I wanna just chuck all of it......

[Johnny StingRay]

Not my basses and gear, but all of my Carol Kaye, Ed Friedland, Mel Bay, Real Book, etc. stuff and just play. I've become so dependent on reading charts and music, that I feel I've become robotic in my playing and have lost all of my emotions and feelings when I play.
Has anyone else ever felt that way? What did you do about it? I've been playing a long time and all of the written music I have has become a crutch and is stifling my creativity. I think I'm good enough to cut loose and play freely, but I'm sure I would go through withdrawal without a music stand in front of me. But, I see the jazz players do that all the time........and it amazes me that they can play all those chord changes freely and effortlessly. That's what I want to do.
Oh, well. I didn't know which forum to put this in, so I hope I have not broken protocol by putting it in GI.
Thanks,
Johnny

[Dogbertday]

go for it... i find the most beneficial thing for anyone's playing is to play with different people... speciafiacally drummers

Just remember that the theory and notation is only a method for describing the music ...music cannot be written on paper. Also try listening to the players you like... learn some parts note for note without tabs or a trnascription book. i find that this helps me get out of ruts all the time

[Johnny StingRay]

Originally Posted by Dogbertday

go for it... i find the most beneficial thing for anyone's playing is to play with different people... speciafiacally drummers

Just remember that the theory and notation is only a method for describing the music ...music cannot be written on paper. Also try listening to the players you like... learn some parts note for note without tabs or a trnascription book. i find that this helps me get out of ruts all the time

Excellent idea! I'll pull some CDs tomorrow and give it a shot.
Thanks,
Johnny

[iamthebassplayr]

What dogbertday said...

but not only playing -with- the drummer... engage them. Groooooooooove

[ThomasG]

Just play ! As long as your grooving, just enjoy it ! Get dirty !

[andybb1500]

get into a band and make your own music!

[DocBop]

It's not the books fault you just need to change your routine. You need to practice being creative do that with putting restrition on what you can play, number of strings, or only certain notes like color tones only, intervals, lots of ways to restrict what is available. Restriction will keep you from using familiar patterns, fingerings, licks, you will have to come up with new material. You say you read well start writing bass lines or solos without the bass then play them and refine them. You start seeing music differently when writing without the instrument you focus on the notes, the colors, see possibilities you wouldn't think of with the instrument.

Then one of the most valuable things I got from one of my old jazz improv teachers and that was to spend a few minute a day playing in the dark. It suddenly have to rely on your ear and playing the neck by feel. It might sound like crap at first, but over time you suddenly develop a relationship with your instrument like never before and learn to think and play instantly.

Last get Victor Wooten book called The Music Lesson. You will learn a lot about music and life.

[mutedeity]

I agree with DocBop. It's not the theory or the books' fault. You really need to look at how you are using theory. I don't think anyone could really say that theory stifles their creativity unless they have an inadequate concept of what theory is. If you are using theory as a set of rules to play and write by then you really aren't getting the most out of it.

It might just be that you are at a point where you need to start using theory more for analysis than for guidance. Play what you hear in your head, analyse it in terms of theory and then see what you can do to make it different, and once you have done that analyse what you have done that is different. Make it a cycle of creativity and analysis.

Purposely spend time writing music and experimenting with notes and chords that don't conform to what you would normally do. Play both 7ths, add in that b2 descending, for example. Find out what works for you and why.

What it boils down to is that you need to make theory your servant, not the other way around.

[Bob the bassist]

Don't chuck it all; give it to a newbie buddy for a few months. You get to break free of it, and he gets the benefit of it for awhile. Win-win.

[Stumpy]

You can chuck all that stuff my way

[gotmule?]

Originally Posted by mutedeity

I agree with DocBop. It's not the theory or the books' fault. You really need to look at how you are using theory. I don't think anyone could really say that theory stifles their creativity unless they have an inadequate concept of what theory is. If you are using theory as a set of rules to play and write by then you really aren't getting the most out of it.

It might just be that you are at a point where you need to start using theory more for analysis than for guidance. Play what you hear in your head, analyse it in terms of theory and then see what you can do to make it different, and once you have done that analyse what you have done that is different. Make it a cycle of creativity and analysis.

Purposely spend time writing music and experimenting with notes and chords that don't conform to what you would normally do. Play both 7ths, add in that b2 descending, for example. Find out what works for you and why.

What it boils down to is that you need to make theory your servant, not the other way around.

I agree. If you really want to hear a bassist that does this listen to Phil Lesh's lines

[EADG mx]

Sounds to me like you need to start writing.

[BassChuck]

I understand exactly what you are saying..... and to reccommend a book to you is a bit counterintuitive, however. You might try taking a look at the Chuck Sher "Improvisers Method" book. Most of what he does is give a line or riff and then direct you to change and make music with that. It really is a different kind of book and worth it.

[Johnny StingRay]

Great advice everyone! Thank you. I will take your suggestions to heart and apply them to my playing.
Oh, by the way, I am in a working praise group, "Grace On Fire" in Belleville, Michigan, but not hooked up with some jazzers, yet.
Johnny