E Locrian Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I have some general questions here, mostly pertaining to gigging. I'll give you some background on myself (to skip, move on to the next paragraph). I'm 19 now and I've played bass on and off since I was in junior high school. I can play reasonably well (another Geddy fan ), including some "tricks" like tapping. I'm white, so slapping isn't really my forte though I know the basics. Lately, I've been into learning theory. I can read and I understand the basic stuff like chord/scale construction and creating/moving through progressions. Okay, on to the questions. - Tom R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Originally posted by E Locrian: What sort of songs tend to be the best for general club gigs? Songs people know Tricky, ain't it? Over here, the 'older' bands play the usual stuff like Black Night, Radar Love, Doctor Doctor, Bad Case Of Loving You ... and a lot of Status Quo Depends on the gig, the target audience and the club, I'd say. But then again, what do I know "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Originally posted by E Locrian: I'm white, so slapping isn't really my forteI wonder if Les Claypool, or Flea realize this? Your best bet on advise on an amp is to use the search function, but in general, for playing out a 300w head and a 4 x 10 is good for most situations. I use 2 2 x10's so I don't have to bring them both if I don't need to. "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 In the bars/pubs were I gig we play everything from Kenny Rodgers to ACDC to Metallica to Garth Brooks to ABBA. It depends on our audience, the bar, how late in the night it is and what mood we're in. My advice would be to go to the places you want to play in and see what goes down, that should inform your set. That was a dumb ass comment regarding the slap issue - Stu Hamm, Jonas Hellborg, Nick Beggs. Technique is not connected to racial or ethnic background. Seamy http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbn Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I'd say use the search tool (upper right of your screen in small blue letters) for the amp. There are plenty of threads available that pertain to that. Your options are head + cab, combo, preamp/poweramp + cab. Once you have a more general idea of what you want, revisit that. As for what songs to play... join a band or start one and then figure out what you all want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 You get a lot of volume for your dollar with Gallien Krueger amplifiers. A lot of people like the new line of Carvin amps. I personally think they have too many "bell and whistle" features, but they are competitively priced. Whatever you decide on, I'd recommend something with at least 300 watts and 2 10-inch speakers. 10" speakers tend to sound clearer than 15's when going up against the onslaught of drums and guitars. Small amps with 100 watts or less won't be good for much except practicing in your bedroom or garage. Bass amps need three times the power of guitar amps to be competitive in volume. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 If you are planning to start a band, I would recommend buying a PA. Doesn't need to be anything big, but you need enough to rehearse vocals with (IE. small mixer/amp, 2 or 3 mics, cables, mic stands & monitors). Regardless of how much we as musicians are into are own particular instruments, the audience is going to be primarily concerned with hearing singer(s) (That is, unless you plan to be the next Ventures, Laika and the Cosmonauts or Los StraitJackets). Owning the PA will eliminate a lot of grief that can come up when you are part of a band. You don't have to worry about the PA going away or being divied up if someone quits. You can also usually set the general direction of the band as well (or even be a jerk dictator if you want ). My 2 cents. Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 E Loc: I have two Carvin RL-410T's for sale at the moment, if you're interested. Good as new and good price. www.ipass.net/davesisk/forsale/CarvinBassCabs.JPG Thanks for clearing me up on the slapping thing...I'm white, so I reckon I better stop... . Anyway, worst case find some other folks to jam with, and see where it takes you. If there's any clubs that have open mic night, go check those out as well. See how everything works, then bring your bass one night. You might also meet some folks there to jam with. Check your local music stores for listings for "bassist wanted", etc... Good luck and let us know how it goes! Dave Originally posted by 73 P Bass: Originally posted by E Locrian: I'm white, so slapping isn't really my forteI wonder if Les Claypool, or Flea realize this? Your best bet on advise on an amp is to use the search function, but in general, for playing out a 300w head and a 4 x 10 is good for most situations. I use 2 2 x10's so I don't have to bring them both if I don't need to. Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLroomtempJ Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Originally posted by 73 P Bass: Originally posted by E Locrian: [qb] I'm white, so slapping isn't really my forteI wonder if Les Claypool, or Flea realize this? QB]I wonder ed friedland realized this. ed: "i may as well quit right now...since i'm white and all" i wonder if the ever so funky wraub knows this as well? peace, jason 2cor5:21 Soli Deo Gloria "it's the beauty of a community. it takes a village to raise a[n] [LLroomtempJ]." -robb My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Let's not get caught up in one unfortunate remark here, guys ... So maybe he feels like his skin colour is keeping him from slapping well That's his bizz "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Originally posted by E Locrian: I'll give you some background on myself (to skip, move on to the next paragraph). I'm 19 now and I've played bass on and off since I was in junior high school. This could be your first stumbling block. Playing clubs could be an issue since you're under 21. Some places just will not let you in if they're serving alcohol on the premises, whether you're in the band or not. Seeking out people your own age might be on of the first things you start considering, since they'll have to seek out places where underage people can play. Originally posted by E Locrian: I can play reasonably well (another Geddy fan ), including some "tricks" like tapping. I'm white, so slapping isn't really my forte though I know the basics.This is ignorant and borderline racist. Not cool. If you're serious about music in general, you're eventually going to come across a broad spectrum of people from a variety of backgrounds. So there's no need to be judgemental. As for certain people having the funk or not, check out Francis "Rocco" Prestia of Tower of Power and tell me that the guy isn't funky. Originally posted by E Locrian: - What gear would be appropriate/necessary? I own a good bass (American Jazz V), but I'm somewhat lost when it comes to amplifiers. Any suggestions for a person who doesn't have a great amount of income? If it depends on the situation, can I please have a general overview? What about other gear necessities?As a lot of people said, an amp head that's around 300 watts and at least a 1 x15" cab or 2 x 10" cab should serve your purposes at a minimum. Don't be afraid to look for something used since you could get a decent deal. Just try to have an idea of what something is worth and what kind of condition it's in before you buy second-hand gear. Also have a good tuner and reliable instrument cables. A reliable car or some other accessible mode of transportation is all too often overlooked by a lot of musicians. But seriously, who wants to play with someone who needs a ride everywhere? Originally posted by E Locrian: - What sort of songs tend to be the best for general club gigs? If we're in a metal club, then we know that "Brown-Eyed Girl" is a must (right guys?), but what are some good song types to have in one's repertoire? The repertoire of music is going to totally depend on who you hook up with. A crucial set of questions about putting your own project together are these: -Do you have your own material, or do you want to play covers? -What kind of material is it? -Who will the singer be? Is it you? There are really a ton of variables. If you're trying to get into an existing band, then you should try to find out what they're playing and try to learn some of the material before you try out for them. If you're looking for musicians to work with in general, don't hesitate to look online at http://www.craigslist.org . Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NV43345 Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 Go out and Jam and sit in with as many bands that will let you.When I was a kid,I used to sit in with my dad's band and one night we were playing and he pointed to me and said go........and man I played my a$$ off.I pretty much learned how to play right there in front of everyone.You should be able to find some blues jams in your area and just start networking from there,once you hook up with the other local Bass players they will take care of you and let you sit in. As Bass players were a pretty tight family,and we tend to stick together more than other Musicians.You will build your self confidence,and learn alot of songs along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Locrian Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 Well, I got a good amount of help here... and some flames. Anyway, sorry about the