Earbrass

I write my own bass lines, but, without intentionally copying, sometimes they come out sounding suspiciously similar to Lemmy (Space Ritual era), or John Wetton (Crimson era) . I've contributed just one song to my current band so far, but they seem to like it, so maybe I'll write some more for them one of these days. Been a PRS writer member for almost 20 years now, and have done loads of writing in the past - mostly rubbish though!

Welcome! Are you a scientist or something, or did you just book an EasyJet flight to Sydney?

How about writing and/or recording some stuff on your own? Do you play any other instruments apart from bass? If not, take one up. If so, get yourself a modest recording set-up and start making your own multi-instrumental music. Doesn't have to be polished or anything, just something you can then lay down your own bass tracks to. It's always good to have some kind of project on the go, even if it's just for your own satisfaction.

Played the Tower Tavern in Fitzrovia (that's London for you provincial types) on Friday. Since I joined the band in June 2008, we've done a few "live" gigs over the internet in Second Life (not my thing at all, but our guitarist is a long-time Second Lifer), but this was our first real life gig. The band has gigged before in different incarnations, but not for a few years. We were fourth band on out of six - got 30 minutes and played 6 original songs in our own inimitable off-the-wall hippy pagan/eco rock stylee. We brought at least 20 punters, and there were something like 100-150 people there altogether. I'd been fighting off some kind of ear-nose-throat infection for the previous couple of days, and was dosed up on Ibuprofen and Vitamin C for the evening, felt lousy beforehand, but once at the venue adrenalin and excitement took over. No nerves, great fun and the set was well received. We had been hoping to have our new album ready to sell, but sadly it didn't arrive from the pressing plant in time. Got a mate to film the gig, but haven't seen the tape yet - I'm told it came out quite well. This was my first gig as a bass player for well over 25 years, and my first gig of any kind for about 15-20 years (I used to play piano in a duet with a jazz/blues singer in the late eighties, early nineties). The Tower Tavern is a good venue, I think - the sound guys were really friendly and helpful, and they seem to have a good regular crowd as well as all the folks brought along by the bands. The backline and drumkit were provided, and they have a decent PA, so it was easy to turn up on public transport. I think I'll be doing more of this! EDIT: Album has just arrived, apparently! We're on a roll!

[quote name='Gust0o' post='587429' date='Sep 2 2009, 01:11 PM']Using a pick is .... definitely another string to your bow.[/quote] ...whereas (for rock) using a bow on your strings is usually not a good pick.

As a young keyboard player I bought the live Argent double album "Encore" many years ago when I found it cheap. Very mixed, to be honest, but some great moments. No one's mentioned Ballard's ballad (you see what I did there?) "I don't believe in miracles" or Rod Argent's "Time of the season" (originally for the Zombies?) - both quality songs imho. But there's some real drek in there too, "The Coming of Kahoutek" being a prime example of Prog Rock Fail.

So, I popped into the Mill and Old Swan, Minster Lovell last night to ask. When I said I was trying to find out who the band was that had been playing for the Wedding on the Saturday, the whole room went deathly silent. The barman didn't know where to look, but an old local turned fiercely towards me from the far corner; "Band, you say? For a wedding, was it?" "Err, yes, ermm female singer - pretty good apparently" I said. As I mentioned the singer there was an audible intake of breath from the drinkers, who all turned to watch the old man, anxiously. "Easy, Ted." one of them said. But the old man just stared at me for a moment, and then said, quite calmly. "Well, you must be mistaken, cos there ain't been no bands for no weddings here, not this fifty year. Not since that...terrible night..." he tailed off, staring into the distance. "I think you should go" the barman said. So I left. Hope that clears it up for you.

[quote name='nobody's prefect' post='565762' date='Aug 11 2009, 11:14 AM']I've never found local girls particularly yummy, I've seen all kinds... But I guess they do put out for native English speakers quite readily.[/quote] That's the kind of vital information they never put in the Tourist Guides.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='578998' date='Aug 24 2009, 01:01 PM']Shoots on this coming Sunday, the song is fairly aggressive but still pop, were shooting in a posh restaurant, prob in a similar theme to our recent pics and stuff, heres a comparison shot of the basses. [/quote] No, none of them. You clearly need to buy a new bass, just for photo shoots.

My, you [b]are[/b] new, aren't you! Ask about the use of pre-recorded backing tracks as well. Go on, I dare you...

Hi all, Probably over 90% of the solo practice I do is with the (solid) bass unplugged. That's mostly because I tend to pick the bass up and just start playing - can't be doing with all that wires and lectricity stuff, turning things on, finding my headphones and so forth. I was wondering though whether this approach might have some advantages (or disadvantages). Maybe playing unplugged develops the plucking technique more, as you really only have your fingers to modify the tone with. On the other hand, maybe it's more productive to practise the way you "really" play - plugged in. Anyone any thoughts on this?

