Who agrees that 98% of bass playing is technique?

[ericmknight1906]

Thousands of dollars later I think I finally realize this. I have purchased and sold many basses including musicman,fender and tobias in search of that perfect sound.
But as I perfected my technique I've learned that buying a nice bass accounts for about 2% of the problem. The other 98% is technique.

After all of the money I've spent, I'm finally happy with my $200.00 customized squier bass. Go figure.

[JHorstmann]

I wouldn't see technique is that factor. I'd say the biggest factor is feel. Technique, no doubt, is helpful, but nothing makes a bass sound better than a bass player with a great feel in my opinion.

[Michael Case]

I'd say 1/3 technique, 1/3 musicality, and 1/3 gear.

[jeremyr]

Maybe not 98%, but I believe that it's probably 80% no doubt.

Nice equipment just makes you more comfortable and sometimes makes it a little easier to dial in the tone you want.

Originally Posted by JHorstmann

I wouldn't see technique is that factor. I'd say the biggest factor is feel. Technique, no doubt, is helpful, but nothing makes a bass sound better than a bass player with a great feel in my opinion.

in order to accomplish certain feels you gotta have technique.

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by JHorstmann

I wouldn't see technique is that factor. I'd say the biggest factor is feel. Technique, no doubt, is helpful, but nothing makes a bass sound better than a bass player with a great feel in my opinion.

Yeah, but you can't play with good groove if you don't have command of the instrument.

[JimmyM]

Technique and musicality are equal. 49% each. Gear counts for 2%. Although I do have my favorites, I will get the job done on anything anyone hands me as long as it works.

[PBass101]

Originally Posted by Michael Case

I'd say 1/3 technique, 1/3 musicality, and 1/3 gear.

+1 and the biggest part of the "gear" equation is a bass that can get you the right playability. It can be an inexpensive bass as long as you can get a good setup.

[ransombass]

There used to be a guy here in Tulsa that played a ragged out Aria Pro II bass. It looked and felt unplayable to me, but he laid down some of the stankiest funk that I've ever heard. He played through an old Peavey Mark III head that, when soloed sounded like a somewhat well executed fart, but in the context of the song was a solid foundation. All in all one of best bass players that I've ever heard.

Sadly it was drugs that robbed him of his technique not bad equipment.

[unclekebm]

Originally Posted by JHorstmann

I wouldn't see technique is that factor. I'd say the biggest factor is feel. Technique, no doubt, is helpful, but nothing makes a bass sound better than a bass player with a great feel in my opinion.

+1

and I fully agree with Jimmy

[ksandvik]

Technique is the major factor, me happy with a $100 SX P-bass I got yesterday. If I need to tweak something, my used Zoom B2 is up to that job, too.

[PJSShearer]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Technique and musicality are equal. 49% each. Gear counts for 2%. Although I do have my favorites, I will get the job done on anything anyone hands me as long as it works.

+1 as usual Jimmy!!

[bass12]

Weird notion - 98% technique? Maybe for some of the guys coming out of university jazz programs who hit all the right notes but don't make me want to listen to them. Some of my favourite players have what most "schooled" players would consider bad technique. With an instrument such as bass, I'd say feel/musicality accounts for a good 50% of what's "important". Duck Dunn or Francis Prestia might not need great technique in the way that Victor Wooten does, but each of those two guys is a great player in his own right. And yes, the right gear is important. If tone was "all in the fingers", basses wouldn't be equipped with pick-up panning or EQ options.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by bass12

Weird notion - 98% technique? Maybe for some of the guys coming out of university jazz programs who hit all the right notes but don't make me want to listen to them. Some of my favourite players have what most "schooled" players would consider bad technique. With an instrument such as bass, I'd say feel/musicality accounts for a good 50% of what's "important". Duck Dunn or Francis Prestia might not need great technique in the way that Victor Wooten does, but each of those two guys is a great player in his own right. And yes, the right gear is important. If tone was "all in the fingers", basses wouldn't be equipped with pick-up panning or EQ options.

