Major-Minor

That one looks ideal - and what a great price ! Even better than the ones i got. Let us know how you get on with it. And of course you will need to get some ROSIN. That's the sticky stuff you put on the bow to make it grip the string. There are many makes. Kolstein is favourite at the moment with many orch players. Or Nymans is good - or Pops. If there is a choice of different grades always go for something like "All Weather". Some of these rosins can melt in hot weather - very messy ! Also - when you put it on the hair, make sure you cover the whole bow. And then when you play a few notes, dust off the rosin that is now on the strings. Play a few more notes and do the same again. This way you won't get clogged up with too much rosin. And a new bow will always need regular rossining (now there's a new word!) before it starts to feel right. The Major

[quote name='rslaing' post='517687' date='Jun 18 2009, 06:38 PM']You are correct. Even tentatively The fifth is very important and a great filler note in walking bass. But a good player has to know all of the notes that will work so he can build good melodic lines. Music isn't just produced from "recipe" books and bits and bobs of information. The technical knowledge just gives a musician a springboard to work from. Musicians have to internalise what they learn, and express that knowledge without having to think about what they are doing. The instrument has to become an extension of the players mind, and the player has to be able to convey what they have in their head to their instrument in a fraction of a second. It is (in jazz especially) the 3rd and the seventh that define the chord. The tritone, is a very important interval. The fifth, because it is a strong overtone, can be omitted by a guitarist (for example) or a bassist playing chords, and still be "heard" if the root is played. That is why it can be omitted - it is the strongest overtone in the harmonic series outside of the fundamental. I learned that one from the George van Eps guitar tutorials, and what he doesn't know about harmony isn't worth knowing! He has a philosophy based on economy of effort, and very rarely (in spite of playing a seven string guitar) played more than 3 note chords. But he picked the right notes and got a really full sound. Also, if there are altered notes, like the 9th (either sharpened or flattened) these could be used in place of the chordal notes in the basic triad if desired to accentuate the harmonic differences when playing walking bass. Even if the note played isn't in the chord, it can still fit - Ray Brown used lots of "approach notes" that theoretically should not have worked. It helped that he spent most of his pronounced years with Oscar Peterson of course, they totally complimented each other. Almost psychic I would say. It is really down to personal choice - once you know THE RULES. The great jazz walking bassists use the chord changes as a canvas, and add their knowledge, experience and hearing skills to determine the lines they play. Of course, if the lead instruments are plugging away on the extension/altered chords, the bassist can stick to the primitive triads, but they rarely do. You can't feasibly create a good walking bass line from just triads. The bassist plays what they feel is the best note of their choices, and this gives the player their musical personality. In jazz, it is this that is important, unlike other genres where their sound/tone is the giveaway. (Maybe the reason for the massive turnover of gear amongst the non-jazzers in this forum?). To me it really is all about "the notes". Be careful not to play (in the vast majority of cases) any minor 9th intervals that might clash harmonically. And that is why in 11th chords, the 3rd in the diatonic triad is omitted. the interval between a major third from the tonic and the 11th is a minor 9th. However, if it is played a couple of octaves apart - it can work! All to do with understanding the harmonic series. Which only took me about 30 years.................and I still play lots of bum notes Sorry for the long rambling post (if you have got this far), been in the pub a fair bit of the day!![/quote] Hi rslaing I feel I must comment on your post. I think most of what you say or allude to is quite correct and very well put. However I must take issue with a couple of points (or is that a couple of pints too many today ?!) You start off by saying the fifth of the chord is an important note. Then you seem to say the fifth can be omitted without affecting the sound of the chord. This is where i take issue with you. As every arranger knows, the fifth of the chord can be a great tool for creating counterpoint lines. It can be sharpened or flattened (assuming the melody note is not the fifth) - for instance think of the intro to the James Bond theme: the fifth moves up a semitone to the aug 5th and then to the 6th and down again. When the melody comes in - tonic/2nd/tonic/minor 3rd etc - the counterpoint line continues in the same way. So what I'm trying to say is that the fifth is equally important in creating a harmonic movement - you can't say that any one note of the chord is less important than another. If the fifth in a given chord is a natural (perfect) fifth, then it is saying something about the nature of that chord and the bass player must be aware of that. If however the chord is say Dm7b5 (D half diminished) leading to G7 then that Ab in the first chord is a pivotal note in that sequence. The bass player doesn't HAVE to play Ab but an A natural will certainly sound dubious - and an Ab leading to the G root will give a clear direction to the harmony. You say "It is really down to personal choice - once you know THE RULES. " My mantra when teaching and giving improv workshops is that "There are no rules in music - only preferences". I'm a firm believer that the more you pile RULES onto young players the more inhibited they become. Give them a chance to experiment with the notes under their fingers and they will find out for themselves what works and what doesn't. My own musical education was full of rules and it took me years to shake them off and allow creativity to take over. Having said that, everything I was taught is theoretically correct - but music doesn't develop if you constrict it with too many rules. After all music theory is just that - a theory. You need to know and respect it - then throw it away and make your own musical decisions. You say: "Be careful not to play (in the vast majority of cases) any minor 9th intervals that might clash harmonically. And that is why in 11th chords, the 3rd in the diatonic triad is omitted. the interval between a major third from the tonic and the 11th is a minor 9th." To be honest this makes no sense at all. Harmony can be full of dissonances (harmonic clashes) - it is what gives it direction. If the bass player plays a flattened ninth as a passing note under a dominant chord it will help to describe the harmonic direction very nicely. I think your statement here is totally confusing for anyone with limited harmonic experience and I worry that those players will go away and fret about it (no pun intended!) Hope this doesn't sound too offensive ! I agree with most of what you say - its just these 3 little points. The Major

