The Funk

Ah! I get what you mean - solfege? Nope, I don't use that and don't think I was ever taught that way.

By Italian do you mean quavers, crotchets etc? I had an American teacher with an R&B background so I picked up his terminology.

In the early days of Chic, Bernard Edwards removed all of Tony Thompson's kit until there was only a kick, snare and hi-hat.

I've just spotted a left-handed Clifton on The Gallery's website for much less than the Eminence and about half the price of a new Clifton. I gave Martin a ring and asked if it would be possible to restring it right-handed. He said that apart from a small amount of bridge and nut work, that should be fine. Thanks for all the advice guys. I didn't realise there were so many different options out there!

[quote name='JPAC' post='456546' date='Apr 7 2009, 04:29 PM']Here's a starter link and further reading, including quasihemidemisemiquavers ; [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_theory"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_theory[/url][/quote] Aren't those 128th notes? I've seen some metal drummers slip into 64th notes - don't think I've ever seen 128th notes!

It's that draggy, swingy 16th note syncopation that's hard to cop - but it can be easy if you're playing with the right drummer.

I think if you broke this down into genres, you'd probably find the funk, R&B and metal guys tended to have more 5s or higher than the punk guys, with rock and jazz guys not really following any kind of pattern.

My main gigging bass is a 5 but I like to take the 4 out whenever I'm going to a jam or backing a vocalist. I think the number of strings isn't so much of an issue (but I get that that's not what your poll is about). Give most people on the forum a bass with just an E-string and an A-string and they'd manage just fine.

[quote name='51m0n' post='456588' date='Apr 7 2009, 05:14 PM']Personally, I dont think learning the drums (and I've done a bit of this) will help anywhere near as much as learning a counter rhythmic percussion instrument. Drums lay it down and groove, bass can either work that same pattern - more rock/punk/jazz (albeit swung) - or work around and through it (more funk) [...] I have found that I spend a lot of time working the time between each quarter note, to impart as much swing/groove as is required, I rarely follow the drummers lead exactly. That and an understanding of how 'stretchy' that time between crotchets is in terms of push/pull and swing is what creates groove.[/quote] Good post! The drummer usually takes care of beats 1, 2 and 4 for you, freeing you up to play wherever you want. It can be nice from time to time if you mirror little rhythmic patterns here and there - and either the bassist of the drummer can lead that. Turn-arounds and pre-choruses are nice little spots for that kind of thing.

I sold my old MOTU 828 to Nick Fyffe of Jamiroquai. Not on-topic at all but just had to drop that in there.

Nah, Levine's book also teaches you how to read, from what I remember.

Actually, you could just play some Hendrix-y blues. His versions of [i]Killing Floor[/i] and [i]Rock Me Baby[/i] are pretty funky.

Was it [i]Further You Fall[/i]? Like it! I could have done with it kicking in real heavy at some point before the end - but maybe that's what [i]they[/i] would expect you to do.

Son Seals ft. Phish - Funky Bitch. Some of BB's later stuff is quite funky. Same with Albert King. Most of the guys out of Austin, TX are quite funky, playing in that SRV style. So you could try some Doyle Bramhall. Oh, Robert Randolph!

[quote name='Alun' post='454973' date='Apr 5 2009, 10:24 PM']If you're coming from a rock background, maybe start with some guitar based stuff like Mike Stern[/quote] [quote name='urb' post='455129' date='Apr 6 2009, 08:38 AM']I'm surprised you don't likr Stern, I know he can be a bit repetitive but he always has a great rhythm section[/quote] [quote name='bilbo230763' post='455147' date='Apr 6 2009, 09:15 AM']Stern, for instance, is widely regarded to be repetitive but he is a particularly sophisticated composer and his soloing is a lot deeper than a lot of people think (try and write some down, you'll be astonished).[/quote] [quote name='Rich' post='456341' date='Apr 7 2009, 12:52 PM']Been to a Mike Stern gig? Nah, didn't think so Fabulous, exciting stuff.[/quote] [quote name='lowdown' post='456375' date='Apr 7 2009, 01:30 PM']Been to a couple of Mike Stern gigs - Outstanding![/quote] Fine. I'm going to pay the £25 for the next Mike Stern gig in London to see what you're all on about!

They were fine for me a few years ago. But I think I got in just before it all started going wrong. Really can't understand false tracking!

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='456396' date='Apr 7 2009, 01:52 PM']Martin at Sei basses charged me £130 to fret a fretless bass, that included a perfect setup. It took him two days to cut the fret slots by hand, the neck was bound and he didn't want to damage the binding. He did a fantastic job. My advice is this....if you can't afford to have it done by a professional like Martin, then wait a few weeks until you can. It'll be cheaper in the long run.[/quote] Not just tat, those chaps at The Gallery do a basic set-up at a very competitive rate and with a quick turn-around time. If it's as cheap, quicker and better, why go anywhere else?

Telecasters have overtaken Stratocasters for the first time in 40 years. I think the same's happening with Precisions and Jazzes. I love my Jazzes and wouldn't play a Precision. It's not that they're not good instruments. They don't suit me tone-wise.

[quote name='Rich' post='456341' date='Apr 7 2009, 12:52 PM']Been to a Mike Stern gig? Nah, didn't think so Fabulous, exciting stuff. But hey, like everyone's been saying, it's one man's meat and all that. You like Satchmo, but he sends me to sleep. That's what's so great about jazz as a genre, there's summat for everyone. Kenny G, now [i]there's[/i] someone who really [u]is[/u] everything that's wrong with jazz today. His soprano sax should be stretched out into a long thin wire, with which he should then be strangled [/quote] Kenny G - the Michael Bolton/Nigel Kennedy of saxophone. I've turned down every opportunity to see Mike Stern. I'm not paying £25+ to see someone whose music I've never liked. I'm not claiming to be even in the same building as him technically with my bratty comments (he's a million miles ahead of me) but he's a prime example of a guy with the heart of a rock guitarist and the head of a jazz musician, who then doesn't have any place to go or anything to say. And then there's the guy's tone - it really makes me ill. I'd love to hear him on acoustic. I bet it's a totally different story. A couple of later fusion guitarists have won me over when I've heard them unaccompanied on acoustic. (Not that I dislike fusion guitarists - Al di Meola, John McLoughlin and Larry Corryell are wicked.)

Brutal! Not really heard anything like that before. I like it! A lot of the tunes speed up but I think that probably works for you.

[quote name='lowdown' post='455581' date='Apr 6 2009, 03:43 PM']Just curious mate. If you dont like Miles playing, What is it about A Kind of blue you like?[/quote] Everything else. Hehe, no, his trumpet holds all the rest of it together, and his bands/compositions/records are generally very enjoyable but I just don't think he's all that great a trumpet player. It was a moronic statement to say his trumpet playing sucks and there are a huge number of reasons why I respect the guy musically - but I'm not moved by trumpet playing, as opposed to his compositions/arrangements, the way most others are.

Loved it! Sit through the full 7 minutes and it really works. EDIT: I wasn't a fan of the last vid you posted here but I get it with this one. Last one was more of a chilled out mood thing but this one's really intense.

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='455561' date='Apr 6 2009, 03:27 PM']Sorry but I have to reply to this, 'cos you quite clearly don't know what you're talking about, or have never actually heard him.[/quote] That may well be true. I was trying (in a very stupidly put way) to reassure the OP that there wasn't something wrong with him for finding Miles Davis' trumpet playing boring. A Kind Of Blue is one of my favourite albums but his trumpet playing just doesn't do much for me.

Well done! Never in doubt.