Hector

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1198654' date='Apr 13 2011, 08:31 PM']after you've fixed it get a Speakon lead, much better option IMO[/quote] It is a speakon! Does the above advice still apply?

Hi guys, So my Markbass Little Mark II has gotten to be quite temperamental. Essentially, the speaker cable jack has to have pressure on it in order to make a decent connection. I'm wondering if this is likely to be a fault of my amp or of the speaker cable? It doesn't seem to lock into the jack as it does with my cab. I'm quite confused as to this issue, so any thoughts would be a great help! H

[quote name='TKenrick' post='1192077' date='Apr 7 2011, 06:13 PM']Cannonball's opening phrase on 'Milestones' is one of my all-time favourite moments. Aside from that, the first time I heard Sonny Rollins on 'St Thomas' was a big turning point, as was getting Metheny's 'Bright Size Life' record.[/quote] Man, listening to "Somethin' Else" and tell you what: Cannonball really knows how to open a solo with a bang! Some really awesome moments on that album. As for what got me into Jazz, I have no idea!

[quote name='bassace' post='1190343' date='Apr 6 2011, 12:01 PM']Good stuff Hector. You in Oxford? Be good to meet and chat some time.[/quote] I'm not until the 18th (revising for finals.....) but I'm always happy to meet and play/chat!

[quote name='paul_5' post='1189489' date='Apr 5 2011, 07:09 PM']Grrrrr, can't get the links to open. Thanks for posting though.[/quote] The top link is the first result when googling "jason lyon jazz", and the the other link is the first result when googling "david valdez jazz saxophone". Maybe you can access them that way?

Hi all, I've take a bit of interest in [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels-Henning_%C3%98rsted_Pedersen"]"The Great Dane"[/url] recently, and thought I'd share the fruits of my research/experimentation. This is primarily to do with his RH technique. Here are some vids for the uninitiated: To start off, it's pretty clear that he has amazing RH facility, particularly using 3 fingers for some passages. However, he doesn't use 3 fingers all the time (check that 60s sessions video....), and it's often a matter of common sense/what is most comfortable for you as to when to apply this. Nice to have in your bag of tricks though. The beauty of the exercises given below is that they can be used for 2 finger players, just by playing these exercises with index and middle fingers only. NHØP uses his fingers, when playing with 3, strictly ring-middle-index, except when crossing down a string, where he uses a rake (not a garden rake, he carries through with that same finger onto the string below). This can be seen in the following: (Ok, so I know that he isn't always that strict, but to build three finger facility it's necessary until it becomes automatic) The most difficult part of playing with 3 fingers is getting it to not sound like triplets, which is mostly to do with getting the attack on the ring finger as strong as index and middle. Here are a few exercises I've found around the web, and developed for my own purposes. I've been including them in my regular practice routine with some really good results! 1. Take a scale, any scale (this technique is easier on the A, D and G strings, so bear that in mind when starting out). Set the metronome at a lowish tempo (as low as you need to play this exercise cleanly, somewhere in the region 60-80bpm). Play the scale in 8th notes, with two notes per scale degree, up and down as many times as you need to feel comfortable. Remember to play r-m-i strictly, except for a "rake" downwards when crossing to a lower string (You can also try this without the rake if it's more natural for you, either is fine). Next, double the speed of your left hand, so you're playing one 8th note per scale degree. Next double RH speed, so you're playing 16ths, with 2 to each scale degree. Finally, double speed of left hand so you're doing playing the scale in 16ths. Try doing this for various different scales (e.g. moving by semitones through all major scales). It's important to be able to get the notes to sound even, so going as slow as you need to go is vital. Do this exercise for a few days and then put the metronome up by 5bpm or so. Monster chops await the [i]patient[/i] soul! 2. Try playing open strings on the top 3 strings, playing A, D, G, G, D, A. You can either play this with a rake on the way down, or strict r-m-i pattern. If you're going strict r-m-i, which not try starting the pattern on a different finger each time? 3. Try playing 8ths on one string, but changing where the accent lies - this gives you control over how hard you are plucking the string with each finger, which is vital to get an even attack. 4. Try taking some varied rhythmic patterns on one string, and playing them with the three finger technique, mix it up with triplets. 5. Try alternating between the D and G open strings, playing permutations: you could play repetitions DGDG or DDGG or DDGD or DGGG. Keep strict r-m-i. For all these exercises, keep your RH disciplined (i.e. r-m-i when you mean to, and rake when you mean to). These are obviously only a few ideas, and you're sure to come up with exercises of your own. My favourite is the first one (and it's rumoured to be something NHØP did and made his students do). For each of these exercises, it's important to build up (during the course of one practice session) to a tempo that is just outside your comfort zone. This will push on your limits until they eventually give way. One thing to be careful of is not overworking your ring finger - since it's not as road-worn as the other two! A little bit a day is better than a ton once a week. As an aside, I tend to pluck with my fingers closer to a traditional jazz pizz style (fingers at an angle to the string where I'm using the edge of my index finger), but it can be helpful for some to play this with a slightly more perpendicular angle of attack. Strokes for folks. My logic is that with three I can compromise some speed by playing less perpendicular to get better tone, but this compromise is outweighed by the gain in speed of using the third finger - faster playing with nicer tone! Hope this is helpful for someone, do post/PM with questions or abuse. Preferably the former. H