off-color joke (no pun intended), I didn't mean it seriously at all. I am aware of Stu Hamm, Ed Friedland, and plenty of other white guys who can do it. Like I said, it was simply a joke, so please don't fly off the handle. I'm no racist (plenty of non-white friends), so don't take it that way. When you're in college, it comes second-nature. Anyway, I got the information I wanted, and I extend my thanks to anyone who decided to give me some (even if they followed it with a flame). But, given the response I got, maybe you guys would prefer if I just disappeared. Maybe I'll just continue to lurk... - Tom R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Don't worry E Locrian. I personally thought your remark about whiteness and thumbstyle playing wasn't anything to get into a twist over. Sometimes newcomers get raked over the coals here. Hope you stick around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_god_offspring Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 well, if you want some good theory insight, search for "Theory" and look for a Topic Started By Jeremyc, it's a whole J-Lo butt load of Theory stuff. Slap can be for many people, but i know what you mean. Here's a list from this Forum of good songs to know (not all of them required though) Standards/Big Band/Swing All The Things You Are Beyond The Sea Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Come Fly With Me Fly Me To The Moon I Get A Kick Out Of You It Had To Be You Ill Take Manhattan Ive Got You Under My Skin Jump Jive An Wail Just A Giggolo Little Brown Jug Mack The Knife Moonlight Seranade New York New York Night & Day Orange Colored Sky Our Love Is Here To Stay Satin Doll Summer Wind The Way You Look Tonight What A Wonderful World Witchcraft Doo Wop/1950s Blue Suede Shoes Cant Help Falling In Love Daddys Home Great Balls of Fire I Only Have Eyes For You In The Still of the Night Johnny B. Goode Pretty Woman Sea of Love Since I Dont Have You Since I Fell For You Stand By Me Tears On My Pillow The Lion Sleeps Tonight The Twist Unchained Melody Under The Boardwalk You Send Me Motown/Soul ABC Aint Too Proud To Beg Dance To The Music Dancin In The Street Dock Of The Bay I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) I Heard It Through The Grapevine I Feel Good I Want You Back Knock On Wood Mustang Sally My Girl Respect Same Old Song Soul Man Stop In The Name Of Love Whats Goin On Dance Rock/Reggae Brown Eyed Girl Brown Sugar Devil With A Blue Dress Do You Love Me Honky Tonk Woman I Saw Her Standing There I Shot The Sherriff I Wanna Be Sedated Jumpin Jack Flash Oh What A Night Moondance Red Red Wine Satisfaction Stir It Up Sweet Caroline Twist & Shout Classic 1970s Disco/Rhythm & Blues Aint No Stoppin Us Now Bad Girls Best Of My Love Boogie Oogie Oogie Brick House Cant Get Enough Of Your Love Copacabana Dancing Queen Disco Inferno Dont Leave Me This Way Get Down Tonight Hot Stuff Its Raining Men Lady Marmalade Ladies Night Last Dance Le Freak Lets Groove Tonight On The Radio Play That Funky Music September Shake Your Booty Shame Thats The Way I Like It To Be Real Turn The Beat Around You Should Be Dancin 1980s A Little Respect Addicted To Love Beat It Billie Jean Borderline Centerfold Come On Eileen Dont You Want Me Faith Holiday Hungry Like the Wolf Kiss Lets Dance Like A Prayer Livin On A Prayer New Sensation Tainted Love What I Like About You Club Dance/Top 40 Cant Get You Out Of My Head Crazy In Love Get This Party Started Heaven (Remix) Hot In Here I Need To Know Lets Get Loud Love At First Sight One More Time Remedy Rock Your Body Say A Little Prayer Shake Your Tail Feather Whenever Wherever Ballads All I Ask Of You Always & Forever At Last Beautiful In My Eyes Breathe Can You Feel The Love Tonight Crazy Love (Everything I Do) I Do For You For The First Time From This Moment On How Deep Is Your Love I Finally Found Someone I Hope You Dance Ill Always Love You New York State Of Mind Something About The Way You Look Tonight The Way You Look Tonight Unforgettable Wonderful Tonight You Are So Beautiful To Me Your Song Youre Still The One Standards Green Dolphin St. Autumn Leaves Satin doll A Train Fly Me to the Moon September Song Speak Low Bye Bye Blackbird Without a Song No Greater Love But Not For Me I Love You Lover If I Were A Bell Weaver of Dreams Sunny Side of the Street I'll Remember April All the Things You Are With a Song in My Heart Night and Day Just One of Those Things You and the Night and the Music You're My Everything Yours is My Heart Alone I Thought About You Fools Rush In Alone Together Invitation The Song Is You You Stepped Out of a Dream Star Eyes My Secret Love -continued- All or Nothing at All Witchcraft There Will Never Be Another You The Night Has a Thousand Eyes When the Lights are Low I'm Old Fashioned Why Do I Love