The Combo Club

[Doctor Intrepid]

I'm not sure how the MV50CL will sound on its own. I'll have to wait until I have the 2 110s to get a full sense of it. I suspect one would need a tone box of some sort to fill it out. I do know, though, that I really like the tone I get when I run the MV50CL as a preamp, and the fact that it provides the option of additional cabinets is great.

So difficult to know to best spend one's limited resources!

On another note, I did (mostly) form my current project via open mic connections. So I would also back that strategy!

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I'm not sure how the MV50CL will sound on its own. I'll have to wait until I have the 2 110s to get a full sense of it. I suspect one would need a tone box of some sort to fill it out. I do know, though, that I really like the tone I get when I run the MV50CL as a preamp, and the fact that it provides the option of additional cabinets is great.

So difficult to know to best spend one's limited resources!

On another note, I did (mostly) form my current project via open mic connections. So I would also back that strategy!

 

[GwenOnBass]

One of the problems we have is that there's usually only one bassist per gig. For example, I play/sit in with 3 different big bands. Each time I get there I know about 1/2 the horn players from other bands. Bass players rarely meet each other to be able to make or get referrals. The gig I have Sunday came about b/c their regular bassist is one of the guitarists in the classic rock band I'm in. He's on a trip out west and recommended me to the leader/pianist in this 'jazz' group.

This is a very good point!

Standing in on bass at an open mike is totally the way to be seen when you're new to the area. /nod This is exactly what Morrighan is doing in 2017 and The Guy Who Runs The Open Mike says: want to join my new blues band? She says right on! and it looks like smooth sailing. Save for a Big Time Out for health because at this point in 2017 is not this point here at the "end" of 2018.

Looks like I will present an absent slip for this coming Saturday's first conference call. Drop in the open house thing and say sock it to me. Back in time for video conference.

.... and feel I need to do a lot more ear training before I am ready to back Anyone on AnySong at an open mike. Darn great experience.

 

[GonePlaid]

This is a very good point!

Standing in on bass at an open mike is totally the way to be seen when you're new to the area. /nod This is exactly what Morrighan is doing in 2017 and The Guy Who Runs The Open Mike says: want to join my new blues band? She says right on! and it looks like smooth sailing. Save for a Big Time Out for health because at this point in 2017 is not this point here at the "end" of 2018.

Looks like I will present an absent slip for this coming Saturday's first conference call. Drop in the open house thing and say sock it to me. Back in time for video conference.

.... and feel I need to do a lot more ear training before I am ready to back Anyone on AnySong at an open mike. Darn great experience.

Many songs have a predictable pattern that pleases the average, non-Eastern ear. I-IV-V or I-VIm-IIm-V7, etc. IME. Even if it's an original song, you can often 'feel' where it's likely to go next. And since you can substitute the 3rd, 5th or 7th for the tonic and move to the root, you can 'get away' with something other than what's commonly expected and change it(or not)next verse. I'm fortunate to have a pretty good ear for changes. If I'm at all familiar with the tune I ask "what key?" and go for it. If I'm not familiar, then I'll ask "what key?" and try to hear what the chords are doing and go for it. Another 'trick' is descending lines: A-G#-F#-E-D-C#-B-A (Whiter Shade of Pale).

 

[GwenOnBass]

<--- in serious need of ear training

getting better at figuring out basic melodies. What I'm given to understand is learning the melody to a song is helpful to understanding the chord movement.

The luthier at Santa's Workshop says my StingRay is near the top of his work queue and should be ready around the end of the week. The elves keep the place stocked with Vox amps and that's gonna be some months away for me ....

My copy of the Real Book is not in reach and seriously thinking of ordering the 6th edition ... Likely will. Seriously need to up my game.

 

[ghostinthemach]

Many songs have a predictable pattern that pleases the average, non-Eastern ear. I-IV-V or I-VIm-IIm-V7, etc. IME. Even if it's an original song, you can often 'feel' where it's likely to go next. And since you can substitute the 3rd, 5th or 7th for the tonic and move to the root, you can 'get away' with something other than what's commonly expected and change it(or not)next verse. I'm fortunate to have a pretty good ear for changes. If I'm at all familiar with the tune I ask "what key?" and go for it. If I'm not familiar, then I'll ask "what key?" and try to hear what the chords are doing and go for it. Another 'trick' is descending lines: A-G#-F#-E-D-C#-B-A (Whiter Shade of Pale).

I use everything you’ve mentioned plus the trick of laying out for the opening or first verse even, if unsure, then slide in beneath once acclimated.

Works better at open mic than during a gig, lol.

 

[ghostinthemach]

I use everything you’ve mentioned plus the trick if laying out for the opening or first verse even, is unsure, then slide in beneath once acclimated.

Works better at open mic than during a gig, lol.