Hubrad Thanks for the offer - I may well take you up on that when I can find some free time (not much of that about at the moment). The Major

SubAudio Your enthusiasm is a credit to you and shines out from your posts. Keep up the good work and let us know how you progress. But I still think you would benefit from some decent lessons. Keep searching for the right teacher. The Major

I would recommend getting a full size bow. There are some amazing deals to be had at the moment. You can pay several thousand for a top quality bow, but for a beginner I would suggest looking on ebay. I recently bought a Chinese bow on ebay for about £40 including p+p. I liked it so much, i ordered a second one ! 2 caveats to this: They do tend to be a bit on the heavy side - not ideal for spiccato playing. But that heaviness is good for getting a full fat sound - something that helps encourage the new player. Also the lapping tends to be rather poor quality. Mine started to unravel after a few weeks work and I had to completely remove it - but thats fine - the lapping isn't essential. The other good thing is the quality of the hair. In fact, rather than have my other bows re-haired (usually £40/50 a time), I might just keep buying cheap Chinese bows !! (I jest). I would suggest the brazilwood bows are likely to be the best at this price. You should also be aware that there are 2 basic types - French (overhand) and German (underhand). The French has a smaller "frog" - the black bit you hold. I have always used French and of course believe it to be the better bow ! Players get quite heated over this issue and of course there are some fabulous players using the German bow. The main thing is to be aware of the 2 different types and decide which to go for. There is lots of classical bass playing on youtube so maybe its a good idea to research this on there. The Major

