endorka

I think it is very much a "marmite" tone. While it has its benefits, the fact that many people describe such tones as "burpy" does not indicate a universally positive perception. In the wrong hands, I think such tones sound like a bass version of Vic Reeves doing the pub singer. Jennifer

I've often wondered about this, and other alternative approaches to the double bass. Usually this happens when I'm having to play something that is really not suited to the Simandl approach. In the past I investigated a simpler form of pivoting (I think it was from a book by Portnoy). In a recent piece I am playing there is a lot of fast scalar work in F major around the neck heel. Using Simandl 1-2-4 fingering involves so much shifting as to make the execution of the passage clumsy, but moving to a 1-2-3-4 approach for this part of the piece makes it easy and smooth. Using 1-2-3-4 around the neck heel is physically manageable, but then the questions start to arrive. Should I always use this fingering around the neck heel? If so, how to change from 1-2-4 to 1-2-3-4 in passages that go in and out of this area a lot? If not, when should it be used? Naturally, someone has already done some work on this with the Simandl Plus method, which I may look into, time permitting. Looking at the video example shown of the Rabbath method, the first thing I wonder is: What if you have a passage alternating from C to D on the G string? Presumably you don't alternative between the extreme of one position for the C and the opposite extreme of the other position for the D for each note. I assume there must be some kind of "intermediate" or transitional position? Essentially, this is where I get stuck with these newer methods. Once I start thinking like this, it all seems incredibly complicated and I start to wonder if I'm just trying to avoid the hard graft that is Simandl, and that these new methods are something of a diversion. After all, I've seen great players with great intonation using Simandl technique. I guess part of the difficulty of this is that if I am going to spend a couple of years learning a new system, I want to be doing it for the correct reasons. Your thoughts on this are most welcome, I certainly don't have the answers :-) Jennifer

[quote name='51m0n' post='1138735' date='Feb 23 2011, 03:49 PM']This is about the cheapest a quick search has turned up:- [url="http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/lexicon-alpha-stereo-usb-audio-interface--36113"]lexicon[/url][/quote] And as a bonus it comes with multitrack recording software, so you won't need Reaper :-) Jennifer

[quote name='silky 2010' post='1138377' date='Feb 23 2011, 11:39 AM']Ok thanks Jennifer, I am unsure what a DI or small mixer or pre amp is?? could you point me in the direction of a cheap one??[/quote] The output from your bass is not an ideal match to the input of your soundcard, and if you connect them the sound quality will not be optimal. Putting your bass through DI box and/or mixer will match them and give better sound quality. However, my approach is pretty old school, although I have a good soundcard (M-audio delta 1010LT), but others have pointed out the use of USB audio interfaces, which may suit you better. These often combine the functionality of DI box/mixer/good soundcard into one box. Jennifer

Most cost effective way is probably to get some shareware multitrack software like Reaper and use the soundcard already on your computer. The difficulty is that the soundcard will probably not get on well with the level coming from your bass, so you may need to put it through a DI box and / or small mixer or preamp first. Jennifer

Isn't that why people take up Morris Dancing? I'm told it's the most fun one can have without being arrested these days :-)

[quote name='Sawtooth' post='1136116' date='Feb 21 2011, 08:04 PM']I notice a couple of posters referring to their basses as "tools" of the trade - a very professional sounding outlook to have. As if the machine or device used is chosen purely for function and purpose, with aesthetics playing no role at all. I wonder if they use the same logic in the choice of vehicle they use to get to the gig or use in everyday life? "It get's me from A>B". Or even the clothes and shoes they wear to the gig? "They're comfortable and they keep my feet off the floor".[/quote] For better or worse, I would say that I do apply the same logic. I'll hire the most economical car that my gear will fit in to get to the gig, and for gigs I walk to I have a "work" pair of boots that are sufficiently comfortable for carrying a double bass and also look good for playing the gig. Look good! So I am susceptible to aesthetics after all? Perhaps. Or perhaps it is just that I have noticed that the better I look, the more work I get, so it is utilitarian after all? :-) I am one of those bass players who is quite happy to skulk around the back of the stage, all my attention diverted to making music, so perhaps that shapes my perspective. Although recently I did some gigs where the band were well smart and it felt great. Vive la difference! Jennifer

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1135153' date='Feb 21 2011, 10:00 AM']Unless you only play on your own in a dark room, then how an instrument looks is just as important as how it plays and sounds. Personally I wouldn't even try a bass that I didn't like the look of.[/quote] This and the similar sentiments expressed by others in the thread surprises me. From my perspective, these instruments are tools and I would no more consider the visual aesthetics of a bass than I would those of a screwdriver. In most musical situations, the instrument will be heard far more than it will be seen. I own several instruments that played and sounded great, but I did not initially like the look of. Over time their appearance grew on me. My Black & Decker powered screwdriver looks crap as well. Jennifer

