The Discussion topic Options

[Sparrowsmith]

Loving the musical direction of the topic, though I feel a little lacking all of a sudden

I'm a bass player myself, and I'd love to get an acoustic bass, or an electro-acoustic bass, or a 5/6 string bass, or a combination. So much variation, so little money Loop pedal would also be brilliant, I love loop pedals (that was a beautiful remix by the way).
Then again, after (properly) playing bass for just over a year (I dabbled for a few years, but never regular practice) I've started dabbling with power chords, harmonics, and generally more guitar territory.

You really should give it a go man, its not anywhere near as hard as people think (though theory can be pretty offputting at first).

I've always been a bit backwards with this. I'm pretty awful skill-wise at playing instruments, but the theory just works with me. I don't really know the technical aspects of it, but I can (usually) improv for a while without making any mistakes just by knowing what will and won't work. This goes for keyboard/piano too.

The odd thing about music is that, more often than not, the best stuff is actually remarkably easy to play. It's just harder to play it well or compose it to begin with... In my experience anyway

[Rast]

I'm a bass player myself, and I'd love to get an acoustic bass, or an electro-acoustic bass, or a 5/6 string bass, or a combination. So much variation, so little money dry.gif

Yeah, I know how that feels. My new uke cost me around $250(It's made of Mahogany!), for the instrument, case and a cable(my old ones had vanished). Fortunately, I already have a nice Crate amp, so that saved me some money.

On the other hand, loop pedals alone are around $150 on the low end, and a good loop setup will be even more expensive. As much as I'd also like a good EQ pedal, that's another $100(though, some really low-end ones go for around $30-40).

[Kaust]

The odd thing about music is that, more often than not, the best stuff is actually remarkably easy to play. It's just harder to play it well or compose it to begin with... In my experience anyway

I think its just because the less divergence makes it more acceptable to a larger audience.
Like the 1st, 4th, 5th (and maybe using the 6th for the natural minor) is probably the strongest chord progression because we are so accustomed to it its practically conditioned within us(although I read some mindblowing thing by some Greek guy, maybe Socrates? anyways he was talking about how they influenced their troops with music pitches, so maybe its innate) whereas using different intervals will likely have a change of pitch that would only please certain individuals...if that makes sense (I hate talking theory).

Man uke's are getting crazy popular, its gna be weird when the next gen kicks in and they feature in every lineup

[Rast]

Eh, they've always been fairly popular, just not that widespread. They're a really diverse instrument. You've got your classic Soprano ukes with a bright, upbeat sound, and now Concert and Tenor ukes are being picked up more. Still don't see many baritones, though. I personally love the acoustic-electric ones. They've got a very traditional tone, even when ran through an amp. Most guitar amps, pedals, PODs, etc work well with them, so it's easy to switch from a guitar without emptying your wallet.

I've been learning a few new songs of late, specifically some Beatles stuff. I can play All You Need is Love, Elanor Rigby and Maxwell's Silver Hammer. I'm not much of a singer, though, so they still sound a bit lacking without some vocals or a lead part thrown in.

[Sparrowsmith]

To complete this conversation, I'm going to plug my favorite band at the moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjkVXzmsP78
Features a ukulele, and loop pedals. They are insanely talented. Hell, I don't even like this song, but I like their cover

I would get a uke, but my hands are pretty stupid to begin with (hence bass player) playing a chord on a guitar is damn near impossible for me, I think shrinking down the size could only make things so much worse

[Kaust]

Actually the average bass player I know is better than the average guitarist, though that may be because EVERYBODY plays guitar (well, owns one so they could stick it on their fb page).
Although the pieces themselves usually look less complex, you gotta have good rhythm and fast hands for most stuff.

Besides you might find the transition to uke quite easy, their also 4 strings right?
Also pretty sure I heard that a C chord on a uke is just fretting one string, sounds like a good start

[Rast]

To complete this conversation, I'm going to plug my favorite band at the moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjkVXzmsP78

Haha, yeah, I love those guys. All of their covers are amazing(Especially Gianni's solo loop covers), and their original stuff is just as good.

I would get a uke, but my hands are pretty stupid to begin with (hence bass player) playing a chord on a guitar is damn near impossible for me, I think shrinking down the size could only make things so much worse

Nah, that's a misconception. A Soprano uku, maybe, but grab a Tenor or Baritone uke and it'll be a decent size. I find it easier to play chords on a uke compared to a guitar.

Kaust has it right. A uke has four strings, and a lot of chords can be played by fretting one or two strings. In fact, here's this handy little chord chart. It's read as if you were holding the Uke upright, with the lines representing the first, second, third and fourth strings on a GCEA tuned ukulele. The dots represent which fret, the top row being the first fret and the bottom being the fifth. No dot, obviously, means it's an open chord.

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[TheBen]

Wow. Walk off the Earth does pretty well. And... Eminem has good rap lyrics. I should stop hating so often.

[Kaust]

Eminem's a major sellout, he 'quits' his musical career to return a few years later (classic marketing) and makes an album featuring all the sort of artists he originally spoke out against. Real disappointing.
Now I'm not the sorta guy that values the integrity of the artist over the music itself, but that sorta anti-hero thing really was the best thing about him and was a major aspect of his music.

[Albino Parakeet]

Actually the average bass player I know is better than the average guitarist, though that may be because EVERYBODY plays guitar (well, owns one so they could stick it on their fb page).

