A list of nonsense

[Katoosie]

Oh oh! Let me share my very important views with you, internet stranger!

So as I enter middle age I'm thinking through a bunch of things and am making a concerted effort to battle nonsense in my life. Below is a list of things I consider nonsense in the music & gear world. Just opinions based on my experience!


How do y'all deal with nonsense?


1. Ordering instruments online

2. Having more than 4 of a given instrument (bass, guitar, keys, flute, etc)

3. Trying to get a perfect tone

4. Loud bands

5. Analog gear

6. Not recording myself and listening back

7. Thinking that my instruments sound significantly different from each other

8. Click tracks for small-time local performers

9. Band drama

10. Treating GAS like a hobby and not like an addictive behavior. Corollary, encouraging my fellow musicians to buy gear beyond the basic necessities

11. Debating *best* this or that

12. Thinking that my musical pursuits might change the world

13. Spending more than a half hour per day on gear forums

14. Buying things *just to see what they sound like*

1. Its easy. All you do is throw money at the screen and bam, a while later something shows up at your front door. If its beaten up and bad, you make a post on TB and complain about it. Many likes follow.

If its a 7ender, you get told you suck and that you were supposed to expect a shoddy quality instrument. Proceed to get around 20 pages of mildy-incoherent nonsense.

2. Have you tried becoming poor? I've heard that poor people struggle with having excessive, non essential goods.

3. See, if you were poor, you would make do with whatever you had on hand!!!

4. Don't be in a band.

5. It's okay to be a geezer. Loving old stuff. Loving new stuff is good, too. Try it some time

6. I think pressing that "Recording armed" button would do you some good. Often times its red and shiny.

7. Tone wood is not real. Tone wood is not real. Tone wood is not real. Taxes aren't real. Death is optional. What are we talking about?

8. See #4

9. Oh wow, see #8

10. Gas is optional. Just like any of this. Should have that kinda stuff figured out as an adult.

I was gonna write more but I think its enough of me being extra, you get the idea. You got excess time and money. It's not that hard to figure out Be happy you're even able to brainstorm stuff like this.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

You got me with #1, 2, and 13.

 

[alex1fly]

Lol well I guess I didn't word the post very well. I was hoping to hear others' lists of nonsense and how y'all deal with it, ha! But I do appreciate the perspective... even when your perspective is wrong! JK

I've been a performer since I was 10 years old. The last three years I've only performed twice. It's been amazing to just work on my own music. And my perspective has changed a lot by turning down collab invites. Making music is still a daily activity, just about.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Well. When you put it like that,

1. I take my vorpal sword in hand;
2. Long time the manxome foe I seek
   
3. So resting me by the Tumtum tree
   
4. I stand awhile in thought. …

And all that nonsense, mostly.
​

 

[gln1955]

If it weren't for nonsense, I'd have no sense at all.

I had to stop at #1. If I didn't buy basses online, I wouldn't have any of my current basses.

For the rest of them, I don't much care what other people do for the most part.

 

[JimmyM]

So as I enter middle age I'm thinking through a bunch of things and am making a concerted effort to battle nonsense in my life. Below is a list of things I consider nonsense in the music & gear world. Just opinions based on my experience!


How do y'all deal with nonsense?


1. Ordering instruments online

2. Having more than 4 of a given instrument (bass, guitar, keys, flute, etc)

3. Trying to get a perfect tone

4. Loud bands

5. Analog gear

6. Not recording myself and listening back

7. Thinking that my instruments sound significantly different from each other

8. Click tracks for small-time local performers

9. Band drama

10. Treating GAS like a hobby and not like an addictive behavior. Corollary, encouraging my fellow musicians to buy gear beyond the basic necessities

11. Debating *best* this or that

12. Thinking that my musical pursuits might change the world

13. Spending more than a half hour per day on gear forums

14. Buying things *just to see what they sound like*

1. I don’t have to buy anything just because I looked it up online. I have free will and I use it.

2. Working on that but probably will stop at 6.

3. It does exist and I can conjure it up at will.

4. I still like semi loud bands but never had a desire to be stupid loud. But don’t play in one if you don’t like it. Even the rock bands I play with don’t play stupid loud. Loud enough to make the drums pop but that’s about it.

