|
cactuscarpet posted:But it isn't primarily anything! There's nothing in the instrument itself, it's all in the player. And yes, any instrument sounds bad if your timing is bad, but what does that have to do with it? I'm actually going to go out on a limb and say that I believe that every instrument does have an inherent quality that predisposes it towards certain roles. Now, I think this inherent quality is actually only partly inherent. The other part is what 500 years or so of western music have set up as expectations. But despite that, I think there's a reason that bass - bass guitar, upright bass, hell, bass vocal parts - tend to be more percussive than melodic. This is purely inexperienced conjecture, based on seven years of bass playing, two months of musicianship, mixed amounts of time choral singing, and a couple years of theory. But the thing I've noticed is that there are some things that bass - that low end, regardless of instrument - aren't as good at as other instruments. You know what sounds great? A chord strummed on a guitar. You know what doesn't sound as good? A chord strummed on a bass. It can sound good. I've heard people make it sound good and fit the music. But it shouldn't be focused on for a beginner because it's a marginal use and it's much harder to make sound good and there are much better uses for the bass! I have an idea that maybe it's because of the actual, physical, sonic properties of low frequencies. They're closer together, strictly speaking, and as anyone who's done ear training knows, identifying intervals is actually trickier the lower on a piano you go, because the overtones start getting muddled. Like I said, pure conjecture, I'm open to the idea that I'm horrifically, offensively wrong. There are things that a bass sounds better doing than other instruments. You know what's awesome? A pulsing, syncopated bassline. Maybe it's only a couple of notes and doesn't change for five minutes. You know what has a much harder time pulling that off? Like, any instrument that's not low end. You play any Sly Stone song and start slapping and popping on a violin, okay, novel, but it doesn't have the same effect. I think rhythm is more important of a focus for bass than, say, keyboard. What made me stand out when I started playing bass is that's I focused on. Lead guitar could go screw around, drummer could get confused over sixteenth note runs, and I'd be standing there, unstoppable and inevitable. I'd dare say that no other instrument save drums has the capability to drive a beat like a bass does. I think that's the essential framework for bass. I'm a firm believer in the idea that most people need to really understand be familiar with the normative framework of a thing before trying to branch out and do something original. A bassist who doesn't understand rhythm, who can't set the beat and play in the pocket, is going to have a huge disadvantage when he starts trying to play melodic lines like McCartney. I could honestly go on about this forever, but I'm going to stop here after already saying way too much. tl;dr: I think every instrument has a penumbra of best usage and you need to understand and be comfortable with that particular instrument's expectations and limitations before trying to be a snowflake.
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2011 16:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 17:40 |
|
|
I would definitely agree with that assessment, Manky. In the bands I've played in and the bands I listen to, when the bass starts to go outside that normative framework as a rhythm instrument, to my ears, the music looses that groovy quality. And I agree that being in the rhythm section doesn't have to be a job; because when you find that spot in the music you're playing when you harmonically bridge the percussion of the drums to the melodies and timbres of other instruments, it's an awesome feeling and no longer a job. poo poo, one of my bands would jam on You Can't Quit Me by QOTSA for 10 minutes, basically the same line over and over, it would never wear out because of the push and pull between bass, drums and guitars. Being able to hold down that rhythmic framework, to me, is nearly always the role of the bass instrument in a band.
|
|
#
?
Oct 14, 2011 19:03
|
|
|
Lately when improvising I feel like I always fall into the same tired patterns and pieces. I feel like I am in a bit of a rut. Can anyone give me any helpful tips on broadening my improvisation horizons a bit?