[quote name='Johnston' post='1122160' date='Feb 10 2011, 12:03 AM']Legally though there is not they can do is there or has that changed?? We used to alternate living rooms and only had the rozzers out once ... It was them that told us until 11:30pm there was nothing anyone could do.[/quote] Legally you may be correct, but from a moral point of view would it not be more understanding to respect people's wish for some peace and quiet in their homes? Jennifer

likewise :-) Jennifer

[quote name='JTUK' post='1118608' date='Feb 7 2011, 09:00 AM']This equation is my rough template Pay £200 for a band and the venue needs to take upwards of £600.[/quote] My experience around Glasgow is similar. Obviously there are local and regional variations, but the city centre venues would like to make around four or five times the amount they are paying the band. Jennifer

[quote name='digitalmetal' post='1102315' date='Jan 25 2011, 04:30 PM']Yes thats what i meant when i said "il just have to be double extreme with my bass, onboard preamp"[/quote] You have to be careful with this. If the sound engineer has a certain bass sound he is aiming for, and you adjust your EQ further away from this, he may well just adjust his EQ in the other direction to compensate. This push/pull of frequencies is not good for the quality of your tone, and could end up making it even worse in the front of house than if you had supplied the soundman with a neutral tone. As others have said, the only real answer is communication with the soundman, and you may have to compromise depending on the PA equipment and acoustics of the room, for example. Many, many rooms to do work well with low frequencies. In my experience, a very bassy sound does not usually work in venues; a good bass sound is usually found in the mids, and some high frequencies are necessary for your sound to sit well in the mix. You should also keep in mind that there are some battles you will never win, perhaps due to poor soundmen or acoustics. It is usually better for your state of mind and health to accept this, rather than hit your head off a brick wall. Other people have advised you to walk a mile in a soundman's shoes to get perspective from their point of view; this is good advice. Jennifer

[quote name='fatback' post='1097299' date='Jan 21 2011, 11:44 AM']A well-formed melodic part can sound simple where a bad part with the same number of notes sounds busy. Also, a part supporting a vocal line won't necessarily sound busy either. And there are always plenty of gaps you can work with other than the usual spots for fills.[/quote] Indeed! I gave this quite a bit of thought some time ago, where I came to the conclusion that a simple bassline is considered by many to be one that, for example, plays a simple rhythm using only root notes, or perhaps roots and fifths. Many bass players attempt to make this more apparently interesting by adding "fills", which in practice usually amounts to plodding along on the root note with the simple rhythm mentioned above, until they unleash a flurry of mid to upper register notes aptly described as a "widdle", before settling down to the simple root note pattern again. I have come to the conclusion that for the most part, these "fills" do not make a bassline any more interesting. Indeed, they can be annoying and musically irrelevant - listen to poorly executed jazz for good examples of this. You'll note that any gaps in the melody will be consumed by every single band member simultaneously contributing a "fill", and a cacophony ensues. It's as if they were all waiting for their chance to make a musical "Hello Mum!" statement, and indeed, that is exactly what they are doing. Needless to say, this is not a good approach to making music. In my opinion, the basslines that succeed the most in terms of making a musical statement, as opposed to those fulfilling a purely reinforcement role, are those that do not rely on "fills" to spice them up, but have interest built in. The aforementioned John McVie and James Jamerson are like this. Some others are Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Peter Hook, Geddy Lee, Pino Palladino. Mahler also wrote some great basslines :-) Jennifer

[quote name='obi 2 kenobi' post='1097516' date='Jan 21 2011, 01:54 PM']Was at the same gig. Jan 1990 I think. They had a guy on trumpet for a few numbers. Remember Antony doing hand stands on stage during solos. Meet them in a pub off Ashton lane pre-gig by accident.[/quote] Awesome :-) I remember Flea's banter with the audience, telling us that we should all become cool by getting a haircut like his, which if my memory is correct, was in some sort of ridiculous pineapple style. Kids nowadays don't believe me when I tell them I saw "The Chillies" in the QM :-) Jennifer

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1097020' date='Jan 21 2011, 12:22 AM']I went to see the Chilis in 1989 at the Manchester Apollo, on the Mothers Milk Tour. That hybrid of funk, punk and metal was theirs and it spawned 1000s of imitators. They were unbelievabley funky, powerful and owned the stage and the crowd.[/quote] I saw them around this time as well, in the Queen Margaret union at Glasgow University, and can confirm your perception :-) Brilliant entertainers, "other worldly", yet earthy at the same time. Brilliant. I don't understand the criticism of Flea either, I think he is a fantastic musician. Jennifer

[quote name='LeoFender' post='1096079' date='Jan 20 2011, 10:16 AM']If you think his confidence out weighs his ability then that should be regarded as a positive tool for self development I would think. .... Delusion or desire to continue playing the bass? Kicking the SH1T out of some ones confidence, misplaced or other is going to do nothing for him as a player, or us as a community of musicians.[/quote] I did mention that I wasn't commenting specifically on Jaxsn, just in general terms. For someone to improve in any endeavour, it is usually necessary for them to have a reasonable measure of their current abilities, so they know what to prioritise in their practice/learning. Those whose confidence is in considerable excess of their current ability by definition are not objective in this way, or perhaps you could say they have a different way of measuring "success". I certainly do not advocate kciking the sh1t out of someone's confidence. Jennifer

