Best musical advice you ever got

[okcrum]

"No matter what happens, boys, just keep smilin'!"

Chuck Berry to me and my bandmates, his hired band for the night, in Utica NY in the early 70s. Right before the curtain went up.

 

[Pacman]

Okay guys, there are about 20 posts about the "notes you play". Time to move on from that idea. We got it.

The thread is called "Best musical advice you ever got." If that's the best advice they got, they're welcome to post it here.

No need to moderate a thread that doesn't need moderating.

 

[madrob]

"it's good to know the rules of music but it's also good to break them"

 

[Session1969]

Okay guys, there are about 20 posts about the "notes you play". Time to move on from that idea. We got it.

Lol !

 

[Session1969]

Also, to paraphrase Jimmy Vaughn, Learn to sing. There a million guitar and bass players who are better than you. Not everyone can sing. That is some truth. LOL!

Huge +1 ! It's a constant regret of mine and I'm just talking about backup vocals ! I realize now how beneficial it truly would've been in many and almost all bands I've been in. I don't have the range for high harmonies so there's not much I can do about that anyway. Singing lead and playing bass ? I wish I would've started years ago because now ? Hmmm.

 

[NCD]

"The most imporant note is silence"

Tied with:

"Learn the shape of the arpeggios, then move them around to the root of whatever chord you need. Don't try to memorize 30+ separate arpeggios."

 

[bander68]

"Listen!" from Frederick Fennell on every music folder I had as a kid.

"Hear it in your head before you play it." from my JH band director

"Nearly legato" from my HS band director when teaching me to play rapid 16th notes. It was his way of getting me to focus on sound instead of speed, and it allows me to go faster somehow. Try it!

"The words of the profits were written on the studio wall." from Rush. I know they didn't tell me that personally, but it always feels that way when I listen to them.

"Tension is the enemy of good musicians!" from my college private lesson teacher. He was talking about playing a brass instrument, but doesn't it really apply to everything?

"Follow the line" from another college professor. He was teaching me to play more musically thru the use of dynamics.

"OK, now that you got it - play it again to make sure it wasn't luck." I have no idea who I heard that from, but I use it with my students and myself all the time.

"Shut up and go practice!" - from me, right now, because I always type too-long posts and lose valuable practice time.

 

[MoeTown1986]

keep the bass bass-ic but full of feel

 

[rtav]

When I was 14, our "power trio" band went to record at a studio in Memphis. It was my first time recording, and I was very nervous. I had not taken any lessons, and had only been playing about a year. After setting everything up and recording a couple of songs, the engineer took us outside and said to me, "Do you know what it means to be tight with the drummer?" Obviously I had NO idea. He went on, "It means, basically, that what the drummer plays, you play. You've got to listen to drummers and play with them to be tight." Fortunately, we were very much into Rush, and I applied what he said, listening to Peart and Lee follow each other and it has stayed with me ever since, so much so that our drummer (a music major and music teacher) says that I can talk shop about drums, drummers and technique with any drummer anywhere.

LISTEN TO AND LOCK IN WITH THE DRUMMER.

 

[nozkcb]

Play for the song, not yourself.
Traditionally, bass is a part of the rhythm section / accompaniment and should not be a distraction from the song, singer, lead, etc. We should 'serve the song'.

I've since put this philosophy in the front of my mind when playing. This after spending about 18 years of honing my Geddy, Pino (fretless era), Jaco, Flea, chops.

I learned that I now get fewer complements from other bassists in the crowd, but seem to be a better fit, in many different types of music than I did when I was aspiring to be the best lead bassist I could be.

 

[tjnkoo]

When playing fast, think slow. When playing slow, think fast.

 

[lavmonga]

"A good bass player knows when to play and when not to."

 

[Gopherbassist]

I was reading an issue of Guitar World this week, and two of the people interviewed said things that complement each other.

One said not to rely on talent, because someone with less talent that works harder than you will outperform you.

The other just said don't be halfassed in what you do. Do things right every time.

 

[Astreaux]

"Don't quit your day job"

 

[carrythatweight]

Don't play A when the rest of us play E...

 

[Skulldrag]

Perfect practice makes perfect! Gave that advice to myself!!!

 

[ElectroVibe]

"It's very hard to learn, but it gets easier and easier the more you play it."

I heard a fellow guitar-class student make this comment one day.

 

[RS66LB]

don't eat too much on a first date cause chicks don't dig smelly burps

 

[KidChar15]

"Play with power". My instructor, 20 years ago, telling me to play with confidence.

 

[robin jack]

I am a rap singer in my friends and community and trying to become a national singer. About the music I have best advice from my father. Just keep yourself calm and sing the song purely and make yourself easy like naturally you have.