plays nicely then I don't see the issue... unless it is actually a construction mistake by F Bass, in that case it would be totally unacceptable. I played a brilliant F Bass in New York last year and if I'm honest it's the only high end bass I've really lusted after in recent years. The aesthetics of it weren't really in keeping with my band though, but it was a great sounding, great looking bass.

Depends what you want done. I'd agree with Pickle that KGB are good, if a tad expensive sometimes. If you need a bass looking over though, might I suggest you get in touch via PM with Steve Soar, he'll take a look at your bass and do a bloody good job on it as well, he works from his home. I can personally recommend him.

Last night's gig was the 3rd of the weekend. I sweated so much on stage that I woke up this morning actually feeling hung over but having drank nothing at all. 4th and final gig of this weekend coming up in 2 hours time, then I get to relax!

[quote name='ezbass' post='1354585' date='Aug 28 2011, 05:59 PM']The list is HUGE but for some of his recent work I like this video check it from about 4 mins onwards for just bass and drums really featured [/quote] Oh man Abe Laboriel Jr is so good!

When I sit down in in a music store to try out a bass guitar, I often realise after a while of noodling round and thinking "yeh this bass sounds great" that it is a totally moot point what the bass sounds like by itself because I play in a 5 piece band and what I need from a bass guitar is for it to sit nicely in the mix. Of course, I would probably guess that for 80-90% of people that go into a guitar store with a view to purchasing a new guitar/bass, this is not what they take into consideration when they buy a new instrument. They just want it to sound good there and then, which is understandable. I do care what I sound like, but I try and remind myself that I'm the bass player and for the most part what I need is a purely functional and usable sound that will work well with the rest of my band, and that sound will always be something thick and substantial.

I remember my first bass was completely pasted with stickers! I loved it, I even had a sticker of Woodstock from Snoopy on the back of the body. Nowadays I wouldn't dream of putting stickers on my bass, although I do very much love the idea of going through life with an instrument that is unmistakably your own 'creation', having had some kind of unique paint job or underlying feature that makes you as a player instantly visually recognisable. You don't really see that anymore.

Technique is a redundant thing if you're not contributing anything to the music you perform, in fact it will make your music sound thoroughly conceited. I don't especially enjoy Victor's music but he is always on the money with these kinds of comments and clearly understands music to a very high level.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1351596' date='Aug 25 2011, 06:07 PM']The "Bring back Graffiti Yellow" campaign starts here![/quote] I'm entirely with you on this one, vastly underrated finish! As for the OP, I completely agree, Fender lacks a lot of thinking in terms of what they offer as options nowadays. More of a choice of colours would be wonderful.

I laugh it off, usually drop out for a bar or two then carry on when I regain my composure!

I don't subscribe to the quest for tone type of thinking. Vibrating G String put it so perfectly in a thread the other day that I put it in my sig because it's what I'm all about I like gear, and if I had money I'd buy a lot of things but give me one bass for the rest of my life and I wouldn't complain. There's more important things to fuss over. It's generally why I rarely discuss gear on this forum and like to talk more about music because the latter is more important to me.

[quote name='lojo' post='1348301' date='Aug 22 2011, 07:35 PM']Strange how this can work both ways, Obviously there are those who know all the theory and use it in jaw dropping ways, improvising around any theme. However I've also played with a few piano players who can play anything in front of them, but cant do anything off page. Is that down to the core of them or has this been the way they've been taught ?[/quote] Without straying into an argument that I've seen many times before on this forum, you need everything to be the best musician you can possibly be. Great theoretical knowledge, great feel and instinct, and great reading skills as well. However, depending on what area of music your personal tastes lie, maybe only a few of these skills will be applicable to you and therefore you'll choose to develop these skills more than the rest. The kinds of players you describe generally come from a classical background, if I was to generalise in a massive way. For a violinist in an orchestra playing a big concerto, it would be seriously frowned upon if you started to play what wasn't written down in front of you, and that's fine because the music is written in that way and doesn't call for improvisation. Classical music is about controlling orchestras and freedom of expression comes from the composer, not the players.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1348149' date='Aug 22 2011, 05:04 PM']Noone said it would be easy! THe statement was it cannot be taught, not it cannot be taught quickly. Your argument shows only that it can't be taught in a couple of lessons. THAT I would agree with. But that does not mean it cannot be taught. Took me 17 lessons to learn to drive. I reckon I could get Blademan up to speed in 17 hours [/quote] Learning scales and theory is like learning to drive. The stuff you get taught by an instructor will help you meet the needs of any given situation... in theory. However, most people will tell new drivers that when the time comes and you've passed your test and are let loose on the road, that's when you'll actually realise that all the lessons were a very small part of the bigger picture, and that the real learning curve starts when you rack up the miles solo. Experience and familiarity with the demands of the road. Music is exactly the same, you just can't teach people how to groove, it's got to be instinctive. You won't get that instinct through lessons.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1348072' date='Aug 22 2011, 03:29 PM']My point is simply that what determines your strengths and weaknesses is what you have and have not practised, not some illisive 'it' that you have ot haven't got. If a player can't move forward in some area, it is usually a lack of application and of investment. I have never got beyond the basics of tapping and slapping but it is not because I can't do it (I once was able to play Motherlode and 5G by Jeff Berlin and a couple if Stu Hamm pieces etc). I fail to get good at those areas because I actually don't really value those elements in music and saw no real purpose in investing the time it would take to get to a Manring or Wooten level. Now when we are talking about playing funk, we are not talking about techniques that take thousands of hours to learn like Manring's stuff, we are often talking about relatively minimal lines played in a certain way. To suggest that playing something like 'Cissy Strut' or 'Good Times' can't be taught is, in my mind, a nonsense.[/quote] I still disagree. Teaching can only strengthen and broaden the foundations of an existing talent and develop a better understanding of this talent... but unless you have a passion for a certain kind of music and have submerged yourself for years at playing and listening to it then it cannot be taught. You would agree then for example that a person who has never listened to jazz in their life can be taught over a few hours how to play like Charlie Parker from scratch? It's an extreme example but I don't see much of a difference. Teaching is fine up to a point, but there's just no way you're going to be able to play like these guys without the personal investment of your own time and passion for that music. It's not a framework that teachers can suddenly offer to a student over a couple of teaching hours. The best the teacher will do is offer them the means to explore a certain style of music through introduction and example.

