I've got blisters on my fingers!!

[Bobby G]

At the jam tonight, what with various drummers, guitarists and bassists stepping up and down, one combination of musicians (including a didgeridoo player!) was shy of one bass-player. So, having spent a large part of the 70's, 80's and 90's as a bassist in various bands, I thought I'd give it a go, despite not having played one since the last millenium. I found out two things; 1. The ability to play a bass guitar never leaves you (I always felt bass-playing was my most natural instrument for years) and 2. being a right-hand plucker rather than using a pick i.e. playing it proper-like meas that once you stop playing you find the blisters on the ends of your fingers and the pain sets in.

Ouch!!!! :cry:

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

I know what you mean.

I've been building a guitar for the best part of two years, and haven't really touched one to play in those last two years, hence the saxophone introduction.

I picked one up last week and ouch!

Fingers are like the embouchure, if you dont keep using it then when you come back to it they're all weak and blister, or fall apart and go all jelly like in the case of the mouth.

 

[Pjonah]

Know what you mean Bob,

I recently took up bass and my left hand finger tips are now hard and a little numb. If I don't play for a day or two they soften up.

At least its an incentive to keep at it, but of course my saxes don't get an airing as much as I'd like.

Simon

 

[gordonc]

Hope it doesn't stop you playing sax - maybe stick to blues for a bit and "feel that pain" as the notes flow out.

 

[frank_johnson]

I like Gordon's suggestion. Maybe you could use the old superglue on the fingertips trick next time you want to pick up the bass!!
___________________________________

Be happy. Play the Blues!

 

[Bobby G]

The small blisters on the plucking fingers were fortunately right on the tips which meant from the next tune on I was comfortably back on tenor. Two things I found out (again) last night; I still love playing bass, and I love playing tenor as well. Usually at the jazzier jams I am the sole alto player, last night I played tenor as there was another altoist. A lot of the time I was playing lowdown lines on tenor, which led to the discovery of a third thing - I need a baritone 🙂

Cheers, Bob

 

[gordonc]

Bobby G wrote:
which led to the discovery of a third thing - I need a baritone 🙂

Cheers, Bob

Yeah - and a good divorce lawyer maybe !!

 

[Bobby G]

GordonC wrote:

Bobby G wrote:
which led to the discovery of a third thing - I need a baritone 🙂

Cheers, Bob

Yeah - and a good divorce lawyer maybe !!

Maybe the way round it would be to sell off or give away all but my favourite acoustic guitars, as space would be the main problem. I think I've got about 7. Surely one bari-sized box would be better than half a dozen random guitars around the place...... wouldn't it?

Cheers, Bob

 

[gordonc]

Bobby G wrote:

GordonC wrote:

Bobby G wrote:
which led to the discovery of a third thing - I need a baritone 🙂

Cheers, Bob

Yeah - and a good divorce lawyer maybe !!

Maybe the way round it would be to sell off or give away all but my favourite acoustic guitars, as space would be the main problem. I think I've got about 7. Surely one bari-sized box would be better than half a dozen random guitars around the place...... wouldn't it?

Cheers, Bob

No argument from me there Bob.
If I had my way there would be "public access saxophones" at every street corner just to satisfy those overwhelming urges that seem to come around every half hour or so !!
I even thought yesterday that I might get a sopranino so that it could go everywhere with me in the car ...

I got it bad
You don't know how bad I got it !

Gordon

 

[Bobby G]

I find in the car you can get away with anything up to and including an alto, but if you want a soprano it needs to be curved. My horns go everywhere with me, my car is also my travelling rehearsal space.

Public access saxophones, I like that. You'd need to supply your own mpc and reeds, though for the sake of maintaining personal daintiness.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

I'm sure you could remove at least 5 of the acoustics.

The way I see it, every guitarist needs a telecaster/Esquire, a lovely mellow acoustic (Taylor or something similar) a bright punchy electro acoustic (Ovation bowlback or similar) a guitar with humbuckers and loads of sustain like a Les Paul or a 335. And a 12 string acoustic.

Anything extra is just overkill 😛

If you're an acoustic man then you just need one for the lush mellow sounds and one for the toppier Thrash the chords out style.
And maybe one if it is particularly sentimental or versatile.

Saxophones are completely different of course, you can justify any number of them!

 

[Pjonah]

I said in another thread you need a baritone Bob.

Its only a matter of time.....don't fight the urge, go alone with it!

You can pick up old vintages for ?500.00, or even the G4M for ?750.00. I'm sure your good lady, will fully understand the calling.

Tell her you had a dream and in a visitation you were told that one day you would become another Gerry Mulligan and that it would bring you great fortune. So you've only got your and her welfare in mind.

Its in the bag!

Lets see ya play that in the Car :laugh:

 

[jambo]

So Pjonah, we now know how you got a Bari! 😛

 

[Pjonah]

Jambo wrote:
So Pjonah, we now know how you got a Bari! 😛

I worked for years on that one, its not exactly something you can sneak pass the missus without her noticing.

The alto was easy, delivered to my work address, sneaked it into my music room when she went shopping! after all one alto looks like another to the uninitiated.

The next one has got to be a soprano, thats the only one missing right now from the set! Although I never really have had a burning desire to play soprano.

Curiosity will get the better of me and at some point in the future I would love my children to take up the saxamaphone and form our own little quartet, which would be kewl. If only a little Osmondesk!

Had a good session on the bass last nite though, which is why my finger tips of my left hand are Comfortably Numb.

Simon

 

[jambo]

After a while of guitar playing, your fingers stop getting sore and numb because the skin on the ends of your fingers go all hard.

It will take a good bit of playing, but when the hardening process does take place, everything is alto less painful! 😛

 

[suethesax]

Get rid of the guitars Bob and get a bari.

You know you want to.

 

[Bobby G]

Sue wrote:
Get rid of the guitars Bob and get a bari.

You know you want to.

You're right of course, Sue, but I must hang on to my Epiphone 6-string as I have a sentimental attachment to it, and it's unsaleable. Oh, and my Fender 12-string. And the fretless bass. Oh yeah,mand my friend James' Guild that I have on semi-permanent loan.....

Damn 😉

Cheers, Bob

 

[frank_johnson]

Come on Bob,
pull yourself together and let the steel-pedal go. Tommy Garrett and his 50 guitars is really out of fashion.
Change the car for a Ford Transit and stick a sofa in the back, so you can play the Bari. Then , when the time is right, you can sneak in the bass sax.
ps. Make sure the transit has a sunroof.
Tell 'er indoors you're converting the transit into a family camper van!

 

[Bobby G]

Nice idea, but I'm kinda stuck with the company engineer-mobile, a Zafira, for another couple of years. If I didn't have to carry tools, parts of ATM's etc I reckon I could fit a bari and a bass in the back. Tough life, innit? Harsh, y'know.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Pjonah]

Bobby G wrote:
Nice idea, but I'm kinda stuck with the company engineer-mobile, a Zafira, for another couple of years. If I didn't have to carry tools, parts of ATM's etc I reckon I could fit a bari and a bass in the back. Tough life, innit? Harsh, y'know.

Cheers, Bob

Don't bank on it Bob, I too have a company Zafira and my bari only just fits in with the middle row of seats forward and the back seats down!

You underestimate the size of the beast (and its case), I have specially strengthened springs fitted to the car to support the extra weight and a special pump that keeps my mouth full of wind to play those really long semi-breves!

Life is harsh as a bari player.

Simon