Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[remcult]

I tend to avoid the computer all together when shedding bass. Much more of a distraction than anything else.

(Except when transcribing songs I need to slow down)


You think your slapping sux......man ....challenge accepted!!!!!

My 2 cents.

My biggest obstacle as musician/bassist imo is this block I have with transcribing. I have a ok ear, and I like incorporating a variety of ear training exercises into my practice. But when it comes down to transcribing I find it this very anxiety-inducing activity. Not really sure why. I’ve worked with a number of great teachers over the years to help, so I’m familiar with what the process requires. And I love learning other people’s parts. But when doing it on my own I find it almost impossible to do, whether I’m “properly” transcribing (ie writing the part down) or simply working by ear

 

[Passinwind]

Damn I love that gritty drum tone!!!
When I sample live drums I use only L-R as I where lifting it from an old dusty record.

Reminds me that maybe I should get my 4 track tape recorder fixed.......

I bought a pair of real Crown PZM-6Ds shortly after that. I had hangers for them on adjacent living room walls for many years so we could track drums with consistent results. There's some seriously glitchy processing on the drums on that cut though, for sure. I had a 12-bit Lexicon Alex, and later a Reflex, they were both great for that stuff.

 

[steubig]

re working in crazy times.

hi,

so, yeah, intense times for sure. brings up a lot of "what worth is music in times like this?" issues for me. (fiddling while rome burns, etc.)

just doing the work every day is my lifeline to some sort of reality—or at least a delusion that comforts me.

and i don't think it necessarily has to be something that shows a tangible *result*. just doing *something* is often just as important: practicing, noodling, daw-ing, programming synths, exploring pedals. at some point we're making building blocks that will hopefully lead to something else.

that being said, i think it's important to carve out a little bit of time every day. could be 15 minutes, could be more. but i think scheduling it is important; if nothing else, it's a time for yourself, maybe even some sort of meditation time. if you get something you like, great; if you don't, there's always tomorrow. (and i tend to throw away a lot of stuff i work on, so i build that expectation in there now.)

ime, ymmv, etc.

 

[HotelX]

I try to play the buchla every day at least a little bit. Very rarely do I miss a day. I view it as three instruments now: the easel, the 200, and the combination of the two. I try and play all three variations.

I change up the effects pedals sometimes but it is usually a fairly consistent setup.

I’ve restarted the habit of recording just about every thing I do on it.

I haven’t played much bass since the shutdown. Just grabbed it a handful of times. I’m kind of enjoying the break from it actually.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

My biggest obstacle as musician/bassist imo is this block I have with transcribing. I have a ok ear, and I like doing incorporating a variety of ear training exercises into my practice. But when it comes down transcribing I find it this very anxiety-inducing activity. Not really sure why. I’ve worked with a number of great teachers over the years to help, so I’m familiar with what the process requires. And I love learning other people’s parts. But when doing it on my own I find it almost impossible to do, whether I’m “properly” transcribing (ie writing the part down) or simply working by ear

Nothing wrong with just learning the line and not writing it down. Grab a James Brown record and just jam along to it. (Any record you find dope....)
Guess how many of our bass heroes did just that with the radio all day????
You just put in more work right there than 98% of TB.

Boom.

 

[cosmicevan]

Exactly why this has been my by best friend for the past 2 years or so. I can't imagine working without it now. It's so versatile and I use it in so many different ways.
Turn it on....boom....ready to go in 3 secs flat. Battery life is very good so no need for extra power cords.View attachment 3863030

I've got the olympus version of that little recorder and agree...that thing comes to every jam and it pulled out when an idea feels like it could be something someday (and I love using it to record jam kazams and real jams with others as well).

TL;DR - micro goals over time can help you reach bigger goals

As for productivity and playing in general as well as in times like these, I feel like you MUST take it easy on yourself. You can do ANYTHING but you can't do EVERYTHING. If you really have some sort of musical goal that you will continue to feel bad about until you have progress, break it down into tiny bites. As they say, things in motion tend to stay in motion so even the smallest amount of work towards your goal will push your attitude into going further at the same time that it will make you feel like you are accomplishing goals.

