solo bass?

[gafbass02]

Ok, so since moving to Cheltenham i spend a lot of time in open mic nights waiting and hoping for a chance to play something i know, which is fairly rare having never spent much time doing covers, and quite often the guys who know the same songs as me are unavailable, etc.
But i like to keep my hand in playing and performing so i was thinking about branching out and doing some solo bass stuff as i have some bits and bobs, but need to write some more and expand a touch. Do any of you esteemed lot have any suggestions?, should i be looking at a looper pedal or would a delay suffice, what about a GT6b?
Id keep it short so as not to get boo'ed off but im getting bored of trekking to the pub with my bass to either get ignored/bumped (as per last night, when i said id do a solo slot only to keep getting bumped cause Jim/Dave/Phil wants to play, and presumably i rate lower as a bass player than a guy with a guitar) or to play the same songs as last week cause thats all we know in common.

So what should i be looking at, and listening to im thinking Jaco and our very own Monsignor Lawson?

[gypsymoth]

if you're gonna do solo bass you shouldn't be looking at anyone else. do what you do.

if you want to do it at open mic's, I'd suggest not saying it's solo. tell them it's a simple tune in H, and invite them to follow.

[Oscar South]

Arrangements of popular songs. For pub stuff I'd stay away from effects and looping, too. I used to play some tapping arrangements of Beatles songs I made and they went down really well, had people singing along, coming up to me afterwards telling me they'd never seen anything like it (not the most up to date crowd heh) etc.

Its a great way to get into solo technique and composing and pretty much the only way to get any real appreciation as a solo bass artist at most open mic nights imo is to play something that people recognize in a new way. After you win the crowd over then move on to new grounds.

[Jase]

Tell you who's always got something good going and great to listen to...... maybe ask a bit of advice, Alan Vaughan, Mike Flynn has got some vids in the recording section....I'm not suggesting do the stuff they do but it might spark some ideas

[gafbass02]

sweet, thanks guys

[tauzero]

[quote name='gypsymoth' post='200640' date='May 16 2008, 06:49 PM']if you want to do it at open mic's, I'd suggest not saying it's solo. tell them it's a simple tune in H, and invite them to follow.[/quote]
Good idea - only the ones with enough musical knowledge to know that H is B will get up to play...

[tauzero]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='200586' date='May 16 2008, 05:27 PM']Ok, so since moving to Cheltenham i spend a lot of time in open mic nights waiting and hoping for a chance to play something i know, which is fairly rare having never spent much time doing covers, and quite often the guys who know the same songs as me are unavailable, etc.[/quote]
Can't you jam along to stuff you don't know, or don't the guits like that?

[queenofthedepths]

Something like this?

[Tait]

[quote name='tauzero' post='202657' date='May 20 2008, 10:06 AM']Good idea - only the ones with enough musical knowledge to know that H is B will get up to play...[/quote]

how is H B? (i get the feeling that your not joking cos i used to have a bass teacher from hungary and i recall him saying something about them not using sharps or something in hungary and using H instead)

[Lo.]

I think the 1st part of this is a truly beautiful solo instrument piece. My favourite Wooten performance.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SSGhcHcm5g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SSGhcHcm5g[/url]

If you feel it, and mean it, whatever you say will have an impact - I'd try to avoid it, but if I had to solo I'd try to jam a lot, but sprinkle lots of little famous-tune melodies in there, in an effort to connect and reduce the chances of them throwing pint pots at me.

[Viajero]

Afaik, H is B natural in Germany and various other places round that way. I've had charts in this country with it on too, though, where Bb is in the key and H is clearer than Bnat.

Don't know why, just know it's the case. Always sorts the men from the boys at new players' first rehearsal.

[gafbass02]

[quote name='tauzero' post='202660' date='May 20 2008, 10:07 AM']Can't you jam along to stuff you don't know, or don't the guits like that?[/quote]


I can but if its a known song id rather it be heard properly than have me whose never heard it before noodling away hoping it sounds like the original, they play lots of new chart pop stuff ive never heard, mainly 'haircut' bands with names like 'the gongles' and 'the retros', you know the ones, the rickenbacker with a plectrum 18" driver, plunky sounding brigade.
Id rather play nothing than ruin someones else song/jam or look like a kn*b.
They tend to sing about shopping a lot!

Edited May 20, 2008 by gafbass02

[tauzero]

[quote name='Viajero' post='203166' date='May 20 2008, 07:20 PM']Afaik, H is B natural in Germany and various other places round that way. I've had charts in this country with it on too, though, where Bb is in the key and H is clearer than Bnat.[/quote]
That's the one. I don't know why though - I first encountered it in a Peter Gabriel transcription where the chords at one part went C C/H Am, which caused head-scratching...