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Double Bass Appreciating the Upright Bass

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#101
Jason Sypher said:
Bottom line. It's rough out there. Right now you are sequestered in so many ways and can't see down the road. What you find when you get out there and try to do this for a living is that you wasted A LOT of time. Because right now as you debate whether or not you like the double bass and should study harder than you ever imagined there is a kid, in his room or with a teacher who IS doing what you don't feel the need to do. In fact, there are thousands of them, right now, working on every aspect of the bass both acoustic and electric. Like it or not, you are in direct competition with these players and you will NOT GET THE GIG. THEY WILL! And you'll end up trying to get your **** together years from now while you watch the young kids around you kick your ass all over the room. There is no point in doing this halfway. If you hope to even gig on a medium level you are going to have to bust your ass, swallow your pride and do the work that it takes to be a pro. Don't imagine you're different or special or exempt from the forces of the market. If you don't feel this overwhelming burn, this all encompassing gut wrenching fear that you are going to be a failure and working at the A&P if you don't develop something solid, broad and artistic on the bass you better get it fast or change your plans. I couldn't be too harsh on this point. You simply will not make it. Now, stop complaining about what you think you need and don't need and start busting your ass in every way to become a complete musician. PRONTO!
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+ 1,000,000,000,000!
 
#104
TunnelPig said:
I find it kind of funny (but mostly incredibly sad) that someone of your age who's supposed to be wise or something would think there's any point whatsoever in flaming an anonymous internet user.

Also, why the hell do you type with a lisp? Seriously, it's grammatically correct to just type "yes". Easier too. :rollno:
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I don't usually engage but I think you're being a troll, and the worst kind... a misguided zealot with a limited prospective. You don't get a pass just 'cause you agree with some and not with others. Spend a little time checking out the people who have taken the time to respond to your request, including your teachers. Don't you think it's strange that you're getting a LOT of similar advice from people who have much more professional and life experience that you do presently have?

My advice- own your $hit and open your ears.
The real world is not kind to posers. If you don't want to play the DB then don't, but at least try to be the best musician you can be, especially given the educational tools at hand. If that means doing something you don't like for a year than so be it, it's a music program in an affluent western country. Try telling the person who has to work 2-3 jobs at minimum wage to keep a tin roof over their head that you don't wanna play the DB at school for a year because it's too hard.

Finally, kudos for sticking around.
Good Luck.
-Jeff
 
#106
Paul and Don, I meant new school with regard to popular attitudes towards internet anonymity, not bass. Regarding bass, there is no doubting your highly-appreciated old schoolness.


Jeez, I wish I had logged in and gotten all this advice when I was TunnelKid's age... which was like three minutes ago.
 
#107
I'm afraid I only read the first page of this thread, so maybe I'm way lost by now. But my thought is this: are you some kind of "bass player," or are you a musician? Just as your professor speaks condescendingly of the BG, you've divided the world into BG and DB and for some reason they don't mix. Really, though, the instrument you play is not what matters at all, it's the music you play on it. As a musician, I delight in learning new things about music in every way. I mainly play trumpet and BG, but I dabble in drums, piano, harmonica, etc. I don't pout long, ardous hours of my life into practicing trumpet and bass so that I can be technically better at trumpet or bass. I do it just so I am capable of playing the music I want to play.
 
#108
Don Higdon said:
Nathan, Paul died two years ago.
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And in the meantime his online place has been taken by a drunken English butler who amuses himself by pretending to be a crusty old American jazz musician. In truth, when you see all of those asterisks in his posts, they don't actually stand for **** or **** or ************, but rather for things like "rubbish" and"bloody hell" and "bugger" and such. I didn't notice the switch at first, but it was his overuse of the word "kindly" that finally gave him away.
 
#109
this is an old interview but it explains what one of the posters said above - immediate gratification

you don't study something difficult because it's drudgery - you study it to learn and expand your experience

DB has been one of the hardest instruments to master and solo on - soooo unlike EB - but, the dedication and discipline it takes to just creat a 'good sound' in humbling.

Branford Marsalis' take on students today - YouTube
 
#111
Chris Fitzgerald said:
And in the meantime his online place has been taken by a drunken English butler who amuses himself by pretending to be a crusty old American jazz musician. In truth, when you see all of those asterisks in his posts, they don't actually stand for **** or **** or ************, but rather for things like "rubbish" and"bloody hell" and "bugger" and such. I didn't notice the switch at first, but it was his overuse of the word "kindly" that finally gave him away.
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:D
 
#112
damonsmith said:
I am for the tough love angle in general, but I think there is a reason for the OP's initial irritation and I think citing examples of interesting double bass playing beyond stodgy jazz professors (like this: Renaud Garcia Fons - Berimbass - YouTube) is a better direction for the thread.
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That's the one I couldn't remember at 1:30 in the morning.:)

I agree that the OP may need exposure. When I was his age I didn't get it either.
 
#113
Chris Fitzgerald said:
And in the meantime his online place has been taken by a drunken English butler who amuses himself by pretending to be a crusty old American jazz musician. In truth, when you see all of those asterisks in his posts, they don't actually stand for **** or **** or ************, but rather for things like "rubbish" and"bloody hell" and "bugger" and such. I didn't notice the switch at first, but it was his overuse of the word "kindly" that finally gave him away.
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Man. I thought his usage of "Yeth" was cool. After all it's a Cornish word right, I think it means "Dawg". This is getting rather ageist.
 
#114
damonsmith said:
I am for the tough love angle in general, but I think there is a reason for the OP's initial irritation and I think citing examples of interesting double bass playing beyond stodgy jazz professors (like this: Renaud Garcia Fons - Berimbass - YouTube) is a better direction for the thread.
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I mentioned in an earlier post that the OP needs to find a DB 'hero'. He posted back agreeing, so it is just a matter of finding that player that really stands out to him. Eddie Gomez gets funky in this clip, so if that is what the OP is looking for...

Steve Gadd Band - Mez-Ga - YouTube
 
#115
Chris Fitzgerald said:
And in the meantime his online place has been taken by a drunken English butler who amuses himself by pretending to be a crusty old American jazz musician. In truth, when you see all of those asterisks in his posts, they don't actually stand for **** or **** or ************, but rather for things like "rubbish" and"bloody hell" and "bugger" and such. I didn't notice the switch at first, but it was his overuse of the word "kindly" that finally gave him away.
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****, yer on to me, DURRL. Nice work, but indeed, my "overuse" of the word kindly lately is no more gag-worthy than most of these bloody buggers nowadays playin' their rubbish solos all up in the thumb positions. Besides the use of the word kindly was my little invention to help save my proverbial arse from being shown the door @ TB. :spit:
I say this with much kindness, great respect and a very deep committment to the education of our beloved ******* young players.
 
#120
Nice Damon.

Here's the reason I posted the Revis clip. The other clips people posted were of people being virtuosos of the bass. Great clips.

*Disclaimer: This is not at all a commentary of those players to be clear. All amazing and important players.*

Revis is just an example of someone who revels and excels being supportive of a soloist. He swings like a m*****f*****, punches you in the gut with his sound, and loves the **** out of the quarter note.

There are cats that can solo circles around me in this city that don't work half as much. Bass players get hired by and large by how well they play bass.

Not to be too much of a Revis nerd but...

Eric Revis PREVIEW- behindthenotes.com - YouTube


So the bottom line is FIRST you need to love to role of the bass. Evaluate whether you are even there on electric bass. Some guys like the electric because they feel more confident flying around and soloing. Guess what. That stuff is great but if you ain't layin it down you could play the fastest runs in the world and you phone ain't gonna ring.
 
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