Try taking the basses out of an orchestra, take the bass tracks off all popular music, then see how important the bass part is. As far as playing the part goes, put any other musician on the bass and tell them to articulate the notes properly for each tune and genre and watch how they fail. Also tell them to properly do inversions at the right time, or play in the pocket and portray the groove. Then if that isn't enough, tell them to play a traditional country tune using the "less is more" style AND articulate properly. Fail, fail, fail. Bass ain't so easy after all.
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Do you feel you need to justify your instrument?
- Thread starter Sir Squier
- Start date
I interpreted the OP's post to mean that he would rather play some "flash" out in public than just hang back in the audio "netherlands'" quietly providing simple foundational notes.
I get that feeling too when I'm practising......I'll do the basic 2 note swing-beats for awhile.......but I often end up in the world of Funk at the end of any session no matter what I'm playing.
Funk riffs get the juices flowing........
I get that feeling too when I'm practising......I'll do the basic 2 note swing-beats for awhile.......but I often end up in the world of Funk at the end of any session no matter what I'm playing.
Funk riffs get the juices flowing........
My current teacher asked me "What would you do if the power went out to everybody's instrument but yours for a minute or two ... Can you carry the song by yourself? That's how you should spend some time practicing it. Other times just practice your part." (or something similar to that
)The more musicians think that their playing should be about them and what they think they need to prove, the worse the music is. This is a very common problem, reflecting our self absorbed culture, and I can't tell you how tired I am of dealing with it.
Your attention and mental focus is a zero sum game; if you're thinking about yourself and what you think others are thinking about you, you are not focused on the song or present in the real world.
All of my best musical experiences have been when I was the least self conscious and felt like I stepped outside of myself and heard the music as if I wasn't playing it. That is always the goal as far as I am concerned.
I wish there was some deity that could save me from all of the "good" local musicians, particularly bassists and drummers (I gig more often on guitar than bass these days). I'd honestly rather work with minimally skilled amateurs, than people who can't not play. I do both on a regular basis, and while I feel the limitations of both types of band mate, the amateurs are less frustrating to me because at least their problems are less predictable and consistent.
Your attention and mental focus is a zero sum game; if you're thinking about yourself and what you think others are thinking about you, you are not focused on the song or present in the real world.
All of my best musical experiences have been when I was the least self conscious and felt like I stepped outside of myself and heard the music as if I wasn't playing it. That is always the goal as far as I am concerned.
I wish there was some deity that could save me from all of the "good" local musicians, particularly bassists and drummers (I gig more often on guitar than bass these days). I'd honestly rather work with minimally skilled amateurs, than people who can't not play. I do both on a regular basis, and while I feel the limitations of both types of band mate, the amateurs are less frustrating to me because at least their problems are less predictable and consistent.
