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The problem with that is the music stores around here (Blacksburg VA) are terrible. The only one that offers anything better than sub-$200 garbage only carries G&L and $1000+ Warwicks. The nearest Guitar Center is over 200 miles away so I'm in a rough position to just try different basses out. I may just have to plan a trip the next time I go home, since there's one about 40 miles from there. Thanks for your help dawgs.
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Sep 12, 2008 22:46
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The shop that carries G&L probably also carries (or at least can order) G&Ls Tribute line, which are both affordable and awesome. It's worth a look, since Tributes are extremely high quality for the money, and more tonally versatile than most.
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Sep 14, 2008 01:30
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I ended up just buying a Warwick Corvette ( Double $$ ) 5 string and I find that when fingering *tehehe* the 12th fret for any 5 strings there is buzz between 12th fret and the nut. Does this indicate the guitar needs some truss rod neck adjustments or that i should adjust the nut height and/or the bridge? Trouser Mouse Bear fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Sep 19, 2008 |
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Sep 19, 2008 02:39
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Trouser Mouse Bear posted:I ended up just buying a Warwick Corvette ( Double $$ ) 5 string and I find that when fingering *tehehe* the 12th fret for any 5 strings there is buzz between 12th fret and the nut. Does it start only at the 12th? Try it on the 11th, 10th, 9th, etc. until it goes away. I'm thinking maybe a fret or two needs leveling/dressing. I've honestly never run into that. Also, is the Double buck a bolt-on or set/neck through?
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Sep 19, 2008 03:48
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3toes posted:Does it start only at the 12th? Try it on the 11th, 10th, 9th, etc. until it goes away. I'm thinking maybe a fret or two needs leveling/dressing. I've honestly never run into that. Just the 12th fret, it is weird. I might just take it in and get the shop to have a look. Corvette $$ bolt on. I sorta regret the purchase now actually, I should have got a Streamer LX 4 string for very close to the same price instead or just saved a little extra for a Stage Streamer  Stupid fifth string, I didn't actually need you.
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Sep 19, 2008 04:16
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That's really kind of weird since the string shouldn't be vibrating at all between the fingered fret and the nut... So you've got no buzzing between the fret and the bridge?
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Sep 19, 2008 13:48
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got another question people, nearing december I want a fretless and I found this pretty little number. is it worth it or is it a gigantic waste of money? http://store.nationalmusicsupply.com/Items/FTL-5S-TBL?sck=10622456&caSKU=FTL-5S-TBL&caTitle=FRETLESS%20BASS%20GUITAR%205%20STRING%20TRANSLUCENT%20BLUE
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Sep 24, 2008 16:46
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Akur0 posted:got another question people, nearing december I want a fretless and I found this pretty little number. Never heard of it. Just get one from Rondo. edit: actually, if you don't mind spending a bit more, I'd recommend picking up a Squire VM Jazz Fretless and see what you think: http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Vintage-Modified-Fretless-Jazz-Bass?sku=519637 Should have one at a guitar center or something. Scarf fucked around with this message at 17:33 on Sep 24, 2008 |
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Sep 24, 2008 17:18
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well the thing of it is this, I'm trying to move in the direction of jazz funk and metal so I'm trying to pick up a fretless five stringer for practicing and learning. I admit I still have a way to go as a bassist but I know I want a five stringer when I start taking my musical prospects seriously. so uhh, could you reccomend a five stringer, fretless or not? *edit* my intentions for this guitar is just something to beat around btw, it isn't something I would take on stage or anything like that. Munoma fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Sep 24, 2008 |
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Sep 24, 2008 19:38
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Akur0 posted:well the thing of it is this, I'm trying to move in the direction of jazz funk and metal
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Sep 24, 2008 20:55
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Akur0 posted:well the thing of it is this, I'm trying to move in the direction of jazz funk and metal so I'm trying to pick up a fretless five stringer for practicing and learning. If you're not looking to drop some serious cash, I'd head over to https://www.rondomusic.net and see what strikes your fancy.