5. I’m not a purist.

6. I heard myself the first time.

7. They do sound significantly different. You just make them sound like you. So do I.

8. I don’t like them either, but they are a fact of life with a lot of bands these days. Get with the now.

9. Good luck on that one.

10. People can buy whatever they want. I don’t care. Neither should you.

11. Are you trying to take the fun out of the internet?

12. I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. No need to ruin a young person’s dream. Plenty of time for that later.

13. I have learned a heck of a lot on gear forums about many things not related to gear, including actual playing.

14. Guilty, but it only takes a couple bummers to get cured of that very quickly.

 

[Alessandro Cruz]

I've adopted the "less is more".

- Less noisy pickups, so I'm done with single coils, no matter how good they can be

- Less weight, my basses are all at the "flyweight division", lucky me...

- Less stuff to carry/drag around, using micro amp ( Warwick Gnome currently ) and 1x10 or 2x10 cabinets.

- No pedals or effects of any kind. The onboard preamp is more than enough for me. The rest I'll leave for studio or plugins.

- Play and enjoy what you're playing and the bass you're playing.

 

[Pocket Dave]

Lol well I guess I didn't word the post very well. I was hoping to hear others' lists of nonsense and how y'all deal with it, ha! But I do appreciate the perspective... even when your perspective is wrong! JK

I've been a performer since I was 10 years old. The last three years I've only performed twice. It's been amazing to just work on my own music. And my perspective has changed a lot by turning down collab invites. Making music is still a daily activity, just about.

Ok, well my own list of nonsense is short then.

1. No other piece of musical performance gear comes close to the sheer beauty-in-efficiency of a comfortable pair of black shoes.

2. Except maybe a good collapsible equipment cart. Definitely a good collapsible equipment cart.

3. My own perceived "brand" needs in the performance trade are self-serving, and as such, don't serve me well.

 

[ToddB1963]

I agree with your list except for recording yourself and listening back. I have found this to be a most valuable tool, and do it myself at least once a week. I also recommend it to all my students. I have found I can hear better how I am with time for instance, when I'm listening and not playing. It also gives me a feeling for how far I've come if I listen back and compare with the most recent recording. I have done this with Donna Lee, recording myself every couple of weeks to analyze my progress. It's really helped me stay motivated.

I interpreted his statement "not recording myself and listening back ", as: not recording himself and listening back = nonsense, so the opposite, i.e. recording himself and listening back = sensible.

Like you, I agree wholeheartedly with the latter.

 

[flannel cat]

The older i get the more nonsense seems to come up and say hello...
Motorcycles, music, and mountains take the ''non'' out of sense and makes life sensible...

 

[Tim Skaggs]

How I deal with nonsense


1. Ordering instruments online. I’ve done this once and returned the first instrument. I’ve had the second one for almost 25 years. (KNOW YOUR RETURN POLICY!!)

2. Having more than 4 of a given instrument (bass, guitar, keys, flute, etc). Guilty. Nonsense and fun at the same time.

3. Trying to get a perfect tone. No harm in trying if you know what the perfect tone is. I don’t, but maybe I’ll recognize it if I stumble across it.

4. Loud bands. Agree with this one 100%

5. Analog gear. Disagree with this one. My 1970 Ampeg V2 is the best sounding bass amp I’ve ever heard, & it’s a guitar amp.

6. Not recording myself and listening back. Agree

7. Thinking that my instruments sound significantly different from each other. If yours don’t, I can understand the need for #2 on the list. You might need to do some trading….

8. Click tracks for small-time local performers. Some need it badly….

9. Band drama. Should be #1.

10. Treating GAS like a hobby and not like an addictive behavior. Corollary, encouraging my fellow musicians to buy gear beyond the basic necessities. Part 1 agree. Part 2, to much fun to give this one up…

11. Debating *best* this or that. Should be #2.

12. Thinking that my musical pursuits might change the world. I never thought mine would, but it would have been nonsense if I had.

