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Comparing yourself to the greats...

#41
You need to balance things out a little.
If I start feeling bad about how my playing is progressing after hearing a truly great bass line, I plug in some Sex Pistols live and listen to Sid for a while.
Cheers me up & boosts my confidence every time.
 
#43
I've always compared myself to the players I consider the best. Because I strive to play like them, or at their level rather. It would make no sense to compare myself or strive to play like players I don't care for. I never get discouraged when I hear or see someone play some crazy thing, quite the opposite.
 
#47
I always saw the great player/heros to be a motivation. I see them and I'm like ... every day I'm closer to play one of his song or they help expend my creativity with something they play or I'm just like by putting the effort at the right place I can be as great as them, I just have to work my way ... never loose my focus.

If I was thinking well ... I don't need to be great because I only play bass in a pop3rock band and I only need to be able to do quater note for 3h ... of course you won't be better than that even after 30 years of playing ...
 
#48
Also remember at least on a recording, they had who knows how many takes to get it right. Yes, they did pull it off finally, just maybe not quite as effortlessly as one might think. Although in the case of Miles, he probably could play masterclass trumpet with his butt. While hopping on one foot, in rush hour traffic.
 
#50
#52
One nice thing about getting older (I'm 58) is that while I want to get better I realize that I am of a certain "level" and am very content with that. I will never be a Jaco, a Stanley or a Victor. For one, I don't have the time to develop those kind of skills. It's just not there.

That's why I love Paul McCartneys playing so much. He's no Jaco, Stanley or Victor (per say) but there's so much to be said for playing the right note at the right time with the right feel. His bass playing with the Beatles and in his solo efforts makes me smile everytime.

If I could learn to play as tastefully as Sir Paul does in my own way, I'd be more than happy with that.
 
#53
I compare myself to Victor Wooten, Jaco, Marcus, Stanley, Jamerson, Bootsy all the time because they motivate me to practice and to get better. Those guys have been playing "40+" years so comparing that to my 2 and a half years is crazy.

It's funny how I'll struggle to learn how to play a song and then I'll play it again about 3-4 months later and now I'm adding stuff to it spice it up. Take your time, and remember that Victor Wooten at one point had only played his bass for 3 years also.
 

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