Hector

His playing on this song is something I keep coming back to (and some of the faces are worth a chuckle too....). Solo at 2.10 is very pretty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPhJn6pz6Fg

Wholly approve the last two posts! Just found this whilst youtubeing, priceless groove from Pino.... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TesSAq6uY34[/media]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1389695649' post='2336920'] I think there is a lot to be said for trying different fingerings etc. For years, I struggled with the main bass riff on Tubular Bells (the one behind the developing list of instruments). I could play it but is felt clunky. I saw Oldfield playing it on a documentary recently and realised my problem wasn't the line, it was my fingering choice. I picked up a bass and could play it immediately, without the hiccups. Some fingering patterns just flow better on some lines. [/quote] Never would've had that problem with TAB

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1389221972' post='2331694'] ...no probs Hector! EDIT - pdf sent via email Enjoy! [/quote] Ta very much. I'm a big fan of this bebop dominant 7 + tensions workout. I do it sloooooowly and precisely in whatever the key du jour is. Really like the fact that there are multiple viable fingering options, I tend to do a few different ones. http://jazztrumpetlicks.com/2009/04/this-bebop-scale-exercise-will-help-develop-your-improv-jazz-skills/ There's also some fun little perpetual motion bebop lines in the David Baker book series that go through ii-Vs in all keys moving in tones. Bit more of an involved workout!

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1389205455' post='2331380'] Pentatonic bluesy chromatic scale crossing strings pizz only starting slow in low position and getting faster rising up the fingerboard to get the blood flowing in both hands [/quote] Pentatonic?! Bluesy?! Chromatic?! Stop right there, I'm in jazz heaven Any chance you could share? [quote name='timbo1978' timestamp='1389212344' post='2331523'] Wow, apart from the Guinness one I don't really warm up at all. Does it make a big difference? [/quote] A [i]huge[/i] difference. Even if you're not doing a long stretch of practise, just 20-30 mins at the start can help enormously. I find that the other things I'm practising become a bit easier and my technique is better, which makes that practise worth more and makes playing with solid technique become automatic that much quicker. Things that were hard become doable with effort and then doable without effort faster this way. I work full time so often will only have 1.5-2 hrs a day to practise (and sometimes not at all....), but will always do something to get pot bubbling first.

My faithful bass bag of the last 5 years has been replaced by a sw***y new bag that is actually the right size for my bass. It's really beaten up - all the pocket zips need replacing but the main zip is fine. There's a scuff on one of the lower bouts that has caused a small hole right through. [u]Features:[/u] 4/4 Plain black with lots of handles Large back pocket Bow pocket Two smaller front pockets Can include a longer strap across the back if needed Inner zip protectors to avoid scuffing the instrument No idea of the manufacturer Padded. (I can put up some pictures if anyone is keen) It's a rough old careworn thing but does the job and might be of use if anyone knows a player who needs one but is strapped for cash. Possible to replace the zips and patch the hole, I'm sure. Thought I would check before throwing it out!

Any time mate, you too!

Congratulations! Such wonderful news, just in time for Christmas

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1387885478' post='2316782'] In relation to this, how do you get the right balance in practice time between the various demands? I'm terrible for getting things out of kilter, so a few weeks on scales and my right hand speed goes to pot. Partly stubbornness I think. I'm inclined to battle at a thing until time runs out. Any suggestions about how to balance out practices so that strength, dexterity, musicality, ear, reading etc all get attention but don't get spread too thinly either? Not too far from the OP I hope, as we need all of the above and more. And if anybody has got a tip for living to be 120, please include in your reply. [/quote] One of those questions without any specific "right" answer, probably quite dependent on how individual players feel like approaching it! But instead of just leaving at that, I'll tell you my thought process at least. The general idea is I prefer a little bit of everything often, rather than a lot of some things less often. However, my practise routine is broken into lots of little chunks, and I can then throw these chunks into a particular session when I see fit, and shift the balance in favour of some things over others. I'm constantly tweaking it. Sometimes, very rarely, I will even practise focusing on just one thing, and try to leave a practise session with a concrete sense of achievement in a specific domain. It might be small, but they all add up eventually. I typically practise only harmonic concepts or licks in a limited manner - absorbing something well enough to improvise with it. I try in the practise room to cultivate a strong awareness of my own playing as I do it - the movements of my body in relation to the instrument, my sound, any tension in my body. I will often spend a little time without playing, just sitting and thinking about how I interact with the instrument, and try to critically assess what I'm doing in relation to what I would like to do. I don't do this when I actually practise though, I do this sort of thinking on the bus etc. and come to the next session with ideas of what I want to practise. Lots of micromanaging! My typical practise session isn't predetermined, but typically comes from the targeting specific weaknesses in this manner. I also try to do visualisation practise as much as I can, and this can sometimes make me aware of things I want to address. It also helps with learning the fingerboard etc. Using these ideas keeps my practising fresh and challenging, rather than a bit stale (which it has been in the past). As a result of this awareness, I am able to pinpoint things that need special attention in my musicianship or technique, and adjust my practise sessions accordingly. I find that sort of hyper-aware headspace is also a good one to get into when playing live, but instead allowing myself to "autopilot" all the things about my own playing that I previously focused on, and transfer awareness to the sound of the band, my (musical) relationship with the drummer etc. I know this sounds a bit new-agey, I promise I'm not aligning my Chakras or anything.....

