BottomE

Thanks folks. Its been going on for about a year now ever since i decided to re-learn the bass and spend hours every week hunched over the the fretboard. How do you find a good physio? and Is there a proper way to angle the bass when playing? Most times i play sitting down at home.

Thanks chaps. What about massage chairs and orthopaedic stuff? Have you tried them? The doc did mention Pilates and Yoga - anyone do this?

Went to the doc this morning and he said i need physio. Apparently my Lattisimus Dorsi is a bit screwed up and needs some relief. He says its almost certainly down to spending so much time playing bass and being sat on my ass doing a desk job. It's got to the point where a one hour car journey is about all i can do without having a break. Pain relief at the moment consists of the occasional paracetemol with codeine and the odd Jamaican Woodbine when i run into some old friends. Oddly, gigging i am so into listening and playing that i don't feel the pain - until after. Any advice/help pointers tips would be most welcome. Thanks.

Part of the struggle with all this is fighting a natural instinct that learning exercises and theory is boring. It's not at all, but i and perhaps others may have a negative attitude to learning that may be a result of school experiences. I spent too much time at school trying to calculate what was necessary to learn and sometimes get a feeling when running Phyrigian mode exercises that it might be possible to skip them. However being older and wiser i try not to most of the time

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1233204' date='May 16 2011, 04:03 PM']I think BM is basically saying, in a way that is completely at odds with his brother's pseudo-intellectual presentation, is that he finds a lot of kids more interested in seeing themselves as the next 'young lion' or prodigy than they are in being the best player that concerted study and hard graft can make them.[/quote] Nothing new there really. Hasn't it always been like that? We live in a world (huge generalisation) that values style over substance. Maybe his students are a reflection of this?

Lots of variables in this and assumptions. Is Branford Marsalis a decent teacher? Who knows. Has he had a batch of sh** students? Dunno. Because of his elevated status and undoubted ability has he become a snobby twat too distant from the abilities and foibles of mere mortals? Maybe he was having a bad day. We live in a world where the destination has become more important than the journey. That much is true.

[quote name='BottomE' post='1232582' date='May 15 2011, 11:31 PM']Latecomer Charlie Mingus has come to the party tooled up. [attachment=80011:Mingus_Gun.gif][/quote] Looks like Charlie wins!

Latecomer Charlie Mingus has come to the party tooled up. [attachment=80011:Mingus_Gun.gif]

Two gigs yesterday. First one at Salisbury Arts Centre doing a jazz lunch - we are a funk/soul band so that was interesting. Sold a few CDs and had a lovely free lunch. Nice polite aplause after each track. Second gig in the evening was absolutley rammed. Queues to get into the venue all night. The dancing started on the second track and didn't stop till the third encore. This is a great venue for us which we have been playing for almost 4 years. Free drinks for the band and quite well paid and loads of very nice young ladies strutting their stuff. Nice.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1232049' date='May 15 2011, 02:55 PM']With 2 hours a day 5 days a week you will be the teacher in a couple of years! Nice one.[/quote] As long as i keep improving. Thats the goal. I have become a bit of a recluse with this obsession and cos my wife works in the home office most nights i end up playing my basses with the books out and the headphones on (when not gigging). I just wondered if anyone had some ideas for best using this time? When i say two hours i do have a short attention span and the two hours is interspaced with coffee breaks and the occassional slap fest

Count - that is amazing! How does she sound? The colour has calmed down and she looks silky and sexy. Are you pleased?

Just wanted to chip in with a "keep it up guys". My journey at the moment is about re-learning to play bass using theory and not just feel and groove alone. The motivator for this is because i love jazz and pretty soon realised that it would be more accesible with some theory than without. I have thought about getting a teacher - the only one i have found is a long way away and potentially not available when i am So, my current strategy is: Reading books The Total Jazz Bassist The Jazz Bass Book Jazzology In parallel to this i have some Real books with a bass clef edition - loads of classics with the melody written in bass clef. Finally i have a lot of the Jamey Aebersold mp3s which are great running in Cubase with the bass balanced out providing the ability to play along to some nice piano and drum tracks. With such a wealth of material its actually quite hard to know where to concentrate or how to work out a sensible programme of study. I probably practice on average about 2 hours a day five days a week. Any tips would be welcome.

