Technical help needed....

[rwillett]

Ah. I didn't look properly. I assumed the tabs were on a separate line. My bad. 

 

Thanks. 

[fretmeister]

12 hours ago, Smanth said:

On another note (bada boom) I've been using musescore to try to get better at reading music, you can get it seup to show tab in parrallel and also print note names in the ususal musical notation.

 

S'manth x

 

 

I find that if there is tab on the page as well I never learn the notation - I suppose I am distracted by the easy option. To the extent that in my official tab books I have put tape over the tab to force me to use the notation only.

 

But sometimes I write the note names, particularly if it is in a key I'm not very familiar with - even just the odd note name here and there to remind me of sharps and flats in the key signature.

 

Like any other language, it needs to become automatic.

 

The best description ever given to me was to compare it to reading English. We start by learning phonetics of smaller bits of a word and then stringing them together. But as we get better at it we don't do that anymore, we recognise longer patterns instead and can read an entire word as 1 pattern of sound. We don't sound out the smaller bits anymore, but we still have that skill for an unfamiliar word.

 

Music is like that. We identify each individual note when we are beginners and the sort of stumble that note into the next one. But eventually we recognise patterns and each bar of music becomes 1 pattern / word in conjunction with the key signature. 

 

The real secret is how the practice is done. 5 hours on a weekend is pointless and tiredness / frustration gets in the way.

 

10 mins per day is only 70 mins per week but will lead to far greater advancement because there is daily reinforcement.

 

One of the best things I ever bought was a bunch of used Double Bass sample sight readings examples / tests for grades 1-5. As they are part of the classical double bass process they are in multiple keys and time signatures, and they are usually only 2 or 3 lines long.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1860960340/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

(there's a used one there for 1 pence (+£2.80 postage)!

 

I just started working through them from the easiest ones as slow as I needed. Flipping between them is important as I wanted to make sure I was reading rather than remembering. I didn't write the note names on these as that would defeat the object but I did have the note names on a bit of paper that I could turn over if I was stuck.

 

Some of those types of books come with a CD or a download link to hear them done properly, but there's also smartphone apps that will use the camera and scan it and play it to back.

 

It just needs 10 mins per day of dedicated reading practice and in a year the progress that is made is beyond what anyone hopes for.

 

 

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Are you using a dedicated mixing app on the ipad?

 

Sounds to me like you need a bit more control over how the audio output signals from the apps you are using are mixed together to get a better balance - maybe check out some of the instructional videos on audiobus and aum to see if they might work for you.

 

edit: don't forget to investigate compatibility with the apps you want to use before purchasing.

Edited July 12, 2023 by SubsonicSimpleton

[rwillett]

I'm not using a dedicated mixing app, though I have been looking at AUM. The problem is I spend far too much on apps that simply don't do what I expect them to do and any app at any price is now annoying. I have zero issues with spending £20 but I'm exceptionally cynical about it all

[rwillett]

@fretmeister

 

You are absolutely right and I should learn, I have too many things I need to do, work, 3d printing, learn guitar, work, treasurer, play with kids, lose weight, work, get fit, coach (did I mention work) that I'm struggling to fit things in.

 

I feel like this most days

 

I'll try and see how it goes.

 

[ahpook]

13 minutes ago, rwillett said:

@fretmeister

 

You are absolutely right and I should learn, I have too many things I need to do, work, 3d printing, learn guitar, work, treasurer, play with kids, lose weight, work, get fit, coach (did I mention work) that I'm struggling to fit things in.

 

I feel like this most days

 

I'll try and see how it goes.

 

 

 

I know this feeling

 

My twopenneth ? Plenty of people who play bass don't ever get round to learning to read music...I'm not saying it's not a wonderful skill, but there's a lot of fun to be had whether you decide to learn or not.

 

It's always something you can come back to if getting to grips with the bass itself takes up what time you have at the moment.

 

Good luck !

 

[rwillett]

A reasonable solution turns out to be:

 

1. Keep Guitar Pro 8. Its not perfect but its fine on the Mac and borderline usable on an iPad.

2. Steal back by Mighty Nux Pro from my daughter. She gets a VOX AC30 headphone amp to replace the NUX. I'm too nice to her.

