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Posted

OK guys, I've only been a bassist for just over 4 months! I know my timings go off in places. I look like crap and fat as am in casual clothes and no make up. But if you can endure 3 and a half minutes of torture.... Here's Love Cats by the Cure.

It was my homework piece from Mr Ace my fab teacher, I thought it was beyond my skills, but I'm getting there I reckon.

So, be brutal!

[URL=http://s1019.photobucket.com/albums/af313/phillipwjones/?action=view&current=C87EF645-DC01-42BE-9D2A-C55C1E9E1A2E-4425-00000BD2C0A08E29.mp4][IMG]http://emob1019.photobucket.com/albums/af313/phillipwjones/th_C87EF645-DC01-42BE-9D2A-C55C1E9E1A2E-4425-00000BD2C0A08E29.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Posted

That was really good. My only criticism is the string noise, but that's an easy fix.
Fascination Street is a good song to play along with too. :)

Posted

Thanks, yep, I'm aware of the string noise.... Can usually control it on slower songs, but faster more complex ones always get me!

My teacher has told me not to worry too much about it, as it will come with time and experience.

Posted

Well played - especially with having a 'casualty' ;) . I do like the white/maple combination on the Ibanez.

Funnily enough, that was the first song I attempted to play during my brief dalliance with double bass years ago - "What's intonation?", asked I! :D

Posted

Enjoyed that, kudos to you. Your technique looks a little more 'polished' than the chap who was playing with The Cure over the weekend, he couldn't even stand upright! :D

Posted

That's really good! You have good timing, and you look relaxed and confident. Your teacher's right, you'll get things like the string damping, dynamics and articulation over time.

It should not be underestimated how much extra pressure is put on you from filming yourself, you should be very proud of yourself for this vid, only four months of playing and with all of life's other demands, you're at this stage already.

Posted (edited)

Good stuff! Your left hand looks relaxed and your positioning and shifting is good.

One way to avoid fret buzz is to fret the string nice and close to the fret, not halfway between frets. If you fret directly on the fret you'll mute the string somewhat so you need to be just a little behind it.

But don't get too hung up on it at this stage, but it's something to aim for as you progress. It takes time and practice to build accuracy but it means you'll need less pressure to get a clean note, less strain on your hands and more speed, plus if you venture onto a fretless bass you'll have a head start ;)

However on your right hand you're only playing with one finger, really need to get them walking! Maybe practice some scales using strict alternate fingers, that'll also help with muting as you can bring your right hand into play as well as your fretting hand.

Good luck! You're making really good progress.

Edited by Fat Rich
Posted (edited)

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1346066131' post='1784681']
However on your right hand you're only playing with one finger, really need to get them walking! Maybe practice some scales using strict alternate fingers, that'll also help with muting as you can bring your right hand into play as well as your fretting hand.

[/quote]

this.

but on a good note well done for putting yourself out there to be judged its sounding great you should be proud of yourself :)

Edited by Chrismanbass
Posted

Just having the bottle to put yourself up for criticism is one thing, and yes you should feel proud, well played. You strike me as having a natural feel for the instument, the more you play the more that translates through the fingers. Have fun.

Posted

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1346066131' post='1784681']

However on your right hand you're only playing with one finger, really need to get them walking! Maybe practice some scales using strict alternate fingers, that'll also help with muting as you can bring your right hand into play as well as your fretting hand.

Good luck! You're making really good progress.
[/quote]

Yep, I was waiting to be pulled up on that ;)

I do struggle with alternate finger walking.... I have been working on it with some 12 bar blues.... But I still have a long way to go.... I naturally use one finger and it's proving a hard habit to break.... But I know if I ever want to be a good bassist I have to nail that puppy!!

Thanks for all you kind comment guys. I watch some videos on here and I get blown away with the talent some of you guys have!

I think it's good to record my progress (you should see the first video I did, it's totally embarrassing now!), this is the first time I've felt confident enough to post a video without thinking I would be making a complete tit out of myself! :lol:

Posted

[color=#222222][size=2]The great man himself mainly used one finger too! If it's good enough for Jamerson...[/size][/color]

[color=#222222][size=2]But seriously, that was an enjoyable video. From someone who exclusively used a pick up until a couple of years ago and who now rarely uses one, I can tell you that playing with two fingers will come naturally in time.[/size][/color]

[color=#222222][size=2]Keep up the good work![/size][/color]

Posted

hey that's pretty good, one of my favourite basslines too! I really like The Cure's more commercial / mainstream stuff - Close To Me and Lullaby are also cracking songs which are easy to learn and lots of fun to play.

Posted (edited)

I can honestly say that your playing is much , much better than I was after four months. You handle the different note- values and the walking bass part in the middle- eight particulaly well. I have given plenty of lessons to beginning bassists in the past, and I can tell you that I have had students who were nowhere near as good as you after four months who have gone on to become accomplished professional players. Keep practising, keep having lessons and persevere with trying to use two fingers on the right hand; I promise you that in no time it will get to feel just as natural as using one finger does to you now. That bass looks and sounds good too.

Edited by Dingus

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