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Am I an "incompetent" bass player?
- Thread starter Broke
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This has really been a fabulous thread on figuring out what my next steps need to be. Thank you graciously to all who took time out to comment.
Learn music theory, especially chord theory, listen to players who play different notes besides the root, and experiment.
If playing makes you smile. That's way more important.
There is no right or wrong. For the vast majority of us, we play bass because it makes us happy. Someone who has never heard what someone else is playing and wants to deride them because it's not what they would do, is not showing limits in the player's ability, but rather in his own character. If what you're doing makes you happy, and your band mates happy, then you're doing it right. Don't worry about someone who doesn't really know the situation anyways.
I will be 76 in a little over 2 months. I'm still gigging. You have plenty of time.
Keyboard players are notoriously arrogant toward bass players. I've had them say, "I don't know what we need you for, I can do all that myself. Bass players just get in my way."
Now, if you don't know what a 5th is, then you do need to learn a little theory. There is enough online information for you to find out whatever you need to know. For starters, learn basic chord structures. Best of luck to you.
At least, you are doing it. You don't know how many times I've heard people say how much they wish they could play, but aren't even really trying.
Here's a TB group you might want to check out, and consider joining:
The Mediocre Bassist Club
The 214 pages of threads should give you some indication of how many of us here consider ourselves to be basic, no-flash players with less than superstar-level skills.
The Mediocre Bassist Club
The 214 pages of threads should give you some indication of how many of us here consider ourselves to be basic, no-flash players with less than superstar-level skills.
I'm not competent enough to be incompetent yet. I just started at almost 60.
You're in a frickin' band and they haven't kicked you out yet! You're a real musician!
Let go of your self-doubt and keep on truckin'. Nobody is ever as good as they want to be.
Gotta keep that carrot on a stick in front of you.
Nope. If what you do is acceptable to your band and the people you play for, you are good enough to play for those people and in the band you play with.( sorry to be picky here.
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- Sep 4, 2010
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- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
OP: as someone who besides a few decades of playing bass, has composed and arranged for the concert hall and the theatre, and has a master's degree in musicology, let me tell you this: musical competence is not defined by (diatonic) chords or scales.
What matters as a musician is what you think your playing is missing in the context you are making music in, and work on that. Good luck and enjoy!
What matters as a musician is what you think your playing is missing in the context you are making music in, and work on that. Good luck and enjoy!
I didn't read the other thread, so I am not sure of the context.
But I have played with many keyboard players over the years, including a couple of really good ones. Usually the problem a bass player has is that the keyboard player was trained to play piano--as a solo instrument, or as the only accompianment to a singer or violinist (or other instrument playing the melody), instead of in a band setting. The result is that the keyboard player simply overplays, especially with their left hand....which leaves very little sonic space for other instruments. I have experienced this many times as a bass player. And I have also played keyboard in a band setting--the bass players loved me, because I did NOT overplay with my left hand.
You should learn how to play more than root notes...but often times, the root note really is all that you should be playing--depending on the genre of music, of course.
Do not ever think "you" are incompetent, ever.
There are PLENTY of blinkity blak slippity slapers that have immense difficulty holding the roots. There are plenty of chordal players who can't play with a pick/plectrum etc. etc. etc. It takes all types.
If you are having trouble expanding your knowledge base, such as where you can go what can you do "here and there," try expanding from just roots to roots and thirds, or roots and fifths for examples. Remember, some compositions are meant to have ONLY roots played; at the right tempo, right time, right groove etc.
Crawl, walk, run. Keep your chin up, stiff upper lip.
Never surrender!
Good luck
Can you play a major scale? The notes of a scale are numbered for clarity. The root is 1, the octave above is 8. Count up the scale to find the fifth. All of those notes are used at various times but not always. If you discount the idea of playing roots then you discount a great deal of popular music of the last 100 years.
Don't worry, just keep an inquiring attitude and keep learning whatever you can. We all had to do that at some stage and after 50 years of playing, most of it professionally, I'm still happily learning. I don't plan to stop.
Listen to "Get the Party Started" by Pink. That is such a fun tune to play and you just sit mainly on the root and 4th an octave down and make it groove. Listen and you'll see that isn't as complicated as it sounds. Try to learn some of your favourite parts from tunes you know and enjoy your music.
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Just keep learning. Do you practice on your own? That is where you will develop the skills.
Yes, but it's usually practicing songs for our upcoming gigs. No practice on learning new techniques or skills. I think it's clear I've put those areas off for "rock".
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