leftybassman392

I've promised myself I wouldn't post anything of consequence any more in the local forum, but reading this thread has annoyed me intensely. I've known Paul Balmer for a number of years as a professional colleague at Northants Music Service. I know at first hand how much trouble he goes to in producing these books - I wonder, for example, how many people are aware that he met Les Paul in person during the production of his book on the guitar that's named after him, or that he personally dissassembles and reassembles a surprisingly large number of individual instruments of different vintages before committing anything to print. I haven't seen the Bass book, but I'd be frankly astonished if his approach to this project were any different. Like everyone who knows him around these parts I hold his scholarship in regard, and I'd be prepared to bet that he knows more about his subject than 99.9% of the members of this forum. Oh, and did I also mention his skill as a player? The difference being that he can do it on pretty much anything with strings and frets (or not...). Everybody's entitled to their own opinion of course (and critics will no doubt point out that I probably have a vested interest in defending Paul), but I can't help thinking that the opinions expressed in some of the preceding posts would come over a little more convincing if they were based on having actually used (or at least read) the book concerned, rather than simply lumping it with the car manuals.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzGSEgRgkSU"]Dave Marks[/url]

As luck would have it I did a gig at the weekend where one of the other acts was a sax player who does a lot of cruise ship work. If it gives you any benchmark, she reckoned she could earn as much in two weeks on the ships as she would get from a month of full-time teaching.

'Seventh Heaven' by The Fellowship (aka Guthrie Govan and friends) slides regularly between 7:8 and 4:4 at a very decent lick. Not the hardest here but up there I'd say.

I've come to this discussion very late so don't feel qualified to criticise any of the previous posters, but here's my two penn'orth anyway. I do a lot of teaching for the local (Northants) music service. I avoid going to the local music centre these days because I got heartily sick of the patronising attitude I used to get from most of the 'serious' musicians who work there the second I mentioned my interest in 'modern' styles. I've got better things to do than defend myself against this kind of snobbery. FWIW I play in a Jazz Fusion band that has several Mike Stern numbers in it's repertoire - it's challenging but great fun to do - but it's never gonna pay the bills. So I teach, and play, whatever the paying customer wants. Any professional muso with any sense would do exactly the same - to me that's one of the defining characteristics of a professional player. To do anything else begs the question 'What are you saving yourself for, that you don't want to play this music? Get over yourself FFS!' To those people who won't demean themselves to play outside their chosen genre I say this - good luck earning a living.

I think it's been done by lots of people. I heard Stanley Clarke playing on a live version recently, but the sound was a bit poor so not really recommended. I take your point Oscar, but was just thinking of a version with a clearly audible bass line - that one came to mind is all.

[quote name='Oscar South' post='810611' date='Apr 18 2010, 07:19 PM']If thats the 'Conundrum' play along book its awful, loads of obvious mistakes. Stratus is the easiest song ever to figure out, barely any sections. I'd recommend just sticking to it. Most of it is just Bm pentatonic.[/quote] I was going to make the same point myself. If you want to hear a good version of the bass line listen to Tal Wilkenfeld on Jeff Beck's cover of the song.

Have you thought about cleaning the board when you change the strings? Or is that too infrequent?

It's the tab that's the problem. The transcriber has given the instruction to detune, and then forgotten to tell the software to do the same. My guess would be that it's been written by somebody who doesn't really read music, and has just assumed you'll follow the tab. If you are really trying to follow the dots, these ones are no use to you. Bin it and look for a better transcription. It's not as if they're hard to find for this song.

Also it depends what you're after from lessons - not everybody wants to work on their technique all the time. I've met plenty of students with lots of technique but not the first clue about what it all means (who then complain if you try to encourage them into other areas of the discipline). I'm not saying it's wrong, it just depends what your priorities are. A point does come though where further tech development is pointless without knowing (musically) why you're doing it. And no, you can never reach a point where you'll never get any better - or at least if you do then perhaps it's time to give it up and do something else.

Did a corporate solo gig once and when I queried it after a month or so they got a bit shirty - 'Well actually our normal business terms are two months, but I suppose we could expedite the payment a bit if you really must have it...'. Excuse me? For a few tenners I wouldn't have bothered, but this was a £250 gig. Feckers! I agree - you've got some way to go yet matey! Hang in there...

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='805638' date='Apr 14 2010, 05:52 AM']To use the "pub" analogy I rate them like this 1: Here - Tends towards a busy Gastropub (Some real ale, lots of bottled Trappist rocket-fuel) , good range of punters, bar staff fine in the main, can be a bit Shi-Shi. Jazz-Funk on the sound system. 2: There - Back street spit & sawdust, sticky carpet in the Lounge, couple of handpumps (Mild & Bitter) & a nicewhitewinefortheladies. The kind of place that goes quiet when you walk in but warms up once everyone's got the measure of you. Jukebox full of Prog, Blues & Rock. Some Jazz. 3: The American One - Yates', with bouncers. Especially the Off-Topic section. Loop tape of Jaco & Cliff. 4: Matsumoku.org - As Finnbass, but it's the fundamentalist wing of CAMRA's local, & there's only 3 of 'em, so it's very quiet & the conversation can be rather erm... "focussed". No jukebox or fruit machines allowed. IBTL, Pete.[/quote] If you're a Leftie there's a couple of others as well - 5. The 'other' American one - On one level it can seem a bit elitist (some might even say sinister), but if you qualify for membership they are actually very welcoming and friendly, and it's a great place to stop by for a drink with a few like minded friends. They do like the local brews though - it's not that they don't like foreign stuff - more that there's no great market for it so you don't see much of it around. Sort of a members' club with kind of a retro vibe. A range of rock on the sound system, plus some classics (a good place to hear The Beatles for example). 6. The German one - Very cosmopolitan place this, with an international clientele. I don't visit that often so don't really know the details, but when I do go I find it best to use it as a sort of shop with a coffee bar - although others will no doubt have a more rounded take. A nice place to be, but can be a bit aloof. As far as I can tell they don't have a sound system - there's so many live acts that they don't really seem to need it.