3. Connect the NUX up to the iPad and make sure the second Bluetooth Audio channel is connected. The first Bluetooth channel controls the NUX from the iPad, the second Bluetooth Audio channel sends sounds down to the NUX from the iPad.

4. Set up a quiet bass config on one of the seven NUX channels. e.g. gain on the AGL amp is 9% and the master is 24%.

5. Turn the volume up on the NUX Mighty Pro. This is why I brought the Pro and not the older version. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you...

 

I now have a practise session that works well. Still working on drum patterns but thats not an issue. Extra cost £0 so thats nice as well

 

Rob

[SamIAm]

A bridge you say, 5 string? 🤣

 

S’manth x

[rwillett]

Sadly the bridge I have is supposed to be a Fender Jazz four string from mid 90's. I reckon it's a no-name piece of bent metal. The replacement, arrived a month later, which was also supposed to be a Fender Jazz bridge from the mid 90's (spot the pattern) is different but so roughly finished, it almost cut my hands. It resembles a Fender bridge, in much the same way I resemble George Cloony, George and I both have two arms, two legs, a body and a head and we probably have some shared DNA from Charlemagne, but thats about as close as it gets.

 

I do now have two bridges for the price of one, I have an idea for a bass that needs a bridge (👍), a short scale (four string) neck (👎), some pickups (👎), a large slab of Carbon Fibre (👎) (proper laid stuff, not printed), some 3d printed stuff to align stuff (👎), some wiring (👎) and a few days in the garage, once I can find a decent pillar drill (👎). Oh and a Henry (👍)to get rid of the CF strands which are pretty nasty. So long way to go yet

 

Rob

Edited July 12, 2023 by rwillett

[BassAdder60]

Tab / music theory etc is very important but it can hurdle you at the start as not to make any musical progress. 
Decide why you want to play ? 
Is it to jam at home, with buddies or perhaps later a band ? 
 

I think a simple low tech low cost device for home is below costing around £30.00

Using something like Ultimate Guitar App for tabs you can make very quick progress learning simple songs etc 

 

I learnt years ago not to over complicate learning music and how to play. It’s a physical / emotional connection to the instrument that makes you initially a player and from there you can add more theory if it’s important. Teachers will say it is and if you’re sight reading music score then it’s very important. To get down and rock out you need to focus on the physical side of making music 

Edited July 12, 2023 by BassAdder60

[rwillett]

@BassAdder60

 

Thanks for this information. I play for myself. I live in a part of North Yorkshire that is remote, where men are men and sheep are scared. The chances of finding anybody else to play with in a band is low. I drive for 40 mins each way at circa 50mph to even find a teacher.  Finding a group of like minded people to play in a blues rock band (or any band) is very, very low. Hence I play for myself.

 

We have a Vox AC30 headphone amp plus a NUX Mighty Pro headphone amp. The NUX is a more sophitsicated version of the box in your email. My daughter nicked the NUX (and my Westone 1A 6 string) as she is learning to play, I just then used an iRig and an iPad with Amplitube or Bias FX 2 on to practise with. Thats the core of the matter, I wanted backing tracks that I put together and the iPad/iRig/Amplitube/Bias FX 2 solution didn't work. A macbook, iRig solution would have worked but that requires using a keyboard and a mouse and thats a pain with a bass guitar around your neck

 

Nicking my NUX back has given me a solution that does work. I still use the iPad to control the NUX, I get backing tracks, I'm not that fussed over all the effects that the NUX has, its easily good enough for me. I think the mod dwarf will work as well and still might go down that route.

 

All the best

Rob

[SamIAm]

[rwillett]

Just for information, Guitar Pro have come back about my complaint over the low volume. They don't have a solution, they didn't actually deny it is a problem, but didn't say there was a problem Apparently the mobile app was developed based on a older version of Guitar Pro and they want to update the app to a newer verstion of Guitar Pro. They did not give any timeline. They then thank me for my understanding.

 

To summarise their response = "We may or may not have a problem, we don't have a solution".

 

Thanks

 

Rob