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 13:16
|
|
|
Geisladisk posted:Lately when improvising I feel like I always fall into the same tired patterns and pieces. I feel like I am in a bit of a rut. Transcribing is always the answer. Have a go at this solo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXiYkOEBv8U (starts 1:20) EDIT: I don't know if you're up to that level, if not then just tell me what kind of stuff you're usually comfortable with transcribing. cactuscarpet fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Oct 15, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 16:29
|
|
|
Geisladisk posted:Lately when improvising I feel like I always fall into the same tired patterns and pieces. I feel like I am in a bit of a rut. Working on a new instrument has always done it for me. Tom Waits sold me on that idea when he said "Your hands are like dogs, going to the same places they've been. You have to be careful when playing is no longer in the mind but in the fingers, going to happy places. You have to break them of their habits or you don't explore, you only play what is confident and pleasing. I'm learning to break those habits by playing instruments I know absolutely nothing about, like a bassoon or a waterphone."
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2011 22:43
|
|
|
Kind of went back on my word and hooked up with a cover-band; practicing with them for the first time tonight. The writing/recording of my solo stuff is taking longer than expected, and I needed a way to occupy my time and make some extra cash. I think it'll work out pretty well though. The drummer who recruited me just opened a studio, so there's good practice space. And there are no expectations aside from just playing around town a several times a month. No originals/writing, so I can keep my efforts in that department on my own material. The catalog of songs they sent me is a pretty good mix of Motown/Beach/Jam/Blues/and Modern Rock, which will be new for me. I've never been a part of a cover band that delved into modern hits. Not that they're difficult or anything.  In sadder news, the bridge pickup in my Hollowbody died, so I need to get on the horn with Lakland and get that laced up ASAP 
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2011 14:39
|
|
|
Scarf posted:In sadder news, the bridge pickup in my Hollowbody died, so I need to get on the horn with Lakland and get that laced up ASAP At least it's not a Darkstar, right? Then you'd really be screwed.
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2011 14:50
|
|
|
Narwhale posted:At least it's not a Darkstar, right? Then you'd really be screwed. Ha yeah. It's one of Lakland's Chi-Sonic humbuckers, that I absolutely love. They actually sound pretty close to the Darkstars when you switch them to single-coil mode too. I SHOULD still be covered for a pickup replacement. Hopefully it won't cost me too much if not :\
|
|
#
?
Oct 18, 2011 15:06
|
|
|
Does anyone have any experience with the passive Peavey Millenium basses? I'm looking for a cheap chuck around for dragging to practice and the one I played did sound good. Failing that, anyone have any recommendations for a cheapass p-bass (preferably with a maple board) for about the same price? I can't get a rondo because I'm not in America :sadface:
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2011 16:36
|
|
|
Squier?
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2011 18:08
|
|
|
I've had a Peavey Milestone III for 10 years and it's a fantastic cheap bass, never had any problems with it. I can't speak to the quality of the Millennium series, but I also have a Peavey Forum and that's great as well. Never heard anything bad about Peavey.
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2011 22:20
|
|
|
Theory question here: I'm pretty new to the bass and I'm trying to learn a song; I've been teaching myself how to play chords and stuff, so figured I'd pick up an easy song where I could mess around with different chord progressions. I picked "Bohemian Like You" (nsfwvideo). I looked up tabs for it and it's played with A,C,G,D chords, all major. I don't want to just play the root notes, but only the first and the fifth of the chords really seems to fit the song- anytime I play the third it sounds goofy and out of place. Is there a theory based reason for this?
