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Does anyone else here get discouraged when listening to an amazing player?
- Thread starter MacaroniShrek
- Start date
I can relate, but at a certain point I think you have to accept yourself both for your personality traits/preferences and your natural skill level. It's funny that we tend to measure skill and (often) progress in terms of how many notes a person can squeeze in, and how fast they can do it. Yet the typical pattern seems to be that as players become older and (presumably) wiser they refine and often start cutting out notes rather than adding them. It can also be helpful to remember that displays of virtuosity, while they can be impressive (hence the viral videos of ten year-olds) they aren't really what most music is about (certainly where bass is concerned).
I play with a drummer whose fifteen year-old son has been playing drums for a little over a year. He (the son) is naturally gifted, but perhaps not in the way you'd think. He's not at all a "chops" player. What makes him special is that he has a musical maturity that I rarely see in musicians even three times his age. He doesn't play for his ego. He has very solid time, very solid dynamics and he plays to support the song and the other musicians. He can play fills but keeps them to a minimum and if you talk to him about his outlook on music his powers of observation and his wisdom-beyond-his-years are quite remarkable. I'd much rather play with him than with some gospel-chops obsessed virtuoso any day, and yet if he started posting videos of his playing on YouTube or Tik Tok there's no way any of them would go viral or make players twice his age feel intimidated or envious.
I play with a drummer whose fifteen year-old son has been playing drums for a little over a year. He (the son) is naturally gifted, but perhaps not in the way you'd think. He's not at all a "chops" player. What makes him special is that he has a musical maturity that I rarely see in musicians even three times his age. He doesn't play for his ego. He has very solid time, very solid dynamics and he plays to support the song and the other musicians. He can play fills but keeps them to a minimum and if you talk to him about his outlook on music his powers of observation and his wisdom-beyond-his-years are quite remarkable. I'd much rather play with him than with some gospel-chops obsessed virtuoso any day, and yet if he started posting videos of his playing on YouTube or Tik Tok there's no way any of them would go viral or make players twice his age feel intimidated or envious.
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Salud!
I never get discouraged. They play a lot more than me, and from much a younger age. They WORK hard to be that good. I don't.
I DO feel some envy at people that started very young (almost everyone), when you have lots of time and a young brain/nervous system (I started at 37).
I never get discouraged. They play a lot more than me, and from much a younger age. They WORK hard to be that good. I don't.
I DO feel some envy at people that started very young (almost everyone), when you have lots of time and a young brain/nervous system (I started at 37).
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I was raised by a terrific jazz double bassist, which could have been really intimidating if he hadn't been such a fantastic teacher and dad. His God-son was a founding member of Tower of Power; the first TOP concert I attended as a teenager made me go back to the woodshed and re-learn all of the songs I'd taught myself from records after I saw Rocco's left-hand technique: I was inspired! When Pop took me to see Ray Brown play, I was absolutely intimidated, but I hunkered down and went back to the woodshed to heed Mr. Brown's advice and learn songs in all twelve keys and work on achieving consistently good tone.
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right!
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right!
No. It's not a competition. The adult reaction is to cheer them of, respect or use it to motivate you
I find joy in free form music but will lay down 1.4.5 down as needed. As a horn player, soloing wise, I can say that horn players are in another layer in improvisation comparing to the most virtuoso of bass soloist
I find joy in free form music but will lay down 1.4.5 down as needed. As a horn player, soloing wise, I can say that horn players are in another layer in improvisation comparing to the most virtuoso of bass soloist
No. Music is a journey and I'm enjoying the ride. If I see someone better than me, I just know that I'll be that good eventually too.
You have summarized my bass journey nicely. Thank you.I can relate. When I see a 10-year-old with amazing skills, I'm in awe and happy for them, but a small part of me (making me a small person in that moment) feels discouraged. I have to remind myself that I've never dedicated myself to practicing any musical instrument with the intensity it deserves and that most people, even the young ones, have practiced, and practiced, and practiced to get that good. I think my discouragement is more disappointment in myself. But, at 55, I'm not trying to join a band or do anything beyond playing in my bedroom for my own fun.
TLDR: I feel you and empathize, but think the discouragement is more about us than the player we're watching.
I just leave mean comments on their videos to make myself feel better.
You're reaction to that is completely normal. We all compare ourselves to X (insert whomever you'd like), however, the reaction to said comparison is totally up to you. Be motivated, be de-motivated, you make the choice which route you then follow.
You're reaction to that is completely normal. We all compare ourselves to X (insert whomever you'd like), however, the reaction to said comparison is totally up to you. Be motivated, be de-motivated, you make the choice which route you then follow.
I probably did get discouraged when I was a beginner BASS PLAYER , all I had to point me in the right direction were my 2 ears a stereo with AM radio some 45s and albums .
I'm gonna be completely honest , I wouldn't be the BASS PLAYER I am today If I took Lessons from an experienced bass player when I was a beginner ,
That's just the way I wanted , even better NEEDED
to learn and develop a style of my own.
Anyway I didn't get discouraged when I couldn't figure out what a great BASS player was actually playing , I "constantly CHALLENGED " myself ,
and refused to give up on whatever song I wanted to learn how to play from the beginning of till the end of.
I met a guitar player and he knew a drummer
They liked AC/DC alot , the first time I got the courage to actually JAM with my new guitar and drummer friends , we played
2 AC/DC songs , Live Wire & TnT
1 HUMBLE PIE song - I don't need no doctor
Those two guys were much better musicians than
I thought , those first 3 songs we played together
showed me, I was a pretty good BASS PLAYER .
That gave me the self confidence , inspiration
and best of all complete JOY Ive felt and still feel to this very day , confidence inspiration and Joy and the life experiences because I didn't know how to give up when I couldn't play a song right away or on myself .
48 yrs ago I was a BASS PLAYER
48 yrs later I'M a BASS PLAYER
A METALHEAD BASS PLAYER
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF
Or playing bass.
Attachments
One does not become a great chef by mimicking another chef's movements. The creativity and thought processes of the greats can be enjoyed and appreciated (and therefore absorbed) much more readily if your mind is not clouded with frustration and negativity. If you see something you wish you could do that is above your current skill level, I'd recommend approaching it thinking: 'this will be fun and useful, sometime soon I'll look back and wonder why it seemed difficult'.
