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08-29-2006, 11:04 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northampton, MA | | | When am I officially a bassist?
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Okay. I've been playing maybe since May, everyday. I have studied theory but I'm not sure if I grasp it all yet. I know what chord progression is... sort of. I know about scales, and keys, and chords and apreggios and fingering and technique... but I don't know exactly what to play when a guitarist is playing something or the drummer is drumming. A friend of mine asked me to be the bassist in his bad and I told him I'm not very good. I really don't want to embarrass myself by showing up to his practice and just trying to wing it...
But back on point. When can you call yourself a bassist and have th confidence to back up a band? What should you have under your belt? Thanks, I'm looking for words of encouragement I guess because I really don't want to make an ass of myself showing up and playing with my friend if I don't know what it takes to play bass.
To put it simply: When you tell someone you're a bassist, what are their automatic expectations of you?
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by Ostinato The 62 is warm, inviting, classic, like a sexy brunette in a alpaca sweater holding a strong Belgian ale. | Fender MIM Club Member #10
Last edited by Kickin'Fruit : 08-30-2006 at 01:13 PM.
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08-29-2006, 11:08 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kamloops B.C., Canada | | | Just giver man!
you'll learn alot more playing in a band. Figure out what they play and wing it. I'm sure you'll do fine |
08-30-2006, 03:22 AM
| | | | if you can play scales,have some ear training and to keep the tempo of the songs you are playing i think you pretty ok! |
08-30-2006, 03:42 AM
|  | No need to ask, he's a smooth... Moderator | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Midlands UK | | Sometimes you just have to have a go. Making an ass of your self is just part of learning.
When I was just starting out on bass (age 15), I sat at home in my room playing bits off favourite records and so on, and a few scales here and there (I'd had piano lessons some years before). One day, when I'd be playing about three months, my dad walks in and says "Alan can't make Saturday, do you want to do the gig?" I went "Ulp - er - okay!"
I sat and played those charts as many hours as I could for the rest of the week, and I wasn't a strong reader, hadn't done any since my piano lessons and none on bass. Gig came and I was nervous as hell, but I did okay, despite a few moments of sheer terror and panic. No band rehearsal!
If you sit in your room and wait until you feel ready, you're probably wasting time. You'll learn much, much more as soon as you start playing with other musicians. Get out there and have a go!! And good luck!  
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Originally Posted by SBassman  | |
08-30-2006, 03:47 AM
| | zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Scotland | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Kickin'Fruit Okay. I've been playing maybe since May, everyday. I have studied theory but I'm not sure if I grasp it all yet. I know what chord progression is... sort of. I know about scales, and keys, and chords and apreggios and fingering and technique... but I don't know exactly what to play when a guitarist is playing something or the drummer is drumming. A friend of mine asked me to be the bassist in his bad and I told him I'm not very good. I really don't want to embarrass myself by showing up to his practice and just trying to wing it... | That's what everyone does (showing up and winging it), you just get better at it with time. Get him to show you a tune or two before you play with the rest of the band, then you won't look like a complete idiot. Quote: |
But back on point. When can you call yourself a bassist and have th confidence to back up a band? What should you have under your belt? Thanks, I'm looking for words of encouragement I guess because I really don't want to make an ass of myself showing up and playing with my friend if I don't know what it takes to play bass.
| A bassist is someone who plays bass. Do you play bass? You're a bassist. |
08-30-2006, 03:49 AM
|  | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | Or maybe "bass wearer" ..... ?
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“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.”