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2011 21:46
|
|
|
Not a bass player but I thought I'd point out the recorded song maximadigital fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Oct 27, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2011 00:32
|
|
|
maximadigital posted:Not a bass player but I thought I'd point out the recorded song Whoops, my bad- I forgot that there's a capo on the guitar (I've been playing it right, just wrote down what the chords listed on the tab were without thinking); it still sounds strange when I play the third though. a pale ghost fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Oct 27, 2011 |
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2011 03:30
|
|
|
Omar al-Bishie posted:Whoops, my bad- I forgot that there's a capo on the guitar (I've been playing it right, just wrote down what the chords listed on the tab were without thinking); it still sounds strange when I play the third though. The vocal melody consistently uses the minor third (D) ("you've got a great car, yeah what's wrong with it today") so playing a major third on the B chord (D#) is going to clash with it. Better to use the tones of B minor in this situation. In fact you may find that the B minor pentatonic scale or B minor dorian scale are more useful to create basslines for this song, because the progression is so bluesy, being all major chords but on minor scale degrees. This is also known as Moll-Dur, or Dur-Moll when the reverse happens.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2011 10:53
|
|
|
I decided recently to get into bass after finding a great deal on a used Ibanez GSR200 in great condition. I'm picking it up by myself slowly but surely, using Wheat's Bassbook and the StudyBass site, and it's been a pretty good time so far - I'm not getting instantly frustrated like I was with guitar, which is nice! I am having a problem, though - the fret buzz discussed in the OP. It's the worst on the D string and it seems less prevalent the thicker the strings get. At first I chalked it up to being incompetent in fingering (quite frankly, fingering two strings at once is a challenge and doing scales with proper fingering is a messy affair right now - I'm praying that my left hand will get more flexible) but I've had a few friends play my bass and it seems to be just as bad for them. It seems like the way to fix this is to mess with the truss rod/saddle height. However, one of my friends suggested that new strings might help? I'm a bit skeptical but most of my musical instrument knowledge is in synthesizers so I am totally willing to accept that this is plausible. I did buy the bass used and I have no idea how long the strings have been on it, how heavily they've been used, etc. Do you guys think replacing the strings would fix my problem, or should I just go ahead and break out the Allen wrench and screwdriver?
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2011 06:11
|
|
|
Which frets produce a buzz? Strings might help I think if they're wound tighter (like Lo-Riders), but that's more about your action (the overall string height that you adjust at the bridge). Play along the string and see if the buzz is a problem everywhere or just below the 5th fret or something, then you can get some advice on messing with your truss rod or not
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2011 06:59
|
|
|
I had this odd eureka moment the other day. Hooked up a never used Boss DI-1 (phantom-powered by the balanced out) I'd had sitting in a box for 12 years with a Boss GEB-7 I'd only used live a few times. The little manual with the GEB-7 suggests a setting for emulating a classic bass amp sound. Raised the strings on my '72 Jazz and put some more foam under the big bridge cover; spent the rest of the evening in the stratosphere. Sounds incredibly good. Big plump lows that don't get muddy, very nice non-invasive mids, and enough treble headroom to leave a margin for the instrument's own tone control. Basically what that Ampeg SVX s/w was supposed to do, but doesn't - not for me at least. Played straight into the mixer without EQ other than the GEB-7, with a bit of 2:1 'overeasy' (dbx's take on dynamic soft knee) compression; then power amp and studio monitors. Really, really nice. Been playing along with all sorts of music since just for fun, from old Santana via James Brown to Swing Out Sister's recent stuff, and the set-up works with everything that's not grunge or metal (I didn't try). My old Jazz still has the original pots and the PUs have turned a bit mellow, but the thing suddenly sounded as responsive as a modern new instrument. There's a latent clear but beefy power to the tone that is exhilariting and almost pushes you to play. I can really kick myself for not trying out that DI-1 earlier. Could have avoided a lot of hassle recording trembling old noise monsters; or even spared me the trouble of bringing anything more than a powered monitor to gigs. I suppose those are the dangers of prejudice, set habits, and perhaps some sonic snobbery, which really have no place in music. The only bummer is that I now want/have to redo all bass parts of stuff that I'm working on.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2011 11:09
|
|
|
Epsilon Plus posted:I decided recently to get into bass after finding a great deal on a used Ibanez GSR200 in great condition. I'm picking it up by myself slowly but surely, using Wheat's Bassbook and the StudyBass site, and it's been a pretty good time so far - I'm not getting instantly frustrated like I was with guitar, which is nice! Honestly I would just take it to a shop and have it set up by a professional. There's all sorts of possible causes for fret buzz and there's no way to tell over the internet whether your complaint is due to personal preference (I don't mind a little rattle personally) or if there's a real problem with the instrument. Either way it's a good idea to have a professional look at it and get things adjusted the way you want them. You won't regret it. If you can, try to be there while the guy does it so you can learn how to do some of it yourself.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2011 11:21
|
|
|
cactuscarpet posted:The vocal melody consistently uses the minor third (D) ("you've got a great car, yeah what's wrong with it today") so playing a major third on the B chord (D#) is going to clash with it. Better to use the tones of B minor in this situation. In fact you may find that the B minor pentatonic scale or B minor dorian scale are more useful to create basslines for this song, because the progression is so bluesy, being all major chords but on minor scale degrees. This is also known as Moll-Dur, or Dur-Moll when the reverse happens. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2011 00:54
|
|
|
I've been using a vintage SVT at practice/recording and only taking it to "important" gigs. It sounds like sex. For everything else, I just take a crappy old B2R and a Tech 21. Lately I've noticed a bunch of companies coming out with lightweight/efficient amps. I saw one at GC by Hartke (I think), and also an Ampeg PF-500. Anyone have experience with these little things? I'd probably need at least 400 watts solid state.