Cocktail bar in the centre of Bournemouth. The gear is already setup as went straight from lunchtime gig at Salisbury Arts Centre to tonights venue. Rock n roll.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1228326' date='May 12 2011, 01:31 AM']...And in the wrong key. Loads of people (read:Guitarists) play it in E minor,but for me,it just feels so much better in Eb minor.[/quote] +1 love it in Ebm - sux in Em our guitarist is always shifting keys around to suit some strange chord voicing or other whim. I Want You Back - Jacksons - should be Ab and sounding great -he shifted it to G.

It is easy to generalise. For me its about being relevant. There are good solos and bad ones. How good (or bad) a solo is doesn't depend on speed, technique or obscure finger twiddly skills or working in little known musical devices. This solo for me is about as good as it gets. Why? It just fits. Its simple, enchanting and totally in the groove. Starts just after 3 minutes but the whole thing is a delight. Shearing was amazing.

[quote name='Slipperydick' post='1225139' date='May 9 2011, 02:32 PM']That - and enjoying it.[/quote] I normally enjoy it if there are gigs with an audience. I have been in some great bands that no-one will ever hear as they never made it past the rehearsal stage.

So its not a joke thread? Given the cost of a tuner < £10 and the time it takes to tune a bass (a minute) why on earth would you not tune it before each set?

[quote name='Count Bassie' post='1224159' date='May 8 2011, 03:01 PM']Two almost-done pix: Note the hole in front by the knobs. The new hold (I drilled) is where the concentric knob is for the pre. The output jack goes in the old one that remains. My strap-button scheme. It pulls the bass to my right, bringing the headstock (aka "first position") closer so I don't have to extend my arm so far. This is the standard configuration for any of my basses now. Nerve issues... [/quote] That is looking sexy Count. It looks like a really pro job. I love the way the cut of the bass makes the headstock look even more classy. They match up well. And the colour of the spray has chilled out and looks silky and gorgeous. Ooooohhhhh inspiring stuff.

Gigs and an audience - its all pointless otherwise.

this is a joke thread right?

Dorian - So What by Miles Davis - its all Dorian

Depends on the size of the stage - loudness of band - room shape - quality of monitors etc lots of variables. I took a 212 as a lone cab at a very big gig (1000 seater) and wished i hadn't. The monitors were crap and i would have been better off with more cabs onstage. I usually take a 210 and 212 to venues i don't know then i will be covered for different eventualities. I do use the Little Mark amps though as i wasn't a big fan of the TC amps.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='1223132' date='May 7 2011, 12:59 PM']Another really short nail bod here, I find it really uncomfortable otherwise. I sometimes use the flat face of my nail as a plectrum, (I hold my fingers as though I were holding a plectrum between my first finger and thumb, but with no actual plectrum, just strike the string with the nail of the first finger) but I split it down the middle on Thurs, I really need to knock that off and just remember to carry a plectrum for the rock stuff, it's just been a loooooong time since I needed them lol. I'm gonna try clear nail varnish on that one nail just to see if it's tough enough as I prefer using my nail as a pick cause it's kinder to elixirs and more flexible to switch from fingers/thumbs/pick etc.[/quote] me too - i get the plectrum sound like you for exactly the same reason! my guitartist looks at me like i am insane when i do this.

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='1222378' date='May 6 2011, 05:02 PM']Thats fair enough - BUT I've been at the stage where I just hate going to rehearsals because I know I'll be locked in a room with 4 other people who I dislike. Thats when it stops being fun - so for me their needs to be some social interation otherwise it becomes just hard work.[/quote] I think if i found myself in a situation where i didn't like all the other members i would take a look at myself or leave the band. Fortunately thats not happened (yet). Whilst i agree that it has to be fun - playing bass and improving has always been my main motivation and having been in lots of bands its probably natural that there will be some people that you don't naturally hit it off with.