Well that may be where you live, but the only people who play guitar where I live actually like playing guitar and don't just cover songs. But there are the few exceptions, like the ones who only know 1-3 basic chords and Smoke On the Water and claim they're a musician, or only cover songs.
And I'm one of those tools who take pictures of themselves holding their guitar. I've grown rather attached to both of mine. I bring it my acoustic to school every other day and wish I had a pocket amp so I can bring my electric.

[Kaust]

Haha it goes without saying that only a certain percent play an instrument, its just that the guitar seems to be the most common. I can only assume its the most common instrument worldwide because of the MASSIVE amounts of resources available online that simply dont exist for many other instruments.
But yeah, I also take pictures with my instruments, their my most prized possessions. What bugs me is people who say they can play guitar (its never any other instrument, weirdly) on their fbs when they can't, and a couple who I know have never even tried (despite having the instrument), simply to make themselves look interesting (fbs practically becoming a dating site round here). Now I dont think less of these people, I know they've got loads of talents I haven't...its just that I don't claim to have them.

Also, I don't see the problem with cover artists, I enjoy playing other people's music, its like listening to it but better...after the first coupla tries. I get a sort of pride playing my own but whenever I go to an open mic I hate when people play their own material. I know its a forum to be heard but I prefer to play things I think the audience will know, enjoy, and if their drunk enough, sing along =]

[Albino Parakeet]

It's people who claim to be creative musicians when all they do is play covers that annoy me.

[Klokinator]

I've grown rather attached to both of mine. I bring it my acoustic to school every other day and wish I had a pocket amp so I can bring my electric.

Oh... oh god. Relevant: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-great-things...-douchebags_p2/
Number 1 man... number 1.

[Albino Parakeet]

I'm not one of those annoying dudes who try to make it obvious that they are playing their guitar and looking around to make sure people are paying attention. In fact, I hate it when I notice people are paying attention to me when I play. I get annoyed when people call me "guitar guy." I get annoyed when they ask me "Hey do you play guitar?" when I'm clearly holding one and I respond with "No." I'm totally going to bring my guitar to school just so people can look at me and say, "wow he must be cool" or "he must be trying to get attention." I'm all about that.

I don't understand why the writer of that article has to be so insecure about carrying a guitar around. I wouldn't necessarily give a shit if someone I never met before and was just walking down the street and saw me thought I was an attention-whoring douchebag.

This post has been edited by Albino Parakeet: Feb 5 2012, 01:27 PM

[Klokinator]

Thank the lorddd!

In other news. I'm trying to get into Job Corps currently, I found out that when I get there, no leaving the school for the first 60 days. Literally, you can't leave at all, not even stepping foot outside, for a full two months.

I can bring my laptop and work on my game and stuff, but there's no wifi. They do have computer labs though with internet access, but they might block sites and if they block proxies and the bigger sites on the net, like RRR for example, you won't be seeing me online for a full year.

In addition, the only chance for me to get wifi on my laptop, is to go to a nearby town, but you can't leave the school unless it's a weekend, and that's only if there's even a town actually NEARBY. :|

...

CAN'T WAIT.

Edit: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...24224004AAtns2E

Fuck.

This post has been edited by Klokinator: Feb 5 2012, 01:44 PM

[Kaust]

What is this Job Corps? Is it some focussed school that guarantees a placement at the end?

But yeah, tbh, I feel like a dick when I carry my guitar round, even though I only take it to shows. It just looks like its done needlessly, like an attempt to show off, since really if you don't want to be heard you wouldn't play it anywhere other than your home. Anyways, it forces me to stare at the ground to avoid eyecontact, and then I start walking into people, and its all just ' '

I get what you mean Parakeet, but if you said you didn't care at all you'd be lying, the street has all the those pretty girls . Otherwise you wouldn't wear whatever clothes or really do anything , it often feels like our whole existence is about massaging our egos.

[Albino Parakeet]

I only bring my guitar with me if I'm bringing it to school or if I'm going to my friend's house to jam with our "band." I don't see the point in bringing it anywhere else unless it's a gig I would go to in the future

[Sparrowsmith]

Actually the average bass player I know is better than the average guitarist, though that may be because EVERYBODY plays guitar (well, owns one so they could stick it on their fb page).
Although the pieces themselves usually look less complex, you gotta have good rhythm and fast hands for most stuff.

Besides you might find the transition to uke quite easy, their also 4 strings right?
Also pretty sure I heard that a C chord on a uke is just fretting one string, sounds like a good start

I got fast hands and good rhythm, so I guess that's where I have an edge or I think I do anyway.
I might look into getting a uke then. I'm already doing power chords on my acoustic guitar (technically my brother's... or my dad's... lots of instruments get passed around ) so it probably wouldn't be a terribly hard transition. Cheers

[Kaust]

I got fast hands and good rhythm, so I guess that's where I have an edge

Just a little heads up for the ladies

Edit: Damn I was hoping this would be the start of a new page

[Rast]

No, but if you post it right after this post it will be.

Really, you should have no problem getting into a uke. It's a lot simpler. Once you pick up the chords, it all comes down to technique and practice. While I'm at it, I'll just drop this here. It's a Ukulele tab site, with tabs and playing guides for quite a large selection of Beatles songs.