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Sep 24, 2008 21:22
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Tehdude posted:While a fretless is good for jazz and maybe funk (I wouldn't know), it would pretty much completely close off metal to you. I don't know much about five-stringers, someone else here can help you out there, but I just thought I'd point that out. That's not completely true; some metal musicians have used the fretless bass to great success like Steve DiGiorgio and Tony Franklin.
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Sep 30, 2008 16:36
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scrabbleship posted:That's not completely true; some metal musicians have used the fretless bass to great success like Steve DiGiorgio and Tony Franklin.  Well you learn something every day, I guess. I was just going on the assumption he's looking for a more traditional metal tone.
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Sep 30, 2008 22:34
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I have a question, I've been trying to play around and learn some songs but unfortunetly I've been chasing things that are way above my skill level. so far I'm learning *almost learned* possum kingdom by the toadies, could anyone reccomend some really really easy bass tablatures for a novice such as myself.
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Oct 26, 2008 19:26
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Akur0 posted:I have a question, I've been trying to play around and learn some songs but unfortunetly I've been chasing things that are way above my skill level. How are you learning the songs which are above your head? Have you tried a slow downer app for mp3s, or even a bass trainer to slow down the song and work on it? Is it the speed? If so, slow it down, get it down at half or even a quarter of the speed it is at. Divide up the song into sections and make sure you master each section. Are you looking at this? http://www.bassmasta.net/t/toadies/119646.html
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Oct 30, 2008 16:39
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nope I'm saving my money for other things and that isn't the right bass tab, this is. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/toadies/possum_kingdom_ver2_btab.htm I could tell right away when I noticed the chords were missing, it's the only part that's given me issues in all honesty and I almost have it down. *edit* I tried learning this and it's wayyyy too hard for me at the moment. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/m/maximum_the_hormone/whats_up_people_btab.htm Munoma fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Oct 30, 2008 |
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Oct 30, 2008 19:32
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Why are you learning tabs instead of fundamental octaves and scales?
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Oct 30, 2008 21:14
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Akur0 posted:nope I'm saving my money for other things I think that tabs are almost completely useless except for the most basic songs. I recommend trying to learn songs by ear. It will be very difficult at first, and you probably won't understand the relationships between the notes, but eventually you'll start to recognize patterns and how they fit together, especially if you read up on Jan posted:fundamental octaves and scales
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Oct 30, 2008 21:45
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What do people think of the Roland MicroCube for Bass? I have the guitar version of the MicroCube RX and am just blown away by it, can I expect the same level of quality? Edit: Might as well say what I'm playing on it. Got a MIC Squier P-Bass w/ all American Fender pots and wiring, for $100 from a former major-label band member (I'm not gonna out him on the internet, but I used to listen to their stuff on KROQ etc). Living in OC/LA is awesome. It'll make an appearance in the New Gear thread along with my MicroCube when I take pics, but I love em both. Ville Valo fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Oct 31, 2008 |
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Oct 31, 2008 21:40
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Jan posted:Why are you learning tabs instead of fundamental octaves and scales? I'm learning how to read sheet music as well but really all I care about is learning, I haven't read any sort of sheet music since I was seventeen so I'm using tabs as of now until I get a feel for tuning and reading sheet. also nobody answered my question. 
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Nov 1, 2008 01:14
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Easy bass tunes to learn would be any song off of Rage Against the Machine's self-title. Better yet, try to tab them out yourself!
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Nov 1, 2008 19:34
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I just had my third lesson with a bass teacher last night and I'm really enjoying it. He's teaching me music theory and scales and all of that but at the same time he lets me bring an iPod and learn basslines from songs I like, and I think it's a great balance between having fun and actually learning to play the instrument. Anyway, I'm learning scales and I want to be able to memorize the different notes by their relation to the first note, and I know there's another way to say this which you guys will probably let me know. For example, my teacher was having me play a C and then find the flatted 7th note, or the sharp 3rd note, or whatever. Is there an easy way to learn these, maybe a website with a trainer or a guide or something? I feel like I could learn stuff like this in my own time after he gives me an intro so I'll be able to move more quickly while at lessons. And playing bass is really awesome, thanks to this thread for the encouragement to give it a shot.
