Just for the hell of it, I bought the Victor Wooten transcription book with transcriptions by Victor Wooten. I was previously of the opinion that basically he at least plays a different instrument from me, and possibly is of a different species. But he is very explicit in the transcriptions about how to do the stuff he does, and I can more or less do it, although I'll have to practice to get up to speed. For anyone that thinks they're pretty good, but could never play that Victor Wooten stuff, give this book a try.

I have that book and I can play Stomping Grounds, Sex in a Pan, Amazing Grace and I'm working on 'Sometimes I Laugh' currently. Also, the transcription of The Vision has helped me pick that out. I haven't put a lot of time in learning the whole open-hammer-pluck deal, but I might do some this summer.

If you really like Victor Wooten (or the Flecktones) pick it up.

Ive met tons of people that can play vics stuff and do his technique, the book is a good thing for people to get, but people should devote just as much, if not more, to not only learning the notes, but learning how to play it as fluidly and clean as Vic does. Thats the real challenge!

One of my biggest regrets in bass playing was spending too much time learning jaco and wooten stuff. Sure I learned a bunch, I never quite cared to 'perfect' them, but still, I think it had an adverse effect on my style that I'm only just coming over now. I forgot how to play donna lee, and I couldn't be happier :D

What I'm saying is, it's fun to learn other people's material, and it is educational, but the sooner you can break out of that and do your own thing, and really be doing your own thing, the better, imo.

i couldnt agree more....but definately, its good to try and learn these songs for the technique, but so many people learn the songs, and there style starts to sound exactly like that of which they spend all there time playing. Dont just learn wooten or jaco, learn it all, think about all the styles your learning, and create your own out of them. Its hard to create a unique style if your only listening to one person. Yeah and ive heard robot play some jaco stuff....maybe he doesnt have it perfected, but its pretty durn good if you ask me.

What I'm saying is, it's fun to learn other people's material, and it is educational, but the sooner you can break out of that and do your own thing, and really be doing your own thing, the better, imo.

It seems unproductive to attack the basic foundations of a "Bassists" forum--that other bassists are worth studying.

It is enormously unlikely anyone's "own thing" is of any interest to anybody but themselves if they haven't put in the time doing a lot of other people's things. Music is a language.

It seems unproductive to attack the basic foundations of a "Bassists" forum--that other bassists are worth studying.


I don't think that WR was attacking anything at all, it's merely experience in other bassists/composers 'pieces' is going to further develope your own voice and songwriting ability.

It's all back to that Igor Stravinsky's famous quote:

*roughly traslated*
"a good composer borrows, but a gret composer steels"



... I also remember that interview on one of the Bass Day videos ('98 I guess), where Manring is talking about how he grew up playing upright and when he spent time on electric he was trying his hardest to sound like Jaco. He mentioned that the gaps between him trying to sound like Jaco and him not succeeding fully was where he found himself... So he decided to work on that element.


Your voice on your instrument can be found anywhere, even external from one's self and their playing persona.

I think that Stanley Clarke said a while back "learn all the rules to know which ones to break. And it is those rules that you break, that determine your style".


It is enormously unlikely anyone's "own thing" is of any interest to anybody but themselves if they haven't put in the time doing a lot of other people's things. Music is a language.


good point.

AWESOME post, j-raj. It's always interesting to hear people with unique sounds give advice to those searching for their "voice".

does he use artifical harmonics for amazing grace?

book, what book? where can it be found (i cant find it any where), but no matter what is said, victor is either a god or an alien and no one can ever play like him