My Experience Today

[bassist15]

Well today a local bassist came over to my hosue to look at a bass I am selling and he also said he wanted to jam . Well we get set up and he starts slappin a little bit, I was feeling good. But during the course of our small session he was tapping , playing with 3 fingers and just playing like speed metal guitar stuff on bass. I was sitting there playing small grooves one after another. Finally get looks up and asks "What cool things can you play" . I kinda laughed to myself cause all he wanted to do was show me tapping. He kept telling me I needed to start practicing tapping and playing with 3 fingers. Anyone else had an experience like this? I almost thought to myself like "Can I acually play?" I can hold a great groove but I never play with blazing speed and all that. It was just kind of a funny experience.

[lomer]

I wouldn't worry about it man, are you sure he wasn't a former guitarist??? I have alot of muso friends that are guitarists and they seem to think the only cool thing you can do on a bass is slap n' tap the hell out of it..... Personally I think there's no substitute for laying down a groove.....

Don't worry so much about what other people think of your playing or how much better other people are, there will always be better bassists out there but that's just the way the world turns....

Take me for instance I only started playing bass last year and I'm 21 now, i've got a ****LOAD of catchin up to do..... doesnt worry me though cos I know i've got then next 30+ years to play, I'm never givin up bass.....

[Peter Squire]

Being a solid grooves player who supports the rest of the band will always get you more work and respect that being a chops player IMHO

The flashy stuff is great to learn and practice, but you will always need to know basic chord progressions and turnarounds if you want to be a complete bassist.

Good luck

[Daniel Baskin]

If wisdom is an indicator of success--and I believe it is--then you are or will turn out to be the more successful bass player. I don't think it's wise to show off just to show off.

[thekyle]

Being able to do all of those things is great. However, being able to do them and knowing when to do them is much more impressive. Except for using three fingers. The added flexibility and dexterity in my right hand is useful in all situations. You still couldn't pay me to tap on stage or in practice though.

[Lazylion]

Originally Posted by bassist15

"What cool things can you play" .

I can hold a great groove.

Correct answer.

[sb69coupe]

I agree with the others, if you can hold down a groove and know how to play in the pocket, you're exponentially more valuable to a band than a tapping/shredding/wanking player who doesn't understand how to work and play well with others. All that wanking sure looks flashy, but ask him how he uses that stuff when playing an actual song, with an actual groove, with actual musicians.

[jazzbo58]

Stick with solid grooves! It will get you further on than all that flash. The fact that you realize this is a great start.

Cheers,
Jim

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by bassist15

Well today a local bassist came over to my hosue to look at a bass I am selling and he also said he wanted to jam . Well we get set up and he starts slappin a little bit, I was feeling good. But during the course of our small session he was tapping , playing with 3 fingers and just playing like speed metal guitar stuff on bass. I was sitting there playing small grooves one after another. Finally get looks up and asks "What cool things can you play" . I kinda laughed to myself cause all he wanted to do was show me tapping. He kept telling me I needed to start practicing tapping and playing with 3 fingers. Anyone else had an experience like this? I almost thought to myself like "Can I acually play?" I can hold a great groove but I never play with blazing speed and all that. It was just kind of a funny experience.

I always smile indulgently at such things. Playing fast is fun and cool and all, tapping is neato, but its all gravy. The meat is holding down the groove. Gravy ain't no good without you have some meat with it. ;-)

Cherie :-)

[Bassmanbob]

Miss Cherie:

I always enjoy the way you say what you say.

Love the meat and gravey analogy. It's the icing on the cake to this thread.

I also had a very similar experience with a kid in a local music store I spend a lot of money in. The kid lasted about two weeks in the store. I guess he pissed off one too many customers.

The moral of the story is to play nice with others whether you tap and use all ten fingers and a few of you toes or if you just hold it down with a nice groove.

Enjoy your bass anyway you like-- that's what it's there for.

[Scourge441]

Tapping is by no means necessary to learn, but if you have the opportunity to learn it, go for it. You really don't have anything to lose.

Granted, if you learn tapping, you should probably learn to build a good bassline with it, as opposed to the wanking that so many bass players associate with the technique. Check out Jean Baudin to see what I mean (and no, you don't need a massive 11-string bass).

As for playing with three fingers, I'm currently learning to play with four. If you can get the technique down, it really helps your speed (which is useful, as long as you don't overdo it), and lets you play longer, since you're not wearing down the other two fingers as much. Overall, three-fingered playing isn't that hard to learn, either.

[txbasschik]

Originally Posted by Bassmanbob

Miss Cherie:

I always enjoy the way you say what you say.

Love the meat and gravey analogy. It's the icing on the cake to this thread.

I also had a very similar experience with a kid in a local music store I spend a lot of money in. The kid lasted about two weeks in the store. I guess he pissed off one too many customers.

The moral of the story is to play nice with others whether you tap and use all ten fingers and a few of you toes or if you just hold it down with a nice groove.

Enjoy your bass anyway you like-- that's what it's there for.

Aw, thanks sugar. "Icing on the cake" -- LOL! {{{grin!}}}

Yeah, its good to enjoy as many things as you'd like to do, basswise. Everyone should try to stretch their boundaries. But it always kinda tickles me when players, often young ones (in my limited experience), get all focused on fast-n-cool. I figure, they'll have experiences and get in different bands and find the value in being able to both groove and shred. So...I smile and get them to play for me. Let 'em cut loose. Then I play, and we learn, and everyone relaxes. :-)

That kid in the music store must have been a stubborn one, to tick everyone off that way. I guess his is one of those "experiences"! ;-)

Cherie :-)

[rjny36]

Cherie-

I'm glad I found this thread. I was just thinking about this very thing. I was looking at some random videos on the google video thing. A lot of them are invariably young folks in their bedrooms, and I thought to myself, "Are bassists going the way of guitarists, now? Is the 'thing to do' slapping/tapping a thousand notes just for the sake of flash?"

When I see folks like that, I always want to say, "Congratulations, your thumb works. Mine does, too, but I don't feel any need to prove it to anyone."

I'm 22, but I'll keep my P-bass with its flats, and I'll keep the groove, and the gigs I can get with 'em!

[Fieldflower]

Playing "gravy" is good and it can lift a song, but we're holding the groove of the song also.

It's not that we have to do it, it's just that we're so good at it that it's better for any song to let the bass do that.
Let's face it - the groove kinda gets lost when it's the guitar, keyboard or other that's holding it for more than just a while.

So by all means learn to play "gravy", if You get time off from learning "meat".
Your "gravy" will be appreciated if served with moderation.
Your "meat" will be appreciated however thick You lay it down.

How about the dude? Listen to what he does - he might give You some cool ideas.
And if he sticks to the bass business he'll probably learn to serve a good bass meal in time.

/Ff

[Steve]

Originally Posted by bassist15

"What cool things can you play" .

Ah, I can play BASS?

And I can steal your gig faster than you can wank