Hah, slightly irrelevant thought and not fully formed so wouldn't worry too much.! I was just thinking that Lydian can sound really consonant, and was trying to possibly relate it to the fact that if you go up in 5ths from a particular note, you end up with #11 rather than 11. E.g. from C going up in 5ths, you get C(R) G(5) D(9) A(13) E(3) B(7) F#(#11) ---- rearranged ---> C(R) D(9) E(3) F#(#11) G(5) A(13) B(7) (Lydian mode) If you do it on a piano with a sustain pedal on and leave all the notes ringing, an F# sounds a bit nicer to the ear than F natural. I was just thinking that this might be why the natural 4 can sound a bit out over tonic chords, maybe related to something to do with the physics of sound or the harmonic overtone series or something like that, maybe even deeper about how our brains process music and why some things sound dissonant, but I'm not sure it's worth probing further for much more than academic interest! There's a jazz theorist called George Russel who developed a whole method based around the Lydian scale, called the Lydian Chromatic Concept. I've not studied it myself, but I think it goes quite deep. Perhaps it's time for me to avoid the relatives and have a read? Will report back and try to be less vague in the future If you're interested, likely not because I'm being a nerd, his website explaining some stuff to do with why he thinks Lydian is so great is here: [url="http://www.lydianchromaticconcept.com/lccoto.html"]http://www.lydianchromaticconcept.com/lccoto.html[/url]

There's no real taboo about playing the 4th. It can clash with a major 7th a bit. However,this doesn't mean avoid the 4th but rather treat with extra care. (Jazz guys often play #4 over major 7 chords. There's an interesting reason for this - go up in 5ths from a root and you get a lydian (#4) scale.) The interval of a 4th isn't inherently dissonant though, it sounds nice. If a chord is voiced as a 5 chord (ie a powerchord) the 4th can be nice

Resurrecting thread because I heard this little Pino gem yesterday. Amazing feel: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLFzdcWVZjo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLFzdcWVZjo[/url]

Nice one Manraj, living the dream!

This forum is a huge part of my db experience. I love the depth of knowledge and exceptionally high quality of person to be found on here. Happy holidays to you all!

I'm with UBM on this one - there are plenty of calisthenics/exercises that you can do on a bass to tune your muscles. I'm a huge fan of this book, which I've gone back to to get in shape after time off: [url="http://www.davidgage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=98"]http://www.davidgage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=98[/url] But I appreciate there are other exercises out there which are likely just as good. I would say on a related note, that I have decided that I think that the whole idea of never practising "unmusical" technical exercises is tosh. I used to agree, but have changed my tune a bit. I think of it in terms of cognitive load - you can only focus on a few things at a time. Exercises are good for fine-tuning your technique and being able to totally focus on micromanaging the movements of your fingers. What does everyone else think?