[quote name='Tradfusion' post='574294' date='Aug 19 2009, 03:20 PM']our vocalist is female and she keeps picking songs that suit her voice and that she fancies herself, alot of them are fairly contemporary ala Beyonce, Sugababes, Rihanna etc so thats where we sound pretty twee with just the 1 guitar, bass and drums.[/quote] But if you [b]can[/b] find a way to make them work for the 4 of you, you'll have made them your own, and that will be a lot more satisfying for you and your audience than just trying to sound as much as possible like an original track that, as Bilbo rightly says, was assembled in a 'lab'. (For an extreme example, listen to Ms Dynamite as played by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - it's all about having the musical vision and imagination to perceive what really is the heart of a song and how to bring that out using just the musical resources you have at your disposal - THAT's what makes a good musician) PS Could your guitarist use fx / guitar-synth technology etc to thicken up your sound a bit?

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='574252' date='Aug 19 2009, 02:48 PM']Using electronic / pre-recorded augmentation: * If you're an 'Artist' - say, Kraftwerk or Moby and performing your own original stuff, it's OK. Challenging, even.[/quote] No, it's still tacky faked-up nonsense, it's just that fewer people will have the guts to say so out loud. (Kraftwerk, Moby - challenging???!!! You people need to listen to more Henry Cow. )

[quote name='Zoe_BillySheehan' post='549083' date='Jul 23 2009, 04:05 PM']I'm probably gunna stop stop posting stuff on here, maybe my own stuff, in the quiet recording thread.[/quote] Sorry, didn't mean to scare you off! I'm not terribly sure about the PRS / rights stuff, which is why I posted asking for others' views, so please don't take my word as in any sense authoritative on this.

[quote name='Zoe_BillySheehan' post='549066' date='Jul 23 2009, 03:54 PM']what about... taking the song out the background? and just having the bassline? would that be ok?[/quote] Hi Zoe. Technically, I suspect the answer is 'no' - the bassline is still someone else's composition. Whether they'd be that picky in practice, I've no idea. There's actually two issues here - one is the composition rights (which apply whoever is PLAYING the song), and the other is the use of the original recording (though I think that used to be the MCPS's pigeon rather than the PRS, but now they've sort of merged so I really don't know). Anyone know any better?

On a side issue - isn't Zoe risking a demand for payment from the PRS by posting a version of HMWYRS on Myspace? One reason I've not set up a myspace page is that the tracks I'd be happy to post are covers of jazz tunes not yet out of copyright - I assume if I post them I'd thereby make myself liable for PRS fees. Anyone any thoughts or experience on this? Also I think Faithless has been treated rather harshly in this thread; it's very easy for a post to come across as less polite (or otherwise having a different 'tone') than may have been intended if you're writing in a language that isn't your native tongue.

PM'd

[quote name='BigRedX' post='546431' date='Jul 21 2009, 01:51 PM']Would you go to a gig if the band played behind a curtain in a dark room and there was nothing to look at at all?[/quote] yeah, or played most of their gig from behind a huge wall so you couldn't see them....oh, hang on a mo...;-)

Get on to Trading Standards. Don't let the scumbags get away with it.

[quote name='OldGit' post='538512' date='Jul 12 2009, 02:45 PM']This: [/quote] Great stuff, but a wee bit fast for the average Morris side, perhaps!

Add another 2, makes 1825.

I tend to use an Excel spreadsheet: one cell per bar. In each cell I write the chord name or names, and underneath whatever lyrics are sung in that bar. Then comes the really fun bit - I colour code the whole thing, by applying background colour to the cells, with eg all the verses in one colour, all choruses in another and so forth, so it's really easy to see the structure of the song at a glance (I find I'm much more likely to make the mistake of going to the wrong "bit" of a song - like not remembering that the 2nd chorus has an extra 4 bars and then we go into the lead break etc - than I am of cocking up the individual sections). Often I find that the process of producing the document helps me learn the song so well that by the time I've finished it and printed it off it's just there as a backup. Nice to have, though.

Check out the bass part in Purcell's "When I am laid in earth" (Dido and Aeneas). It's the same simple pattern the whole way through; one of the great basslines of all time.

[quote name='cameltoe' post='529725' date='Jul 1 2009, 04:46 PM']Well i'm fairly new to bass anyway, and for the first year or so I used a pick. Since I bought my P bass though I have been using a 2 finger technique (which I might progress to 3) which has served me well. However, on faster tempo songs something isn't quite right, I can't get my fingers to move as quickly as I need them to do, and I'm convinced it's because i'm curling the fingers too much. My fingers feel like they're almost 'sticking' on the strings sometimes, yet whenever I try and straighten my fingers a bit I find I either have very little accuracy or i can't attack the strings enough. I've been looking at right hand techniques on youtube, etc, and it almost seems like I hit the strings with too much tension in my fingers whereas the correct way is a bit looser. I need someone to explain to me the dynamnics of playing like this. I can see what I'm supposed to do, but I can't make it happen. pic:[attachment=28076:15_1.jpg][/quote] There's no magic trick to getting your fingers to move more quickly with accuracy, it's just practice! My advice would be to play those "faster tempo songs" at a speed where you CAN play them as you want to. Then gradually increase the tempo.

You might also try [url="http://www.boosey.com/shop/"]http://www.boosey.com/shop/[/url] ; no idea what they're like for pop music, but were the only place I could find some Renaissance dance music recently. Friendly and helpful on the phone, too.