risingson

[quote name='silddx' post='1026016' date='Nov 16 2010, 04:17 PM']Thanks mate, I'll try to check them although it's not on YT. I've just been going through various live Gwiz vids (four of them, not demos, live footage) and they all seem to be two or three chord vamps with solos in, no melodies to speak of, no heart-thumping harmony, just simple changes like you say. Why are people so defensive of him and get angry at criticism of him? He's doing very little if anything that is advancing modern jazz, I see no extraordinary bass skills, composition, no real energy. The trumpet player held my attention more than anyone in the band. He looks tired. Is he trying to be commercial maybe? I wouldn't blame him for that I suppose, he needs to make a living. I really don't understand what the hype's all about So many people seem to thinkhe's a bass god. I imagine he's a lovely guy with great physical chops and giant theoretical understanding, and a great teacher. But is this [b]REALLY [/b]his vision is of what to do with all these skills and knowledge? I mean, he has the knowledge and opportunity to REALLY compose. Why doesn't he? EDIT: I just had a thought, I seem to be labouring under the impression he is known as a full on Jazz player and is marketed like that, I think. Am I wrong? Is he as Jazz/Funk guy? That would make a big difference to my expectations of him probably. Still can't understand the fuss though.[/quote] You really don't have to quantify your own opinions to satisfy those who will force their own thoughts down your throat. I don't like him either, I think his music is bland, very very bland. But I understand that there will be people with opinions that differ to my own.

Well done Beedster, spent the past few weeks reading about what you've been doing. We just got through finishing up our first album in our studio we purpose built as well, would definitely be keen to see how you've got on with yours! EDIT I'm sure you've spent a small fortune on gear right now but I'd strongly advise getting an AKG C414 to add to the mic cupboard, it's a great all rounder and very true sounding, works great on acoustics and piano.

[quote name='krispn' post='1025653' date='Nov 16 2010, 11:26 AM']On a completely opposite end of the scale I find some of the Jamerson stuff initially sounds really hard, then you nail one phrase or passage and then only to realise its on a whole different level of playing and you would never make those note choices not even at gunpoint. I cant believe how much [b]milage he got between the open strings and 5th fret[/b].[/quote] That's the part that always gets me too... the way he just threw passing notes out like stepping stones to get somewhere, then expecting him to land on the root but instead he lands on a major 3rd instead or a 5th, or a pedal you don't see coming etc. etc. The guy just knew music inside out and back to front. I think that's the point about most of the bass lines mentioned, they might be easy (in some people's opinion) to play, but having come up with them in the first place is an entirely different story altogether.

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1025405' date='Nov 16 2010, 01:26 AM']Listen to lots of different music, but fav is Jazz Funk, Fusion, Swing, Soul,... Jamiroquia, Simply Red, Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, George Benson, Mezzoforte, Brand New Heavies, Genesis, Average White Band, Various 70's, 80's music. How about you, Risingon, what music in your cd collection? [/quote] You listed a lot of cool stuff there that I'm sure as you're aware already contain some cracking (and at times some pretty advanced) bass lines. I started out playing Jamiroquai tunes. Their first album, 'Emergency On Planet Earth', is great to play along with, particularly 'When You Gonna Learn', 'Too Young To Die' and 'Whatever it is I Just Can't Stop'. Take it nice and slow, sit down with your bass and try and figure out what's going on with them and get your hands working together. Don't worry about nailing everything to begin with, it's all about having fun. I listen to a stupidly diverse and at times bizarre variety of music. Old Motown/Stax/Atlantic stuff, The Beatles, Herbie Hancock, Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Bobby Womack, Jefferson Airplane, Charlie Parker, masses of electronic stuff from Warp, Border Community, Ninja and BPitch... a lot!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1025398' date='Nov 16 2010, 01:10 AM']It's where funk went when it left all the chin-strokers behind. [/quote] Just about the same time white people sucked the fun out of it too.

Yeh, I like the turn towards the advent of hip hop here. Here's some more modern stuff from the east coast, forget that fat w*nker 50 Cent, THIS is the real talent to come from NYC and Philadelphia.

When I first started out I just played along to all my favourite records. The best thing you can do initially to is to practice using your ear to pick out bass lines and approximating what you hear onto your bass. It's all about familiarising yourself with your instrument, if you're using your ear to pick out bits of music and then playing what you hear, you will find learning things will come a lot quicker to you. What kind of music do you like to listen to?

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1025330' date='Nov 15 2010, 11:26 PM'].to be honest i do love a modern production...this i dig.. it couldnt be more of what i like... the intro moves me.. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0ec7n0QL4k&playnext=1&list=PL2BB950265B4C782A&index=1"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0ec7n0QL4k...82A&index=1[/url][/quote] Don't get me wrong, it's well done. But it's too well done, the character you'd find with grittier production values is lost and the sound becomes fatiguing very quickly to my ears. The older albums don't suffer from this problem because whilst they're still very clean, there is a warmer sound to the records that is just great coupled with their music at the time. Aja is practically a masterpiece in this respect.

