scalpy

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1477642429' post='3163479'] Playing with a really good drummer is, for me, the most liberating experience as a bass player. Everything just seems to fall into place. [/quote] A blessing and a curse. Once you've played with one who's really got it, you never feel like you play as well with anybody else, even if they're good time keepers etc.

Been Prince.

[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1476737371' post='3156888'] Well this is an LH1000 with a Barefaced Supertwin. It's plain Evil! [/quote] 2 asats! Monster!

Never mind the guitarist what about sax and trumpet players? Ours are lovely but one doesn't realise temperature and humidity make a massive difference and the other looks at the tuning pipe and goes, it's never been set there before, can't be right.

Turned up for a pit gig band call in the sticks. Drummer dumps his kit in a big pile, scratches his chin and says, 'Now let me see if I can remember how all this goes together.....' Was a long week.

Willie Weeks- just the perfect halfway point between virtuoso and band member. And if Joe Dart had been around in the 90s when I was starting out I would have lapped it up.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1476429589' post='3154141'] My advice would be to practise reading as often as you can. Certain rhythms and note groupings crop up quite regularly, so once you learn to spot them, then it's all stuff that you've played before, so there aren't really any surprises. If it's a 'sight reading' gig, then I'd echo what's been said on here already; take a couple of minutes to read through the score to see if there are any complicated rhythms or fast runs that need a bit of prep and play them through in your head (visualise where your hands will be on the fingerboard) to mentally prepare yourself for playing them. Other than that, just relax and have fun with it. [/quote] This is a great tip. Have a rhythmic vocabulary as well as a harmonic vocabulary. I was taught at uni its better to play a wrong note in time than a right one out of time! Which has got me out of a pickle on many an occasion.

[quote name='TorVic' timestamp='1476457959' post='3154535'] Thank you for that. [/quote] Here here

[quote name='AdamWoodBass' timestamp='1476411291' post='3154086'] Just finished a transcription of the bass part if anyone wants a copy? Bit ropey as I have't transcribed for about 10 years but it'll do! [/quote] Why not? Yes please.

Joe. Dart. On. The. Fen. Der. Bass

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1476031608' post='3150635'] Capacitors actually like to be used rather than left to sit for any long periods of time especially bigger or older ones. [/quote] They never used to turn off the desks at AIR Studios on Oxford Street for that reason. But one morning they found a desk out of power and a very hungover engineer on the couch. They asked him if he knew why the desk wouldn't fire up and he didn't. But when they did manage to turn it on they found out the night before, in a drunken stupor, he'd tried pushing all the buttons that would turn on leds that would spell his name in giant capitals across it.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1476025587' post='3150519'] No offence taken :-) If I'm understanding right, you're suggesting that I unwittingly know a bit more theory than I think I do. If I do, it's subconscious, based on feel and experience, and not setting out to learn it first. You mention harmony, and that I maybe approach this as a pattern. I dunno - I've listened to - and sung - harmony since I was a kid. I just have a decent feel for it. I never think 'Oh, this is the 3rd...' Truth is, I just don't hang around exclusively with theory fiends. Plenty of players I know are like me.. we just do it and don't think about it. (Note: please don't take any of the above as a self-declaration of musical genius. There are scores of potential scenarios that more learned BC'ers would sail through, whereas I'd die on my arse. But those scenarios just don't appeal to me or touch my orbit, so I don't lose sleep over it.) [/quote] Exactly. Unfortunately theory is hijacked by the jazz monsters. I don't play much jazz, and if I do I'm the first to hold my hand and admit it'll be more of a pastiche but I use theory all the time. For instance, I very occasionally get asked to do sessions. In one case the client wanted a Dave Matthews type vibe, so out come the headphones and an hour listening to best ofs etc in the morning, quick page of notes on what type of rhythms are used, any harmonic tricks employed, anything of note really and I've got a concrete go to rather than scrambling around in the dark, learning the tunes note for note and hoping something goes in by osmosis.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1476012368' post='3150389'] Ha ha.. trust me - I'm not just shifting shapes around the neck. There's a bit more going into it than that. [/quote] I totally get that, I've watched your review videos and a fine player you are, but you're sticking to diatonic or related harmony and a conventional rhythmic vocabulary like most successful players. (This is meant to be a compliment!) That can be reduced with the bass guitar to shifting patterns around the neck. I'm sure you'd monster a 12 blues, and in doing so employ a myriad of basic theory approaches, that when combined allow you your own signature approach. But a lot of it would be your combination of patterns, rhythmic or harmonic that are still patterns. Your intuition may lead to you to creating interesting lines and grooves etc but you'll be using theory implicitly to achieve this. If you weren't, others wouldn't be able to play with you! My point is that musical theory covers rhythm and structure as much as harmony, and a basic understanding is actually an easier conduit to more variety in playing music than relying on instinct or trial and error.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1476006980' post='3150332'] I had an interesting conversation last night - we gigged with a dep drummer who I've played with a few times. He's schooled in percussion and musical theory, and teaches. He likes my playing, and said he was surprised I hadn't got into to teaching. I told him my knowledge of theory is minimal, and I wouldn't know where to start. He was amazed... he didn't believe me. He couldn't understand how I do what I do without and in-depth understanding of what's going on. The point I'm clumsily trying to make is that he has his approach, and I have mine. Both are valid, and although having the theory has clear benefits, going the other route can still lead to good gigs with good players. [/quote] You've confused a drummer, well done 😉 As players of a geometric instrument, we can get away with hell of a lot. By this I mean it's not hard for example to learn pentatonic licks that are effective over a number of chords and sound like you have an advanced theoretical knowledge. All we have to do is shift a position. It's relatively easy to reach chord tones chromatically on the guitar and sound interesting. It's perfectly possible to do this without much theory knowledge, but begs the question, what could you do with a little more knowledge?

