What's the best compliment you've ever received as a bass player? PART 2!

**Thor** · #1 04-21-2010, 03:52 PM

rditmars · #2 04-21-2010, 04:00 PM

A bartender gave me a free beer after a set during an open blues jam.

Dark Horse · #3 04-21-2010, 08:21 PM

2 great compliments recently -

One from a producer I know that has worked with everyone from Carole King to Oasis -

He got up and played some accordion with us and said "you always play the right bass line".

Made me smile.

The other one is from one of the guys in a band I just started playing with. He also plays with Okkervil River, which is a really great band as well. Anyway, since I'm new to the situation I mentioned that if those guys wanted me to play something different or had any ideas, just let me know....to which he replied "honestly, I haven't even been paying attention to the bass because everything sounded exactly the way it should".

Made me smile again.

I don't care to be a flashy player...I just want to play what fits the song, which sometimes means "laying back", and sometimes means "stepping up"... so these two compliments from guys I respect meant a lot.

XXL · #4 04-21-2010, 11:19 PM

I went to a jam session and the house drummer asked .." damn boy how old are you? " "I'm 36 " I said, he says " You play well beyond your years , with maturity I only seem to get with guys playing bass well into thier 50's and 60's." Never heard that one before but it sure made me feel accomplished about my playing.

JoZac21 · #5 04-21-2010, 11:31 PM

I used to platy guitar in my high school jazz group, and the drummer's father was Alex Blake (this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Blake).

After watching us play, Mr. Blake came back stage specifically to tell me how much he liked my playing...

Still one of the most gratifying moments in my life...

his son was a sick drummer, too... even though his understanding of dynamics was Loud and Louder lol.

**pacojas** · #6 04-21-2010, 11:51 PM

i was walking into our sound check and the headliners were on stage. as soon as their bass player saw me, she started playing one of my bass lines. they were signed to a major label. they saw us perform at a festival and arranged for us to open their show. i got a kick out of it, but my gf was pissed. "how does she know your bass line???" yak, yak, yak!!!

Tim C. · #7 04-21-2010, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacojas

but my gf was pissed. "how does she know your bass line???"

Really? She got upset...because another girl played your bassline?

Time Consumer · #8 04-21-2010, 11:56 PM

When I played the House of Blues aome other musicians playin that night tole me I really held our group together out there. That really hit me cuz I was never sure I was so great at holdin the band down ya know? Its like somethin you practice on and worry about so much to actually have that get noticed is just awesome.

Wasted Bassist · #9 04-21-2010, 11:57 PM

The other day a girl I'd never talked to before saw me in a practice room. She stopped and watched me for about 30 seconds then came in. The first thing she said was "You're really good at the bass right?" My automatic response was, "Yup." She then proceeded to offer and then hire me for a gig on the spot. I'll take that as a compliment if I've ever heard one.

kesslari · #10 04-21-2010, 11:58 PM

I got a great one tonight. A fan had been watching some of our videos at http://www.youtube.com/funkranomicon and said "I could really feel the joy coming through your playing". That was pretty cool.

**pacojas** · #11 04-22-2010, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim C.

Really? She got upset...because another girl played your bassline?

yeah, that girl was a trouble maker.

Highwayjones · #12 04-22-2010, 10:02 AM

I'm always asked how do I play so smooth, no chop, just like Nick St. Nicolas from Steppenwolf, have a listen to Nick. Smooth as glass
Highway

EdHunter · #13 04-22-2010, 04:19 PM

It was my first gig a week ago, at a battle of the bands. We were first on after a 30 minute break, so we had the break to set up. I'm there, foot on moniter, T-Bird resting on thigh, playing Orion. At this point, a guy a couple of years older than me (20-22 I'd guess) runs over from the bar to right in front of the stage. He then tells me in very enthusiastic Swiss German, that Orion is awesome, Cliff Burton is the best ever and I'm playing it well. Made me feel a million feet tall, but then the guitard messed up our set...

MatticusMania · #14 04-22-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasted Bassist

The other day a girl I'd never talked to before saw me in a practice room. She stopped and watched me for about 30 seconds then came in. The first thing she said was "You're really good at the bass right?" My automatic response was, "Yup." She then proceeded to offer and then hire me for a gig on the spot. I'll take that as a compliment if I've ever heard one.

Does the gig take place in her bedroom?

SCORE!

capnsandwich · #15 04-22-2010, 04:52 PM

I keep getting calls to play on people's recordings. I just recently got an offer to play on an up coming project that a guy is doing that already has me playing on one of his projects. We haven't even done any tracking yet and he already wants me on his next CD.

One Bad Monkey · #16 04-22-2010, 04:59 PM

After sitting in with a well-known art/rock band in town (before they asked me to join them), the singer came up after the gig and said "You know what I love about you? You play with dynamics!"

A couple months ago, after conversing with the singer in my former band, he said "It was never about chops with you, although they were there. It was about playing what was right for the song overall."

basstotheface · #17 04-22-2010, 05:10 PM

i couldnt even hear what you were playing

faiz0802 · #18 04-25-2010, 11:18 AM

I got on stage for the first time at a Victor Wooten workshop. I dunno how technically great I was, and I don't care either, but Victor was smiling, the crowd was smiling, and of course, I was smiling. And mid-jam, Victor started recording the rest of us with his Zoom Q3, and he was smiling when he was recording me too. I'm sure he records all his workshop jams, but it sure is one HELL of a morale boost!!

**guitarded** · #19 04-25-2010, 11:40 AM

Here's the second best: I worked with an Iranian band in Dallas in the 90's. The name of the band was Farouk (keys), Vahid(guitar), Mark (me), and Tom(perc.). It was a mix of pop and traditional Iranian tunes.

During a break on the second gig, Farouk asked me if I had played Iranian music in the past. I had to admit that I had not. He said I was doing a near-perfect job. He then asked me how I figured it out so quickly. I told him that it was very similar to "American "country music". He queried, "Like Kenny Rogers?". "No, not really. Like Hank Williams...old country music," I replied. "Nearly every Iranian song we play has the upbeat on the 2 and 4, like a polka. And the chords tend to move after an odd number of beats in the measure, 3,5,7...in the West we generally write them to move after an even mumber of beats in the measure. That's how I was able to figure it out. it was easy." Farouk looked a little puzzled and disappointed that I had reduced his music to that. Then he told me, " You are an amazing bass player."

The best complement was when a fellow that had been close to Stevie Ray told be I did the best Stevie covers he had ever heard.

JulienJeff · #20 04-25-2010, 11:44 AM

recently at a gig, where two other bands played too, the two other bassists came to me and complimented my tone and my playing. They also said they liked how me and my drummer plays together ;-)

I'm not a great bassist in any way. But it's always nice to hear such things.