purpleblob

[quote name='RichardFoggo' post='716129' date='Jan 17 2010, 10:51 PM']Mate, I had similar experience - caught me at a vulnerable time just after Uni - I was getting somewhere with my band but they were fcukwits, descended quickly after that with 2-3 much less successful attempts to set something else up. Gave up, depressed, sold and gave away most of my equipment (thankfully left myself my trusty precision and an SWR combo) and got a "proper" job and family. In fact never touched them for nearly 15 years until relatively recently. Admittedly only back playing at home, thinking vaguely about setting up or joining a sh*t middle aged w*nkers (which I am now) cover band just to relive the glory. ABSOLUTELY HATE MYSELF for what I did (I so want my pre-EB Stingray back it hurts!). So all I can say is that if there is any way to play yourself out of your depression then do it cause when you're an old fcuker like me last thing you want is a hole in your heart where the music used to be.[/quote] I've had a very similar experience to RichardFoggo particularily with the regrets of not playing after my last band split. My band just "naturally" wound down due to not being able to find a (good) drummer. I lost all interest in playing and pretty much stopped altogether. Luckily I'm a hoarder by nature, so kept all my gear, but did go off and get a career and a family and so on, so had no time (or I suppose inclination) to play. Now as an old git trying to start playing again it's so damn hard setting up time with other similar musicians as we all have fairly full lives with work and families etc. and I do look back and think of all the time lost not playing. So I totally agree with RichardFoggo - just try and keep playing as you very well regret it if in 20 years time you look back at what 've missed out on.

Okay my 2p's worth and I know people might question whether this is strictly a bass solo (as it's not played on a "standard" bass) but Stanley Clarke's School days pretty much changed my life musically - so I'll go for that.

I always wanted an Alembic the one Stanley Clarke has as a piccolo but also rather fancy a Fodera MG 6 string and these tend to be a tad too expensive for me to justify.

[quote name='BigBeatNut' post='709605' date='Jan 11 2010, 11:42 PM']Count me in on this one Rob Allen Deep 5 [/quote] OMG, OMG, OMG that's just beautiful.

No album/song or band got me into playing bass. I just figured it was an instrument I could handle and being in a band mean't I'd have more chance with the girls, or so I thought - how wrong was I on both counts :-) Once I started playing I got more into actually learning the instrument (probably due to lack of girls) and at this point it was Rush that inspired me the most, LimeLight, Freewill, Xanadu all leave lasting impression, even to this day. However Cream's Sunshine of your love was the first tune (before I took up bass) that I thought, now that's a bass and it sounds good, up until then I'd always wanted to be Hendrix or Santana.

[quote name='353203' post='707144' date='Jan 9 2010, 09:51 PM']Well, there's a great musical heritage around these parts - we'll be swapping Paul Weller stories next.....the best I can do is that I was in the same class as his cousin, played footie outside his house on the Maybury estate, and met the original Jam bass player (Steve someone...) in his music shop in Walton once....![/quote] Hmm wasn't much of a Weller or Jam fan, although I always thought Bruce Foxton was awesome (back in the day). Closest thing I have to a Paul Weller story was that I did stand in line in a newsagents (in our village) behind him - and he seemed very short (not that I'm particularily tall). Sorry, I've nothing more exciting on that front

[quote name='walbassist' post='707287' date='Jan 10 2010, 12:25 AM']Better? No, just different. This bass has a much more organic, natural, and less "processed" sound than the Wal.[/quote] [quote name='walbassist' post='707257' date=''Jan 10 2010, 11:47 AM']...I have to say it is without doubt the best fretless I've ever owned[/quote] Sorry the word "best" interpreted therefore as better came from your quote above. Anyway... I've listened to/watched a couple of these basses on youtube and they do have a very "organic" sound, I think that is a good representation of the tone etc. Anyway, nice bass. EDIT: Typical grammar mess of mine, tidied up

[quote name='walbassist' post='707257' date='Jan 9 2010, 11:47 PM']Thanks for all the kind words guys. Having now gigged the bass and played it most evenings over the last few weeks, I have to say it is without doubt the best fretless I've ever owned. The sustain is just incredible and the variety of tones lurking inside it is amazing for such a simple setup. I am so pleased with it I want to get a fretted version as well....[/quote] Whoa, hold on a sec. as an admirer of the collection of Wals you've owned in the past - are you saying this is better than the Wal fretless you owned ?

[quote name='353203' post='706992' date='Jan 9 2010, 08:09 PM']Hi there - do you remember ABC music in Addlestone ? Whatever happened to it I wonder.... Cheers, Simon[/quote] My God, ABC music disappeared absolutely ages ago, that brings back some memories. Sold a nice little Session bass combo to them a long long time ago to pay for the deposit on my half of a flat rental with my girlfriend at the time - so wish I'd kept the combo and got rid of the girlfriend instead Welcome, I'm not too far from Woking myself, as you've already seen from other responses, there appears to be a large Surrey contingent around here

