The Q&A thread

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The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
The Fool On The Hill
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January 26th, 2007 at 09:46pm
[quote="Franny."]
xXRootsxRadicalsXx:
KitKilledCuriosity:
yeah_you:
ok i've got a question do all musicians read music. I play bass and for the past two months my teacher has been trying to get me to read music sheets. and its not that i don't want to but i can't remember any of them. I CAN READ TABS JUST FINE! but my question is do you have to be able to read music? do all great bassist read music?


Just learn how to read tabs. I've been playing guitar for a really long time, and I don't know how to read a single note.


i don't completely agree with that. yes, tabs are easier to comprehend, but sometimes if you're wanting to go one step higher in learning your instrument, learning to read notes will become beneficial to you.

i advise you to learn to read notes if you have the time to.

but no, i don't think all bass players know how to read music, but i'm betting that the majority of the good ones try to learn at one point or another.

if you need any help with reading notes, like specific things you don't understand, feel free to ask =)


Tabs are good, I use them a lot but they don't help you with the rhythm. They just tell you what chords and notes to play. You'd have to use your ear to figure out what rhythm to play. Not that that's not bad. But when reading music, you're sometimes given the rhythm.
The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
The Fool On The Hill
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January 26th, 2007 at 09:56pm
~tre's_lost_nut~:
Thankyou, that really does help.
Writing-wise, I am a lefty.. Part of me wants to play left-handed, but also I have a friend who wants to learn too and she's a righty, and I would like to share my bass with her.. so I don't know what to do. Meh.
The local music shop in town told me ages ago that their starter packs were about £250, and I'm not sure I can afford that. I will save up, though.

Thankyou for your advice. =]


Well this was posted in December but I'llrespond to it now Smile

Do what you want. If you want to share with her then play righty. It will become natural to you the more practice you get. When I first started, I couldn't even pick up the guitar the right way lmfao. I would pick it up and forget which side to flip the neck over to. But now I've been playing for about 1 1/2 years and it feels natural. That's what you get out of practicing a lot.

And just keep on saving up money. I'm in the same situation (sorta) I'm trying to save up for a new amp. Wink
greenday6
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greenday6
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January 27th, 2007 at 06:59pm
The Fool On The Hill:
And just keep on saving up money. I'm in the same situation (sorta) I'm trying to save up for a new amp. Wink
Ebay is good. I've been helping my little cousin shop for guitar stuff on ebay, and he's gotten some sweet deals with very little money. Especially if you find somebody selling an amp locally, you can just go pick it up instead of paying for shipping.
The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
The Fool On The Hill
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January 28th, 2007 at 04:44pm
I shold do that. Maybe I'll do the amp at a store and when I get a second electric guitar I'll do ebay XD
Banach95
King For A Couple Of Days
Banach95
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Mibba Blog
January 30th, 2007 at 02:13pm
I don't know where to post this so I'll do it here

You can get bass, guitar and piano tabs/chords from a HUGE HUGE listing of artists.

You can find almost anybody here. Don't let the name fold you Smile

http://www.e-chords.com/
Robbie
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Robbie
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February 1st, 2007 at 11:48am
MUSICIANS read music.

PEOPLE WHO PLAY GUITAR A BIT play tabs.

I'd say there was a big divide between playing an instrument and being a musician.
Banach95
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Mibba Blog
February 1st, 2007 at 12:36pm
You're right Robbie to an extent but I know people who are musicians who can't read music at all, they play entirely by ear. If they can't read music does that make them any less of a musician then someone who can read music?
Franny.
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Franny.
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February 1st, 2007 at 05:35pm
sampalletband:
You're right Robbie to an extent but I know people who are musicians who can't read music at all, they play entirely by ear. If they can't read music does that make them any less of a musician then someone who can read music?


sorry to just jump into the convo...

i think not being able to read music doesn't make a musician less of one, but it gives off the impression that they're a less serious musician than others. if a person was really serious about becoming/being a musician, they would make effort to do something such as learn how to read music.

however, there are those who just can't read music, like they're physically unable to, then that is a different case.
Banach95
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Mibba Blog
February 1st, 2007 at 06:09pm
okay... Take a quick listen to this, Built For Comfort (this is a quickie MP3 d/l which will automatically open your player to start.)

Out of the 7 people who are playing on this song only 3 read music (The horn section; sax, trombone, and trumpet and that 's because they are music teachers...lol) Out of the others, one has been playing for 15 years, 2 have been playing for 30 years and the last one has been playing for over 40 years. Does that make them less serious about playing music?

Please don't thikn I'm trying to pick a fight... I'm not. This is a sore subject for me since it's my husband who has over 40 years experiance playing music. He has had offers to play bass on the road for national acts; the last one being part of Little Richard's tour band. But he doesn't read music but he has a different talent that reading music will never get you. He has perfect pitch. He can hear a song and be able to play it for the very first time and sound like he's been playing it forever... no amount of reading music can do that.
Franny.
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Franny.
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February 1st, 2007 at 07:39pm
sampalletband:
okay... Take a quick listen to this, Built For Comfort (this is a quickie MP3 d/l which will automatically open your player to start.)

Out of the 7 people who are playing on this song only 3 read music (The horn section; sax, trombone, and trumpet and that 's because they are music teachers...lol) Out of the others, one has been playing for 15 years, 2 have been playing for 30 years and the last one has been playing for over 40 years. Does that make them less serious about playing music?