But since almost all basses have pickup panning (at least those with two pickups) and/or EQ options, it doesn't matter.

Sorry, but I've played enough crappy gear on gigs and sounded excellent to know that gear may matter to you, but your playing style will come through no matter what gear you use, making it, if not irrelevant, way less important than some people give it credit.

[HaVIC5]

I think what the OP meant was that 98% of bass playing is everything but gear, and I whole heartedly agree. I privately chuckle to myself whenever I lurk in Basses or Effects and see everybody getting worked up over gear. For me, anyway, any old bass will do.

[jmattbassplaya]

I`d agree with that number, although like others I would break technique down to a few other things. That said, after building my DIY Saga P bass over the summer and playing around with that for the past 2 or so months I`ve came to the realization that it doesn`t matter whether I`m playing that bass, my StringRay, my Marcus Miller Jazz, my Warwick, etc... because it always sounds like me coming through the amp.

I`m just glad that I`ve found that out while I`m still young and haven`t yet spent a ton of money on equipment.

[bass12]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

But since almost all basses have pickup panning (at least those with two pickups) and/or EQ options, it doesn't matter.

Sorry, but I've played enough crappy gear on gigs and sounded excellent to know that gear may matter to you, but your playing style will come through no matter what gear you use, making it, if not irrelevant, way less important than some people give it credit.

Sure, your playing style will come through. I'm not debating that. I also know that if I'm playing a blues gig, I'm not taking my Warwick Thumb. It doesn't matter what my technique is on that bass, I'm not going to be able to make the D and G strings sound fat enough to be convincing in a blues context. I'm not saying gear is any substitute for bad technique, only that it can contribute substantially to the sound, and sound is often an important defining aspect of a given musical style.

[NickInMesa]

To me it's 100% listening, because when I am playing, technique, gear, musicality, etc... none of it counts, as it should have been taken care of.

[PBass101]

JimmyM is talking about necessity. If you have to play less that optimal gear, as long as it still works right, so be it - you put the same effort as though you were playing your own gig with your own gear.

But that doesn't mean that having good gear that you like isn't important, and I think we can all agree that if we can use our own gear, we're going to.

[DeluxeRed]

Interesting piece on CBS Sunday Morning regarding a music college deciding to become an "all-Steinway institution". Some fundraising and finagling later, they made the largest single purchase in Steinway history--165 pianos for $4.5M.

You should have heard their (professors' and students') reasons for wanting the Steinways. You should have heard their reactions to getting the new instruments.

Funny sounding comments like: "each one has a unique, beautiful voice"..."your confidence in the instrument allows for more musical expression"..."they bring out the best in each player"..."they elevate the experience". On and on--you've never heard a bunch gush like the faculity (which got to sign-off on each piano, and pick their primary). The administration was alight with the marketing potential--they were now instantly a better institution, offering a greater experience.

Replace the word Piano with the word Bass, and the word Steinway with the word Fender, and it really makes the "two-percenters" sound like they have no clue as to the potential of their instruments.

What I think I was seeing was something in short supply around here: respect for their craft. It appears that playing piano well does require a fine instrument. Could the guy they showed ripping the Rachmaniov lick have done that on an upright? A p.o.s. student piano in someone's basement? A Casio portable? I'm sure his fingers could find the right notes, but is the expression available through the keys going to be the same? Is the resonance of the soundboard going to be the same?

Not to mention: Is the experience for the player AND the audience going to be the same? You pay $100 for a ticket, or 100-grand for an education, you expect to see a GRAND piano. Not just a grand piano, but a special instrument for making special music.

So why is Bass so much different? Why do people--players right here on TB--hold their craft in so much contempt that they can just "do the job" on any-ol' thing that "works"?

Sure, gear isn't everything, even for the Steinway crowd. But so little? Isn't that then just a matter of not being able to exploit a better instrument? If you sound the same on some lowly student/beginner bass as you do on some kustom thoroughbred, what does that say about one's playing--or their expectations?

[funkmangriff]

NOPE