My son wants to become one of the Best Bassists in the world.

Peregrine · #1 08-03-2006, 03:47 PM

My son wants to become one of the best bassists in the world. He has just turned fourteen has been teaching himself for the last few years and wants to go to Berklee. I would be interested in peoples opinions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKHCBNK419w and here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YPNs9pWAK4 He has practises 3-4 hours a day.
Here is an original that he made up recently http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTmTXH77m9U

bikeplate · #2 08-03-2006, 03:54 PM

HI

Wow. He already has quite a bit of technique. Should be a monster in a couple years. Make sure he works on all sorts of different styles. Thats important. Also, bass playing is all about the groove. The better you play with a drummer, the more gigs you'll get hired for. Tell him best of luck

Rob

superbassman2000 · #3 08-03-2006, 03:56 PM

he is off to a good start.

and if he wants to go to berklee, and you are his dad, i suggest saving now. last i checked (my ACTs a while ago) tuition was in the neighborhood of 18K per semester.

also, any vids of original work? i mean, the greats didn't exactly get famous by playing other people's songs if you know what i mean

but he's got some good technical ability already

lefty007 · #4 08-03-2006, 03:56 PM

Very good! He needs to work on his timing, but he is only 14! Those long fingers will make things very easy for him.

I'd say he difinitely has a bright future and is well ahead...

James Hart · #5 08-03-2006, 03:58 PM

not bad....

As bassists we are artists, "Best" has no measure... we don't all race to the same end.

Lets hear some of his own compositions...
Lets hear him with a band...

He sounds like he's got so skillz, I enjoyed his playing along to records.

MarkMyWordsXx · #6 08-03-2006, 03:58 PM

not bad for two years. but like the comments say, theres no feel to it. anyone can practice playing the same notes over and over.

he needs to get out and play with drummers and bands.

im guilty of this myself. practice is good, but it turns you into a machine. i dunno tho even when i play at home i feelt he song. it seems like hes bored. if your not enjoying it whats the point?

vindy500 · #7 08-03-2006, 04:03 PM

better than me

bassist 4 life · #8 08-03-2006, 04:03 PM

Hm.. I'm the same age as your son, I practce 1-2 hours a day, sometimes 3 or 4... Unfotunately, my parents arent really fans of music, which is kinda hard for me, but im not quitting... I must say your son is pretty good, I'm gonna post a few vids of me playing soon...

Bassist4Life · #9 08-03-2006, 04:04 PM

I agree with everyone else. He's playing very well. He has some technique under his belt already. His timing needs some attention; but as it was said, he's only 14!

If he keeps this up, I'm sure that we'll hear his name again in the future.

He needs to get set up with a private teacher that can take him even further in his musicianship.

Joe

Bassist4Life · #10 08-03-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Hart

As bassists we are artists, "Best" has no measure... we don't all race to the same end.

Well said. Amen.

Joe

Bassist4Life · #11 08-03-2006, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkMyWordsXx

it seems like hes bored. if your not enjoying it whats the point?

I didn't see bored... If he is already thinking of doing music in college at the age of 14, he's enjoying it for sure.

Joe

blackbassist · #12 08-03-2006, 04:16 PM

i'm 14 and i've been playing 2 years, and your son has just shatterd my dreams of becoming a musician.
he's got skills

ric1312 · #13 08-03-2006, 04:18 PM

I guess I'll be the debbie downer here.

Yes he plays very good, in fact a lot better than most of the bass players I see in famous bands.

But..... I've known quite few people who've gone to school for music. Very bad life choice. They end up making no money at music and doing music as a hobby or secondary partime income. I'd also like to add I don't think that any of the music colledge educated musicians I've met or played with are really any better that the ones that didn't go to colledge for music.

IMHO, music is really a waste of time and money to go to school full time for, since you won't ever recoup that money from any musical job short of what I mention below.

Unless he plans on being a professor of music and teaching at a colledge or being in some orchestra, and then will need the papers, it's basically a waste of money. And unless he gets out of school and makes it into a huge act, he won't be making money.

He could become an awesome bass player without spending loads of money on tuition for things he could learn at home, All the music theory information he needs is out there and readily accessable.

I'd also like to advise, since you are his parent, that most musicians, even the ones with phenominal skill, are unable to make a full time living at it.

Peregrine · #14 08-03-2006, 04:19 PM

Thanks for quick replies. Here is another video of him practising along with drum machine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLkyC-OND7E

CrUiSeR · #15 08-03-2006, 04:37 PM

Can he read music/chord charts?
And yes, timing; I think he would
get "ripped" a new one on his timing.
Practicing is good, but not if one
is only practicing the technique they
already have down.
Best of Luck

superbassman2000 · #16 08-03-2006, 04:42 PM

although ric1312 doesn't sound very positive about being a music major, he does have some things to think about. Is music school necessery? i know that a lot of the greats (jaco, wooten, jamerson, etc) never went to school for music, and they are at the top. I think what made people like wooten so good is that he was playing in a band all his life. If your son wants to be good, he'll form a band, not just practice all day. As the saying goes, "Its not what you know, it's who you know" and thats almost a guaruntee in today's music business. If your son starts a band, even if its not the music he *wants* to play, it'll get his name out in the local scene. with his name out on the local scene, he will have more chances to hookup with other musicians, and he can even put together a project of his choosing, whether bass-centric or otherwise. Thats how a lot of bigger names did it...Jaco was gigging early in his life, and imo, his gigs kept getting bigger and bigger, until he hit weather report, when he was in one of the top jazz fusion bands in the world...then he started putting together his projects.
So more than focusing on majoring in music in college 4 years from now, get him into playing live if you can, hav him find a real drummer (real drummers aren't machines and things happen...time changes, beats change mid-song etc) and he can get a handle on the reality of the music scene (and he can make some money too

)
i'm not trying to get down on music majors, i am just saying that unless you are the luckiest son-of-a-gun out there, you won't always need to know 768 arpeggios, however, if he can be able to come up with a solid bassline after being shown a chord chart, or be able to improv well in front of a crowd, that will get him the gig...

wwittman · #17 08-03-2006, 04:48 PM

If his ultimate focus isn't jazz, go somewhere else.

spudmaster34 · #18 08-03-2006, 04:54 PM

And, most importantly, buy him all the bass related paraphenalia he asks for, no matter what!

jonly · #19 08-03-2006, 04:54 PM

my town is full of berkley graduates, all working at the guitar stores.

i think the kid is great for his age, but as a parent I would like to see my child go to school majoring in something other than music.

Christopher · #20 08-03-2006, 05:32 PM

I'll echo what most of the others here have said. If he's this good at 14 as a self-taught, then he already has the motivation and talent to be a great bass player without the need for a formal music education.