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Nov 14, 2008 22:13
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stun runner posted:Anyway, I'm learning scales and I want to be able to memorize the different notes by their relation to the first note, and I know there's another way to say this which you guys will probably let me know. For example, my teacher was having me play a C and then find the flatted 7th note, or the sharp 3rd note, or whatever. Is there an easy way to learn these, maybe a website with a trainer or a guide or something? I feel like I could learn stuff like this in my own time after he gives me an intro so I'll be able to move more quickly while at lessons. I think the easiest way would be to have the basic scale patterns imprinted into your brain. All you need to remember, in this case, is the pattern for the major scale (fingers 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-3-4). If you need a flat 7th, just count up to the 7th note in that scale (the 3) and flatten it by a semi tone (you end up with the 2-4, 1-2-4, 1-2-4, or the dominant 7th scale).
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Nov 14, 2008 22:34
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Please help me train my loving pinkie. My first three fingers are fine. They convert my brain signals into the motions I intend. My loving pinkie, however, will not do as it's told. Part of that is because it's (for lack of a better term) double-jointed and really only knows two positions: completely straight and curled so close to my palm it can barely touch my top string. It also doesn't really have a range of vertical motion so much as an up position and a down position. I am starting to wonder how much of this is fixable and how much isn't. It wasn't a big problem doing scales and two-octave appregios since those don't require a lot of fast motion between it and the ring finger. Now that I'm moving onto more complex poo poo though, it's almost totally useless and the clicking it does when going from straight to curled really loving hurts. On top of that, any time I move my middle finger it tends to jerk up like a retard instead of going into position to help out. Even typing this I noticed I didn't hit a single loving note with it. How hosed am I?
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Nov 20, 2008 04:09
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pantsfish - can you post a picture? You can work around limitations. While it is a general rule that you need to spread out your fingers among four frets (or more), it doesn't always work out that way. Does it hold on the d or g strings? If it hurts that bad, it is time to hold back on using it for a bit. Signs of carpal tunnel? That can effect the pinky.
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Nov 20, 2008 04:16
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Schatten posted:pantsfish - can you post a picture? You can work around limitations. While it is a general rule that you need to spread out your fingers among four frets (or more), it doesn't always work out that way. Does it hold on the d or g strings? Well another problem is that I have a giant cyst on my ring finger, but that doesn't affect its motion whatsoever. Generally I hold it on the G string. I'm hoping doing some exercises will loosen it up, but as long as I can get around it I will. I just want to get basic form down before I start breaking rules. Edit: Hold up and I will post a video of me trying to play something (you all have to promise not to laugh at me since I suck dick at electric bass)
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Nov 20, 2008 04:33
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mvxNwidHyk
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Nov 20, 2008 05:07
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That's one big cyst! What's the story with it? I'm not a nitpicker when it comes to technique, so others might chime in. Your thumb, is it in the middle of the neck? Or does it wrap around in the lower frets?
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Nov 20, 2008 05:26
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Schatten posted:That's one big cyst! What's the story with it? I'm doing the standard "make a 'C' with your hand and put your thumb at the middle of the neck" thing. It feels most comfortable to me and seems to make the strings the most accessible. edit: the story is that it's disgusting and gross and I've had it for almost ten years even though I've had way-above-average health insurance for the last five or so
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Nov 20, 2008 05:39
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pantsfish posted:Pinky stuff The pinky is a bastard, and needs a lot more work than the other three fingers. My pinky behaved pretty much the same way you described when I first started playing too. What will help is to very slowly move through 4 note per string patterns - not scales, just fret four consecutive notes. Start by just fretting each note at the same time, so you're just holding the string down with all four fingers, each of which is resting on a separate fret. Then start running patterns (1 is index finger, two is middle finger, etc): 1234, 2341, 3412, etc. Move these patterns across the strings slowly, paying close attention to what each finger is doing. When you mess up, don't get frustrated (this will make you tighten/change your grip and added tension is BAD), just fix the error. Telling your hand out loud 'no, not that way, THIS way' is corny, but will actually help you fix mistakes faster. Just makes these exercises part of your early practice/warm-up routine. Eventually you will build pinky dexterity and you'll find that your accuracy and fluidity will improve. I recommend making it an integral part of your warm-up for two reasons: One, since it's part of your warm-up, you'll do it. And two, if you don't already, it will be incentive to warm up, which you should be doing, drat it. I'm a big proponent of warming up before you play, ever since I damaged my fretting hand with bad tendonitis a couple years ago (frustration + anger + no warm-up = permanent hand damage:(). Of course, even people that DO warm-up tend to go overboard with it. Your warm-up should be short, no more than ten minutes, and it should be the very last thing you do before you play. You can't 'warm up' then go have a beer, take a piss, and chat with your friends before you get on stage. Do all that stuff FIRST, then warm up for a minute or two (or ten!). Warming up before any lengthy practice session is also advised. Getting into the habit of your warm-up being the very first thing you do when you pick up your instrument every time is a very, very good thing.