Stumbled across [url="http://www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html"]this[/url] website, with a ton of free articles. Has some really great ideas, as well as how to apply them to your practice routine. Some great discussions of bebop phrasing and note choice, as well as more complex modern stuff like hexatonic scales and synthetic scales based on melodies of tunes. Wicked! EDIT- [url="http://davidvaldez.blogspot.com"]This blog[/url] is also a fantastic resource, with a lot of links to more of the modern jazz language (modes of the harmonic major anyone?)

[quote name='endorka' post='1187154' date='Apr 3 2011, 10:05 PM']I've been going through the Vance book for a short time now, and first impressions are excellent. It gets you onto thumb position and the neck heel almost immediately, and it is surprising how enjoyable this is in comparison to other methods. I'm not at all strong in thumb position, and other methods I've tried have been frankly terrifying, but this is a great and very musical approach. I'll post a more complete review once I've completed the first book. Am considering getting the other two as there is a delay of three or four weeks in ordering, but wondering if it would be best just to go straight for the Rabbath nouvelle technique book one instead. Jennifer[/quote] Awesome! Sounds similar to my experiences working through Rabbath. I started on Book 3 of his method, as it has a "scale bible" with the 100+ fingerings for every 3 octave scale, plus 10+ arpeggio fingerings and fingers for scales in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths etc. The second half has some etudes (although they are [i]advanced[/i]) and an introduction to some Rabbath-specific things such as the Crab technique and some exercises for developing Natural/Artifical Harmonics. It's more of a complete reference book to come back to, whilst the other two deal with the positions in dribs and drabs. It also has a fold-out sheet of a ton of different bow strokes to practice scales with (somewhere in the region of 50!). The only thing it really lacks are gradiated studies to build up to the monster ones in this volume. If you're desperate for more material, I'd go with Rabbath Book 3 for reference, and then get the other two Vance books for etudes/tunes to play using these techniques. (It's also a lot cheaper, as Rabbath books I and II cost a ton, whilst giving the same amount of material as Vance). This is what I'm doing, as you've sold the Vance books to me! Is the first book really easy, or worth it? I'm wondering where to start. Also, rumour is that a 4th volume of Rabbath is coming out soon..... [quote name='fatback' post='1187547' date='Apr 4 2011, 11:08 AM']Gareth, where did you get the specs for the bent endpin, the angle etc? Or did you buy your first ready made? I'd like to try one. I'm getting a sore left thumb no matter how much I try not to use it.[/quote] Fatback, great news that you're getting into the idea of tetrachords. I'd stress that you're spot on - it never is either/or and Rabbath's method book includes Simandl fingerings for scales etc as well. Also, I'd get a teacher to look at your left hand - that sort of soreness isn't usual. How long have you been playing? Sometimes it's a stamina issue. I'd take some time to work on that, concentrating on pulling your left hand back to stop notes, rather than pinching with the muscles in your hand. This uses the weight of your arm rather than muscular tension, and should reduce soreness. Maybe try playing a bit without your left thumb on the bass? It really highlights the difference between pulling and pinching. By all means go for the bent endpin, but it won't entirely fix your hand issues. If a bent endpin added to ok left hand technique is better, I'd imagine a bent endpin added to great left hand technique is way better!