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2011 20:13
|
|
|
vas0line posted:I've been using a vintage SVT at practice/recording and only taking it to "important" gigs. It sounds like sex. For everything else, I just take a crappy old B2R and a Tech 21. Lately I've noticed a bunch of companies coming out with lightweight/efficient amps. I saw one at GC by Hartke (I think), and also an Ampeg PF-500. Genz Benz's shuttle, shuttlemax, and streamliner amps (especially the newer ones) are awesome and will be my next amp purchase. And I'm pretty much THE ampeg fanboy... They're also available with more power than you would possibly need. Here's the Streamliner 900, which I am lusting after: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-27szg61bw Scarf fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Nov 21, 2011 |
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2011 15:22
|
|
|
Aguilar TH500 is dope too. Also, ~6 wks until my next Stambaugh is done. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2011 18:39
|
|
|
DEUCE SLUICE posted:Also, ~6 wks until my next Stambaugh is done. Really dude? Really? 
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2011 21:04
|
|
|
I haven't purchased a new bass since I got my last Stambaugh January 2009 so I think I'm due tyvm
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2011 23:39
|
|
|
DEUCE SLUICE posted:I haven't purchased a new bass since I got my last Stambaugh January 2009 so I think I'm due tyvm Yeah well... SHUT UP! And enjoy it. And post pics!
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2011 05:15
|
|
|
Sweet lord I am GASing for a really nice P-bass or a 4001. Sweet christ sometimes playing an SX isn't that fun.
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2011 05:32
|
|
|
Sometimes I think BAS is more powerful than GAS; maybe because the really juicy opportunities don't come around as often. On the other hand, it's harder to justify, cause with only a few different basses you can cover just about every style if need be. Noise Machine: if you do get an old 4001, be sure to check the tailpiece for lift, and the trussrods for tampering. Really have to be careful there; PM me for details if you want.
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2011 10:17
|
|
|
Noise Machine posted:Sweet lord I am GASing for a really nice P-bass or a 4001. Sweet christ sometimes playing an SX isn't that fun. I know how you feel, at least with the P-bass GAS. I still regret selling my old '78 Ibanez lawsuit P. Sooooo fat and punchy. Nothing compares to the sound of a good P-bass
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2011 15:57
|
|
|
After spending an inordinate amount of time and money experimenting with different bridges, pickups, strings and playing techniques, I've come to the conclusion that five-string basses aren't for me. I really like the possibilities afforded by the extra string, and I wish I could find a way to make it work for me, but it's just not feasible from an ergonomic standpoint. I've been having problems with muscle spasms lately, and I've realized that I'm far too tense while playing, so I need to find an instrument that is totally comfortable in all positions. So, the bad news is that I need to sell my fiver and start all over again. The good news is, I get to sell my fiver and start all over again.  I'm thinking of trying a Warmoth build this time, perhaps with one of their new 32" necks.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 00:11
|
|
|
I got a Bass from the "gear trade" thread about a year back, and I just haven't been playing it enough. I figured I'd post in here and see if there's any interest before I put it on ebay. It's a Warwick Corvette 4-string Bubinga body, Wenge fingerboard. It's active J pickups, and it sounds loving great! I'm just way more comfortable playing my P-Lyte (drat small hands). It's essentially brand new, I never played it outside of the house. Feel free to ask any questions or ask for some pics, it's the same one as this: http://tinyurl.com/7unhn6m Let me know if you're interested! reichsten fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Nov 23, 2011 |
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 00:37
|
|
|
