How the Heck did all those young stoner bassists get so damn good so fast?

[Damani311]

My only guess is that it was pure natural talent.

People I'm mainly talking about are Dirk (ex Incubus), Pnut (311), and Stu Zender (Jamiroquai).........seriously! These 'kids' were like 16-17 when they put out all their first albums:

Fungus Amongus
Hydroponic/Dammit
Emergency on P.E.

respectively, but the level of playing on these is unreal, especially the slap/funk coming out of Dirk and Zender.

I just want to know what gives? These were just kids in high school, admitting to being potheads and dropping acid every weekend, and yet they were so good that I'm 24, been playing since I was 19, and can't touch their ****.

Is it really the case that you don't learn as well as you get older making my development that much slower? Or was it really just natural talent of the likes that are rarely seen?

Just curious, it's making me feel really behind

[Jim Carr]

Practice.

[fenderphil]

they all had some musical upbringing. orchestra or a jazz band and lessons and things like that..

[brivello]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Practice.

+1

[Dr. Cheese]

Practice and some folks are just more talented than others.

[Combs4MyDomes]

pot and acid

[AngryJason]

and producers who know what they are doing

[derelicte]

adderall + pot + time

[jollygiantchris]

practice and drugs can make you more creative (highly debatable)

I also read a very long article in Scientific American about why white matter in your brain is important and if I am remembering the gist of it one of the things it does is account for more muscle memory. And almost all of your white matter is formed while you are younger/teenager. Hence if you practice something a LOT while you are young it will make a bigger impact than doing it when you are older.

Great article think it was called "white matter matters" if you find it read it.

[D.A.R.K.]

use the force. let go....

[Damani311]

Lol.

Still find it hard to believe that someone that is 16 and very socially active and recreationally using drugs is going to sit around by themselves at points running scales in their room.

I guess I'm just jealous because I never found a break in the action when I was a kid, I was either at school, skipping school, worthless extracurriculars and spending too much time playing video games and watching TV.

Just feel bad that I didn't get really motivated until a few years ago, I know it's not too late but at this rate it's going to be hard to find a group of guys ready to give up their lives and jump in a van when we're all pushing 30 :/

[98dvl]

skipping school to hang out at home to smoke dope and play your bass all day will make you rich and famous

[king_xanadu]

Originally Posted by AngryJason

and producers who know what they are doing

+1

[knarleybass]

Ever heard of session musicians? Dare I ask...

[knarleybass]

Then again for every Pnut I am sure there is at least ten thousand stoner kids out there that never came close to being as good.

[mfgl]

At my high school everyone in guitar class was stoners...after school they say around playing guitar and watching cartoons for 5 hours a day.

[Damani311]

Knarley I have heard of session musicians, but due to my limited mindframe I fail to see the relevance.

mfgl, did any of them go onto to become popular world touring artists? Just curious

I'm going to go practice for ten hours now

[Lauryan]

It also helps that for example Zender comes from a musical family. I had an interview with his sister, who's a singer/songwriter. One of the questions i asked was about her and stuart making music, and she said almost all of their brothers and sisters are into music,
that's one big stimulation to keep improving in music.

But the important thing stays: practice and starting at young age i think.

I, for example, started playing bass at 15/16 years old, no chance i'd be as good as they where at 16 years :P

[ben_the_bass]

obscene amounts of dumb luck

[Damani311]

^^^^ no such thing as luck my friend