Bass Player Confessions

[Heiwa]

Let's end the year in a fun way. Let's take advantage of the relative anonymity that the internet gives us to confess weird things we do, or things we never knew how to do or understood, and that our bandmates or musician friends don't know about.

1). I can't figure out how to use the GK RB800; it just doesn't work for me. There's one in the rehearsal room, but it sounds different every time I go there. I don't even know which knob to turn anymore.

2) Every time I practice with my unplugged bass, I make sure the volume and tone are at maximum, as if that would help...

3) I used to take naps holding my bass next to me, it felt good.

 

[Heiwa]

@Major Seven @Topkat13 @Ostie

 

[Lowbrow]

+1 on turning up the knobs on an unplugged bass.

 

[tubedude]

After an open hip replacement, i laid in bed for a week 24/7 with my new LB76F, learning to play a fretless.

 

[manbass]

Playing a tribute to Talking Heads, we were one of a dozen bands in succession, playing three songs each. I provided the bass backline for all bass players. When it was my time to hookup and play, I had one pedal between my bass and the amp/DI...an EHX pitchfork which allowed me to detune on a single stomp. I plugged everything in big a hurry and got no sound, nothing. I panicked...called the sound guy up on stage he looked and said "bad pedal maybe, just go direct to amp", so I unplugged the pedal and went direct from bass to amp. The next day I plug into the pedal at home, it works fine, then I realize what I actually did on stage and the sound tech didnt even see it.

I plugged the bass into the pedals output.

 

[Aberdumbie]

I once woke up in the woods snuggled up to my bass..... Let's just say it was one really good gig the night before.

 

[Das Jugghead]

Back in the eighties I worked my way through high school and college at Pizza Hut. While still living with my parents I often would not get home until 3 in the morning. Still amped up from work I would be awake until at least 4 am. My mother HATED the bass guitar and forbade it to be in the house. I would hide it under my bed. Very carefully and very quietly I would get it out from under the bed, sit on the floor with my back against the bed, and place the bass on my hipbone and practice very softly. I would also rest my chin on the upper horn but that wasn't very comfortable and did not last long. I don't recall if I turned the volume knobs all the way up but I would not be surprised if I had turned them all the way down just to be on the safe side.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I think I might be a little autistic………..

When I play bass, my thumb needs to be against the pickup at all times otherwise I get lost and can’t keep going on.

When there’s a chrome guard on the p bass pickup, I just can’t play.

Also, when I play with a vintage p bass with a very wide and fat neck, my playing style is completely different and much slower than with a slim jazz bass neck. I tend to emphasize on low notes keeping the sustain a tad longer on these. Sounds good but totally different. Just like if the instrument was dictating me how and what to play, almost like if I couldn’t control it.

 

[InhumanResource]

Let's end the year in a fun way. Let's take advantage of the relative anonymity that the internet gives us to confess weird things we do, or things we never knew how to do or understood, and that our bandmates or musician friends don't know about.

1). I can't figure out how to use the GK RB800; it just doesn't work for me. There's one in the rehearsal room, but it sounds different every time I go there. I don't even know which knob to turn anymore.

2) Every time I practice with my unplugged bass, I make sure the volume and tone are at maximum, as if that would help...

3) I used to take naps holding my bass next to me, it felt good.

Ok, I’ll play but this is how I usually get myself into trouble.

I think neck dive is something that only happens to dentists who play exclusively while sitting down in a Herman Miller chair without a shoulder strap.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

I only use Three fingers on my fretting (Left) hand.

 

[rodak]

1966, I was 10, trying to come up with a way to buy my first electric guitar (Sears, $44.99), my dad pointed out that I'd need an amp too. I said "that's only for if I want to play really loud. I'll just turn up both volume controls and it'll be plenty loud enough".

 

[bthiemann80]

Let's end the year in a fun way. Let's take advantage of the relative anonymity that the internet gives us to confess weird things we do, or things we never knew how to do or understood, and that our bandmates or musician friends don't know about.

1). I can't figure out how to use the GK RB800; it just doesn't work for me. There's one in the rehearsal room, but it sounds different every time I go there. I don't even know which knob to turn anymore.

2) Every time I practice with my unplugged bass, I make sure the volume and tone are at maximum, as if that would help...

3) I used to take naps holding my bass next to me, it felt good.

oh, I am certainly guilty of all the above. The only head I ever felt really confident in understanding the controls was an SVT-CL. Even that was a stretch....

I'd like to add that I once thought it would be fun to teach bass at a local music store I was already working at. I had only one student, grade school aged, and it only took about 4 lessons to teach him everything I knew This is after playing for just over 10yrs, some of it professionally and all very actively. I stopped teaching after that lol.

 

[turcmic]

Also, when I play with a vintage p bass with a very wide and fat neck, my playing style is completely different and much slower than with a slim jazz bass neck. I tend to emphasize on low notes keeping the sustain a tad longer on these. Sounds good but totally different. Just like if the instrument was dictating me how and what to play, almost like if I couldn’t control it.

I do that too! That’s fun isn’t it!!!

 

[c5hokie]

I only use Three fingers on my fretting (Left) hand.

I think this is perfectly normal.

Although I can use my pinky finger when playing octaves, but trying to get it to do much else is a worthless endeavor.

 

[bitterminnows]

Fun thread idea!

1. As beautiful as I’ve always found them, I just can never fully gel with a Stingray. I know! Maybe it’s because I haven’t played a “good one” yet, but I always just pick them up thinking “pretty,” play them for a bit, and then put them back with a sad sigh.

2. Maybe not the most shocking or uncommon thing but I never really subscribed to or got the playability/ergonomics trumps all approach to instruments. I know someone that insists on this whenever we talk guitars and I just can’t agree because I need the looks to be appealing in addition to the playability and sound.

3. Probably never ever gonna play one finger per fret. I don’t feel bad about it.

 

[bassdude51]

About 95% of my plucking (right hand) is only the index finger. (Switched from 2 finger plucking to one about 25 years ago.)

(not me)

 

[Dana R Gregory]

While we are talking a little bass humor, I thought I would post these cartoons just for laughs. Enjoy.

 

[MonetBass]

About 95% of my plucking (right hand) is only the index finger. (Switched from 2 finger plucking to one about 25 years ago.)

(not me)
View attachment 7399554

For me, this is 100%. When I started playing EB regularly in high school, I had to teach myself technique. While also playing DB, this approach worked for me. Still does, honestly. I can play pretty fast with just one finger, although most of what I play doesn't call for speed, so it's fine.

 

[jholling]

About 95% of my plucking (right hand) is only the index finger. (Switched from 2 finger plucking to one about 25 years ago.)

(not me)
View attachment 7399554

My confession is related to this one. I use two fingers, but I always start with my middle finger, not my index finger. When I teach students to alternate, I have to force myself to start with my index finger like the book says, but it feels really weird to me. Sometimes my students call me out on it, and I just say “do as I say, not as I do” and we laugh about it. The laughter hides the shame. Does it really matter? No. Does it bug me a little? Yes, and I don’t know why!

 

[Neo1]

I broke a Talkbass rule - twice!
As part of a newly-formed cover band this summer, I asked a local Elks Club if we could play a “practice” gig for free (we could put out a tip jar).. They gave us two dates, and we took both.
Both dates we had to finish on time due to the Trivia Night crowd settling in.
Made okay tips the first night, but only $4 the second show.
Supposedly playing for free is bad for the gigging community, but we got to work out some kinks, and they booked us for an upcoming gig for $350.