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Can a bass player
- Thread starter JAUQO III-X
- Start date
Jauqo, hope you are well.
I once interviewed a bassist for a college project and he was indeed his favorite bassist. He explained in such a way that I bought it hook, line and sinker. His rationale: "I am going in the direction I want to go and no other bassist is going in that exact direction." He went on to express that he chose his sound, his voice and he preferred it more than any other voice or he would have pursued another voice.
Many bassists struggle to be distinct, but all of our influences, education and practice and inner belief lead us to different places. If you like where you have been, where you are and where you are going, then that should be in many ways better than listening to someone else. In fact if you like playing even if you are not as good as professionals or clubbers or the guy down the block you can be your favorite. It made sense to me in a way. It is not so much arrogance as an appreciation for your struggle to play music.
I once interviewed a bassist for a college project and he was indeed his favorite bassist. He explained in such a way that I bought it hook, line and sinker. His rationale: "I am going in the direction I want to go and no other bassist is going in that exact direction." He went on to express that he chose his sound, his voice and he preferred it more than any other voice or he would have pursued another voice.
Many bassists struggle to be distinct, but all of our influences, education and practice and inner belief lead us to different places. If you like where you have been, where you are and where you are going, then that should be in many ways better than listening to someone else. In fact if you like playing even if you are not as good as professionals or clubbers or the guy down the block you can be your favorite. It made sense to me in a way. It is not so much arrogance as an appreciation for your struggle to play music.
Have to disagree with you there. I do a lot of things that I enjoy, but am nowhere near the "best" at them. Working full time and raising a family does not leave enough time to become the best at all of my pursuits, including, bass, guitar, softball, basketball, street and mountain biking, kayaking, etc....
I try to put in enough practice and training time to get competent at these endeavors, and I think I have a healthy understanding of exactly where my talent level is.
For instance, as a 48 year old shortstop on my Coed softball team, I am in no way so delusionial as to think that I am the best shortstop in this league, much less the world. But I'm not giving up playing softball because of this.
Try to always improve on what you are doing, but don't quit because there are others "better" than you.
you seem to be disagreeing with the hypothetical argument rather than with me
--it's just conjecture on my part that an idealist could argue that, ideally, if one doesn't feel he/she can provide the best, he/she should let someone else who can provide the best do so--idealism conflicts with reality by nature
i don't advocate quitting something one loves at all...just making the observation that some might consider a perfect world inclusive of only the best of all things...i myself wouldn't be one of these persons, as i developed and continue to have a fascination and admiration for broken, imperfect things...but i digress, as i shouldn't have tied the idea of 'favorite' to 'best' in the first place and i don't want to get too far out on a tangent, ha
--it's just conjecture on my part that an idealist could argue that, ideally, if one doesn't feel he/she can provide the best, he/she should let someone else who can provide the best do so--idealism conflicts with reality by naturei don't advocate quitting something one loves at all...just making the observation that some might consider a perfect world inclusive of only the best of all things
...i myself wouldn't be one of these persons, as i developed and continue to have a fascination and admiration for broken, imperfect things...but i digress, as i shouldn't have tied the idea of 'favorite' to 'best' in the first place and i don't want to get too far out on a tangent, ha- Apr 30, 2007
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- Affiliated with Genelec, Avalon Design.
I'm my favorite bassist. Because I'm the bassist that listens to ALL the music I like, and picks up little tricks and things I'd not thought of before. I'm the bassist that takes all this, and applies it to my own music. No ego here. I know I'll never be a brillant, or even great player, but the way I play is the way I want to play, I don't want to emulate anyone else as a whole.
Put simply, I'm the only bassist who plays like the sound in my head. At the same time, I'm never happy with it, which is why I still grow.
Put simply, I'm the only bassist who plays like the sound in my head. At the same time, I'm never happy with it, which is why I still grow.
I'm happy with my style as a bassist, but I openly admit I still have a long way to go.
I'd say right now I'm more of my own worst critic (I will think a line needs to be completely scrapped even when the rest of the band says that it's great), and that has allowed me to continually grow over the past couple years playing style wise.
If you really think you are the best out there, I think you've just become lazy or arrogant.
