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Can a bass player

#63
tZer said:
That's a very hard to answer question.

Because a 'favorite' can be designated for a wide variety of reasons; Favorite technical player, favorite because of accessibility, favorite because of the way they handle their role in a band - it's hard to imagine any single player being or remaining one's favorite.

My favorite "rock" player was John Paul Jones - then Geddy Lee and Chris Squire. I modeled my playing style after these guys initially and really enjoyed my own execution of that amalgam - but I couldn't be my own favorite because then I discovered Stanley Clarke, Jaco, Victor Wooten and more...

I began to blend aspects of their styles into my personal amalgam - but then I discovered...

If you designate yourself as your favorite - to me that implies you've stopped being impressed by what other players do and see no need to update your style to adopt what you've been impressed by. That sounds like creative death to me...
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Someone being your favourite (yourself included) doesn't mean that you think they're "perfect" or the "best", or that you necessarily even want to play like them. It just means that you like listening to their music more than anyone else's.

I hope some day I can be my favourite bassist.

Besides, even if you are the "best" at something doesn't mean you're done. It's not a competition. The best player in the world can still strive to be better tomorrow than today.

-Nick
 
#67
I think you have have an influence on your personal style from certain kinds of music and various artists and still have your own take. It takes years to develop into an individual as a child who learns his letter and numbers to a teen who copies their idols to an individual adult, right? So it naturally takes time to evolve from a beginner who knows nothing to someone who parrots JPJ or Jaco or w/e to your own bassist.

For me, I love a mixture of Geezer Butler, Sting, Peter Hook and Family Man as far as tone and style are concerned. Basically: gritty, nasty, quasi-dub tone (thumb or fingers on the neck) with simple melodies and fills. As far as why I like each element:

-Sting is brilliant for his simplicity. If I could say so much with so few notes, I'd be so much better.
-Peter Hook has great tone low-fi imo plus his lines are simple and fun.
-Family Man...such great placement and choice of notes. I can't express how much I like his playing.
-Geezer...I love the crappy, low-fi tone he gets...he just pounds those strings and plays way up and gets the hollow tone. His lines are amazing on many songs (although Sabbath and his other groups have had some stinkers along with a lot of brilliant stuff).
 
#71
Imo, a bass player can definatly be there own favourite, in an egotistical way sure, and i belive that is not the right way to go about things as im sure many of you will agree. However, i also belive a bass player can be their favourite player in a good way, such as they have full faith in the way they play, they understand there is always room for improvement, basically being content with the way they play but always looking to go that bit extra. It may not be seen as them being their favourite, but im sure if you have love and passion about your instrument, you can be your favourite.
You playing the bass is your own unique voice in music, and you should be proud of that voice.
 
#74
Reminds me of what Flea said in Mike Gordon's "Rising Low" documentary...

Mike: Do you think ego is good in music?

Flea: I don't know, that's a good question. I know it's good in basketball, and music is a lot like basketball so... I don't know. I don't know. I guess it can be.

Mike: Well do yo-

Flea: No, **** ego, ego is bad.
 
#75
Arx said:
Someone being your favourite (yourself included) doesn't mean that you think they're "perfect" or the "best", or that you necessarily even want to play like them. It just means that you like listening to their music more than anyone else's.

I hope some day I can be my favourite bassist.

Besides, even if you are the "best" at something doesn't mean you're done. It's not a competition. The best player in the world can still strive to be better tomorrow than today.

-Nick
Click to expand...

I agree that it's not a competition and that's not the point I was making. To me it feels like ego run amok. It's not to say you feel like you've "won", it is to say that you feel like you are the only player who plays what you like to hear. I am not necessarily calling that wrong or right. What I am saying is that if you are in that place you are probably not hearing the rest of the world in an objective fashion. Once your own voice sounds better to you than anyone else's you stop being able to benefit from what others are saying.

That's a little extreme, but that's the idea. One "can" be their own favorite, but I feel that's more a sign of hyper-egotism which I don't believe to be a healthy or productive trait.
 
#76
One of the reasons people in any endeavor of life who attain the top realms of that endeavor is because they are often driven by feelings of their own in adequacy that makes them strive to try and over come it.

I've seen this in body building, music, politics and academia. I remember working out with a guy who eventually won the state body building championship. He wore sweatshirts all the time because he thought he was so small when in fact he was as big as a house. The day of the contest, when it was already clear that he was a man among boys we had a hard time getting him to go out on the stage. He didn't believe us until he got out there and heard the massive applause from the audience and even other competitors, none of who wanted to stand next tohim during the pose down.

