The 'feel'

[Disappear]

Last night I auditioned for a band. They're a bunch of veteran players with some younger people because they're awesome and want to share experience/teach hands on/just want to play. I was blown away when I first walked in there because the main guy had a '70 fender jazz, 3 different ampeg heads not to mention a 4x10 and a 8x10. I started playing along with Can't buy me love and Sunshine of your love and such with them. The one guy who I contacted for the audition said I was good but I lacked the feel. That got me all worried about everything I was doing and took from my confidence. I was worrying about how long the note was, how hard to attack, whether to play the root note to keep a beat or whether to fancy things up with fills here and there. I don't exactly know what it all means and if anyone could offer up any advice on it.


I thought I was actually starting to get the hang of everything. For the record, I love that I got called out on this. I feel it'll advance my listening skills and playing skills.

[Montsegour]

I'll probably scare you with this post but, I had the same thing. Everyone was just telling me the same thing "Your skills are awsome, but your feel is so low man :s"
At first, I thought it was about the tone & amp setups I was using, so I tried and tried to make my self sound better but nothing happened.
Well, my point is, about half year ago "It" just came to me. I don't know how to explain it, but it comes like my concentration multiplied dosen times & every note is sensitive, sweet and all those kind of stuffs, I just feel the music :s :\
It's just - feel :s

[Deacon_Blues]

Feel = Attitude that shines through your playing, when you "feel" the music. You can't groove without feel, but feel doesn't automatically lead to a great groove.

A few tips on how to "fake it 'til you make it":

- Play a bit rougher. Skip the talk about economy of motion, skip the fancy technical stuff, skip playing technically perfectly all times. Play what feels right for the moment in terms of note selection and dynamics.
- Don't play on the limit of your abilities, play things that are dead simple so you can forget about technique and just play and groove along.
- Follow the dynamic movements in the song, or lead in the dynamic movements yourself.
- Show you dig what you play by moving to the music when playing. Smile and do bass faces. But avoid this:
- Listen to, and play along to loads of funky music and become a regular jazz club visitor.
- Jam with others as often as you can.


Hope this is of any help.

[Disappear]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

Feel = Attitude that shines through your playing, when you "feel" the music. You can't groove without feel, but feel doesn't automatically lead to a great groove.

A few tips on how to "fake it 'til you make it":

- Play a bit rougher. Skip the talk about economy of motion, skip the fancy technical stuff, skip playing technically perfectly all times. Play what feels right for the moment in terms of note selection and dynamics.
- Don't play on the limit of your abilities, play things that are dead simple so you can forget about technique and just play and groove along.
- Follow the dynamic movements in the song, or lead in the dynamic movements yourself.
- Show you dig what you play by moving to the music when playing. Smile and do bass faces. But avoid this:
- Listen to, and play along to loads of funky music and become a regular jazz club visitor.
- Jam with others as often as you can.


Hope this is of any help.

It is.

I get what you're saying and I know it'll come in time. I've started this whole 'step out of your boundaries' philosophy. The whole jazz club thing was never my scene but ever since I picked up some Jaco, damn.

I'm open to any other suggestions anyone else has. Cheers to the repliers.

[Deacon_Blues]

Originally Posted by Disappear

It is.

I get what you're saying and I know it'll come in time. I've started this whole 'step out of your boundaries' philosophy. The whole jazz club thing was never my scene but ever since I picked up some Jaco, damn.

Yep it will come. Don't worry too much about it, and suddenly people will start telling you how great feel you have.

[Montsegour]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

Yep it will come. Don't worry too much about it, and suddenly people will start telling you how great feel you have.

+10

[newbold]

"I was worrying about how long the note was, how hard to attack, whether to play the root note to keep a beat or whether to fancy things up with fills here and there.

I don't exactly know what it all means and if anyone could offer up any advice on it."

You were busy worrying when you should have been playing bass, dude.

Lighten up. You'll have more fun and people will be able to feel you a lot better.

[Disappear]

Originally Posted by newbold

"I was worrying about how long the note was, how hard to attack, whether to play the root note to keep a beat or whether to fancy things up with fills here and there.

I don't exactly know what it all means and if anyone could offer up any advice on it."

You were busy worrying when you should have been playing bass, dude.

Lighten up. You'll have more fun and people will be able to feel you a lot better.

Oh I know I was. I was making mistakes and botching things up. I thought to myself "Just shut up and play" but I'm so thrilled that the subject came up. I did end up just playing along.

[mambo4]

"consciousness of self is your greatest enemy" -Bruce Lee

For me , I can't play with real feeling until I have mastered the physical execution of the bass line. Once an play a line without thinking about it, I can shift my concentration from remembering fingerings to listening to the music and feeling the song. so the practical advice i'd give:

-practice the song a lot
-listen and respond...sell out to the song, let it lead you.

I think there is also something to be said for deliberately psyching yourself up to play with a certain kind of intensity..not necessarily louder or faster, but more emotional. Like making a mental note "I'm really gonna feel this one" And no matter how simple or basic the line, play it like it's the most emotionally intense line ever.

[JustOpenYourMind]

If you are on any instrument, and your playing or more, how your playing sounds or fits in the song, doesn't move you or make you feel the song, like you are really into it, you have no feel.

I mean, play what is in your head, what you feel will make the song better, do not ask yourself logic question like lenght of note, attack or if the note is the 3rd, 5th or 7th of the chord. If you feel you should play harder, do it, if you think a quiet fat root note fits in there do it.