I'd say right now I'm more of my own worst critic (I will think a line needs to be completely scrapped even when the rest of the band says that it's great), and that has allowed me to continually grow over the past couple years playing style wise.
If you really think you are the best out there, I think you've just become lazy or arrogant.
Like Victor Wooten said. "If you take a newborn baby and put them on the instrument, they're going to get sounds out of it that I can't get out of it, so we're all the best." Every bassist is different in their own way, so if you want to say you are the best then you can say you are the best, but I don't beleive I am the best bassist, except for in my own way.
I will never be good enough to be my favorite bass player! There is so much room for improvement, I don't have time to get caught up into myself!!!
A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!
A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!
Naw, its not analogous. If it is, then man, I dig the hell out of group sex, becuase I have my best 'sex" with a band of folks, not by my lonesome. I dont practice any solo stuff, unless it a few bar solo in the context of one of ourt tunes. Our band has both male and female in it, so,,, GET NEKKED AND FUNK IT OUT!
I dig my approach to the instrument more than the other bassists I see because I cultivated it myself over many, many years, listenings, blood and sweat. That said, I'm not my favorite player overall because I think that to have any single favorite would astound originality, and to be my own favorite player would stifle creativity. I dig my approach, but approach can always be broadened and built upon. I'd say I actually have about 15 favorite bass players at the moment, and none of them are myself. I do think this is a very interesting question that any player could grow from answering to themselves, cudos to Jaquo for asking.
You can be ..how do I put this...
You can see yourself grow as a musician / bassist. But too often we harp on ourselves for what we cannot do, what we want to do better, and things like that. Sometimes we lose focus on ourselves becasue of this. Music should be fun, should be a release, not a demoralizing, self-defacing exam given by your least favorite teacher everytime you pick up the bass....
Thrive to better yourself, but dont lose yourself in the process, and maybe, just maybe you can be your fav. bassist, at least for a gig or 2.. =)
You can see yourself grow as a musician / bassist. But too often we harp on ourselves for what we cannot do, what we want to do better, and things like that. Sometimes we lose focus on ourselves becasue of this. Music should be fun, should be a release, not a demoralizing, self-defacing exam given by your least favorite teacher everytime you pick up the bass....
Thrive to better yourself, but dont lose yourself in the process, and maybe, just maybe you can be your fav. bassist, at least for a gig or 2.. =)
Still think its intellectually fine to " be your favorite", to " take care of your own temple" , with the aid of others and the universal intelligence. I dont see it as stifling, its almost like your honoring the music with yourself that way. I am the beacon for Mother Music when I play, and You are when you play. So its almost like YOUR my favorite when your playing and I'm my favorite when I'm playing, because in a sense, its not about us, its about the communication of music itself, or the COMMUNION of music..
Apotheosis is clearly illogical in that paradigm. ( and I had to look that word up.) Losing part of yourself in the process is what its all about to me, as that allows you to step up to a higher plane and honor that communion of music, no matter where it eminates from (without judgement). Personally, its molds me into a better human, and helps release my authentic soul. Lose 'you' a bit to find you even more. Sometimes that bit you "lose" wasnt really authentic anyhow, it might be a false "skein" that society has layered on you over time. GET NEEKED PEOPLE!
Peace and Blessings to all YOU all today!
Apotheosis is clearly illogical in that paradigm. ( and I had to look that word up.) Losing part of yourself in the process is what its all about to me, as that allows you to step up to a higher plane and honor that communion of music, no matter where it eminates from (without judgement). Personally, its molds me into a better human, and helps release my authentic soul. Lose 'you' a bit to find you even more. Sometimes that bit you "lose" wasnt really authentic anyhow, it might be a false "skein" that society has layered on you over time. GET NEEKED PEOPLE!
Peace and Blessings to all YOU all today!
I think that it is very possible for one to like himself (it's nothing like unsubstantially thinking that one is the world's best player). So once we feel we've open doors that allow us to get closer to our sentimental and artistic world, then we can be our favorite player.
We need to like ourselves in the process of reaching our potential. If we are always look down upon us then we are doing a disservice to our progress and humanity
We need to like ourselves in the process of reaching our potential. If we are always look down upon us then we are doing a disservice to our progress and humanity