[quote name='wulf' post='516301' date='Jun 17 2009, 11:59 AM']I think it would be wonderful if it explained why the particular positions had been chosen. My working theory is that it is based on the position of natural notes on the A string (1 pos = B, 2 pos = C, 3 pos = D, etc), which might related to A being the highest string on a cello. I appreciate the need for careful thought on positioning but why did Simandl choose his particular scheme? Also, I'm not convinced that a beginner needs to get into territory like double-flats or play exercises that are so chromatic they sound atonal. Almost all instrumental methods seem to start with teaching a few notes that can quickly be used to play simple tunes and then build up through concepts like scales; Simandl seems to assume that you've got a good grasp on music and just want an exhaustive guide to all possible combinations of notes, beginning from the area that involves the greatest degree of stretching. I'm not saying it is a waste of time but I think I would have found it mystifying and offputting if I hadn't gleaned an understanding of music from plenty of other sources over the previous 20+ years. Wulf[/quote] Hi Wulf I suppose I'm biased re Simandl as it was the method I was taught from age 15 when I took up the bass having already studied violin for 7 years and self taught guitar from age 12. So I already had a good grasp of reading and theory. Having said all that, I've used this book to teach many bass students over the years - admittedly mostly DB - and never found any real problems with it. I agree that the introduction of double sharps and flats may seem a little out of place if you only want to play jazz (and I'm not demeaning the jazz players - I'm one myself !), but these accidentals do appear in many pieces of standard rep so it pays to at least have some knowledge of them. As to the position naming - yes it does sometimes appear rather obtuse having intermediate positions and "half" position - but these are only names after all. Once you are conversant with position changing, you can actually forget what they are called and just play. The main reason I like Simandl is that the early exercises are a nice mix of scales and arpeggios - in fact you can virtually write the chord sequence under each piece. As to your comment "Simandl seems to assume that you've got a good grasp on music and just want an exhaustive guide to all possible combinations of notes, beginning from the area that involves the greatest degree of stretching" - actually if you find playing in the half position to be too much of a stretch then I would suggest that the bass is too big for the player. And surely a knowledge of how to play "all possible combinations of notes" is exactly what a good player needs. Another plus point - Simandl starts with mainly minims and crotchets and only slowly introduces quavers, semis and syncopations, making it easy for the student to grasp the basics before things hot up. But my main comment to you Wulf is that this method was written to be used in the teacher/pupil scenario - and, despite all the on-line help you can get these days, and all the self teaching videos, books, and magazine articles etc etc - you still can't beat the old one to one with a good teacher. I've just recently started teaching a 26 year old guy who has been playing (self taught) for 3 years - he's doing OK - plays with several combos around Manchester, is off to Glastonbury to play with an up and coming singer songwriter - BUT we've made more progress in 3 lessons than he did in 3 years working on his own! (BTW - I limit my teaching these days to only those students who show total commitment - I'm too busy playing to want to waste time on vanity players!) Yes I would agree that you have to figure some stuff out for yourself - (nobody taught me the blues scale .. I discovered it for myself listening to Eric Clapton with the Yardbirds) but to have help from somebody who truly knows what they are doing is invaluable (well about £30 an hour actually). Simandl isn't for everybody I suppose - but I've not seen many other methods that I could recommend. The Major

I think a new jazz bass in 1980 was about £250 which was a lot of money then, relative to wages and I don't know if the quality was as good as the earlier ones. If I was buying a new one today, I would consider the American Vintage 62 jazz at about £1500 and I would love to try one sometime and compare it to an old one. I wonder what the youngsters of today will be saying in 30 years about today's instruments and whether they will lust after a 'vintage' 2009 Fender! [/quote] I must say that I think some of the modern instruments are very good. Many of my students have turned up with cheap but surprisingly good and well made basses. However I think there is something rather special (and unquantifiable) about my vintage jazz. It has its faults (don't all basses) but it has that undeniable character that just makes it somehow special ! (or am I being overly sentimental ?) The Major

[quote name='lowdown' post='514197' date='Jun 15 2009, 02:08 PM']Hey Major Minor. You should have been around a few weeks ago... You missed a corker of a post regarding sight reading.... All 22 pages. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33949&hl=sight+reading"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...l=sight+reading[/url] Garry[/quote] Wow I see what you mean !! I've just speed read through this lot and it just about covers every possible point of view. Good to see that there are so many players who agree with my stance on this. BTW If anybody wants more sight reading practice, there are several books available of "Orchestral Excerpts for Double Bass". These are essentially the "difficult bits" taken from often played orchestral repertoire. I've often used these as sight reading tests for my bass guitar students. In fact any bass parts (continuo) from the Baroque repertoire makes good reading practice. The Major

[quote name='Mr Bassman' post='513023' date='Jun 13 2009, 10:34 PM']I've an old flat back believed to be about 130 -150 years old there's no makers label or date visible. I'm thinking of selling or trading but not sure of it's real value. It's well worn but very playable. There is a repairers label (George Stoppani) dated 1989. According to the previous owner the work cost several hundred pounds [url="http://www.stoppani.co.uk/"]http://www.stoppani.co.uk/[/url] Last year I saw a similar bass (restored) in a posh shop in Edinburgh for £10,000 The closest I can find on the net is [url="http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2759.htm"]http://www.contrabass.co.uk/2759.htm[/url] (which has had the neck replaced) Any help appreciated. [attachment=26978:DSC02573.JPG][attachment=26979:DSC02577.JPG][attachment=26981:DSC02579.JPG][/quote] Looks like a nice bass. Must be worth at least 10k if not half as much again. Good sounding older instruments are quite hard to find so don't under sell it. Make sure you take it to a reputable dealer for a valuation before advertising it. The Major

