What is your benchmark?

[manutabora]

Hey All,
As things are right now (for me, that is) I am for the most part unable to spend any significant amount of time practicing bass. Therefore, I feel that I am technically not getting any better. However, as far as theory/chords/scales/etc. goes, every rehearsal and show is a new learning experience. I feel that if I am at least able to maintain my technical abilities up to a certain standard, I should be able to apply those new concepts in my playing even without practicing that much, and it usually works out. So, since I love Charlie Parker tunes, my benchmark is to be able to play cleanly (although under tempo) the heads for some Charlie Parker tunes that I know (Confirmation, Scrapple, Donna Lee, etc.), as well as walking bass lines for them and soloing over some sections of those songs, since I'm not that great and I can't really solo over the entire songs yet (at least not while still sounding good ).
So I was just wondering if my bass playing brothers and sisters of talkbass also have benchmarks of their own. If so, what is yours? And this is not just for jazz players (not that I can call myself a jazz player yet), if rock is your thing and your benchmark is "Battery," I want to hear about it too. If you are a classical player and your benchmark is Koussevitzky, definitely tell us all about it.
Enjoy the discussion

[tomvelsor]

cant say i have a goal right now, although in the past ive gone through all sorts of phases.

a big one was jacos "teen town." after that came donna lee, and then i learned all of the original recording of continuum. that solo is mind bending..especially when you try and see where he was going with it, trying to get in his head. wild stuff.

and i went through that victor wooten phase a while back..learned half the stuff hes ever written..even that one live video of amazing grace.

i wonder what ill get into next..

[the_fonz]

Originally Posted by manutabora

if rock is your thing and your benchmark is "Battery," I want to hear about it too.

this

[Rytch]

At the minute, my benchmark is to learn every key over the neck without looking. i hope this will help with sightreading, as well as chart reading, solos and general improvistaion.

However, i have just bought Standing In The Shadows of Motown;in class today, we dissected the first 8 bars of for once in my life, and i was amazed at the harmonic devices jamerson seemingly pulled out of his ass to play this song. so i will probably spend some time studying his technique.

[manutabora]

Jamerson's lines are simply delicious :drool:...

[JimmyM]

My benchmark is now just to be the best player that I can be and not worry about benchmarks. But before that, my benchmark was to get good at sight reading and play basslines that fit the tune I'm playing and not put myself above the tune.

[unclejane]

I kind of want mine to change all the time. My benchmark is to have at least one thing I suck at identified and on the ToDo list for working on and possibly more.

Things aren't terribly difficult to find because I suck at so many things, but the hard part is to actually resolve to practice them.

The latest things are some technique things:
- 5 string bass (in progress).
- floating thumb technique (in progress)
- playing ascending lines: scales, pentatonics (in progress).
- smooth, in-time lines from B string all the way to G up and down, to force alternating plucking patterns on the uplines (just started this the other day).

So I'm doing fairly well at the moment.

Others on the horizon are just general musicality, a very large weak spot, and getting back to doing my own music....

My ultimate benchmark is a style and sound of my own that's really distinctive. Er.... this one is a looooooong ways away

LS

[manutabora]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

My benchmark is now just to be the best player that I can be and not worry about benchmarks. But before that, my benchmark was to get good at sight reading and play basslines that fit the tune I'm playing and not put myself above the tune.

Not putting yourself above the tune... That's a good one! If only more players would think like that

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by manutabora

Not putting yourself above the tune... That's a good one! If only more players would think like that

It'll keep you working a lot more than playing like Vic, that's for sure. It's good to have some tricks up your sleeve, and I'll certainly pull them out when the time is right, but it's got to be right, otherwise you're just wanking.

[wazzel]

Sounding good with the group I am playing with. It is the most important thing any musician can shoot for.

I need to work on my note reading skills. I can do it, I am just slow so sight reading a written out part is tough. If I have time to go over it a few times before rehersal no problem. One of those things I need to spend time to become a more complete player.

[Rudreax]

Right now it's trying to make a decent sounding walking bassline.

[Crockettnj]

Singing on key, singing while playing, and improving our bands live sound.

I used to try to learn difficult songs, but I find that I really no longer enjoy playing bass alone (or to a cd/tape etc). For me its all about playing with other guys and getting a tight sound in a band.

Of course, by reducing my solo practice time i am limiting my technical ability, but I was never all that terrific and am OK with this. Jaco? It just gonna happen!

[bassplayertom77]

Making my bass sound like a bass. Sounds glib, but it's true.

[nbw]

To be able to play the instrument as fluidly as I can hum tunes in my head. I'm still stuck in the autopilot 'playing the licks' on muscle memory and I have a real hard time playing melodies I hear in my head. I still feel as if there is a disconnect between my ears and hands.

[LP75]

My benchmark is to have the ability to sit in with a new group, or play a new piece of music, and serve the music well - sit in the mix, in the pocket, or whatever phrase works for you. I don't have the stunning chops that some bassists have - like knocking everyone out with solo slapfests. I worked towards the ability to listen to the musicians around me and play bass that serves the music, flows with the dynamics, and when I really hit the mark - can exert positive influence on the other players in what they do.

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

My benchmark is now just to be the best player that I can be and not worry about benchmarks.

They don't mean much to me... making music is a continuum to me, and a limitless one at that.

[CamiloDíaz]

I'm all over the idea of perfecting whatever ability I have to be "the guy for the part", I mean, to play exactly what the song/band needs, nothing more and nothing else. I read once that Richard Bona thinks of himself first and foremost as a musician, then and only then as a bass player. Of course technique is a very important thing, but developing one's musical taste, and being fast to sort of adapt yourself to different tunes and environments is a must when it comes to bass playing. In the sort of experimental approach of my band, that one ability is the key. My benchmark, then, is to be as adaptable and versatile as I can, still maintaining my own style, that I've been developing over the years. That being said, I hate that I am the "I don't slap" bassist in town. One TO DO that has taken me 17 playing years to just start.

[seanm]

Right now I am trying to get to the point where I would be comfortable enough to play the 5 string at a gig. I made the first step, I took it to a practice

Learning to play songs on the 5 is no big deal. But when I am asked to play songs I don't know, which I inevitably am, I am still way more comfortable with the 4.

[BradyEB]

I'm on a four month holiday before Uni starts once again so I've got a few goals/benchmarks I wanna try achieve before the serious playing season begins again!

- Be comfortable with the Floating Thumb
- Begin learning the Double Bass
- Keep developing my walking lines
- Transcribe a few lines and solo's from the greats

As well as the band goals!