Sometimes I don’t even ask what key and say, ‘just play, I’ll find you’. 95% of the time, I do. The remaining 5% I chalk up to dying for my audiences entertainment, as they also enjoy watching me struggle. Apparently that’s entertaining also, as I’ve been told.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I'm almost only ear trained, so I can pick up things fairly quickly on the fly, but otherwise my skills are limited. Life gets in the way of practice!

 

[GonePlaid]

I use everything you’ve mentioned plus the trick if laying out for the opening or first verse even, is unsure, then slide in beneath once acclimated.

Works better at open mic than during a gig, lol.

Actually, that's one I was gonna mention but I was already long 'winded'. There are lots of recordings that start off w/o bass-or drums or anything else.

 

[GonePlaid]

I'm almost only ear trained, so I can pick up things fairly quickly on the fly, but otherwise my skills are limited. Life gets in the way of practice!

Practice?!?

 

[G-Dog]

. . . . but I was already long 'winded'. ...

You say that like it's a bad thing! Well, lemme tell you something . . . . Nevermind.

There are lots of recordings that start off w/o bass-or drums or anything else.

Yes, I find those to be the hardest parts for me. I still do the fingering, just in case!

 

[GonePlaid]

You say that like it's a bad thing! Well, lemme tell you something . . . . Nevermind.



Yes, I find those to be the hardest parts for me. I still do the fingering, just in case!

Yeah. Being bassists, we're like "Hey! What about us?" 'Course there are exceptions. Like our 'closer':"We Gotta Get Outta This Place". My big solo of the night.[Don't screw it up!]

 

[Spector2112]

Man alive, I bet that cranks.

For livingroom practice, I generally don't take it over 9:00 on the Gain, which is the only volume control. And even with the knob that low, its not quiet. Quite punchy too, at any volume.
Funny to rediscover all the sympathetic vibrations in the room at different notes/frequencies too.

 

[GonePlaid]

Just got back from the jazz/standards gig with new(to me)people. One of the other "tricks" is to watch the keyboard players hands(I started on piano as a 7y/o). That didn't work today. He has one of those transposing keyboards so he can sound in the girl singer's key while playing in a familiar key. I had to not look at his hands.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Had practice last night. Our band of middle-aged dudes are getting better each practice. We can like play out soon. I'm also getting great tone out of my Vox-Peavey hybrid. I haven't used the external speakers yet. One is coming for Xmas, and I may exert some self-control and leave it under the tree for the big day. If my 3 year old has to wait so too should I. Must lead by example!

So Doc, what ext speaker are you asking from Santa? Peavey? Am I reading this correctly?

 

[GonePlaid]

<--- in serious need of ear training

getting better at figuring out basic melodies. What I'm given to understand is learning the melody to a song is helpful to understanding the chord movement.

The luthier at Santa's Workshop says my StingRay is near the top of his work queue and should be ready around the end of the week. The elves keep the place stocked with Vox amps and that's gonna be some months away for me ....

My copy of the Real Book is not in reach and seriously thinking of ordering the 6th edition ... Likely will. Seriously need to up my game.

I was going back over this page and your mention of the Real Book made me curious, so I Googled it and it turns out(not surprisingly)that it's available for Ipads, etc. Not that I have one but it's good to know for future reference.

 

[iagtrplyr]

By all that is right side up on General Grant's horse I can see one of those Vox amps in my space. Very cool. Very cool.

So is this one of those group pact things where everyone in the club picks up a Vox VX50 BA? Cool idea! Then somehow we have to get a picture of the Combo Club's Vox Clique, or CCVC for short. It also is the spelling pattern, Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant, but does that matter? Who's in beside G-Dog and Doc?

 

[iagtrplyr]

One of the problems we have is that there's usually only one bassist per gig. For example, I play/sit in with 3 different big bands. Each time I get there I know about 1/2 the horn players from other bands. Bass players rarely meet each other to be able to make or get referrals. The gig I have Sunday came about b/c their regular bassist is one of the guitarists in the classic rock band I'm in. He's on a trip out west and recommended me to the leader/pianist in this 'jazz' group.

GP, you're out playing and a lot of us wish we had that problem! Congrats to ya.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Not a Peavey cab. The Vox is running through my Peavey Max115 combo via the line out. That frees up the speaker out on the Vox for additional speakers. The Vox is 4 ohms, so I will run two Eden 110s at 8 ohms each. I have one of the 110s from my previous mad experiment. I ordered another as my Xmas gift from my wife. It's hasn't arrived yet, though.

 

[iagtrplyr]

I'm not sure how the MV50CL will sound on its own. I'll have to wait until I have the 2 110s to get a full sense of it. I suspect one would need a tone box of some sort to fill it out. I do know, though, that I really like the tone I get when I run the MV50CL as a preamp, and the fact that it provides the option of additional cabinets is great.

So difficult to know to best spend one's limited resources!

On another note, I did (mostly) form my current project via open mic connections. So I would also back that strategy!

So these are your Christmas gift to yourself, right? I'm so .