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Zoso View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Bass discussion/help thread.
    Posted: September 03 2006 at 13:09
I've been noticing that there is a surprisingly large amount of bass players on this site. I myself have been playing Upright and Electric bass for some time now, and would be happy to help anyone with questions who is just starting out, and I'm sure there are many other bassists here that would be more than happy to help out as well.

If you have any questions or comments about the bass, here's the place to put them.
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Eetu Pellonpaa View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 03:42
Originally posted by Zoso Zoso wrote:

I've been noticing that there is a surprisingly large amount of bass players on this site. I myself have been playing Upright and Electric bass for some time now, and would be happy to help anyone with questions who is just starting out, and I'm sure there are many other bassists here that would be more than happy to help out as well.
 
I think progressive rock music has space for really creative bass players, they don't just have to keep up the back beat.
 
It would be interesting to hear about upright bass playing. Do you have an acoustic instrument, or a digital upright bass? I suppose it's fretless? Playing a fretless bass sounds like a real challenge!
 
I just bought this kind of pretty instrument with 431€ from a store's cleaning discount:
 
 
My first instrument before this was a basic Aria Pro 2, which I found quite good. The bar whithin it's neck wasn't completelly straigth, so I can't get it 100% tuned through the whole neck, but with time I found the dangerous parts of the fretboard, and I did several gigs with it. I'm really looking forward for new musical possibilities with the new purchase, and I'm gonna give our band's guitarrists the maximum stress at the upcoming rehearsals! 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 14:28
Just to prolong the discussion, this is my bass (the 4 string one)



I've never really liked the look of 5 and 6 string basses. I've been a bass player since 1978, I currently play this Warwick, I also have an Ibanez Musician and a Hohner headless. I also have a Trace Elliott combo. Haven't been in a band for a while, mainly due to kids!

Bassists rule!


Edited by chopper - September 05 2006 at 14:32
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Zoso View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 17:47
Upright is my main gig. I leave school at noon every day and go to a magnet school for jazz studies, which I just got back from. I play a lot of jazz gigs, and also play in lots of orchestras. My teacher studies mostly classical music which me. It's an absolutely amazing instrument, but much, much more difficult than the electric bass. I'd recommend trying it out if you're into jazz at all. Don't buy an electric upright though, you can never genuinley reproduce the sound of a real upright bass with technology. Plus, they're just plain ugly.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2006 at 01:29
^ I once got a chance to try a very little bit of playing such instrument. 1st, the loss of frets is a big challenge, and those beauties cost a lot. But it's very interesting instrument, I'm just so fond of RALPH TOWNER's "Batik" album mainly cause of EDDIE GOMEZ's wonderful bass work. He uses bow there in few occasions, and the sound and feeling of it is truly celestial!
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2006 at 12:04
The Upright Bass is an extremely difficult instrument to play, a lot of people think they can just pick it up and go with it. But it's totally worth learning how to play for the incredible tones you can get out of it, and it's all around coolness. Smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 29 2006 at 19:13
Hey there to the Prog bassists community!
 
As you may have already noticed, I'm also a passionate bass player! I have also played upright bass once in a musical instruments store, and I loved it, unfortunately I can't afford it that easily, but my next purchase would have to be a fretless bass; I love their sound!
 
Take care!

"After all, it's music what we're talking about here, so there's no best or worst; just what you like and what you don't"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2006 at 02:52
I think if starting to practice playing of acoustic upright bass, it would be a good thing to get a teacher?
 
How do you start learning the notes from a fretless neck? Ermm
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2006 at 13:51
"It would be interesting to hear about upright bass playing. Do you have an acoustic instrument, or a digital upright bass? I suppose it's fretless? Playing a fretless bass sounds like a real challenge!"

Actually, it's not too bad Wink I have one at home - a Stagg Fretless bass. The trick is to trust yourself to judge the distance between frets without looking!

Some of the electric uprights aren't that bad either - I've played a Ned Steinberger Bass before. It's just a matter of getting used to the spacing. But mind you, I wasn't bothering with a bow (I was doing jazz and mood stuff) - the bow is a lot trickier.

I think the hardest member of the bass family I've tried is a 12-string bass called the Dean Rhapsody. Shocked You need to develop some hefty fret hand strength (especially when playing chords on it) and if you go back to playing ordinary basses and guitars for a week or so, you start to lose the strength you gained. You have to be on the thing at least once a week to maintain. I played it for a few years then gave it to a new owner up North who is now treasuring it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2006 at 02:03
My friend posted me some Victor Wooten links yesterday, thought to share. What a technique! Big smile
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 21 2006 at 05:18
Originally posted by Zoso Zoso wrote:

I've been noticing that there is a surprisingly large amount of bass players on this site. I myself have been playing Upright and Electric bass for some time now, and would be happy to help anyone with questions who is just starting out, and I'm sure there are many other bassists here that would be more than happy to help out as well.

If you have any questions or comments about the bass, here's the place to put them.
 
I have been playing bass for about seven months and I would like to know if there are books/websites I should take a look at to help me with my technique. The styles I want to learn are classic rock, blues, and progressive rock. I have an electric bass by the way.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 29 2007 at 03:57
Thought to try revive this thread. Tongue
 
I've been thinking of this acoustic uprigth instrument, and I might spend some money for one in the future, after I have cleared out that I can get a teacher. I'm thinking of a 3/4 uprigth bass, and i would like to study playing with and with out bow. Amplification is a one open question too. Are there acoustic basses with built-in amplification ports, or should I implement external microphones when recording and playing with a group?
 
Also, if there are any good books or open sources in the net of the subject, I would appreciate any hints. Thanks!
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