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1186512' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:20 AM']. I saw jasper Holby the night before[/quote] Sweet! How was the gig? Missed Phronesis, but hoping to catch Kairos 4tet in Oxford in June. I think the pain of playing double bass (and sometimes frustration coming from electric bass, where everything is relatively so much easier) is all worth it when you have one of those days where something you've been working on clicks into place, especially because you know it's down to having practised it for months! Happened to me yesterday with some aspects of my bow arm, my tone suddenly became warm and smooth and I could play lovely arco phrases.

GUYS BREAKING NEWS I FOUND SOMEONE ON EXPERTVILLAGE WHO ISN'T A TOTAL CHARITY CASE: This guy from the expertvillage video: Does this.....?! Totally nailed the NHOP 3-finger style! Now I don't know what to think anymore.....

Just got my EA Wizzy 10 in the post from Keith. He's been a true gent throughout the whole process - prompt, friendly and reliable, as well as a good laugh. He was willing to provide any details I asked for (either of the cab or of himself) and even spoke to me on the phone to put me at ease. Sent the cab next day delivery, and it arrived beautifully and safely packaged. Cheers Keith!

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1182278' date='Mar 30 2011, 02:38 PM']Just got hold of Django Bate's 'Beloved Bird' CD. Its a piano trio with double-bassist Petter Eldh and drummer Peter Bruun. Its mostly Charlie Parker tunes but arranged as only Bates could. Its absolutely stunning and one of the freshest piano trio cds I have heard in a long time. If you know Bates you will know you can expect the unexpected but this takes it to another level. His reworking of these familiar themes is pure genius. Highly recommended. [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beloved-Bird-Django-Bates/dp/B002X9ITIG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301492090&sr=1-1"]Beloved Bird - Django Bates Trio[/url][/quote] Is it any good? Was thinking of buying it, but didn't in the end. Here's why: I went to see Django's Beloved Bird 3o at the Vortex a little while back. Was expecting a really great gig, but unfortunately Evan Parker* turned up, and the whole affair descended into much atonal warbling, with very few (3) of the album tracks performed (the album tracks were actually really awesome, Bates' arranging is top notch). Cue many middle aged city types nodding their heads to some mysterious beat that I sure as hell couldn't ascertain, closing their eyes and mumbling yeah under their breath. Sad as hell, just pretending to dig it to appear trendy. That generation's equivalent of having an arbitrary Banksy portrait up on your wall. If there was something there, I (and 3 other people whose ears I trust, probably more than mine) definitely couldn't detect it. Maybe I'm not cool enough to get it, but I thought it was just noise. I get the whole deal about what's great with free stuff in theory, but it just doesn't do it for me - rather it stayed as an abstract theoretical concept rather than be in my face stopping me enjoying the gig I paid for. It's just shifting the focus completely away from the listener completely onto the performer, and it's really self-indulgent. Just a way of proving that a lot of people are such posers that they'll pretend to like anything if they think it's "cool" rather than thinking about what it actually is. Playing out's fine, but in the words of Mingus "you gotta play out [i]from[/i] somewhere". A lot of free Jazz gives the impression that Jazz as a whole is only for pseudo-artsy posers, which is the opposite of what Jazz should, in my opinion, be all about. *N.B - I have nothing against Evan Parker, he's a charming and talented individual (some of the technical things he did with the sax were awesome). Sorry for the rant, feels much better now it's out. EDIT - On a more positive note, I've been digging Art Pepper a lot recently, especially this track: Man has some serious chops, and melodic sense. The more I learn about Jazz harmony, the more seems to pop out of his playing.

Special

This site has a tutorial on So What/modal tunes in general: [url="http://www.cliffengel.com/bass_lessons/online/modal_tunes/"]maybe it's useful?[/url] I remember reading about how PC supposedly thought in/used larger chunks than just a bar, in order to create lines with a sense of direction. Obviously this is really important for modal tunes, but it's also really useful for tunes with more frequent chord changes.