[quote name='LeoFender' post='1096035' date='Jan 20 2011, 09:48 AM']If you think his confidence out weighs his ability then that should be regarded as a positive tool for self development I would think.[/quote] I have no wish to comment on jaxsn as I am unfamiliar with his music, but in general terms I strongly disagree with the above statement. Delusion is rarely a powerful force for enhancing quality. Jennifer

I was looking for a replacement pickguard for 5 string Squire Precision - complicated by the fact it has jazz style pickups. There were quite a few places selling them, but I could never establish whether they would fit or not! In the end I postponed the search due to confusion :-) Jennifer

No sure about black card... sounds a bit funereal to me :-) Something I've found important with respect to the design of business cards/flyers etc. is that a large percentage of people's eyesight is not particularly good. Therefore I would make clarity of print a priority; no point in having something that looks lovely but is difficult to perceive. Grey text on black background could well suffer from this. Jennifer

Frank gives good advice - I remember reading somewhere that your ability to remember things you are trying to learn starts to fade after 20 minutes of practice, so it is advisable when doing practice that involves any kind of memorizing to only work in 20 minute sessions. Even taking a ten minute break between sessions will help. Everyone is different, but three hours a day for this type of practice is almost certainly too much. Sure it can be done, but the law of diminishing returns quickly sets in as your ability to retain what you have learned vanishes. Jennifer

[quote name='ironside1966' post='1083504' date='Jan 9 2011, 07:47 PM']But where I disagree with Jennifer is that the some people do appreciate and know the value of such a generous gift, look at scholarships and how the have changed many peoples life’s[/quote] You are of course correct, what I said was a sweeping generalisation that is not always the case. I've really enjoyed all the replies to this thread.. I love the way most seemed to agree broadly with what I had to say, yet were able to put across their points in a far nicer way :-) Jennifer

I'd like to give a fuller answer to this, but am in a bit of a rush, so, with brevity; 1) A problem I see is that there is an unfortunate *tendency* for people not to value things they are given for free. It is not uncommon, for example, for the number of "no shows" amongst free/low paying clients to be greater than those paying the full price. They are also frequently very "high maintainance". This applies across the board, not just to music tuition. 2) I disagree that £25 is too much. Sure, maybe every week for some, but with personal determination it is still possible to learn with one lesson per month. When I studied music at university, I think we had about 18 lessons per year. Most people I have encountered throughout my life are quite happy to spend £25 or more per week on non-essential items such as alcohol or cigarettes. I would re-phrase the question more or less as this: if someone is not prepared to spend £25 per month to learn an instrument, perhaps a deeper examination of their motivation is in order. Caveat: I do understand that some peopler are genuinely unable to afford music lessons for their kids. I think this is unfortunate, and support the supply of "free" music lessons in school for those in this position. However, I would definitely draw a distinction between this and people who do have the income, but just choose to spend it on other things. Jennifer

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1081955' date='Jan 8 2011, 11:46 AM']I'm not disagreeing that some/many busked sessions can lead to nowhere and aren't as good from an audience perspective as a well rehearsed number but I believe that those people who are genuinely into music can enjoy it when a band are firing on all cylinders with ideas bouncing off each other in a 'busked' manner... Does that make sense?[/quote] Absolutely. I agree that sometimes a busked tune can be great, indeed there is a special place in my heart for such events. However, in my experience, there is a danger of the odd success such as that mentioned above leading to the busking approach being elevated to a point that it doesn't really deserve most of the time. I know a lot of musicians who have fallen into this trap; they dismiss rehearsal/practice as not necessary, and think they are being creative, but in reality the resulting music is frequently shabby. Jennifer

I've been thinking about this recently, and having just read "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintainance" I would suggest that "feel" is roughly akin to Pirsig's definition of "quality". I agree that "feel" comes from the connection between mind/soul/heart and your ability to express that through your instrument. How to achieve this? By listening to those that have it. By observing people's responses to your music. By playing with other musicians, it becomes obvious when the music "flows" and the quality is pervasive. Note when things work and when they don't, and adjust accordingly. In my experience, the devil is in the details, and the level of detail always increases the deeper you get, just like a fractal image. But as you get deeper, the quality increases. Jennifer

I enjoyed your post 4-string-thing, in my experience there is a big difference in the quality of the end result from someone who has really learned a piece versus and someone who is "busking" their way through it. I disagree that the audience do not notice the difference though; when everything is "right", the music is taken to another level that you will rarely, if ever reach when busking parts. In saying that, with the best will in the world there is not always time to learn songs note perfect. Jennifer