[quote name='zbd1960' timestamp='1476004939' post='3150317'] Indeed it was - I've done several gigs with them on cello. I play in one of the smaller groups on tenor sax as well. I'd do more with them, but I'm the wrong end of Shropshire for it to be easy [/quote] Great bloke Ed, I do some am dram pit work with him in Worcestershire. Has perfect pitch but only in Bb, useful as a trumpeter! And knows lots of theory, there back on topic!

[quote name='zbd1960' timestamp='1475958138' post='3150139'] I also play cello and tenor sax. The music world isn't very large and I've had a few calls over the last couple of years to dep in various concerts for several orchestras (I should be doing one tonight in Kidderminster, but I decided I needed a rest). Now, I don't want to imply I'm a genius, I'm not - I'm around grade 6 or 7 on cello, but my sight-reading is pretty good (because I'm an experienced choral singer and used to reading lots of stuff). I've done a lot of theory (because I like doing it). The end result is I can go to one of these gigs and do a decent job - I'm not being held back by my reading and the theory means I'm not thrown by weird things happening (e.g. odd time signatures or performance direction e.g. bowing spiccato or col legno as happened with a piece of Piazolla recently ([url="https://youtu.be/dMXoyJ8P1oE"]Tangazo[/url])). But, that's me. [/quote] Sounds like The Film Orchestra with Ed Malpas! Must admit I find it bizarre that any number of people will bang on about off axis response of cabs, how to link 3 drive pedals together or why they need a bass that's got a neck 1/16th of an inch thinner than another- but are quite happy not to be bothered how their music works!

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1475859173' post='3149340'] Music or playing doesn't have to be about what I just banged on about. Music is about having fun. No doubt and that's why we play.regardless of where we are musically. [/quote] Love having fun making music, hate wasting time in rehearsals waiting for band mates trying to figure out what chord is being used, or for something to be transposed, or what the count in for All Along The Watchtower is etc. Theory gets you there that little bit faster. It's not just about jazz obviously, but also helps your aural and ensemble skills. To be perfectly frank, I'm quite happy others don't learn it as knowing a bit of theory and being able to read gets me loads of work for someone who doesn't have the greatest chops.

Change your name to Michael Manring.

As close to whatever whoever is paying me wants. That reads really badly.

Another lefty who plays righty here. It's much cheaper.

Mum studied at Darlington and the Guildhall, a singer, pianist and conductor. Dad played Eb clarinet in the national youth wind orchestra. He taught me a bit on the guitar and then I worked everything else out. My sister played the violin and my brother the trombone. All of us have grade 8 at least. We all used to play in church and perform at the parish get togethers. I'm the only one who pursued music as a career after university. Dad ended up working with a guy in his physics department who had been a big cheese at Atlantic in the 60s and they spent a decade try to work the formula for the perfect pop song. It was an interesting if fruitless venture.

http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/USA/basses/kiloton/index.asp Another stingray killer loose.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1474829241' post='3140887'] I may have just got a bit confused by the way the presenter presented it - to me he was implying there are ensembles known as Continuo, and they played music like what was playing at the time. [/quote] Continuo or figured bass is a written bass line that had numbers written over some of the notes to suggest the correct chord (6 would be a first inversion for example) A keyboardist would improvise the accompaniment from those suggestions. Clever stuff.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1474824976' post='3140832'] Just found a new musical style tat I really like, but having looked it up I'm now confused! Improvised Continuo anyone? All I can find is stuff about Basso Continuo, and nothing that really relates to what they are talking about 13 minutes in. [/quote] I may be wrong but I believe they're pretty much the same thing.

Fully paid up dyed in the wool G&L fanboi here. My ASAT may have a myriad of tonal options but I only use 2, pots flat out bass boost on both pickups on, or ditto neck pickup only. Did a session for a producer earlier this month who insists I use it, and he's recorded Miller, Lee and McCartney amongst many others. Leo's earlier progeny seem bland in comparison.