Juaguocio posted:After spending an inordinate amount of time and money experimenting with different bridges, pickups, strings and playing techniques, I've come to the conclusion that five-string basses aren't for me. I really like the possibilities afforded by the extra string, and I wish I could find a way to make it work for me, but it's just not feasible from an ergonomic standpoint. I've been having problems with muscle spasms lately, and I've realized that I'm far too tense while playing, so I need to find an instrument that is totally comfortable in all positions. Option: ff you preferred having the lower notes of the B you could play a 4 in BEAD tuning. --- I've been playing a lot of basses over the last year trying to decide what I want next. I play a pretty generic fender copy at the moment. What sounds best to me is a brand I never really would have considered: Ibanez. Of all the basses I've played it's the one that most impressed me, but almost no one recommends them. It's off-putting and I wonder if I'm getting duped. Is there something horribly wrong about this? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/ibanez-sr-premium-1200e-electric-bass-guitar
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 00:47
|
|
|
No, those are really nice, and they have the best pickups out there in them. (Nordstrand Big Singles.) I played one last week at Guitar Center. Other than thinking it needed a brighter set of strings I thought it was just about perfect off the showroom floor. Put together flawlessly, sounded great, played fast.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 01:16
|
|
|
DEUCE SLUICE posted:
For what it's worth I tried a hollowbody Ibanez that I was incredibly impressed by. They can actually make good guitars when they want to.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 03:25
|
|
|
Everyone bags on Ibanez because they're so prevalent in the low end of the market, but their mid-range and high-end stuff is real competitive. I need things they don't offer in a bass, so I don't own one, but I'll probably always play their guitars.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 06:54
|
|
|
Summit posted:Option: ff you preferred having the lower notes of the B you could play a 4 in BEAD tuning. I plan to eventually have two basses: one for standard tuning and one for downtuning, probably to standard C. However, since I'm hoping to find a medium scale bass or have one built, my tuning choices may be limited; I like flatwound strings, and there aren't a whole lot of medium scale ones around.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 08:32
|
|
|
Juaguocio posted:I plan to eventually have two basses: one for standard tuning and one for downtuning, probably to standard C. However, since I'm hoping to find a medium scale bass or have one built, my tuning choices may be limited; I like flatwound strings, and there aren't a whole lot of medium scale ones around. You may want to look into a 5'er - I move back and forth between BEADG and ADADG and find it's quicker to just have a tuner pedal and tune than it is to change basses and still have to check my tuning. It'd be pretty quick to tune a half-step up to C-standard. I'd recommend balanced tension strings for that, myself. You'll also get a much, much better sound out of the C with closer to 130 gauge B-string.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 17:56
|
|
|
Girk posted:You may want to look into a 5'er Andddd we've come full circle
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 18:08
|
|
|
I've been playing a 4'er downtuned to B or C# for so long that I find it hard to play with regular tension now. That being said, I'm looking for a 2nd decent bass too, just so I don't have to keep switching between those two tunings.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2011 19:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 17:40 |
|
|
Girk posted:You may want to look into a 5'er - I move back and forth between BEADG and ADADG and find it's quicker to just have a tuner pedal and tune than it is to change basses and still have to check my tuning. Full circle in 8 posts. That's got to be some kind of record. I've tried just about every flatwound B string out there for C standard tuning, and none of them have been outstanding. The best strings for C that I've found so far are Ernie Ball extra heavy flats, which are gauged .110 to .050. I like the lower tension because it forces me to use a lighter touch, which translates to better control and less hand tension. I'd love to try a Sadowsky .125 for the low C, but that'll have to wait until I can justify spending $48+shipping to get one string.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2011 04:59
|
|