Those who are truly arrogant would have a hard time reaching the heights, because no matter what level they were at, like Jauqo's lousy drummer example, they think they're already much better than they are and therefore less inclined to improve.
 
#77
JAUQO III-X said:
Can a bass player them self, really be their favorite bass player?
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Here's my interpretation of your question:

In some ways yes, and in some ways no.

You can never be anyone but yourself, no matter how hard you tried to mimic/copy/pay tribute to someone else. That doesn't mean that it's wrong to try, provided you can do that but also take in other influences and grow as a musician.

In my lifetime, I've tried to "be" Sting, Paul McCartney, Jaco Pastorius and Mark King (Level 42), to name a few. I still do. I learned a lot by trying to do exactly what they do. You could say it provided much motivation to learn/play bass and has been incredibly significant in my development as a bass player, singer and musician in general. They were my teachers, and still inform my musicality, and spur me on to continue to be better. It has helped my playing, technique, ear training, attention to details, the bass playing/singing duality, etc...

Insofar as the trying to "be" someone else has these kinds of positive, beneficial effect on you, I'd say go for it. To heck with the naysayers. "Be" whoever you want to be. I think I'm going to go put the CD player on, and "be" Peter Cetera (of Chicago) for a while...

On the other hand, don't go to the point of trying to "be" someone else so much that you can't do anything else but "be" that artist you are trying to emulate. You gotta be able to keep open ears, listening to new stuff, adding influences, experimenting. I knew a guy back in high school who obsessed over Yingwie Malmsteen, and at a certain point where that was all the guy could talk about (and YJM initials all over the place), I was thinking (but never said), like: get over it dude- there are tons of great musicians out there besides just this single one. Some people obsess like that but you gotta have BALANCE and DIVERSITY. Even in my moments of "Jaco-fever" I was always listening to other things and working on original ideas or putting myself in situations where I had to come up with original ideas.

Lastly, while it's fine to "be" someone else as much as you can, also think about developing yourself in terms of original ideas- don't get yourself boxed in and in such a comfort zone that you can only conceive of doing that which is provided for you via recording and/or notation. Emulate Geddy Lee, and be the best damn tribute you can be (if he/Rush floats your boat, or whoever else...) but also join a jazz band or something with a highly interpretive/interactive component. Develop both sides equally as much as possible. This is the "coverband -vs- originals" argument (in disquise) which is very tired and played out. I'll give you the quick answer on that one- DO BOTH!

I humbly submit these opinions.

Best to you.
:)
 
#79
twistdpair said:
Sure!

As far as bass goes, I don't think I'm anyone's fave, including my own.

However, I am my own biggest fan when it comes to humor. A lot of times I will be the only one laughing :rollno:
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Yeah, man. Sometimes I am definitely not my own favorite bassist. I have this vamp solo thing the band gives me which kinda feels dead after 4 minutes, and I'm always thinking I can do better.

I hear you on the humor. I have a little sitcom going on in my head, but strangely few people rarely tune in. Mostly, my wife suffers and saves you all from my little quips. You should be thankful.:)
 
#80
In my interpretation of "being your own favorite bass player" I take it to mean you enjoy what you do more than you enjoy what other players do. It doesn't necessarily mean you don't enjoy what others do - only that you enjoy what you do more - hence "favorite".

This is different, in my opinion, than saying you thoroughly enjoy your own style and listening to lines you create. It seems to imply that you feel this way over and above your feelings of other players.

Since that's how I interpret "my own favorite", it also implies that because you find what you do to be more appealing that what others do, the likelihood that what others do will inspire you is diminished. At that point, you are your own inspiration which pretty much means you've decided that "where you're at" is as far as you need to go.

The idea of being your own favorite bass player feels very much like being your own favorite lover. Sure, you could go that way, but you'd be spending a lot of time shaving those palms in order to keep the pubes offa your bass as you're dazzling yourself with your latest lines. :p

I suppose I could pose a qualifying question and ask; If you are your own favorite bass player, how do you think you'd find inspiration or examples of things that interest you enough to push yourself to new/different levels?

OR - does being your own favorite player imply that you not only enjoy your own playing more than you enjoy others but you've also decided that where you are is as far as you need to go?
 

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