You? The Way You Look Tonight Come Rain or Come Shine A Foggy Day Have You Met Miss Jones Old Devil Moon Sweet Georgia Brown It's You or No One Latin Girl From Ipanema Desifinado Little Boat Wave One Note Samba Summer Samba Black Orpheus Song for My Father Nica's Dream Shadow of Your Smile Tea For Two Be-Bop Tunes Donna Lee Au Privave Billie's Bounce Confirmation Thriving From a Riff (Anthropology) Afternoon in Paris 3/4 Someday My Prince Will Come My Favorite Things Tenderly Bluesette Up Jumped Spring Jazz Tunes Along Came Betty Stablemates Giant Steps Moment's Notice Lady Bird Lazy Bird Four A Night in Tunisia Minority Bolivia Ballads Misty Blue in Green Body and Soul What's New? Lover Man Round Midnight My Romance When I Fall in Love Sentimental Mood Sophisticated Lady Moonlight in Vermont Prelude to a Kiss Georgia Flamingo When Sunny Gets Blue My One and Only Love Embraceable You Autumn in New York Once in a While Over the Rainbow Blue Moon I Left My Heart in San Francisco Spring is Here Laura Stormy Weather Stardust Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Foolish Heart It Might as Well be Spring Yesterdays I Can't Get Started Learn all of those, and you will be the best Bar/Party bassist ever. I would go with a 2x10, or 4x10 Carvin, Ampeg, Peavy, and SWR are some good brands to look into if your on a tight Budget. Also, a good head is a major part of a rig. try looking at the above brands Amplifiers. Or, you can go with a good Ampeg or Cervin Combo. Good Luck -BGO 5 words you should live by... Music is its own reward --------------- My Band: www.Myspace.com/audreyisanarcissist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Hey E Locrian, Welcome to the Lowdown. Please don't be put off by a little bit of flameing. I percieved your comments to be lighthearted, in fact I could be the posterchild for "White Men Can't Slap" and have even said so to my teacher. Using an emoticon is a good idea if you think someone might misunderstand your intention. Stay and play! As to gear you have recieved plenty of good advice and much can be gleaned from past threads by using the "search" function, but it can be tricky to get the exact info you may be looking for, so there is never any harm in asking as you have done. I will second the "used gear" search especially if you are really strapped for cash. Furthermore,I will recommend looking at Peavey gear(I'm one of the few resident Peavey advocates around here )You can usually find used Peavey bass amps at dirt cheap prices, they are decent sounding, powerful and built like a tank!I still use my Peavey Bass MkIV (22 years now). You can probably find some locally and check ebay too, as it is a good way to determine the average value of gear. Good luck and enjoy the search, that's more than half the fun! Cheers Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Locrian Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 Originally posted by basshappi: Using an emoticon is a good idea if you think someone might misunderstand your intention.Maybe we should come up with some new punctuation... maybe a sarcastic mark would do the job! I wonder how that would look... Maybe ~* or S * Anyway, I want to thank everyone again for the info. The list of songs is quite exhaustive... maybe I'll learn 'em this weekend. The amp answers are way helpful! I've been lurking for a little while and I would not have asked if I could find all the answers via search. So thanks, guys! - Tom R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Originally posted by Bass_god_offspring: Learn all of those, and you will be the best Bar/Party bassist ever. Yeah BGO, but only if he can play em in any given key "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_god_offspring Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Yeah BGO, but only if he can play em in any given key Very good point, lol. Hey eddie, how old are you (sorry, it's a random question)? -BGO 5 words you should live by... Music is its own reward --------------- My Band: www.Myspace.com/audreyisanarcissist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Locrian Posted January 22, 2005 Author Share Posted January 22, 2005 I will make an attempt to look for and join an existing band. How do you guys think I should prepare for the audition(s)? Find out the band's style/inspirations and learn appropriate songs? Should I have a good amp before even auditioning? Or perhaps I should wait and check what gear the existing band has. Could one rent the necessary equipment for a reasonable fee? I hate to seem dumb, but I'd rather know this stuff ahead of time. - Tom R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E Locrian Posted January 22, 2005 Author Share Posted January 22, 2005 Originally posted by Dave Sisk: Just to manage your expectations