bristol based potential newbie

[ZMech]

well this is my first trip into the DB section! This madness has been brought on my having a quick play on someone's DB at a jam night recently (didn't ask if he was a BCer), and after admiring the acoustic sound for years, I now really want to play one. Thankfully this urge is coinciding with my 21st in december, so I think i'll be asking for the cost of rental and lessons as a present. My main worry at the moment is the sheer size if it, since i'm a not so towering 5' 8", and my hands aren't exactly huge. However, these days I can manage to stretch from 1st to 4th on my fretless, so hopefully that training will make things slightly less hard work.

I'm a Bristol student, so any advice about good places to look for a rental/teacher would be appreciated. Who knows, one day i may even prefer it to electric...

[TPJ]

[quote name='Zach' post='993247' date='Oct 19 2010, 10:27 AM']My main worry at the moment is the sheer size if it, since i'm a not so towering 5' 8", and my hands aren't exactly huge.[/quote]

You're just like me. You'll be fine, just don't try to do too much at once.

Sorry I can't help with the Bristol advice but someone here will know

[Mr. Foxen]

I think Bassbod teaches, since someone asked if I was one of his students, he is a totally good dude to hang with too.

[BassBod]

Thanks for the vote of confidence there MrF. Indeed, I do teach although I'll admit I've been playing mainly EUB for the past few years (but it is designed and plays just like an acoustic, so same rules apply, unfortunately!). My acoustic currently needs some work - again....

Send me a PM?

[slap_it_hard]

Well, I'm 5 7 & I don't have a problem with a 3/4, & I've got small hands too.

If you want a trip to Herts for some lessons on a great bass & some knowledge about the ins & outs of the instrument, feel free to message me!

[TheRev]

I'm a rather diminuitive 5' 4'' and I can reach everything.

I rented from Cremona House on Park Row. Around £30 per month IIRC. There's a couple of Bristol based DB teachers on here so you won't be searching for too long.

[ZMech]

cheers for the votes of confidence, turns out the bassist was gcordez from on here, so have been discussing getting lessons from him, thankfully he lives nearby. will be popping into cremona house on thursday, will let you all know how it goes. Part of me wants to not like DB, due to the realisation that it's one of the most expensive and inconvenient instruments, thankfully the rest of me doesn't care about that!

Have you got any recommendations for stuff with nice bits of DB to be listening to? Am also ignorant of most of the big names on upright, so some pointers for who to look at would also be cool.

[TheRev]

[quote name='Zach' post='993832' date='Oct 19 2010, 05:46 PM']Have you got any recommendations for stuff with nice bits of DB to be listening to? Am also ignorant of most of the big names on upright, so some pointers for who to look at would also be cool.[/quote]

Everyone has their own no 1 players, but my personal faves are:

Jazz: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Bass by Mr Paul Chambers who is a total legend. Other jazz names to check out are Charles Mingus, Ray Brown and Dave Holland. A good modern jazz outfit to check out is E.S.T.
Folk: Anything with Danny Thompson, but to get started, Solid Air by John Martyn and anything by Pentangle. You should also check out Beth Orton's Central Reservation and Trailer Park albums with the wonderful Ali Friend on bass. While we're talking about Ali Friend, check out his latest folkie/acoustic band, Clayhill and especially the 'Mine at Last' CD.
Drum'n'bass: 'Brown paper bag' is a must listen (all hail Si Johns) as is anything and everything by Red Snapper (Ali Friend again).

Danny Thompson has had the most influence on my playing, as much through his playing philospohy as through his music, His emphasis is on tone, feel and notes, in that order. There's a very noce interview with him in the latest BGM.

[ZMech]

cheers Rev, a few names i vagually recognise in there. Of course kind of blue is a favourite already. Time for some serious spotify action.

[ZMech]

have now got myself a nice upright thanks to gumtree. now for the long the possibly painful journey of learning to play the monster!

[Andy Nervous]

[font="Verdana"]
Hi Zach,
I agree with TheRev,especially Danny Thompson,he has the nicest natural feel I've ever heard,very melodic. Also agree Solid Air
is a classic album.
However,there's one major omission when listening to pioneering d.bass playing,(and my fave),Willie Dixon.
You can hear him playing on just about any song by the Chess record label with a d.bass. Chuck Berry,(You Can't Catch Me is a beauty),Muddy Waters,
Memphis Slim,Little Walter,etc.all used Willie Dixon. He also wrote loads of their hit's,Little Red Rooster,Wang Dang Doodle,etc.
Check out this for a mean d.bass instrumental,full of technique and sheer physical strength!
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcqqyL-Y6Go"]Willie Dixon - Bassology[/url]
Mr Dixon pioneered the slap style,his early recordings go back to the 1930's. Listen to anything by his band,The Big 3 Trio,groundbreaking stuff.
The Rockabilly slap style technique triplets is believed by many to have begun in the 1980's by such plank-slappers as Lee Rocker,Stray Cats,
but on Willie's early B3T recordings,there he is,larger than life,slapping his plank silly. Magic.
By the way,I live in Bristol and have been a happy slapper almost 30 years. If interested give me a PM and we can meet for a jam or to talk bass,
best wishes and good luck,
Andy[/font]