[quote name='peteb' post='507111' date='Jun 6 2009, 05:49 PM']Cool - don't suppose you've got a tab for that?[/quote] Why not just learn to read music ? Its not that hard ..... and it will open up so many more opportunities to play live music. The Major

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='482554' date='May 7 2009, 10:55 PM']It is best to think in terms of key centres rather then chords. The opening five chords of Scrapple, for instance, are all in the key of F major so, rather than thinking of each chord, you can approach it as a II V I in F major - one scale fits 5 chords. You go through the chart and look at sequences of chords in order to find the 'blocks' of chords in each key centre. When you look at these charts in this way, they become a bit less iintimidating (eventually )[/quote] This is possibly the best advice so far in this thread. If you try to make every note theoretically correct, you will end up sounding wooden and cliched. Jazz (bebop) is at its best when the unexpected happens. As bilbo says, keep the key centres in mind and allude to any modulations along the way. This way the rest of the band know where they are and you can keep some basic structure in place. Its always best to learn the sequence by heart and then effectively forget it ! That sounds strange, I know, but believe me it works ! Just keep the broad outline of the key centres in mind and you will soar ..... The Major

[quote name='geoffbassist' post='512686' date='Jun 13 2009, 11:11 AM']they are a great string, they dont keep the growl for as long as the spiros but they are really good, check out the talkbass.com threads....theres a new version called weich which seem to have more of the spiro flavor....they sound like a good bet....not seen them in the uk yet but they are out in the US...cant decide to go for the new wiechs or the new solos! ....spoilt for choice! as i say you are welcome to pop over from the bbc to try them anytime....just bring one of your nice english basses ;-) ....oh and that fender jazz ;-) cheers Geoff[/quote] Hi Geoff Mhairy has told me all about you (well not quite all !). Would be great to have a chat sometime. The Major

[quote name='merchant' post='512951' date='Jun 13 2009, 07:26 PM']Throwing something in from left field. Have you tried innovation honeys? On my bass they growl like spiros, have more focus in the lower mids and are very bowable. They are same idea (ie steel wound nylon core) as evahs, oblis et al. The only downside is they have a tendancy to false (ie the note starts at a different pitch) in higher thumb positions under the bow (being modeled on a gut string sound i suppose this is to be expected)[/quote] I've not heard of these strings before but they sound very interesting. If only I had oodles of money I would try all these different strings - but times are hard...... But thanks for the input. The Major

[quote name='endorka' post='513165' date='Jun 14 2009, 10:08 AM']I agree 100%, I also play the instrument this way, as per my avatar. The stool I use is this one; [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/km_14052_stehhilfe.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/km_14052_stehhilfe.htm[/url] For travelling on the underground etc. it fits into (and onto!) this rucksack; [url="http://www.highlander1.com/Rucksacks/Day_sacks/SUMMIT35.html"]http://www.highlander1.com/Rucksacks/Day_sacks/SUMMIT35.html[/url] Jennifer[/quote] H Jennifer I must say that stool you use looks very comfortable. Is it fairly light to carry ? And does it feel sturdy ? The Major

[quote name='subaudio' post='512080' date='Jun 12 2009, 01:14 PM']Hi If you could sudgest a good available teacher I would be very gratefull, thank you. I dont think I could get on the bus with my bass, gig bag, mini combo and a stool, but I will certainly get one for home practice, does it need to be a bass stool or will any hight stool do ?[/quote] Firstly re the stool: Ideally you should be able to sit with both feet firmly on the floor. This is the best position for your body ie your spine is fairly straight. However a lot of players like to put their left foot on a rung (if there is one) which can be a very comfortable way of playing although it does put some stress on your left "lumber" region. Personally I play with both feet on the floor for most of the time and just occasionally cock the leg up for a change of position. There are several companies worldwide who make bass stools and some of them are really quite sophisticated with lots of possible adjustments. However they tend to be very expensive and heavy. The stool i use at home and for jazz gigs is very light and portable, possibly a little high (but not adjustable). Re teachers: I'm not sure whether I would be allowed to give out phone numbers of well known players on this site. Can someone advise ? In the meantime you could try to contact: Chris Lawrence - one of our top players - well known in jazz circles but also does orchestral work - mainly film sessions. Paul Kimber - ex LPO now on trial for Principal at Covent Garden (Opera House) - also plays jazz on bass guitar. Superb player. John Bakewell - just retired from Covent Garden Simon Benson Dominic Black Or if you want to go straight for the jazzers, try: Andy Cleyndert Jeremy Brown Dave Chamberlain Malcolm Creese Gary Crosby Paul morgan Arni Somagyi Simon thorpe (This is just a small selection of names - there are many others.) As all these guys are busy players they may be unable to fit you in - however they should be able to suggest other possible teachers. I can get phone numbers easily enough (they are all in the MU book !). Just not sure how legal that would be. The Major

