Best musical advice you ever got

[rpsands]

"ONE!" screamed at me by the drummer when I was wankin out like a fruitcake.

 

[funkalicious101]

"If you play a wrong note once its okay. But if you play a wrong note twice, its jazz."

 

[ysand]

"Play music, don't display your techniques!"

 

[Joe Nerve]

Off the top of my head:

Don't play notes, play music.

Let each note come from every fiber of your being.

For performances: you should be able to tell what song your doing on video with the sound being off.

I'm sure more will come to me.

 

[Atoz]

Set your strap length so the bass is in the same place sitting as standing. - Billy Sheehan from a "Bass Player" article I read in 1990.

If you hit the wrong note, don't go back and hit the right one; keep going. - Victor Wooten from a workshop I went to a couple of years ago

What you don't play is just as important as what you play. - A bunch of people

Jazz is just a series of mistakes without the "oops." - Nigel Tufnel

 

[John Wentzien]

Be sure you are ready to "Throw -Down" to the best of your ability every time you strap on your bass, no matter what the size of the crowd; or if you don't feel that good.
Pat Ramsey

 

[Henry D]

listen

 

[daffy]

"relax mate - it's only music"

- by my bass hero and now great friend, who was told the same thing by Paul Weller (from The Jam And Style Council) when he was recording his first album and Paul sat in on a few tracks.

 

[onlyclave]

Play the right notes ALL of the time.

Dr. Charles Dowd, University of Oregon

 

[OBS-RHCP]

"Play what is appropriate for the song"

I like this becuase it encourages someone to be creative, but it also supports "the less is more theory" if it is appropriate for the song.

 

[p-nut95]

"If you play a wrong note once its okay. But if you play a wrong note twice, its jazz."

that made me giggle

 

[sirpug]

Have Fun. If you aren't having fun, then it's only a job.

 

[JimmyM]

Always wear a condom.

 

[Will!!!]

Shut the **** up and go stand by the hi-hat.

 

[troyus]

Most important notes are the ones you don't play.

 

[not_jason]

It's hard to summarize exactly what was meant by this, but I'll try:

"All the best musicians are basically playing by ear, even with songs they know."

The way I took this was that only amateurs memorize where their fingers are supposed to be. Professionals memorize what the song SOUNDS like, and they go from there. When I heard that, it made me realize it's probably true, and those really talented guys probably aren't running numbers in their head to know where their hands go next. Instead, they know where the sound goes next, and they've got the experience to know how to make it do that, intuitively. That pretty much changed the way I approached my playing, and it had an almost immediate effect.

 

[Ten Four One]

Always wear a condom.

Make sure she's old enough, before you blow your mind
She might look like she knows enough, but look her in the eye
And if so, let her go
Let her down in style

- Fran Healy

 

[secombs]

Always wear a condom.

"every note is golden"

 

[soong]

"Slow down!"

- my old bass teacher

 

[The Owl]

Don't play what's there, play what's not there. - Miles Davis

“Do not fear mistakes. There are none.” - Miles Davis