I really want to learn bass chords in a deeper way, I also really want to learn about a dozen pedals in a real way, and also want to learn the ins/outs of synthesis and build dope patches for my future impact ....and...and...and...and it's too much. I start to feel overwhelmed. So I stopped beating myself up about it and I have these all listed in my personal productivity system (I happen to be a GTD'er and follow that process for negotiating with my mind and managing my to do lists). Some days just getting through the day is enough and I feel bummed that I don't play music, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it and feel worse. When I do give myself some time for music, I try not to boil the ocean and pick 1 of 50 musical goals I have and just try to move the needle in ways that are fun. If I'm not feeling like working on a track then I won't and I'll let it go for that moment. You have to understand that this is a crazy time and it's not going to end in a minute. Sure I'd like to come out of this in better shape, but I can't commit hours every day to working out, but if I can make a commitment with myself to do 10 pushups a day for a few days in the week, before long I'll find that I'm actually doing 30 a day and not really taking days off, but in the beginning it might be 10 and then 3 days off. It's all about getting a little bit of motion and setting what is known as micro goals...things just to start encouraging you to do stuff. I snagged a few of Janek Gwizdala's books back in the day...every now and then I pick one up and do an exercise. Maybe a week later I try that exercise in a different key and start analyzing what's happening in the exercise...in another 2 weeks, maybe those patterns have become a part of my vocabulary and I find that I'm playing them when transitioning from one chord to another. Suddenly I've accomplished something. I wanted to accomplish it in one afternoon, but by doing it as a micro goal, at the end of the month I get there. It's slower than I want, but in hindsight I still got there...but yeah, forgive yourself. Set loose goals that are small and almost so easy to cross off your list that it feels silly to write them down. Things like open the book and review the exercise without an instrument in your hand could be done on the toilet and when you finish you'll be in motion and probably feel like trying it on your instrument.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

I've got the olympus version of that little recorder and agree...that thing comes to every jam and it pulled out when an idea feels like it could be something someday (and I love using it to record jam kazams and real jams with others as well).

TL;DR - micro goals over time can help you reach bigger goals

As for productivity and playing in general as well as in times like these, I feel like you MUST take it easy on yourself. You can do ANYTHING but you can't do EVERYTHING. If you really have some sort of musical goal that you will continue to feel bad about until you have progress, break it down into tiny bites. As they say, things in motion tend to stay in motion so even the smallest amount of work towards your goal will push your attitude into going further at the same time that it will make you feel like you are accomplishing goals.

I really want to learn bass chords in a deeper way, I also really want to learn about a dozen pedals in a real way, and also want to learn the ins/outs of synthesis and build dope patches for my future impact ....and...and...and...and it's too much. I start to feel overwhelmed. So I stopped beating myself up about it and I have these all listed in my personal productivity system (I happen to be a GTD'er and follow that process for negotiating with my mind and managing my to do lists). Some days just getting through the day is enough and I feel bummed that I don't play music, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it and feel worse. When I do give myself some time for music, I try not to boil the ocean and pick 1 of 50 musical goals I have and just try to move the needle in ways that are fun. If I'm not feeling like working on a track then I won't and I'll let it go for that moment. You have to understand that this is a crazy time and it's not going to end in a minute. Sure I'd like to come out of this in better shape, but I can't commit hours every day to working out, but if I can make a commitment with myself to do 10 pushups a day for a few days in the week, before long I'll find that I'm actually doing 30 a day and not really taking days off, but in the beginning it might be 10 and then 3 days off. It's all about getting a little bit of motion and setting what is known as micro goals...things just to start encouraging you to do stuff. I snagged a few of Janek Gwizdala's books back in the day...every now and then I pick one up and do an exercise. Maybe a week later I try that exercise in a different key and start analyzing what's happening in the exercise...in another 2 weeks, maybe those patterns have become a part of my vocabulary and I find that I'm playing them when transitioning from one chord to another. Suddenly I've accomplished something. I wanted to accomplish it in one afternoon, but by doing it as a micro goal, at the end of the month I get there. It's slower than I want, but in hindsight I still got there...but yeah, forgive yourself. Set loose goals that are small and almost so easy to cross off your list that it feels silly to write them down. Things like open the book and review the exercise without an instrument in your hand could be done on the toilet and when you finish you'll be in motion and probably feel like trying it on your instrument.

Improvement is always made in small increments. Never in huge leaps, unless you’re an Alien virtuoso like « insert your favorite name ».
But they add up after weeks, months.....years.



Remember to have fun.

 

[monsterthompson]

Improvement as always made in small increments. Never in huge leaps, unless you’re an Alien virtuoso like « insert your favorite name ».
But they add up after weeks, months.....years.



Remember to have fun.

Gonna need to change your screen name to encouraging_bassplayer

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Gonna need to change your screen name to encouraging_bassplayer

I always was a limited talent that put in the hard work. Average to below average soloist.
I get the struggle part of it more than « most ». It’s very discouraging seeing others learn hard complex stuff with ease.

I adapted and invested my woodshed time on other facets of music. I gave up trying to solo over rhythm changes in all 12 keys at 300bpm to focus more on groove, pocket, and a lot of other stuff.