Yeah, so Mikey has, I think, mis-heard in a few places, and I made a couple of typos in my post as well as not being very clear in the first place. I was in a rush and made a right hash of it, probably more confusing than helpful! I'll try to explain a bit better: [My previous post now correct for dominant 7ths] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]To clarify, in that video Barry is prefacing pattern 4 with the the fifth e.g. in C: G F D Eb E. This is just so that it fits in with putting chord tones on strong beats, I have listed it from the 4th to match the 54321 nomenclature. Mikey has GFCDE, which is not what is demonstrated.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I should apologise for copying out these licks in a rush and not watching the video attentively, Barry is talking here about outlining harmony of a Maj9 chord, but I wrote out the patterns for a dominant 9 chord, sorry! Patterns need to change for dominant vs. major chords (and indeed for minor chords) to have the right tones landing on strong beats.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So, to be absolutely clear, and to put in rests as parentheses [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]to make the chord tones outline the harmony correctly, here they are for a Cmaj9 chord:[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]5:[/b] GBCFE[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]4:[/b] ()FDEbE[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]3:[/b] EGBD (note here that the D falls on an upbeat!)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]2:[/b] () D [BCC#] D (square brackets is triplet)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So, that big lick that Barry does at the end is over a major 9 tonality, running the 5432 lines in order to create a big one (like power rangers joining forces, thanks childhood!). It is:[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]G B C F D Eb E G B D [B C C#] D with the square brackets denoting the triplet. [/font][/color] The equivalent lines for Dominant 9 chords are: [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]5:[/b] GBCFE[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]4:[/b] ()FDEbE[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]3:[/b] EGBbD (note here that the D falls on an upbeat!)[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]2:[/b] () D Bb B C[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][b]1: [/b][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]C B Bb D A G[/font][/color] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]And for dominant chords, then, the megazord lick would be:[/color][/font] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]G B C F D Eb E G Bb D Bb B C B Bb D A G[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]A cool idea is to put an Ab as the last note, and use that as a chromatic approach to a G, restarting the whole phrase an octave lower....[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Sorry again for bumbling, my notes were in a bit of a jumble and I wrote that last post in a hurry. I've had a look, and I can't for the life of me remember these approaches for minor 6 chords, or find my notes for them, which speaks volumes about my mental capacity during the workshop (you can see how on the ball you need to be to pick up the lines, especially when there are 4 or 5 different piano players each getting it wrong in a different way at the same time!). I'll have a rummage and see if I can turn them up.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]As an aside, some of the licks he sings earlier in that video are demonstrating how to add a few notes in before the 54321 lick, to show it working in the context of a bigger line, and to make those little patterns put chord tones on the strong beats. What's nice is you can insert these approach patterns into any line, even with something a bit more modern like a spread triadic kind of idea, so long as they make the chord tones land on strong beats. For example, over a C major tonality mixing Fmaj and Gmaj triads, and ending:[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]B D G A C F D Eb E[/font][/color] I found this hard at first, but after a bit of practise with this bebop vocabularly I'm starting to hear when chord tones should be on strong beats. [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]p.s. Could upload that Clifford Brown transcription if everyone is willing to brave my handwriting (and, I'm sure, a few rhythmic flubs in there)?[/color][/font]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1386786503' post='2304561'] Not getting nasty in the slightest, just responding to comments made previously with some observations I have made of a variety of clips of famous DB players. I can also say the same of some famous fretless electric bass players, their intonation makes me wince. It's something we all strive to improve (lines or no lines) but I found the " [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]'kin lightweights [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]10,000,000 violin, viola, cello and double bass players can't all be wrong." belittling; you made no mention of that being nasty.[/font][/color] [/quote] It was a joke, putting myself in the category of DB players that are revered in this community!

[b]PLEASE SEE MY NEXT POST FOR DEFINITIVE 54321 PATTERNS OVER MAJOR AND DOMINANT CHORDS[/b] Hiya Matt. I went on a 2 day masterclass with Barry this past summer. Nice guy, we got on well. Good to hang with a bit of history too - I wrote a thesis on Thelonious Monk so it was good to chat someone who knew him personally. He was really involved in the classic Detroit scene, taught a lot of great players some stuff PC included. This article gives an idea: [url="http://jazztimes.com/articles/26968-barry-harris-teacher-man"]http://jazztimes.com...ris-teacher-man[/url] It was during a bit of a whirlwind weekend sleeping on various couches in London, and I had a belter of a hangover so was there mostly to absorb the delicious boppy vibe. Quite a piano centric course, with lots on his approach to harmony in terms of comping. Still, I have some notes on this scribbled down, which read (in chord tones) as: [b]5:[/b] 5 7 1 11 3 (5 as the highest note) [b]4: [/b]11 9 #9 3 (I'm guilty of using this one far too much!) [b]3: [/b]3 5 b7 9 [b]2: [/b]9 b7 7 1 [b]1: [/b]R 7 b7 9 13 5 (This is a really classic bebop lick, used all the time! 9 down to 13 btw) So those are the phrases to be used on[u] dominant chords[/u] to not just play the bebop mixolydian scale. They start on, you guessed it, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. They're basically just nice little phrases to break up purely scale-based playing. This stuff all relates to classic bebop vocabulary of chord tone enclosure etc to play nice long flowing lines through the changes. The best reference I've found is David Baker's "How To Play Bebop", which codifies and breaks down lots of typical bebop devices for you to take through the keys and incorporate in your own playing. I would say that his books are a must-have for people wanting to learn to speak that kind of language. It'll really help extend your lines whilst still making the changes. This article gives a nice demonstration of how chord tone enclosure makes lines more interesing: [url="http://jazzadvice.com/how-to-effectively-use-enclosure/"]http://jazzadvice.co...-use-enclosure/[/url] If you're interested in Barry's playing, check out some of his albums, or his sideman work with people like Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon etc. Although the Baker books are good, you can transcribe it direct from the source on records! You hear different players use preferred variations on the usual bebop vocabulary. For example Clifford Brown used this a lot: 3 7 9 1 (hitting that root on the downbeat). You can hear it in his classic Joy Spring solo at 1m47s, 2m22s (displaced by a quaver, cheeky) 3m01s, all over major chords. You can use it over dominants too though, and over minor chords if you flat the 3. Lee Morgan does this in his incredible solo on Moanin' at 2m06s. In general, it's nice to break up lines into these little snippets, you get loads of mileage out of your transcription that way, and frankenstein your own new ideas. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8kvsLBoGWM[/media] (Joy Spring) [media]http://youtu.be/3_3XVxPauiA[/media] (Moanin) Let me know if you have any more questions That Joy Spring solo is full of excellent bop lines and enclosures, you're welcome to a copy of my transcription if you want?