Please don't thikn I'm trying to pick a fight... I'm not. This is a sore subject for me since it's my husband who has over 40 years experiance playing music. He has had offers to play bass on the road for national acts; the last one being part of Little Richard's tour band. But he doesn't read music but he has a different talent that reading music will never get you. He has perfect pitch. He can hear a song and be able to play it for the very first time and sound like he's been playing it forever... no amount of reading music can do that.


wow, he has perfect pitch? that is an insanely awesome talent. in special situations like that one, i guess it's really not that necessary to be able to read music as it's basically already inserted into the brain once the song is heard...

but i'm saying for the average person, it's to one's advantage to learn how to read music. i have no special talent in music but i can play many instruments because of the effort i put into learning things such as reading music.
The Fool On The Hill
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February 1st, 2007 at 08:32pm
I've been playing for about 1 1/2 years now and I can sorta read music but I mostly do tabs. Me, the deaf kid? I don't think I'll ever acqure as good an ear as normal musicians do but I can try. I'm getting more and more of a knack of hearing differnt pitches as I play and listen to music more and more but I'll still never be able to live up to the same standards and normal people do. But anyways.

It is an advantage to be able to read music but not everyone has the time and patience for it. A lot of musicians taught themselves to play songs without reading it. They probably learn it from being on the road or once they get big or wahtever.

I read tabs but meh.
The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
The Fool On The Hill
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February 1st, 2007 at 08:33pm
FIZZ!! Anyone?! Anyone have experience with different types of amps? I'm looking for an upgrade form my cheap little Fender amp that came with the guitar package. I've been talking to the Equipment dudes on the Foo board and they've been extremely helpful.

I've limited so far to the Peavey Classic 30 or then Fender Blues Jr. Any suggestions?
greenday6
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February 2nd, 2007 at 12:17am
Um, I don't know. I've never played either of those amps. So I will just drop the name of my favorite amp. Vox Valvetronix. I know that was incredibly useless. Up
Franny.
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Franny.
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February 2nd, 2007 at 02:31am
The Fool On The Hill:
FIZZ!! Anyone?! Anyone have experience with different types of amps? I'm looking for an upgrade form my cheap little Fender amp that came with the guitar package. I've been talking to the Equipment dudes on the Foo board and they've been extremely helpful.

I've limited so far to the Peavey Classic 30 or then Fender Blues Jr. Any suggestions?


i'm a peavey fan. i'm not sure if i've played the exact model you're talking about, but i've tried a few and they've got a great sound. especially their tube models =)
The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
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February 2nd, 2007 at 03:43pm
Has anyone tried the Orange Tiny Terror? I like that one too but I'm sorta leaning towards the Peavey. From what I heard on Youtube of people demoing and stuff with the Classic I loveeeeeeeeeeeed the Classic 30. It was perfect for my sound. The only problem is that my guitar teacher said they're limted but there's always pedals for that.
The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
The Fool On The Hill
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 26154
February 2nd, 2007 at 03:43pm
Franny.:
The Fool On The Hill:
FIZZ!! Anyone?! Anyone have experience with different types of amps? I'm looking for an upgrade form my cheap little Fender amp that came with the guitar package. I've been talking to the Equipment dudes on the Foo board and they've been extremely helpful.

I've limited so far to the Peavey Classic 30 or then Fender Blues Jr. Any suggestions?


i'm a peavey fan. i'm not sure if i've played the exact model you're talking about, but i've tried a few and they've got a great sound. especially their tube models =)


Yeah the Classic 30 is a tube amp. People from the Foo board recommended those amps. The guy who told me about it is a big Orange fan and recommended it to me. I liked it but it's hard to find Cheese
the new pollution.
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February 2nd, 2007 at 05:39pm
yeah_you:
ok i've got a question do all musicians read music. I play bass and for the past two months my teacher has been trying to get me to read music sheets. and its not that i don't want to but i can't remember any of them. I CAN READ TABS JUST FINE! but my question is do you have to be able to read music? do all great bassist read music?
Well, not everything you will play will be in tab form.
Refusing to learn sheet music is really quite silly.
It's incredibly useful, you can team up with piano players if you can read the music they use, and it's helpful when you're arranging parts for your band.
Tabs will only get you so far in your musical career, so start learning all you can no matter how much you hate it.
Chile D. Guy
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Chile D. Guy
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March 27th, 2007 at 06:56pm
i have a question:
what is a Vibrato?
how can i do one?
Franny.
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Franny.
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March 27th, 2007 at 10:47pm
Nickel Nausea:
i have a question:
what is a Vibrato?
how can i do one?


in your voice or on your instrument? but basically, it's a wavey sound in the notes you sing/play. in an instrument requiring air, use your diaphram and push steady wavey flows of air. on a stringed instrument, shake the string [err, i don't know how to put it in better words than that lol]. in vocals, i assume the whole diaphram thing as well, but i can't do it -_-"
The Fool On The Hill
Had A Life Before GSB
The Fool On The Hill
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March 28th, 2007 at 02:12pm
It gives the sound sort of a vibrating affect and the soud boucnese back and forth.

Dno

vi·bra·to
a pulsating effect, produced in singing by the rapid reiteration of emphasis on a tone, and on bowed instruments by a rapid change of pitch corresponding to the vocal tremolo.
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