13. Spending more than a half hour per day on gear forums. Agree. Maybe more than 1/2 hour per week.

14. Buying things *just to see what they sound like*. How else would you know…..(KNOW RETURN POLICY!!)

 

[Gougedeye]

1. Do it all the time! I don't really view this as nonsense, just a way of getting gear.
2. I have 20 something basses. I like them. I even have 5 or 6 acoustic guitars. I like them too.
3. I don't know if that exists. I try to find something I like.
4. I leave.
5. I like the idea and sometimes the sound, but these days the lighter the better!
6. I know what i sound like and my limitations.
7. Guitars are like women. Each has something about it...
8. To each their own. I try not to judge other people's performances.
9. Don't have any of that.
10. Way too serious on that one. It's none of my business what others spend their money on and visa versa.
11. Don't do that. Most things are not a competition.
12. I don't think my musical pursuits will change the world, but I'd like to think that sometimes my band and our music make people forget their trouble for a couple hours.
13. I like to research and find out new things.
14. I quit doing that mostly, because it can get expensive. Fortunately, I have been richly rewarded for doing that!

 

[J Wilson]

My aim these days is to simplify everything in my life. The one, the best, the got to have, the I'll die if I don't get one of those, GAS in any form, gotta have THIS amp, gotta have THAT bass, it really doesn't matter to me any more, and honestly, I was a fool to entertain those thoughts for as long as I did.

It's more important to me to have simple things I enjoy that suit me, and by now I know what works for me and what doesn't, so nonsense is passed.

I wonder what's the best metal for nonsense . . . .

 

[Michedelic]

Perfect tone is a moving target depending on who I'm playing with.

That, my man, is a quote for the ages.

 

[Dr. Keebs]

As JimmyM stated above, I too have free will and use it. I don’t get involved in things I don’t want to. So, here is my nonsense list:

1) Flaky people

 

[John Patten]

Is it even possible to avoid band drama? Finding three or four other people who don’t bring a bag of issues, scheduling conflicts, petty demands or expectations, and a reasonable understanding of their musical skills seems really, really hard to do…
I say this after just finding out tonight that the singer in my band who has been tough to schedule practices with for the last six weeks is in another band. She’s a really good singer - but she could have said something. And that’s after one of the guitar players said he has to step away for “a while” because of work.

 

[Dr. Keebs]

Is it even possible to avoid band drama? Finding three or four other people who don’t bring a bag of issues, scheduling conflicts, petty demands or expectations, and a reasonable understanding of their musical skills seems really, really hard to do…
I say this after just finding out tonight that the singer in my band who has been tough to schedule practices with for the last six weeks is in another band. She’s a really good singer - but she could have said something. And that’s after one of the guitar players said he has to step away for “a while” because of work.

To a degree, band drama is family drama, or relationship drama. It exists, it happens. Flakes, toxicity, etc. is another issue. Some drama is inevitable. I’ve caused some now and again.

 

[Marko 1]

1. Ordering instruments online
I've done that with much success.

3. Trying to get a perfect tone
I find tone freaks to be tedious... I have no problem finding a good workable tone, and in short order.

4. Loud bands
Agreed, they suck!

7. Thinking that my instruments sound significantly different from each other
Acually mine kinda do until I make them sound like I want.

9. Band drama
OMG yes, major suck!

12. Thinking that my musical pursuits might change the world
I never experienced such a thought, but I did start out at an older age.

13. Spending more than a half hour per day on gear forums
I'm retired, I do enjoy it, and I avoid regular social media.

 

[ctmullins]

1) Negativity in any form.

2) People who think Class D is digital.

 

[retslock]

1. Ordering instruments online
Never again. I got burnt once.
2. Having more than 4 of a given instrument (bass, guitar, keys, flute, etc)
I have four that get played.
3. Trying to get a perfect tone
I get a usable tone and get on with playing.
4. Loud bands
I’m in one - I don’t like it but it’s a good band so I wear protection.
5. Analog gear
Not fussed. Whatever does the job.
6. Not recording myself and listening back
I record myself often.
7. Thinking that my instruments sound significantly different from each other
They don’t.
8. Click tracks for small-time local performers
?? You mean onstage? Whatever gets you through the night.
9. Band drama
I avoid it as best I can. Don’t buy in.
10. Treating GAS like a hobby and not like an addictive behavior. Corollary, encouraging my fellow musicians to buy gear beyond the basic necessities
Financial constraints and building my own basses has cured me. I have what I want.
11. Debating *best* this or that
A waste of time and energy. A real human failing; the quest for the absolute.
12. Thinking that my musical pursuits might change the world
I’ve never been guilty of that.
13. Spending more than a half hour per day on gear forums
Occasionally.
14. Buying things *just to see what they sound like*
Never.