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1386783309' post='2304505'] A lot of DB players I've heard are often woefully out of tune, including some of the players that are revered in this very community. I also find the term stabilisers very patronising, I'm surprised and disappointed by it's usage, by a mod no less. [/quote] No need to get nasty mate, we're all working really hard on our tuning.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1386713440' post='2303664'] Where can I find out more about this approach? [/quote] It's a double bass thing, but if you're interested, you'd want to try to find out as much as you can about Francois Rabbath. The basic idea is, if your fingers 124 cover frets 567, you can also pivot your hand (with the thumb in the same place) to reach for frets 4 and 8. Using this pivoting, he then subdivides the bass' neck into fewer positions (relative to the other dominant school of double bass left hand tehnique, Simandl). Personally, I think it's dead useful (particularly on upright), although I am primarily a Simandl (124 strictly without pivot) player, and tend to see Rabbath style technique as an exension of Simandl rather than an addition to it. This series of videos features one of Rabbath's students teaching the basics: http://youtu.be/54pMdTCmo8g Here's another one of Rabbath's more accomplished students absolutely tearing it up: http://youtu.be/VXt6htVi3C4

Hi gang. I'm looking to buy a new case for my big lady now that she's back from hospital - the old one has zips going and bits fraying and stuffing coming out. Suddenly having better protection has floated to the top of my consciousness. Any recommendations for a decent softcase? I'm not fussed about having wheels and bells and whistles on, but would like a nicely padded and fairly durable one if possible. Simple and beautiful a la Forrest Gump. £200 as a ballpark figure, but would prefer under that unless there's a good reason! H

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1385758770' post='2292010'] Another slightly off-topic conclusion I made tonight is that loopers and six-string basses go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong. [/quote] My 6 string and my looper agree that you know what's up! Seriously though, best practising is looping my own chord sequences and soloing over them - helps my harmonic understanding and phrasing no doubt, but I get the benefits of learning how to comp with nice voice leading and learning how the lines I'm playing interact with the accompaniment. That and transcribing/analysing the players I want to sound like - learning to sing the solos is painful (and if other people are in the house embarrssing) but starts to pay off eventually!

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1383435448' post='2264558'] [b]Who: [/b][color=#0000FF][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Christian McBride (Trio)[/size][/font][/color] [b]Why: [/b][color=#0000FF][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]No introduction needed ![/size][/font][/color] [b]What: [/b][color=#0000FF][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Jazz gig[/size][/font][/color] [b]Where[/b][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]: [/size][/font][/color][color=#0000FF][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Ronnie Scotts 7.15pm Monday 18th November [/size][/font][/color] [b]More info :[/b][url="http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/view/1631-christian-mcbride-trio"]http://www.ronniesco...an-mcbride-trio[/url] [/quote] Caught this gig on the Tuesday night. Amazing experience! Anyone else go?

Good news, she's home! Really looking forward to getting stuck in again, didn't sleep a wink last night knowing today was the day.... A great repair job from Malcolm Healey:

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1385049792' post='2283866'] Is that Divergent or Convergent? [/quote] Dunno mate! It's kind of semantics really. I see it as qualitatively different to my usual practicing of scales/arpeggios/licks etc. It's more that I just throw in a chord progression on the looper and then play over it and zen out a bit. I'm not setting a particular goal when I do this - not that there isn't a goal of being a better player and improving my musicianship, but more that this goal isn't approached in as ordered and focused manner as would be when pinpointing specific things about my playing and practicing those. It usually throws up a few things I can practice in a convergent manner, but I don't see it as convergent in of itself. As an aside, I actually think it's an essential part of any practice routine.