They're the token muso band. I grew up listening to them in my dad's car when I was younger. Their new stuff is a little too clinical in terms of production values (ironically so is their older stuff depending on your taste; their sound played better when Katz and Fagen and Becker were limited by 70's studio technology), and the older stuff is the best... Aja's notably, but Royal Scam and Pretzel Logic as well.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1025260' date='Nov 15 2010, 10:05 PM']Yes. They are so melencolic.[/quote] Never found them gloomy at all, although I can see why you'd say that they were. To me, they're the creators of the best music I have ever heard.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='1024588' date='Nov 15 2010, 01:29 PM']He's a German, and an audiophile. The chances of it being a joke are miniscule! [/quote] It certainly explains the protracted and fatiguing attention to detail

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1024093' date='Nov 14 2010, 10:30 PM']Had the pleasure of seeing Autechre, at the N.I.A. Centre in Manchester, ended up in the dressing rooms, smoking with an American, black funk band who were supporting. Can anyone help me out in remembering who they could have been? [/quote] Nice nice nice. You a Boards of Canada fan by any chance?

Really not palatable music, clunky and pretty jarring to my ears, and the production is sterile and very close. A terrible bass tone as well. Goes to show you can spend however much you want on buying a bass, making it sound good is a different story. Purely my opinion, sorry if it doesn't reflect your own. Clearly a good musician but the music he's investing his time in is definitely not my thing.

Braylon Lacy who plays with Erykah Badu (or used to), Ed Nash from Bombay Bicycle Club put together some really great bass lines on the last album and Chris Wood all get my vote, but most of the cool bass lines I'm hearing right now are on synth bass.

I've travelled over a thousand miles to get to Sweden to play that amount of tunes. But I did get paid, and unless you are as well I'd strongly suggest not bothering.

I've done 50 gigs this year dead on, by the end of December that will be 60. All covers which is killing me right now, but from January onwards this will be significantly less cover gigs and considerably more original work as our band have our debut album coming out and we'll be touring the country. It's been a good year, we've been busy recording weekdays and busy playing weekends so actually we've had to turn down a lot of work to compensate for studio time!

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='1023571' date='Nov 14 2010, 04:25 PM']I did a dep gig at Jak's in Liverpool a few years back, and a guy came over at the end of the night and complimented me. I took it very humbly, as I've never been one to blow my own trumpet, and I'm a jack of all trades & a master at none. Anyway, turns out this guy was the bass tutor at the university. I then took it a lot more seriously and it really did make me proud.[/quote] What was this guys name out of interest?

This looks very, very interesting.

[quote name='witterth' post='1020626' date='Nov 11 2010, 08:07 PM']Well I think, 1,Pino Palladino but... Quote" (not his fretless playing)" Unquote,...well why the Fu#k not? say I!!? Pino can do NO wrong for me, and his fretless playing influenced a generation and "reminded" me what Jaco did before, I may have missed out on his playing otherwise( if you were around and playing in '82and'83 youll understand)[/quote] Sorry, I missed this. Like you say, Pino can do no wrong. I like his fretless playing very much but no where near as much as what he did later on in the past 15 years or so with a P-Bass. I wasn't an 80's kid (well, ironically I was being born in 1989) and I don't like the artists he was working with when he did much of his fretless playing... I don't care how good the bass line is, if I don't like the tune then I'm not interested.

Yeh, the gloves did help at my gig tonight. I try and warm up a little before I play but sometimes I just don't get the chance. I'd never dream of wearing them DURING playing, but before a gig then yes.

Just about to leave for a gig and I saw this thread, I'm currently wearing gloves in order for my hands not to get too cold beforehand! Never tried this before. I'll leave them on until about 5 minutes before I go on for my first set. Seems a bit dramatic but I definitely know how you feel, I just cannot play when I'm too cold. I'll let you know how it pans out for me.

Presumably this article is a joke? The effect of lacquer to the sonic properties of an instrument will be so, so minimal. Honestly, this guy would have better spent his time doing the big shop at Tesco rather than writing this article. Some people concern themselves more with the formulas on good tone rather than being a great player with a good instrument, it baffles me.

icastle hit the nail on the head here with some really sound advice. We get practically all our gigs through word of mouth, we started off a few years ago playing a bar near us and then the manager set us up with gigs in his other bars locally, then people started to come and see us from the Midlands and further afield and started booking us for weddings, functions and all manner of well paid stuff. It's all about having a good rapport, and most of all being prepared with business cards at the end of gigs and being punctual with replies to gig offers and emails. Nothing sets you up better than being an organised band. Think about it: turning up on time, being set up when you're told and giving them a hell of a gig will mean that the chances of you getting recommended to play again are very high indeed. Finally, some people think they can mess bands around and put them on the back foot because they feel because they're giving you a gig they're somehow doing you a favour... but as long as you're drawing them a crowd, it's YOU that's doing them a favour. Don't waste your time with pubs that feel as though they can take the piss, there is money to be had elsewhere. It's worth while remembering the gigs worth doing and the the ones that aren't.

I try and avoid Bryan Adams likes the plague. Unfortunately every Friday and I Saturday night I get hounded to play it by someone and as a direct result of this I find the song makes me want to go firebombing!

Interesting, certainly. Pretty they are not!