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08-30-2006, 03:59 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wellington, New Zealand | | i dont really know chords or scales or things like that, cant read a sheet, but i can usually watch the guitarists hands and play something which fits the song, jamming with a drummer is much more fun i find tho. less rules 
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08-30-2006, 04:00 AM
| | zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Scotland | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield Or maybe "bass wearer" ..... ? | That would describe what I do |
08-30-2006, 04:05 AM
| | | | ive been playin since may too, and ive jammed with some people and gt myself in a band. i still dont know exactly what to play though, but you can try looking at ur guitarists fretting hand and play the lowest note(root)
but with my band the other guys usually will give me a list of songs to practise when we jam |
08-30-2006, 04:07 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bowling Green, Ohio | | | When you can groove... |
08-30-2006, 04:13 AM
| | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by BrandonBass but you can try looking at ur guitarists fretting hand and play the lowest note(root) | If that's all you're going to do - then the guitarist might just as well buy an octave pedal!!
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“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.”
Charles Mingus |
08-30-2006, 05:16 AM
| | No need to ask, he's a smooth... Moderator | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Midlands UK | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield If that's all you're going to do - then the guitarist might just as well buy an octave pedal!! | But it will get you through a gig, though...
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Originally Posted by SBassman | |
08-30-2006, 05:16 AM
| | No need to ask, he's a smooth... Moderator | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Midlands UK | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by bassist 4 life When you can groove... | Thank you, oh wise one - we are humbled by your very presence...
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Originally Posted by SBassman | |
08-30-2006, 05:42 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bowling Green, Ohio | | ^  Cheeheehe |
08-30-2006, 10:02 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Rochester NY | | | id say get togther with some friends, guitar and drums maybe? and jam togther, you will know if you feel comfortable with it...and when you do, then its time to take what you have and show it to people.
as for calling yourself a bassist, id say when you first decide that playing the bass is your calling, then you can call yourself a bassist |
08-30-2006, 10:23 AM
| | [acct disabled - multiple aliases] | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Venice, CA | | | It takes about ten years to become a accomplished musician, but you will be a bass player way before that. Best thing to go is start playing with others that is the best teacher. It is only way to learn to listen/react to others, develop your sense of time and improve your ears. You will take your lumps, but you go home and have something to work on. Also your theory study will come into use analyzing what you did and having a way to catalog it for use later.
Playing is the reward. |
08-30-2006, 01:10 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northampton, MA | | Great words of encouragement. I went back to the basics today, instead of trying to play complicated songs with tabs to try and impress them, I did something I haven't done yet and that is memorize the notes on the fretboard. I'll continue to do this until I don't forget. I also went to Activebass.com and tried to play all of the beginner parts. I think that helped a little in showing me what to play when. My problem is recognizing what is playing and remembering the notes of a key.
All in all, when I finally get to go play with the band (probably a few days) I just want to meet and maybe exceed their expectations. I'd hate to have them put in the awkward situation of telling me I'm not cutting it. I guress that's why I told my friend if I'm not what they are looking for, then to not worry about it and I'll understand.
2nd point of anxiety: Friend asked me to back him up in some of his solo work in a week :  :
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by Ostinato The 62 is warm, inviting, classic, like a sexy brunette in a alpaca sweater holding a strong Belgian ale. | Fender MIM Club Member #10
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08-30-2006, 04:14 PM
| | | Hi all,
I started playing bass in june, I played the violin way back in junior high, (im old) and it was pretty easy to pick-up sight reading and the notes. I was asked by the church band to come play with them last week, I almost said no, but figured it would be a great way to learn more then just following the books. The ban has a keyboard, 2 guitars and a drummer, man I had a blast, was only playing the root notes but was fun trying to keep the beat.
The first thing the band said to me after the gig, was "Man its sure nice to have a bass keep the beat".
So go for it, you wont be sorry. 
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08-30-2006, 09:32 PM
| | Banned | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: outta this world | | | great 1st post there wingviper |
08-30-2006, 10:38 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada | |
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Kickin'Fruit . My problem is recognizing what is playing... | Do some ear training...transcribe lots of songs...it gets easier. Quote: |
and remembering the notes of a key.
| You don't really need to remember the notes of a key unless your playing jazz...once you have played the scale a couple hundred times your brain will remember and you should just play what sounds good. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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