Personally, I've always been a fan of the classic "hung from the ceiling by a rope tied to the scroll". I find then that my practice space simultaenously conjures images of a meat storage freezer, which adds extra meat to the bass' tone, and a hangman's noose, which makes my tone nice and dark. A slight overtone of Rocky Balboa too, which is always good for those long gigs when you're not sure you can go the distance.

[quote name='fatback' post='1140557' date='Feb 24 2011, 10:12 PM']My biggest problem starting with Simandl was that i couldn't connect it to music as I already played it. With Rabbath, you restrict yourself to fewer positions than on guitar but other than that, if you pivot on a fretless already, it all comes very naturally.[/quote] Spamming this thread a bit I know, but did you see the stuff Hans Sturm was talking about in those videos you linked to about using Simandl more musically? He was talking about playing scales in tetrachords (4 notes to a string), which to my mind/ears really opens them up to looking at the bigger picture musically. Really dug that idea in a big way!

I'd say there's definitely an element of that Bilbo. I mean, the orchestral guys play in a different way to a lot of the jazz cats these days, and different playing style might suit a different method more or less. As I said, Simandl is seen as a starting point as it is simple and robust, but it doesn't tackle all the playing issues that exist, nor does it work perfectly for every player. Also, thought it might be fun to see what one of Rabbath's ex students is getting up to since it highlights how useful Rabbath's method is at overcoming some playing issues: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDG0SyjQ9Qo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDG0SyjQ9Qo[/url] (I'd love to see someone try this with Simandl!) Different strokes for different folks basically, which is why it's so important to explore as many different techniques as possible to find which technique (or combination of techniques!) suits you as a player for what you want to do with the instrument. Jennifer, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Vance book once you've had a go with it. I'm working direct out of Rabbath, and wouldn't mind comparing if it's ok with you? Fatback: if it seems to make sense to you, then go for it! Also, the chap who wrote that article is the same guy in the lesson with Hans Sturm, Jason Heath. His podcast "Contrabass Conversations" is highly recommended, as is his Double Bass Blog. Still gonna stress that regardless of what you think is good or not about Rabbath's fingering system, his [b]right hand[/b] technique is godly and should be studied intensely. Man uses a bow like an extension of his arm, so perfectly. Another Fons video to show what paying close attention to Rabbath's right arm gets you: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQsd2tAIgUE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQsd2tAIgUE[/url]

My thoughts are: There are so many different methods because there is no one key solution! By all means study different methods, this is essential to finding a playing style that suits you. I think Simandl is certainly a great, tried and tested basis, for learning the bass and getting a solid foundation on the fingerboard. I would recommend getting comfortable with Simandl as a reference point with which to compare other techniques. However, Rabbath's method provides extra facility at times where Simandl might appear flawed. It's up to you to take what you can and make it into something that works for you. Try different things and get something that fits with what your physique, your bass etc. I, for one, having worked through "traditional" school etudes such as Simandl (although I personally prefer Petracchi's method for thumb position playing, so don't really rate Simandl book II) and Bille (but with Simandl style fingerings, 1-2-4 rather than 1-3-4), have recently started on Rabbath's method. I can already see that in lower positions I might not feel as solid using a pivot, but sometimes a particularly fast passage might be executed with more finesse by pivoting. Jen, that's a great question, and the answer is that there are intermediates between the positions (for example, the pivot works in both directions!) - Rabbath's method has over a hundred different fingerings for each scale! The way he puts it that the more options you have, the better you are able to play and the better you know the bass. I think it's really important to stress that Rabbath should very much be considered an extension of Simandl. The way I see it, if you can't play Simandl properly, you're not gonna be able to do it properly with a pivot thrown in there too! Simandl doesn't solve every technical issue of playing the bass, but it provides a basis to work from. In terms of actually playing etudes, Simandl's stuff is quite boring in comparison, but is pretty good for you. I do wish sometimes that I had been introduced to the higher positions of the neck earlier on (Simandl neglects this until book II), because it's important to be comfortable all over the neck. Also, it's worth pointing out that a lot of what makes Rabbath an insane player is his incredible right hand technique. I'd mud wrestle my granny for a right hand like that!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1133211' date='Feb 19 2011, 11:29 AM']Chris, have a word with Andy Crockett[/quote] Seconded, Andy's a good guy.