[quote name='hubrad' post='512143' date='Jun 12 2009, 02:23 PM']I started off on Spiro Weich (came on my current bass when I bought it) which were great plucked but scratchy under the bow. I used and loved Obligato for a few years, then the divils launched Evahs, so I had to try them. Excellent strings, quite high tension and darkish sound. Loud. Great pizz or arco. Supposedly less prone to 'rolling' than Obligato.. I never noticed a problem there, but that's me. I like them both![/quote] Many thanks for this hubrad. I'm getting some very favourable comments re the Evahs ....... think I'm going to have to try them. The Major

[quote name='bassace' post='512158' date='Jun 12 2009, 02:37 PM']I had a weak E string on one of my basses and considered putting a Spiro Stark on. However, I was advised to try a Evah Pirazzi. Very impressive, so I'm now 1/4 qualified to express an opinion. I understand that Pirazzi Weichs are now available in US are are getting a lot of converts among the jazzers.[/quote] Bassace dear fellow - thank you for your input. Does the Evah E string have the same growl you get with the Spiro. I love my Spiro E and am a little nervous about replacing it. The Major

[quote name='redstriper' post='512429' date='Jun 12 2009, 08:51 PM']£35 a week was a good wage in 1972 - I was a shop assistant on £12 a week then. I bought my first bass in 72 and I remember choosing between 2 - one in Barretts and one in A1 Manchester. Barretts was full of new Fenders and the only one I could afford was a music master for £35, but it was at the top of my budget and I went for an old Hofner for £25 from A1 instead. It took weeks to pay for at £3.00 a time when I could afford it, (I had to give my mum £3.50 a week for board). I immediately stripped all the paint off and varnished it, then I swapped it for a motorbike which I never got running! Fast forward to 1979 and I bought a customised 1963 Fender jazz for £150, I still have that one and it's been my only bass ever since. It was built buy Lee Osborne in Bolton out of parts and I don't know how much of it is original, but it's one of a kind and feels like another limb. I was perfectly happy with it until joining this forum and now I'm thinking of buying a new bass, possibly a precision! It's interesting to look back and realise that things are much cheaper relatively nowadays and we have so much more choice (too much IMO). Anyway Major, welcome to the forum from a fellow Manc and remember you're only as old as you feel..............[/quote] That brings back memories - mention of A1 Repairs that is. I used to go into Ann and Grahame's shop regularly in the mid to late 60s. The band i was in could not afford gear from Barratts although we used to go in there and drool over the nice shiny new stuff. A1 was mostly second hand gear. Do you remember when you had to go down through a trap door to view all the stuff in the basement ? The ground floor shop was tiny and packed tightly with gear and there was a musty damp smell down there. I remember buying our first PA system there - Vox I think - and later we upgraded to a WEM. Good ole days! Of course they expanded hugely over the years. And then they sold out to one of the big chains (can't remember who) and up until recently when it shut down, it was a Sound Control store. As you so rightly say, gear has never been cheaper than now. Having said that, if you want real quality you still have to pay top dollar. The Major

[quote name='molan' post='512081' date='Jun 12 2009, 01:17 PM']You're never too old to natter with like-minded people about stuff you really enjoy Although a lot of technology-based stuff is always perceived as being the domain of the young you'd be amazed at the average age profile of a lot of web sites. Forums like BC & places like Facebook and, previously, Friends Reunited have been brilliant at allowing people to just natter away with each other (albeit a little remotely at times!). You'll be amazed at how quickly you can strike up new friendships here You should definitely get some pics of the Jazz & don't even think about selling it in the current market![/quote] Molan my dear boy - you are right - everybody is so very friendly ! How jolly nice. The Major

[quote name='Telebass' post='512108' date='Jun 12 2009, 01:49 PM']Welcome, from another gigging (almost) pensioner![/quote] Cheers Telebass - thanks for the welcome. the Major