about yourself though, realize that everyone thinks they play pretty well when they woodshed...when they go play with other people, often they realize they don't play as well as they thought they did.haha too true. I suffer from no delusions of grandeur... I don't expect to get up on stage for the first time and play like John Paul Jones. I have a decent sense of time when I practice with others (which ends up being very important when a drummer or his drum set is not available). But I'll definitely try to keep it manageable. - Tom R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squ Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 That was a good list of songs to know. What I did for searching for songs to know was go to some wedding band website, and check out what they were playing. My advice to you is to SING. If you can play your instrument AND sing decently, everyone will love you (in my opinion.) Don't worry about singing lead (but that'd be cool too), just make sure you can sing harmony so your band can nail that "Wayward son" cover. Red Red Rockit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 Originally posted by Bass_god_offspring: Hey eddie, how old are you (sorry, it's a random question)?Hey BGO, Not sure if you're still following this thread (I sort of forgot about it ) but I'm 23, will turn 24 in May. Ask Eddie Anything "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 Originally posted by E Locrian: How do you guys think I should prepare for the audition(s)? E, do a search on this site with "auditions" as key word, there should be a few threads that'll give you some insight And read this thread I once started . Final word of advice : do NOT show up drunk or hung over from the night before! Granted, worked for me once but I wouldn't recommend it "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 Originally posted by E Locrian: I will make an attempt to look for and join an existing band. How do you guys think I should prepare for the audition(s)? Find out the band's style/inspirations and learn appropriate songs? Should I have a good amp before even auditioning? Or perhaps I should wait and check what gear the existing band has. Could one rent the necessary equipment for a reasonable fee? I hate to seem dumb, but I'd rather know this stuff ahead of time. I'd have a rig before auditioning. Going in without one might seem unprofessional. Some bands will have a CD of tunes they'll give you to prepare for the audition. Sometimes they'll suggest songs to learn. Other times they'll just ask to come in cold. I've auditioned at rental studios that are equipped with a choice of rigs, drums, PA and even instruments. So I guess it varies. "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Hoffman Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 Place an ad and try to find people you like and get along with, and try and jam with more experienced/talented people. It would push you to learn at a greater rate, I think. Some people are hard to get along with, but necessary. Learn to deal with that, too. If you act humble and don't offend anyone with your playing, then it should be alright. And remember to stay in time, don't get drunk at gigs, do your homework. Goodluck. "The world will still be turning when you've gone." - Black Sabbath Band site: www.finespunmusic.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloclo Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 i'd say get a rig before you go to an audition, this makes you look more independent. a musician should have his own basic material. go second-hand, cheaper and trustworthy (test it before you buy it!). don't buy a combo, too heavy to carry at once and sometimes too large to put in the car, buy seperate head and speaker, easier and later you can upgrade your material one at a time. a 4 x 10" tends to have more clarity, a 1 x 15" has more fatty bottom but has a somewhat slurry sound (and i mean that in a good way). preparing for an audition? i'd say play with many different people, even when you're in a group. it helps to train your ear to hear the whole instead of thinking about your playing. it's a group effort. it also helps to put you at your ease. you've got nothing to lose, so why don't you relax in an audition. you play better and you listen better. you can also first have a drink and a chat with the auditioning band, just to get to know them. if you like the people you play music with, you play better (well, i do anyway). oh, and buy a tuning pedal which you can mute with your foot. i don't have one (i have a boss tu-12h so i can also tune my acoustic instruments) but boy, i wish i did... my 2 cents. good luck! Marvelas Something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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