[quote name='Kaasa' post='1347915' date='Aug 22 2011, 12:38 PM']Awesome! Well I'll be staying there for 3 years. BA not the Foundation stuff.[/quote] Good luck with it all, I'm still around Liverpool quite regularly playing so chances are I'll bump into you sooner or later!

[quote name='Kaasa' post='1347803' date='Aug 22 2011, 10:05 AM']Hehe, well its fortunate that i just bought the TC RH450, just because its small and portable then. Kickback amps is that amp+cab or a combo? Gonna live at Agnes Jones House, which is pretty close I've heard. Yeah, Tim was the one judgeing on the audtion in Norway. Seemed like an allright guy! So the drummers on LIPA doesnt have a place to have their drumkits? How is the schedule on LIPA, what subjects and stuff do you have the first year?[/quote] Agnes Jones House is so close that you won't have to worry at all. The Hartkes are combos. They're fine for rehearsals etc. and for live performances in the Sennheiser and the PMA they have Orange amps as far as I'm aware. You'll be able to use your own gear as well. The drummers at LIPA have hardware and drums in each rehearsal room. Yamahas if I remember correctly. All that will be required is that the drummer brings is cymbals I think, but you'll get briefed about all of this in your first week. First year comprises of loads of different things: aural work (getting your ear together and transcribing), improvisation with either Steve Berry, Mike Walker or another outside lecturer... pray you get one of those guys though because they'll blow your mind! Business as well, music production and a few other bits and pieces. It's brilliant, you'll have the best year of your life, trust me!

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1347812' date='Aug 22 2011, 10:16 AM']In my experience most of the funk comes from the drummer, and [b]very[/b] broadly speaking funk drummers fall into two categories: 1: Drummers with great feel whose beats make you want to jump about, sometimes not the most technical of drummers but can groove really hard. They seem to have looser influences people like Stevie Wonder, the New Orleans drummers, John Bonham... whatever the genre, they play grooves I can't sit still to. Some put a small amount of swing to almost everything they play which makes them fun and inspiring to play bass to. For me this is where the funk is. 2: Drummers with great time but lacking that certain something, often technically excellent but their timing is a little too regimented. Their influences seem to be the more produced stuff like Donald Fagan, EWF and super tight drummers like Dave Weckl (although he seems to have loosened up a bit recently). Playing bass along to some of these guys is about as inspiring as playing to a metronome, most are happy for me to push and pull the groove a little to try and bring some life to it, but a few just don't get it.[/quote] I agree with the sentiment of what you're saying, but whilst the guys that have played with Donald Fagan are all excellent drummers with incredible feels, they were all being told to play as cleanly as possible because that's what Fagan and Becker wanted for the tracks they performed on. Bernard Purdie and Steve Jordan for example are two of the most hardcore funk drummers I've ever heard and can get as low down and dirty as any of James Brown's drummers. It's hard when the boundaries of the categories get blurred like this, but I understand what you're saying. [quote name='Doddy' post='1347851' date='Aug 22 2011, 11:11 AM']I've never found Bonham (or Zeppelin in general) to be funky or groovy or whatever.[/quote] With respect Doddy, you can't have listened to very much Zeppelin then! I remember watching Paul Turner from Jamiroquai telling a few of us that he loved playing along to AC/DC tracks like Back In Black because they were so 'funky'. And he's right, it does have an undeniably funky feel to it.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1347698' date='Aug 22 2011, 01:33 AM']Well when applied to bass, according to this famous italian bassist / teacher it can be taught. In this video he demonstrates 7 different level of funk technique from beginner to advanced (also check out his other videos) I warn you this guy is a monter! I know what you are all saying now, and yeah that's exactly what I said after watching that video, "f*** me!" do you still wanna play bass now? [/quote] That's not funk. That's another happy-go-slap youtube'er who thinks he's go something going on, but there's no space, there is no rhythmic interest and it's far too conceited. Simplicity seems to be the hardest thing for most bass players to get to grips with when talking about this kind of music. Funk isn't some kind of magic formula that you plug into and suddenly play. There's also no prerequisite to suddenly start slapping either. This is funk. Not super tight, not super polished, but this is what people should be aiming for:

No, you've got to grow up and be listening to that kind of music, it's got to be in your blood. You can't teach a 'feel', which is what funk is.