[quote name='crez5150' post='512014' date='Jun 12 2009, 12:07 PM']Oh go on then..... I'll give you 2 grand for it...... then you won't have to stress about taking it out the house anymore!!! ;o)[/quote] Maybe I'm looking for a little more than 2K ! In any case i don't intend to sell it yet - not until I've grown too old to play.... and hopefully thats a few years off yet. The Major

[quote name='rslaing' post='512035' date='Jun 12 2009, 12:35 PM']Major.................... My point about Simandl starting "the most primitive and elementary aspects of playing and reading music" was in response to Wulf's comment that "I think it would seem unnecessarily mystifying if I'd begun with no idea what music was about". My point being that it does educate from day 1 assuming that the reader IS beginning with no idea. Which is why the books are great - simple and progressive. I've been playing for 40 years and have not come across anything better.[/quote] So sorry - I think I replied to the wrong post ! My eyesight's not what it used to be don't you know. But glad you are thinking the same as me. Tally Ho The Major

[quote name='subaudio' post='511985' date='Jun 12 2009, 11:47 AM']Hello there Thanks for the comment, in the photo I am perching on a window ledge which is bringing my elbow down and giving me a strange wrist angle, well spotted ! I must admit I am very open to advise on technique so your observations are welcome. I would love to work with a good teacher, unfortunately I cant find one at the moment but am looking. I agree that the chromatic approach to the exercises is more geared towards those with a more developed knowledge, I have been playing electric bass guitar for some time and have a good practical knowledge of theory in a non Jazz environment, my issues are firstly, physical technique on the double bass, which is my most immediate priority and then learning to play Jazz. I spent a good two hours working on the twelve exercises in Ray Browns book last night and really feel I have learned from them and look forward to progressing through the book, I am currently ordering every book I can find on double bass, I have just orderd "Improvisers bass method" at Endorka's recommendation and I will certainly be ordering Simandl in the very near future Marti[/quote] Hi again Marti I see from your profile that you are London based. You therefore have plenty of good pro bass players to choose from as your teacher. If you can afford it, go for the most high profile players you can find. A good teacher is worth every penny. My main college-days teacher was actually rather poor (despite being a principal bass in a major orch) - he was drunk most of the time and I feel I effectively taught myself. I'll gladly suggest some names for you if you like. Another bit of advice (which I'm sure I'll get slated for!) - learn to play sitting down on a high stool. If you look at all the great virtuoso jazz players - John Patitucci / Eddie Gomez / Miroslav Vitous / Neils Henning Osted Pederson etc etc they all play seated. And there is a very good reason - it frees up your body to concentrate on playing and not on holding the thing up. And also its better on you knees. Downside is you have to carry a stool around along with all the other gear. One more point: There are 2 Simandl books - make sure you start with Book 1. Book 2 is mostly thumb position stuff. Tally Ho The Major

[quote name='rslaing' post='512001' date='Jun 12 2009, 11:58 AM']I disagree.........I bought the 2 Simandl books (when I read Pastorius raving about them!) and the first one obviously starts with the most primitive and elementary aspects of playing and reading music. The second book takes you through to the highest levels of playing. Although I have still not learned to read tenor clef proficiently. The Simandl stuff is highly recommended by most teachers and professionals, why do you think it seems unnecessarily mystifying?[/quote] This seems strange - where would you expect to start learning if not with "the most primitive and elementary aspects of playing and reading music" ? Most beginners that I have taught struggle even with a row of crotchets in half position. Learning any instrument is a gradual process. Simandl takes you from the basics to the solo repertoire in graded steps. What possibly confuses some bass guitar players moving to DB is the terminology re positions ie half position and intermediate positions etc. But once you have mastered these positions you no longer think about what they are called. Don't worry about not reading tenor clef proficiently - as long as you know say F up to C at sight, then you can work out any other notes from that. And lets face it, tenor clef is mostly used in the solo rep where you would "learn" the music anyway. As much as I champion the use of Simandl, I'm sure there is room for a new double bass tutor book that is clear and concise - perhaps I'll write one when I retire! Tally Ho The Major (Major F Minor)

[quote name='obbm' post='511854' date='Jun 12 2009, 09:29 AM']Welcome and try not to think about age. There are a few of us pensioners here who are still gigging regularly.[/quote] I'm not quite a pensioner yet - not far off tho' But hi there - and thanks for making me feel welcome. Tally Ho The Major (Major F Minor)