Hey say i wanna show off.........

[lowphatbass]

I used to have a Jazz Band teacher was not a fan of the Wank-off. As an incredible musician and Jazz educator he commanded great respect and had much to do with fledging many succesfull careers. When he sensed that someone was showing off he sometimes would do the following: tell them to go home and practice on their own time!!
or, my favourite, he would stop the class and draw attention to the wankist, incouraging everyone to listen. Seconds would seem like hours until they were finally out of notes(if they didn't stop emmediately) and he would ask them, "come on man, is that all you got? We are all listening, you got center stage, come on!!). The other thing he did which I have made a part of my musical life, is to learn other musicians "warm-up" or "show-off" licks, note for note. Once you play another guys(especially a guitar player's) "signature lick" they have no choice but to learn something else. If you can get more than one person in the band on the same wagon and harmonize or expand on their wank then it's even more effective.

[Matt Till]

Throw your bass in the air and let it hit you in the face.

[taviswardlaw]

if you're wanting to 'show off'... go play lead... besides, you're much more likely to get the girls that way. grrr.... dodgy guitarists. All you'll have to do is learn to tap your modes really loud in your bass players ears. It's fool proof... hahaha I joke, i joke... well, sort of.
But learn to groove. pocket players are much more sort after than what i like to call... 'pocket rocket players' who, like their basses to be 38" scale to compensate for their umm.. well i think this pick describes it best
But look at a guy like Nathan East in Fourplay, he doesn't nessesarily play the most tricky stuff. He sits in the pocket and spends most of his time making what everyone else plays sound even better. Now he is a player.

[adisu]

Don't want to hurt anyones feelings but showing off is for kids.
If you good enough you don't need to show off in order to people look at you , you only need to to play the way you know to play.
Dealing with showing off is dealing with the bland side of things...if you'll be good enough you won't need to think how to show off.
For example vic wooten don't need to show off he just play naturally

[geoffkhan]

Originally Posted by adisu

For example vic wooten don't need to show off he just play naturally

In fact, I heard somewhere (probably here) that people really wanted him to make a "show-off" album, so he turned around and made a CD that was basically him just playing basslines and no show-off stuff.

The best way to show off is by not showing off, I guess.

[lethifold]

In my opinion if you want to 'show off' do it in moderation. Instead of adding in solos and stuff like that, just add casual yet funky fills to a rhythm. That way you keep the groove and get to do your own thing. Bassists will be impressed by you and everyone else will respect you for holding down the rhythm

Almost every bass solo is out of place in a song. I have only heard one or two that 'fit'. Other than that the only good 'solo' stuff is integrated into one of the main riffs

Just my thoughts