I would sit down and play James Brown one riff vamps for literally hours. It takes a lot of discipline to play the same line and keep the pocket for that long. (In hindsight, i was kinda nuts to do that.....wow)

My 2 cents

Thanks for the compliment buddy, made me smile

 

[steubig]

Nothing wrong with just learning the line and not writing it down. Grab a James Brown record and just jam along to it. (Any record you find dope....)

Boom.

totally. also helps to internalize the groove more, imo. sometimes my deal is to just obsessively play grooves by myself, no recordings going. i think it helps me internalize time better.

As they say, things in motion tend to stay in motion so even the smallest amount of work towards your goal will push your attitude into going further at the same time that it will make you feel like you are accomplishing goals.

i found this to be very resonant.

i do feel that committing to doing something every day helps alleviate my guilt of "not doing what i need to."

Gonna need to change your screen name to encouraging_bassplayer

 

[steubig]

I adapted and invested my woodshed time on other facets of music. I gave up trying to solo over rhythm changes in all 12 keys at 300bpm to focus more on groove, pocket, and a lot of other stuff.

in my world, one of those things is really boring.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

in my world, one of those things is really boring.

Geee....let me guess???

 

[monsterthompson]

I always was a limited talent that put in the hard work. Average to below average soloist.
I get the struggle part of it more than « most ». It’s very discouraging seeing others learn hard complex stuff with ease.

I adapted and invested my woodshed time on other facets of music. I gave up trying to solo over rhythm changes in all 12 keys at 300bpm to focus more on groove, pocket, and a lot of other stuff.

I would sit down and play James Brown one riff vamps for literally hours. It takes a lot of discipline to play the same line and keep the pocket for that long. (In hindsight, i was kinda nuts to do that.....wow)

My 2 cents

Thanks for the compliment buddy, made me smile

I’m part of the work > talent club. I wasn’t born with great pitch or timing. I made up for it with powering through practice. I recognized my limitations and then built a strategy around how to optimize my assets. I think I knew early on that I didn’t have what I needed to be a pro player, or at least not at the level I would’ve wanted to be. Fast forward to me sitting for the CPA Exam and getting a suit gig to pay the bills and buy the toys. I still haven’t lost my fascination for this abstract ordering of pitches in time that we call music.

 

[steubig]

maybe

||: work -> talent -> work -> talent :||

and in retrograde.

i've known a fair amount of people with talent who didn't put in the work.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

maybe

||: work -> talent -> work -> talent :||

and in retrograde.

i've known a fair amount of people with talent who didn't put in the work.

Ditto.
100% agreed.

 

[monsterthompson]

maybe

||: work -> talent -> work -> talent :||

and in retrograde.

i've known a fair amount of people with talent who didn't put in the work.

Nothing makes you lazy like talent.

Calvin Coolidge nailed it.
Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; there is nothing more common in the world than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

 

[steubig]

Nothing makes you lazy like talent.

Calvin Coolidge nailed it.
Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; there is nothing more common in the world than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

maybe
Nothing makes you lazy like *arrogant* talent.

there’s always gonna be better at something than you. better put in the work!

 

[monsterthompson]

maybe
Nothing makes you lazy like *arrogant* talent.

there’s always gonna be better at something than you. better put in the work!

I learned that early. My football coaches made sure you knew there would always be someone bigger, faster, and stronger out there. If you started slacking, that guy was gonna catch you.

I’m kinda glad there’s no tackling in music.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

A parenthesis to this conversation, I think my only regret is not getting a hardware sampler early enough.

I should have gotten one as soon as I became enamoured with hip hop. But I didn’t have the $$ for that.

Back then I had the time to put in some serious work, now I feel like someone drowning juste barely keeping my head above water.
But $%^# it, forward we go.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I try to play the buchla every day at least a little bit.

Firstly: I am so jealous that you have a Buchla! But secondly (and more germane to this conversation), this reminds me of an article I read in Andy Warhol's Interview magazine way back in the early 1980s. I don;t even remember who the personality was that was being interviewed, I think he was a painter or some other visual artist...but he said something to the effect of "I wake up every morning at 6:00AM and spend 30 minutes sitting naked programming my ARP 2600 synthesizer. Not 'playing' it; just programming new sounds."
And that really struck me, and has stuck with me for these past >35 years. Not that I want to sit naked and knob-twiddle per se...just that I really admired the discipline of having a routine, and sticking to it religiously. Because how else are you going to grow?

Calvin Coolidge nailed it.
Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; there is nothing more common in the world than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

And ^^^this reminds me of a quote from Ira Friedman (founder of Bay Audio speakers) who once said "The audio industry is littered with the corpses of brilliant designers who suffered from an entrepreneurial seizure."