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Nov 21, 2008 01:44
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Rocketpriest posted:The pinky is a bastard, and needs a lot more work than the other three fingers. My pinky behaved pretty much the same way you described when I first started playing too. What will help is to very slowly move through 4 note per string patterns - not scales, just fret four consecutive notes. Start by just fretting each note at the same time, so you're just holding the string down with all four fingers, each of which is resting on a separate fret. Then start running patterns (1 is index finger, two is middle finger, etc): 1234, 2341, 3412, etc. Move these patterns across the strings slowly, paying close attention to what each finger is doing. When you mess up, don't get frustrated (this will make you tighten/change your grip and added tension is BAD), just fix the error. Telling your hand out loud 'no, not that way, THIS way' is corny, but will actually help you fix mistakes faster. Just makes these exercises part of your early practice/warm-up routine. Eventually you will build pinky dexterity and you'll find that your accuracy and fluidity will improve. I recommend making it an integral part of your warm-up for two reasons: One, since it's part of your warm-up, you'll do it. And two, if you don't already, it will be incentive to warm up, which you should be doing, drat it. Thanks for the advice. I've been warming up doing almost exactly what you described in my the first paragraph - going through every possible single-string 1-2-3-4 permutation I can. Then I generally stop midway through (I play two hours a night, more if I can), do the same thing, then cap off by doing it a final time. How did you get tendonitis if you don't mind my asking? Was it a stupid stunt or a gradual thing? I've had some pain but I'm chalking it up to general soreness and I always stop to remind myself to loosen up.
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Nov 21, 2008 02:37
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pantsfish posted:How did you get tendonitis if you don't mind my asking? Was it a stupid stunt or a gradual thing? It was one day of being stupid. gently caress, not even a day, like two hours. A bit of background: I am not the best musician in the world, but I used to be horrible. Like those terrible middle/highschoolers that put up videos of themselves 'totally rocking a Nirvana tune' horrible. I, of course, thought I was hot poo poo because a band full of just as terrible musicians told me I was. So what did I do? That's right, I applied to, and somehow got into, a music school. Thank christ I did, but that's another story. Cut to the end of my first quarter in the Atlanta Institute of Music's bass program - I am still terrible, possibly worse than when I got there because I have had to unlearn all the bad habits I had and start from the ground up rebuilding my technique. I'm also having trouble in reading class, loving up royally in Jazz Performance, and not doing so hot in Styles either. Now I am studying for my first round of finals, and I'm having a bitch of a time with whatever our Styles final was. I'm playing it in a way that I don't know is bad for my hand, but is. I'm also getting frustrated, which is making me tighten my grip, which is increasing the tension in my wrist, and raising my blood pressure. I continue this way for the next hour and a half or so until classes start. I start to think to myself 'hey, my hand hurts. A lot!' but I soldier on through my scales final (one of the classes I actually aced) and whatever else, then head home. Next morning I wake up and my hand doesn't hurt anymore, but my ring finger and pinky won't move. I decide, since I have finals, drat it, that I need to practice anyway. This doesn't end well. I get my bass, start to work my way through the Rock Performance tune for that night, and as soon as my ring finger starts to press on the string my entire arm lights on fire. It's kind of like lightning shooting out from your wrist, and finding every point in your hand that is capable of feeling pain, then shocking it. And then it happens to the rest of your arm. And then it repeats. Every time your heart beats. It was the second most painful experience of my life, but ultimately wins because Appendicitis can be cured by going to the hospital and having the drat thing taken out, whereas you are forced to endure inflamed tendons. Well, since I still had like three days worth of finals to play, I ended up playing what I could with two fingers on my fretting hand, and anything I couldn't I had to resort to two-hand tapping, which was interesting. I did manage to tap my entire way through the last Jazz tune (along with my solo, which was as bad as usual, but TAPPED!  ). I ended up seeing a doctor and the whole bit, but there's really nothing to be done about Tendonitis besides take a lot of Advil (Ibuprofen is a great anti-inflammatory) and just rest the hand. Fortunately, we had a long break, so I was able to just not play for almost a month. And even then, when I came back to it, the hand was really weak. I was informed by the doctor that there would be some permanent damage and that, even now, I am at an increased risk for getting Tondonitis again. So I talked to my instructors, and worked up a good warm-up routine, and just worked on taking my second quarter slow, and loving up for different reasons (I still can't read worth a poo poo, which is ironic because I was an english major in college and can read english, french, and fumble my way through spanish and some german - music is a different beast, though). I even ended up getting rid of one of my favorite basses ever (I miss my Afterburner) because the 37" scale on the B string was starting to cause me some pain. I don't use my 35" Mike Lull very often for the same reason, but I CANNOT get rid of that bass - it was one of those 'walk into a shop and your perfect bass is sitting there' kind of things, I doubt I could have that sort of luck twice. I've actually got a pair of 32" scale basses on order from Carl Thompson, although I'll probably only use the fretless because I recently stumbled upon the most awesome fretted bass ever. I'm starting to derail myself but the point is: the injury was bad enough that it has affected my gear choices, and things I previously could have used and enjoyed are now closed off to me because of my hand. I'm glad you're warming up before playing, it will be a very good habit to be in for the rest of your playing life, and probably go a long way towards preventing the kind of stupid poo poo most of us musicians do to ourselves. Running your hands under warm water one or two minutes before playing also helps (although washing then immediately playing is bad if you use rough strings, like stainless steels, because you need a minute or two for your hands to produce more natural oils), and stretching your fingers a bit is also beneficial. I think the most important part is just to always be loose - a lot of people build up a lot of tension in their hands for different reasons. Either they get 'really into it', they get frustrated, nervous, or they're thinking about something else that's creating that response. Whatever the reason, it's bad. Loose and fluid is the goal. Even if you don't improve from a purely technical standpoint, you can be a much better player just from learning how to loosen up and stay loose. Loose, loose, loose. But not sloppy, drat it - they're different.
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Nov 21, 2008 08:29
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Can I get string suggestions for a 6 string bass? I haven't changed mine in forever. I stay at standard tuning and play a wide range of music.
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Nov 24, 2008 17:04
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I consider myself to be pretty lucky. I never had problems using my pinky finger to fret notes. In fact, sometimes I find it more dominant than my ring finger. Probably because I don't have very large hands. Say I was fretting a G on the low E string (3rd fret) and wanted to hit the octave on the D string at the 5th fret. More often than not I'll use my pinky. This lets me keep my hand in a more relaxed position rather than trying to stretch it out. It's weird though, it's not even an uncomfortable stretch to hit it with my ring finger, I've just always found it quite comfortable to do it with my pinky.
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Nov 24, 2008 18:23
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I've found that I never play with my pinky or ring fingers individually, but rather with both at once... Meaning I pretty much have a 3-fingered hand. I have freakishly long fingers, but not much strength in them. I should practice myself to lose that bad habit before it's too late.
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Nov 24, 2008 18:30
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Jan posted:Personally I've found that I never play with my pinky or ring fingers individually, but rather with both at once... Meaning I pretty much have a 3-fingered hand. I should force myself to lose that bad habit before it's too late. From my understanding, that's a pretty common technique for upright bass playing. I could be wrong of course since I don't play upright (yet) but I think in that case it's done to assist with fretting since it takes a little more hand strength to fret the notes. But yes, for playing electric bass, I would say start forcing yourself to use them individually.
