How good are you at bass? (read 1st post before voting)

Dave Muscato · #1 10-10-2007, 07:55 AM

I got this idea from a poll at another music forum I frequent, and I was very surprised at the results. There were a *lot* more beginners and people not very interested in playing at a high level there, and I'm curious to see what the ratio is over here, too.

Let's do a scale system, 1-10...

"1" is...

You just started, perhaps you already own a bass pack, you have no formal or informal training and have figured out the intro to "Smoke on the Water."

"3" is...

You've been playing for a little while, perhaps had a few lessons, can play some simple basslines and perhaps read some tabluature, but not sheet music. No music theory training but you might know some major and minor scales. You are perhaps capable of playing a song start-to-finish but not at the level of playing a set of covers yet.

"5" is...

You've been playing for a good while, taken a number of lessons, can play some more complex basslines and perhaps know some chord theory in addition to scales and modes and can read sheet music, but not sight-read at tempo. You know enough songs start-to-finish to play a decent set of covers and are familiar enough with the fretboard to figure out most any classic rock song you hear, but not at the point of faster jazz or prog stuff.

"7" is...

You've been playing for a number of years, had formal music theory training, and perhaps teach privately (or you could, if you don't). You can arrange for a band, perhaps for horns as well, and might be in the process of getting a music degree. Improvisation is second nature to you. You can transcribe bass lines if you take your time and can sight-read walking lines without any trouble. You know what voice leading, secondary dominants, and Neapolitan sixths are and how to use them.

"9-10" is...

You can transcribe Paul Chambers (except that you call him PC), have a degree in music, and could (or do) teach at a college level. You can walk into any session without knowing what genre you are recording and nail anything, sight-reading with 30-seconds' preparation. You are capable of arranging for strings and horns and can sight-read on piano and guitar pretty well, etc.

So, where does everyone stand?

I'd say I'm about a 6.

RickenBoogie · #2 10-10-2007, 08:02 AM

Interesting self discovery on the internet. Never rated myself, but this was a good hard look inside. I'm also about a 6, but should be a 9 for as long as I've been playing. Guess I should spend less time here, and more practice!

ryco · #3 10-10-2007, 08:47 AM

I'd give myself a solid 6. In my prime I'd have given myself an 8, but my sightreading isn't what it used to be at all (use it or lose it!) and now it would take me awhile to score out charts for a band/combo.

My technique used to be better as well, but I don't spend nearly the hours practicing anymore.

DutchDude · #4 10-10-2007, 08:51 AM

mmm, I have played tru,pet for 6 years before i also picked up bass, so I can read sheet music and I picked up playing the bass quite fast so I think I'm a 5

Steve³ · #5 10-10-2007, 09:41 AM

After carefully reading the scale I gave myself a 4, which surprised me a bit. My initial reaction before reading the scale description was 2, 'cause I really don't think I'm very good. I can play a few songs all the way through (though The Trooper is the only one I'd consider the least bit difficult), and I can read sheet music, so that put me past 3, but I can't play by ear worth a damn (and at 42, I probably never will), don't know much theory at all, and don't know enough material to do a set of covers, so 5 is still beyond me. I'm working on it, though.

Dave Muscato · #6 10-10-2007, 09:49 AM

I wonder who answered Pro session level and college teaching level... I should have made this an open poll, lol... Guys, if you see this, please post! We'd love to hear from you.

Darkstrike · #7 10-10-2007, 09:51 AM

The problem with this kind of poll is a player such as Billy Sheehan would score very low knowing nothing of theroy, scales, sight reading or sheet music in general, but is a great player.

xlows · #8 10-10-2007, 09:53 AM

I think Dave is being a more inflammatory Major Metal lately...

morf · #9 10-10-2007, 09:57 AM

I can do all of 5 except read music...

K-Frog · #10 10-10-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bremen nacht

Like Rickenboogie I'd self-assess as 'should be pretty good by now, what a lot of time I wasted not practising'

Same here, I give myself a 5 after 23 years playing bass every sunday and wednesday night at church.

Chasarms · #11 10-10-2007, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

The problem with this kind of poll is a player such as Billy Sheehan would score very low knowing nothing of theroy, scales, sight reading or sheet music in general, but is a great player.

True. It is certainly interesting, but with this poll, "progression" up the ladder seems to be more about knowledge and training than about talent.

In my case, I am an honest 5 or 6 with many of the 7 skills, but there is no doubt there are some honest 3-4s out there that could out-play me on a tune they know. I have the experience, but there are some things that are just never going to come for me.

