Bassists of Singletrackworld….

Happy bass birthday to me!

Well I beat the odds and am still happily playing a year on. Been going back over early material recently and amazed by how much progress I’ve made. Haven’t had any face to face lessons but have settled on SBL as my favoured lesson platform.

Still have my original Rumble 25 amp, more than enough for my home needs. Sold the original Yamaha bass then treated myself to a Fender Vintera II 60’s jazz and 50’s p. Love them both but the jazz is definitely a bit easier to play. Next step is changing the p bass over to flatwounds.

Currently working through the basics of blues and soul. Just finished a Stax records modules and moved onto Motown.

Bought a few pedals but more as an experiment than for an actual purpose, so don’t really use them as much as I should. It’ll come though. Nothing else planned but have just bought a second hand Roland TR6-S for messing about with drum beats.

I recently tried flatwounds on mine, didn’t really like them. However I got some D’Addario ENR72 XL Half Rounds to replace them after a couple of weeks and I really like these.

Flatwounds feel amazing but they have a very warm, muted sound to them that never gelled with my love of overdrive and mentally tones.

Before anyone says anything, yes I am aware Steve Harris exists thanks.

If I had the space and money for a proper ‘quiver’ I’d have an old school passive P with flats for reggae and chilled stuff but I’m skirting divorce with just my current 2.

i treated myself to a bass for s**ts and giggles a couple of months ago. Squier bronco that I put an eBay special pick guard on last night.

it’s pretty impressive for a £130 instrument. Just been playing through my spark go speaker or an old guitar amp but it sounds ok.

It’s definitely been interesting “hearing” the bass more on music I’ve listened to and fun having new stuff to learn!

Its also had the bonus effect of making the actual bass player in my little covers band practice more so I don’t learn new songs before him! ?

Steve Harris isn’t the best example of flats because apparently he puts a fresh set of strings on every gig ! Also heavy attack and big amp

I’ve got a set on my cheapo bass and they feel great to play but takes time to get the sonic dialled in

I tried flats and though they were fun and smooth to play I got rid of the P Bass eventually to make way for something else. If I want the reggae style tone I shove a piece of foam under the strings of the Jazz next to the bridge and roll the tone off.

Otherwise I like the brightest zingiest stainless steel strings going. The Status came with 45-105 stainless steel hex core strings which are something like £16 a set.

I have nylon flatwounds on my fretless.  So smoooooth. Love ’em

apparently he puts a fresh set of strings on every gig !

I was reading a thing about Justin Chancellor of Tool. He starts the gig on new strings and his tech hands him another bass with new strings on half way through the gig.

Saw an interview with Chris Squire some time ago, in it he said that he started to change the strings before a gig back in the 60s.

Yeah if you’re after a really bright tone to give your overdrive plenty to get to grips with then fresh strings are the way forward.

That reminds me, I have some fresh Ernie Ball steelies that I need to get round to putting onto my P.

Order a set of La Bella Olinto flats. Should give the Jamerson vibes in after for the P. My Jazz is really bright, so backing the bridge pick up off will still give an almost P on rounds sound. Not good enough to play metally stuff yet anyway. Struggle to keep up with 8th notes once the tempo rises. Can always change back anyway if I don’t like them.

“Happy bass birthday to me!”

Congratulations! It’s such a great instrument and will be forever underappreciated – but we know the truth.

“ Steve Harris isn’t the best example of flats because apparently he puts a fresh set of strings on every gig ! Also heavy attack and big amp”

Fresh strings for EVERY TAKE in the studio. Super low action and super light technique (the only way you can play that fast for gigs that long for so many decades).

I’m gradually switching to coated strings because the demo basses at work don’t get played enough so end up dying from corrosion rather than normal wear, but coated strings last and last. The Coated Slinky’s are great – not quite as super bright when new which is perfect on my Stingray Special and they’re barely changing at all with use/time.

Still very much liking my Jack Casady bass – it’s reawoken my slap playing (sorry!) and I’m thinking about bringing a prototype active One10T back from work so I have an actual amp at home (been acoustic only here for years!)

“Struggle to keep up with 8th notes once the tempo rises.”

Use a metronome and gradually work up to faster tempos – don’t run before you can walk. Also try alternating between bursts of 8ths and quarters so you can get the speed happening before the stamina is there.

Use a metronome and gradually work up to faster tempos – don’t run before you can walk. Also try alternating between bursts of 8ths and quarters so you can get the speed happening before the stamina is there.

Thanks. I use a metronome at times, but prefer drum loops as they are a bit more fun to practice to. Tend to be fine when practicing but when it comes to the pressure of keeping up with a backing track it goes wonky. One missed or late note snowballs. I know it’s just practice and time.  It’s quite motivating going back to early modules and being able to play them so much more effortlessly. Shows what can be achieved in as little as a year even at my late starting age.

“I use a metronome at times, but prefer drum loops as they are a bit more fun to practice to.”

I was inspired to try playing to a drum loop this evening – can’t remember the last time I did that! I normally play unaccompanied unless I’m sorting out a tempo thing or with other musicians. For my own music I’m so prone to syncopations and odd time moments that if I’m nailing down a groove I can’t use anything other than an unaccented click – and where there’s a tempo change I can’t even use that!

Whilst I reinvent my slap playing it does help to have some grooves to lock into and highlight if my timing is off, so thanks for the idea!

“Tend to be fine when practicing but when it comes to the pressure of keeping up with a backing track it goes wonky. One missed or late note snowballs.”

I’ve been trying to learn walking bass recently, so reading chord charts and improvising to jazz standards – bloody hell, it’s difficult! Top tip – the groove matters more than the notes, keep going, even if you hit a wrong note or fluff the timing, just get that next note in the pocket (even if it’s not the right one, you can get away with murder using chromatic movement on the bass!)

I’ve been trying to learn walking bass recently

Mark’s lesson this week is on that very subject, (30% off the course, etc etc etc). Worth a watch though.

Not to blow my own trumpet massively but I can already do amazing funk grooves! The walking challenge for me is to strip back to 1/4 notes and often just four notes per chord and then outlining the progression whilst playing a supportive counter-melody. As soon as I add more notes (and get less authentically jazz) it gets so much easier.

Bass back from my local music shop after a full set up and sporting it’s new set of flats. Owner said that there were a few high frets and that the radius was off on a lot of them as well. Probably explains why it never felt quite as nice to play as my jazz bass, despite it being the same model. Even with my relative lack of technique the fret buzz is gone and already feels much nicer in general. Flats sound different to the original strings but maybe not as much as I expected. They are brand new and I’ve read they may take a while to bed in. Really notice the difference if I back off the tone knob though. Fretting hand feels amazing and slides are SO much easier. Plucking hand feels weird though, as if I’ve to dig in more as they are less grippy. Sure I’ll get used to them quickly. Unfortunately I now want to get my jazz done as well. Not flats, but I’ve heard a lot of people mention coated string. Ernie Ball Super Slinky always get a mention but not sure how differently they are to the standard Fender strings?