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Nov 24, 2008 18:31
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So, I've decided to observe my fretting hand more carefully, because so far I had mostly been paying attention to my finger playing. From what I can tell, it's just like pantsfish described. My first three fingers are fine, but my pinky is stupid. If I try to play any position above the 5th without shifting, my pinky is just stiff and kinda hurts. So I just shift down one fret and end up playing with both pinky and ring finger as mentioned. I'll get back to practicing 4-fret spreads without shifting, but I'm not sure I can pull that off with any amount of practice.
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Nov 25, 2008 03:30
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Jan posted:I'll get back to practicing 4-fret spreads without shifting, but I'm not sure I can pull that off with any amount of practice. Looseness, regimented practice, and positive thinking will do a million and one things for your fretting technique, seriously. Another fun thing to do while going back to basics: Watching your plucking hand to see if you're alternating fingers smoothly (unless you play with a pick, but there's plenty to work on with that, too). Just remember to practice amplified as often as possible, there's so much random noise that can sneak into your playing that you won't be aware of if you just practice unplugged. Hell, I'm aware of all that poo poo, and it all snuck back into my playing after practicing unplugged for so long (I hate my practice amp so much that I just don't bother with it anymore, I really need a new one). Just remember to not be all doom and gloom about technique/ability/whatever - that's often a bigger hinderence than actualy physical issues. Think positive, you CAN do ____. I did not mean to write that much in reply to that. IntoTheNihil posted:string suggestions for a 6 string I don't know if you're a fan of stainless steels or not, but Ken Smith's Rock Masters light gauge steels are pretty nice, as are Carvin's light gauge steels. The Carvins do start sort of rough, but they calm down a bit after a little playing time. The Smiths are nice and smooth. What I really wish is for Sadowski to start getting whoever makes his strings to produce 6 string sets - Sadowski Steels are the very best strings ever. If you're into Nickel strings, You might try to track down someone that carries Curt Mangan strings, they're the best nickels on the market, as far as I'm concerned. They only offer medium gauge six string packs, but 30-130 is a pretty solid string set, and not too hard on the hands, even if you're used to 28-120 or the like. You might also try Pedulla's signature string sets, but I found them to be very short lived, unlike the Mangans, which last longer than some stainless steel strings. The Pedullas do sound good though, and I'd recommend them more for a fretless bass than a fretted, as they'd last longer. Ken Smith Bass Burner nickels could be a good choice, too. Of course, if you're hoping to just waltz into a Guitar Center and find any of these, you're poo poo out of luck, unless you live near a GC that actually stocks fancy things like Pedullas and Smiths, but if you do, you probably live near a real bass store like The Atlanta Bass Gallery, or Bass Specialties, or even Bass Central. Incidentally, if you decide to try the Smith or Pedulla strings, do call Jim at the Atlanta Bass Gallery, he's a really cool dude, and essentially the most bad rear end man alive, for a couple of reasons.
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Nov 25, 2008 04:59
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Jan posted:I'll get back to practicing 4-fret spreads without shifting, but I'm not sure I can pull that off with any amount of practice.
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Nov 25, 2008 07:54
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Kynetx posted:I have actually used a meter for measuring grip strength and I come out way in front of the average person and still can't use my pinky. gently caress it. I'm no Jaco, I don't need the worthless appendage to play. But... But... Ninth chords? Really, I don't think the pinky is quite as crucial to bass players in most settings - for every prog/jazz cat that uses all ten digits for untold craziness there's a couple thousand working players that could get by using one finger if they REALLY had to. If you start getting into chording, or intervalic playing with big jumps (major sixths, I'm looking at you), the pinky is a handy little sucker. It's all about priorities, I suppose. If you're a rootmashing punk rocker or a country back-up man, there's probably an awful lot you could work on instead of pinky finesse, but if you want to play Dream Theater tunes, I'd advise a lot of woodshedding for your fretting hand. Nothing says "I am capable of moving my fingers in a specific, ordered sequence" like Erotomania. I'm also a pretty firm believe that funk takes a drat good pinky. I sure as poo poo wouldn't get by without it.
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Nov 25, 2008 09:07
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