I may know how to play it or be able to easily figure it out, that doesn't mean I can make my fingers get it done.

Tony G · #12 10-10-2007, 10:07 AM

There are so many varying degrees of musicallity, that it can never be so cut and dry as has been layed out here.

If I had to choose from the above options, I guess I'd choose a "6" as well.

Jimbob Jones · #13 10-10-2007, 10:11 AM

I'd say I'm about a 6.

stedtale · #14 10-10-2007, 10:13 AM

7 for sure maybe 8

Neapolitan 6ths, awesome. Now, let's get into French, German and Italian 6ths, try working them into a Paul Simon tune.

Jeff Martinez · #15 10-10-2007, 10:13 AM

My playing goes to 11.

Seriously, I think I rate a 7. I majored in music education, but never finished school. I've been playing for almost 20 years. I try to stay fresh on sight reading and theory.

Dave Muscato · #16 10-10-2007, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xgabriele

There are so many varying degrees of musicallity, that it can never be so cut and dry as has been layed out here.

If I had to choose from the above options, I guess I'd choose a "6" as well.

+1, and it's not something you can even put into a 1-10 scale, no matter how you slice it. I was just wondering how much formal music training people here have had and how advanced (in the traditional sense) of a player they are.

Not long ago there was a thread about "How much of your income do you make from playing music?" with a poll. Responses ranged from "It's just a hobby, no money" to "I am a full-time musician with no other day- or part-time job." I just wanted to do the other end of the spectrum with this poll, since that one did not address musicality at all.

morf · #17 10-10-2007, 10:19 AM

The problem is that you can get really far with only ear training without having formal music training. It kinda kills the whole rating system. I am a 3 (as far as theory/reading goes) but also a 6 (as far as hearing, improvising goes). On a good day I could be a seven. It's just not as easy as picking a number. If I had to I would say 5 is fair, but someone classically trained who would pick 5 would disagree.

stedtale · #18 10-10-2007, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morf

The problem is that you can get really far with only ear training without having formal music training. It kinda kills the whole rating system. I am a 3 (as far as theory/reading goes) but also a 6 (as far as hearing, improvising goes). On a good day I could be a seven. It's just not as easy as picking a number. If I had to I would say 5 is fair, but someone classically trained who would pick 5 would disagree.

is that a metric 5?

Tony G · #19 10-10-2007, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Muscato

+1, and it's not something you can even put into a 1-10 scale, no matter how you slice it. I was just wondering how much formal music training people here have had and how advanced (in the traditional sense) of a player they are.

Not long ago there was a thread about "How much of your income do you make from playing music?" with a poll. Responses ranged from "It's just a hobby, no money" to "I am a full-time musician with no other day- or part-time job." I just wanted to do the other end of the spectrum with this poll, since that one did not address musicality at all.

Ah, well in that case, I've got little to no formal music training. I only took a handfull of lessons, and that was only after I had been playing for a number of years and hit a ceiling that I needed help to break through. I've been playing in bands since I was 15, and since I grew up in the "phish" era, jam bands were about 75% of what I've done. Improv has become second nature to me, but only because I've played it so much and learned while jamming, not because somebody formally taught me about chord structure and arrangements and whatever else. I never took a single music class in school, yet I played with my church's contemporary ensemble for a number of years. I worked with very talented piano player, and read the chord changes over his notation on the sheet music to get through it and never had a problem.

I've been working on my technique and ear for many years. I personally feel that there is very little music out there that I can't learn by taking my time to listen to it and transcribing it myself. In fact, I've done this for probably hundreds and hundreds of songs, and it only gets easier and quicker to do with time and experience. Training my ear to "listen" is what I have done for my entire life of bass playing, from improv in my jam bands, to later in life playing with some very talented musicans in a funk/jazz fusion band, and everything in between.

need4mospd · #20 10-10-2007, 10:24 AM

Definite 6 for me.

I'd bet most people on this forum stop progressing around the 6 mark in their entire lifetime of playing. Getting from 1-5 just requires a bit of time and minimal dedication, slowing down in progression as they eventually get towards the 5-6. I think getting past that point requires a much higher dedication and a ton of time. That is the point a lot of us "hobby" players consider it to be work, and not fun. So we're more content being a 5-6 than spending time away from the family and money for lessons to progress any further. Of course, some of us are just lazy.

Just my observation.