It's about confidence, and letting loose, that's how you create music, that's how art is created. Try things, make mistakes then ask yourself what was good or bad of your line and fix it, eventually, it'll come naturaly and you won't make too many mistakes anymore.

[ForestThump]

Also important is note damping-not letting the note ring all the time.
Knowing when and where to leave silences is very often neglected.
Do not play fills to impress, play fills to give the song momentum.
Do not compete, interlock, reinforce and relax.

[E2daGGurl]

It's also about actual feelings. When I was younger, I had a really hard time expressing any feelings - anywhere - but thought I was doing so in music. In fact, the folks who were more in tune with their feelings were always better than me.

Took a long time (and a series of life events) before I got in touch with a wider range of feelings. It's sort of like being a method actor - you have to reach for parallel feelings inside yourself and really feel them, while playing. After awhile, you don't have to feel them as much - it becomes part of technique (and I'm told this by many musicians who I believe do play with a lot of feeling).

I'm guessing that you're acquainted with some fine feelings already - like the feeling that goes with having fun, or the feeling that goes with regret.

Personally, my technique suffers when I "play with feeling," I am still very much in my head when playing. I'm told, however, that people like my playing "with feeling" even if I am playing roots and fifths, over when I'm doing something harder and not doing it with feeling. I am a back-up bassist/practice bassist for people who choose to have a much better bassist when they gig - which is fine with me, I have no desire to play out in public. But, since I learned to be less self-conscious anyway, and just to enjoy and groove with the music (long before I took up bass), I do know how to get into the mood.

I'm guessing you do too. After many auditions, all of this will come together for you (the technical stuff is, in my view, the harder part to get). It's cool you got great positive feedback from these more experienced players, give yourself a few more auditions before you start worrying about whether it's all clicking.

The more you play/audition, the easier it gets.

[Jazz Ad]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

A few tips on how to "fake it 'til you make it"

This is an important concept.
Much like prayer can bring you faith and cheerleading can turn you into a fan of sports you otherwise don't enjoy, displaying attitudes of deep feel will help you getting it.

[JohnBarr]

Deacon summed it up very well. That post should be a sticky some place.

I notice you're a fretless player. Did you have your fretless on this audition?

[Stumbo]

IMO/E, when you're bass playing is like breathing, then you have a chance to get beyond the technical and into the music.

[Honk'n_down-low]

Lot of great advice here. Surely you were nervous and that will knock the wind out if anyones's sails. Playing with conviction, like you mean it, with feeling - it is hard to pin down. Really it is about relaxing and locking into the song the groove or whatever. Helps when you know the material cold. And then there are always good and bad nights.

This is hard to articulate - the energy and power or music is always there. Like it is hovering around you - you just have to practice getting yourself into the correct state to let it flow. When you are on or in the zone it is far and away the best.

When you are locked into the a piece of music and the whole band is nailing it - there is no verbal communication - you are connected through the music and it is playing you.

My work is done here! Happy New Year!!

[Chad Michael]

In theory, this is a thread with great potential. Thus far, I'm still not feeling it.





Great topic, I'm enjoying the different viewpoints on 'feel'.

[newbold]

I think it all came out in your first line...

'Last night I auditioned for a band'

Where it easily could have been

'Last night I auditioned a band'.

I think when you start auditioning bands to see who you want to play with instead of hoping people will want you to play with them it'll be a whole new realm of fun.

[Disappear]

Originally Posted by JohnBarr

Deacon summed it up very well. That post should be a sticky some place.

I notice you're a fretless player. Did you have your fretless on this audition?

Nah, I pulled my Bongo to the audition. They were classic rock and I wanted to make it sound somewhat authentic. Fretless I usually play for jazz.

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

In theory, this is a thread with great potential. Thus far, I'm still not feeling it.





Great topic, I'm enjoying the different viewpoints on 'feel'.

Originally Posted by newbold

I think it all came out in your first line...

'Last night I auditioned for a band'

Where it easily could have been

'Last night I auditioned a band'.

I think when you start auditioning bands to see who you want to play with instead of hoping people will want you to play with them it'll be a whole new realm of fun.

That's what I figured too. This is a bit out of my comfort zone because I'm walking into the realm of veterans and they know what they're looking for. That being said, I'm learning and it's thrilling.

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by mambo4

"consciousness of self is your greatest enemy" -Bruce Lee

For me , I can't play with real feeling until I have mastered the physical execution of the bass line. Once an play a line without thinking about it, I can shift my concentration from remembering fingerings to listening to the music and feeling the song. so the practical advice i'd give:

-practice the song a lot
-listen and respond...sell out to the song, let it lead you.

I think there is also something to be said for deliberately psyching yourself up to play with a certain kind of intensity..not necessarily louder or faster, but more emotional. Like making a mental note "I'm really gonna feel this one" And no matter how simple or basic the line, play it like it's the most emotionally intense line ever.

Great advice, this is key. You need to have the physical aspect of playing down before you can truly master the "feel" or express any emotion. That's something Patitucci expressed to me when I studied with him. You need to internalize whatever song you're playing, and also be free from the bass. I look at it this way if you have to think about your breathing, you would've been dead along time ago. Breathing is unconscious it requires no thought, that's why you CAN play bass or walk down the street, or do anything else and not stop breathing.

I'd also recommend listening to as much recorded and live music as you can. Just let yourself get carried away in the feel of the music, don't analyze it enjoy it. I make an effort to be a listener of music, I don't want to ever be one of those people who is always listening to music like a music student. I do listen in that way too, but not always.