The basics of this thread can be distilled into something like... You do not need music theory or to be able to read music to write great music (and we can all cite many examples of such songs/music) or indeed to be a great musician and there's a lot of guys out there earning a living (and in some cases a very good living) in all types of bands who know next to nothing about theory and it's quite possible they will never ever need to know music theory or how to read music for what they do and they're happy with their level of knowledge as it currently stands. On the other hand, knowing more about the why's and wherefore's of music theory should help one understand and appreciate how different notes relate etc. and certainly for some gigs you would need to be able to transpose and read/write music - but at the end of the day if you have no intention on playing such gig's then whether this matters to you is a personal thing. And ofcourse it's also true to say that just because you know all the theory and how to read/write doesn't mean you can write good music or that you're a better musician than someone else just because of this knowledge. I for one would advocate learning theory, harmony, chord construction etc. As for reading, I don't read I'm never going to be in a band or take a gig where this was required, so to me it isn't a priority - this said, I do like learning so on my things to try and do this year (as it is most years ) is learning to read music, but this will solely be for my own interest. As for listing off people who've played in bands and got the gig because they read music or those in bands who got the gig even though they don't read - this seems a pointless discussion as I'm sure for every guy or girl in a band who reads we could find at least an equal number who do not read... Ultimately it is not an essential to form a band or play music in general but might be an essential for some gigs. I'd summarise by saying the more tools you have at your disposal the better you'll understand what you're playing and why it works or doesn't work and it certainly shouldn't hurt your playing. If you're wanting to do gig's or sessions which might take you out of your comfort zone or ofcourse require reading, then the more you know about theory and reading the more chance that you'll get the gig. EDIT: Sorry for the long post

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='698187' date='Jan 1 2010, 06:00 PM']Here's something else. When I learn a song I don't think about what the chords are. ie, I don't think, 'Right, this is A to G to C etc.' I think in patterns on the fretboard. I look at the fretboard as a grid and remember the changes as almost geometrical patterns. I'm sure other players must do this. Am I right?[/quote] It's certainly a natural way to view a bass being that ultimately the grid on a bass (the fretboard) is itself a repeating pattern. Obviously music can be described mathematically and thus intervals or grid like patterns work fine on something like a bass. Whether it's right or wrong - it's certainly not for me to say. As I'm pretty mathematical and never had or wanted formal training, I do tend to see patterns better than I see notes (if that makes sense) but as long as the patterns do not take precedence over what you hear or feel, then personally it's what ever makes it work for you (is my opinion) EDIT: Smiley wasn't showing

[quote name='Doddy' post='698127' date='Jan 1 2010, 05:15 PM']I wouldn't exactly put it like that. For me,everything that you study should be put to one side when you are performing,and eventually it will begin to become part of your vocabulary and will naturally come out in your playing. The trick is knowing it well enough to not have to think about it.[/quote] I believe that's the essence of the quote - the key thing is that people can get hung up on theory and forget to listen to what they're playing.

Interesting discussion. Your initial comment regarding thinking the tune was in D is one I've heard a lot from people, even those that suggest they know their theory, i.e. it's starts with an A chord therefore it's in the key of A. There's certainly nothing to be embarrased about unless you're about to do some music exam At the end of the day it's what you play that matters, if you've got good ears and good technique then frankly knowing theory isn't really that big a deal. Obviously understanding scales, modes, chords etc. can be interesting and might help you become a better musician, on the other hand it might not - but the ear and technique are easily (imo) more important. I cannot recall where I first heard/read this, but I recall someone well known saying "learn all the theory you can and then when you're comfortable with it, throw it all away" (I paraphrashe I'm sure) and this can also be true. Sometimes you end up with people playing arps or scales in essence - but without feel/groove or thought, just because they "know the theory". But I would equally say there's nothing wrong with trying to extend one's knowledge by learning the theory EDIT: I need a grammar checker.

[quote name='Marvin' post='694415' date='Dec 27 2009, 05:56 PM']Great move. Adds clarity and openness imo. I've seen a few items that I might have been interested in without price and just moved on as I can't be bothered playing guessing games.[/quote] +1

Brilliant stuff, watched some of the previous vid's., fantastic that Mark's joined in the fun EDIT: seems I had one too many previously's in that sentence - so remove one

For what it's worth I bought a 5 string from the gallery a few months back and asked whether I could restring to a high C without a new nut and the bass was duly restrung for me. No nut change at all. This said I'm sure the guage of strings will matter also. And possibly your playing style - I find that when I play acoustically there's a slight rattle (I do tend to play hard) on the A string that definitely is down to the nut as if I dampen the machine head side it's fine. But not noticed the same problem with any other strings and seems fine when amplified (i.e. I probably play a little lighter ). So what I'm saying is, you may not require a new nut, but you might Sorry, maybe not much help in the end.

[quote name='bigthumb' post='680478' date='Dec 10 2009, 06:13 PM']New website looks good, just having a browse now. [/quote] I'm just trying to get used to it - was so used to jumping to certain areas on the old one it's become a bit of a steep learning curve to find things

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='680150' date='Dec 10 2009, 12:39 PM']Please bear in mind the musical scale was around in one form or another long before the piano was invented. This brings up the question - whiat was the first instrument? Maybe it followed on from a string or wind instrument where C was seen as the normal start point, and the piano keys fell in later?[/quote] Damn you, a great theory blown out of the water Very good point though

[quote name='Sibob' post='680061' date='Dec 10 2009, 11:31 AM']Lowest note on a Piano is A C is in the middle, so often a good place to start!? Probably coincidental, but I like it Si[/quote] Yeah I was wondering about that - maybe somebody just said this is a convenient hand position on a piano.