[Trombone-l] Acoustic vs electric bass

[Chris Tune]

Like I said - there are TENDENCIES that different instruments have that can lead unwary musicians into playing too loud.  Trumpets and Lead Alto's in particular need to be aware to not PUSH and try to blow real loud.(the problem with high trumpet parts is that the player can only back off so much and then risk not hitting the high note - this is true for everybody, right on up to top flight players).  We've got a couple of lead altos who can simply STUN or KILL small animals with the over-loudness of their sound.  They are often derided by others (I feel sorry for them and their audiences).   What the heck does the rest of the band do? 

HOWEVER, the bones generally need to come up more.  Kinda loud is usually not enough to make their presence heard.  The other sections nearby have to know this is just a thing the bones have to do. . .and not try and compensate by coming up and up . . . 

Remember Alto sax CUTS 

Trumpet CUTS

Bone sounds muffled or indistict unless ridden up a bit. . .(unless house sound knows about this and does a good mix and foldback)

That is the results I've had in now about 250 or so recordings made with portable digital audio recordings of live performances and rehearsals. 

Chris

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeff Albert 
  To: Richardson, Timothy Mr. DAC USAG Franconia DPW 
  Cc: Adrian Drover ; Chris Tune ; conn60h ; Bill Dinwiddie ; trombone-l at server5.samford.edu 
  Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:06 AM
  Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Acoustic vs electric bass





  On 8/24/06, Richardson, Timothy Mr. DAC USAG Franconia DPW <timothy.a.richardson at us.army.mil> wrote: 
    Agree with you on the electric bass.

    I'm not sure the same is true of the upright.  Is it bad musicianship on the bassist's part that causes it to be inaudible under the other instruments?  He's playing too soft because he's lazy?  Or maybe it really IS the instrument. 


  Or the bad musicianship of others in the band.  I have played in totally acoustic situation with drum sets and acoustic bass and heard the bass, becuse the rest of the band was made up of musicians that listened and played within the dynamic of the whole group, acoustic bass included. 

  Jeff 



    I dunno, I don't play either one.  

    Gotta start practicing though, I've got a gig Friday.  Hee, hee.  Somebody loan me a pick?  



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: Jeff Albert [mailto:jeffalbert.smb at gmail.com] 
    Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 14:25
    To: Richardson, Timothy Mr. DAC USAG Franconia DPW
    Cc: Adrian Drover; Chris Tune; conn60h; Bill Dinwiddie; trombone-l at server5.samford.edu
    Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Acoustic vs electric bass


    I think you guys are missing the point, that it is the musician, not the instrument.  Electric bass players play too loud, only when they lack musicianship, which might be all too often, but still the instrument is not the cuplrit. 

    The saxophone doesn't play out of tune, the saxophone player does.

    Jeff


    On 8/24/06, Richardson, Timothy Mr. DAC USAG Franconia DPW < timothy.a.richardson at us.army.mil> wrote: 
      I have to side with Chris on this one. 

      More often than not I can't hear the upright bass, though I see the guy
      pulling like mad on the strings.  I feel kind of sorry for him, working so
      hard for so little.

      On the other hand, I would far rather NOT hear the upright than hear the 
      fuzzy distorted sound of an electric bass adjusted wrong.  Maybe it's just
      my ears, but I like a clean percussive bass sound, and that is not so comon
      either.  For some odd reason the worst offenders are church groups.  All 
      church groups include a bass turned up too loud, which I could maybe live
      with if it wreren't fuzzy, with no clear start to the note and then no clear
      tone afterwards. I know it is possible. I played the last three shows with 
      the same bass player, who managed to balance the volume and play clean and
      in tune.

      -----Original Message-----
      From: Adrian Drover [mailto:slide at adios.co.uk]
      Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 12:27 
      To: 'Chris Tune'; 'conn60h'; 'Bill Dinwiddie';
      trombone-l at server5.samford.edu 
      Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Trombone-l Digest, Vol 19, Issue 20



      > From: Chris Tune 
      >
      > I play in a LOT of different groups and I'm beginning to really
      > appreciate the FENDER BASS.  I know this sounds sacrilegious but hear
      > me out.  I LOVE the sound of an excellent quality stand up bass, WHEN 
      > I CAN HEAR IT.  Like during a very good recording session.


      I play with at least half a dozen different big bands here in Scotland.
      Only one of these bands regularly uses an acoustic upright bass.  That is 
      the one I enjoy playing with the most.  I never have a problem hearing the
      bass, even on the rare occasion when there is a power out.  I always have a
      problem hearing the horns around me when an electric bass is used.  The 
      rhythm section always plays far too loud.  The horns are miked up to
      compensate.  The result is a ridiculous volume of noise.  And all this in a
      small room too.  Why?

      Give me an un-amplified band with acoustic rhythm section any day.  There 
      really is no need for all that power.  It might even help to save the ice
      cap from melting by switching it all off.

      And the thing that pisses me most is the guy who brings in a 6-string
      electric bass and plays on the lowest strings all night.  Is bassicide 
      illegal?

      A.



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