Top 10 Bass-Players You Should Listen To

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In Learning any instrument - your sound is partly formed as a result of those who have inspired you. For example the renowned guitarist Eric Clapton bears a lot of the hallmarks of those that inspired him to play guitar - BB King, Robert Johnson, Albert King.

Therefore having a good and varied "musical diet" is important no matter what instrument you play - this is certainly true of bassists - but from a vast array of bass players who should you listen to? Well to start with we'd suggest a broad range of music - sure listen to your favorites but don't limit yourself just to that genre - to help you with this we've put together a list of the top ten bass players that have been an inspiration to many who have picked up the bass guitar - get yourselves some CD's and learn some of their chops - you'll soon see the benefit!

1/ Paul McCartney

The former Beatle - famed for his thoughtful innovative phrasing, was one of the first true rock bassists - intrinsically melodic - he has a variety of techniques from playing with his thumb to playing with a plectrum - one of the most influential players of all time

2/ Pino Palladino

Renowned session player - known for fretless playing - he's played with people from Eric Clapton to Jeff Beck - recently joining The Who replacing the late John Entwhistle - Pino appears on the new Who album.

3/ Flea

Innovative Red Hot Chilli Peppers bass player - with a unique souped up funk style with plenty of slapping and improvisation - Flea is also a renowned session player and has played with the likes of Tracy Chapman to Alanis Morissette

4/ Jaco Pastorius

The bassists choice - widely called the most innovative bass player ever - with his self made fretless bass (a de-fretted Jazz Bass) Jaco has influenced a generation of bassists - with a tone coloured from effects and his unique "Jaco Growl" sound - his talent is still renowned nearly 20 years after his death.

5/ Mark King

1980's Bass player with English band Level 42 - popularized funk and slapping - one of the fastest players around - he used a mix of percussive effects that gave him a unique tone

6/ Tony Levin

Another renowned session player - Tony Levin has played with everyone from Peter Gabriel to Carly Simon - perhaps most famous for his "funk fingers" - Levin used drumsticks taped to his fingers to create an innovative sound. Levin is also one of the players best known for using the Chapman Stick.

7/ Geddy Lee

Bassist for the band Rush - Lee has proven a huge influence with rock bassists - effortless technique - pure style - and great tone - if you want to be a metal bassist - start here.

8/ Bootsy Collins

King of funk - Bootsy has influenced countless bassists and pioneered the funk sound - often mimicked but never matched.

9/ Charlie Haden

Superb Jazz double bassist - one of the most respected Jazz bassists ever - having played with the likes of Ornette Coleman through to Pat Metheny.

10/ John Paul Jones

Legendary bassist with Led Zepplin and a renowned session player prior to that - Jones along with the rest of the band - inspired a generation and helped create modern rock and roll - with a powerful sound and a rich appreciation of timing.

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How Do I Become a Model? What Every Aspiring Model Should Know

Review On How Do I Become a Model? What Every Aspiring Model Should Know

Thousands of dollars per hour in earnings, VIP treatment, celebrity status, glitz and glamour - these are just some of the things which are associated with being a model. Although it is true that some super models do enjoy these perks and more, most of them did start from the very bottom of the pack. Creating a portfolio; going through endless auditions; having "go-sees" or castings for photographers, runway shows and editorials with selective clients; and suffering through rejections are all part of a day's work in the life of an aspiring model.

What it Takes to Become a Professional Model

It may look like a glamorous job for those who are seeing the end products of the photo shoots on the pages of a magazine - but there's a lot of hard work involved, especially as far as the models are concerned.

But what if you feel that modeling is the only job for you? If you really want to be a part of a model's world and you have the basic qualifications to be one, then there should be no stopping you from achieving your goal.

First things first: do a self-assessment. Do you think that you have what it takes to become a professional model? This may have something to do with your age, height, looks and body type. There's also more than one possibility when it comes to the type of model that you can be so don't worry if you don't have a reed-thin body. Glamour, pin-up, fashion, runway are the usual types of models. However, you can also be a plus-size model, a catalog model and you can even be a body parts model!

How to Become a Model

Now, after doing a self-assessment, the next thing that you need to do is put your plan of becoming a model into action. If you don't have a portfolio yet, create one. Or, for those who have not had professional shots of themselves taken yet - invest in a good set of 8x10 photographs.

At the very least, you should have one head shot and one full body shot of yourself taken at a professional photographer's studio. This would show the clients or the modeling agencies just how serious you are at getting your shot to becoming the next supermodel.

Finally, make sure to distribute your photos to the right contacts. This could be a direct client scouting for a super model, or it could be a modeling agency which in turn will set you up with clients. Setup an appointment with them, be professional, prepare for any meetings, auditions and go-sees. To sum it all up, treat modeling as a 'real' job and you should be good to go.

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