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Double Bass Best Musical Advice Somone Gave You

M

MDEbass

Dec 15, 2008
469
5
Houston
#1
What's the best advice that someone gave you? I'm sure much of the advice can be applied to many things beside music or bass.

For me its:

"If you think you can, you're right. If you think you can't, you're right."

This next one is some advice I got from Rufus Reid last summer:

"If you don't kick your own butt now, someone else will end up kicking it."

Both these tips keep me motivated and working hard when I practicing.
 
#2
I have two

The first is a cliche one that is very important for all musicians to remember "If you can't play it slow, how are you going to play it fast?" I take this both for the literally meaning and I interpret it as meaning pursuing music requires a great deal of patience and shouldn't be rushed through.

The second was offer by my youth orchestra conductor last year "Music is not a competition between you and your stand partner, it is between you, the composer and yourself to see how beautifully you can play the music." This one is so important for those of us headed off to music school and professional orchestras. And in this setting it was so very important because the youth orchestra I was playing in was ultra competitive and directed in an old school, rigid style.
 
#3
Too many to recall, but I remember the source: Dr. William AuMiller, Supt. of Schools, Allegany Co. (Cumberland), Maryland. He was my high school music instructor, bandleader, etc. back in the mid 70's. Played a mean set of drums as well.

Riis
 
#7
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Curious as to why this is in the orchestral technique section, but...

"Those who sightread at the highest level are playing by ear through their eyes."
Click to expand...

That's synaesthesia, right? where you see colors as sounds.

On the part though I think musical/inspirational quotes might be most important to orchestral musicians, seeing as we spend what seems like 99% of our time in the practice room, grinding away at monotonous technique work and building skill through repetition.
 
#8
Eli_Upright12 said:
On the part though I think musical/inspirational quotes might be most important to orchestral musicians, seeing as we spend what seems like 99% of our time in the practice room, grinding away at monotonous technique work and building skill through repetition.
Click to expand...

Yeah...I wasn't sure where else to place this thread and it makes sense to be in the Orchestral Technique section for the reason that Eli pointed out.
 
#9
Filling in at last minute for a national act...regular bass player injured before show...this guy had a run in the 50's and 60's as a crooner...don't want to name names...but the most invaluable advice I ever received from anyone came when I was introduced to him 15 minutes before the show..."Kid, don't f*** up."
 
#10
Eli_Upright12 said:
That's synaesthesia, right? where you see colors as sounds.
Click to expand...

Nah - just technique. You hear the sounds of the written notation when you see the dots/symbols (just like in written language), then play the sound of what you're hearing internally rather than typing.

On the part though I think musical/inspirational quotes might be most important to orchestral musicians, seeing as we spend what seems like 99% of our time in the practice room, grinding away at monotonous technique work and building skill through repetition.
Click to expand...

Dunno about the first part of this, but I'm not itching to move it or anything...just curious. :)
 
#12
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Nah - just technique. You hear the sounds of the written notation when you see the dots/symbols (just like in written language), then play the sound of what you're hearing internally rather than typing.



Dunno about the first part of this, but I'm not itching to move it or anything...just curious. :)
Click to expand...

haha I wasn't being serious, It just reminded me of the guy who sees numbers as colors and is able blend them to do math.

I should have worded that, its not that its MOST important to classical musicians, just that it is important for classical musicians to be focused and motivated. So quotes are something that you can recall when things get tough while practicing.
 
#13
"Don't try to play better than you are." Eugene Levinson

"Just because because the bass is a big and cumbersome instrument, why would you play it as such?"-Eugene Levinson

"Expression lies in the diminuendo"-Pablo Casals

"Every time you take up the instrument, you are making a statement. Your statement, and it must be a statement of faith that this is the way you want to speak. Unless you feel that you must live with music, that music can say more words, that music can mean more, that without music we are not alive, if you don't feel all that don't be a musician."
Isaac Stern

"The point of making music is not only to express to composer, but also to express ourselves."
Isaac Stern

"Philosophers are master to think, they teach you to think, and musicians are masters to love, they are teachers of love. Love's teacher."
Paul Tortelier
 

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