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Seems as if you have a great attitude. Look, not everyone can be a Mingus or an Entwistle, or [insert name here], but with a positive attitude and some drive, you can certainly maximize your potential. As I once told someone, playing bass isn't really that hard, but learning to play bass is. Do it and keep us in the loop.
I watched your clips, I think you are selling yourself a bit short.
It sounds like what you want is to get comfortable with improv and playing in any idiom, its definitely something you can achieve in a year.
I don't believe that 10,000 hour thing is ironclad or applies to all situations, but even if it does, you've been playing bass for 25 years, you have a lot of hours in on the technical aspects that make up a large portion of the skills someone starting from scratch would need to learn.
Ultimately proficiency at anything comes down to confidence, willingness to learn, and practice.
It sounds like what you want is to get comfortable with improv and playing in any idiom, its definitely something you can achieve in a year.
I don't believe that 10,000 hour thing is ironclad or applies to all situations, but even if it does, you've been playing bass for 25 years, you have a lot of hours in on the technical aspects that make up a large portion of the skills someone starting from scratch would need to learn.
Ultimately proficiency at anything comes down to confidence, willingness to learn, and practice.
start stretching your fingers out. oh it may hurt at first but in the long run (or short run, in your case), it'll pay off. Also, I believe that through the miracles in modern medicine, you can now have an "autotune" device implanted into your ear... that & lots & lots & lots (& more) practice... 's all you need!!!
(just (mostly) kidding... good luck to you & your endeavors)
(just (mostly) kidding... good luck to you & your endeavors)
Thanks for all the encouragement everyone!
I've been spending a few hours every day on reading/practicing/tracking and here's the latest:
Had my first lesson with Sean Hurley last week and booked another for next week. I explained that I want to be a fluent reader, get the Jameson/Duck Dunn thing sorted out and get fluent on the real book/jazz/improv. He was amazing and seems up for the challenge.
Made it most of the way through Sight reading For Bass by Ron Velosky and I'm 1/2 the way through the Hal Leonard Bass method (complete edition w/ book 1,2,&3)
Set up a web page to promote myself
Feeling like I'm pushing past where I kept stalling out previously
I've been spending a few hours every day on reading/practicing/tracking and here's the latest:
Had my first lesson with Sean Hurley last week and booked another for next week. I explained that I want to be a fluent reader, get the Jameson/Duck Dunn thing sorted out and get fluent on the real book/jazz/improv. He was amazing and seems up for the challenge.
Made it most of the way through Sight reading For Bass by Ron Velosky and I'm 1/2 the way through the Hal Leonard Bass method (complete edition w/ book 1,2,&3)
Set up a web page to promote myself
Feeling like I'm pushing past where I kept stalling out previously
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More achievable than the vague "Mind blowing" for sure.
Give these discreet goals, I 'd say:
Being able to sit in on short notice also requires a solid understanding of a variety of styles
So grab a Real Book and something that is a good stylistic catalog like John Liebman's Ultimate Bass Grooves. Or Paul Westwood's Bass Bible
work in 3 day cycles:
- Day 1 Read a real book melody all the way through, including 'D.C al codas' and stuff
- Day 2 Read from some stylistic catalog Liebman, Westwood or Jamerson /Dunn books
- Day 3 Create groove of your own and notate it
As for achieving "Mind Blowing" : When people post worries about useless things like
"how good am I ? how good can I get? How long will I take to get good?"
I always think of Anthony Wellington's "Four Levels of Awareness" analogy
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If going from mediocre to mind-blowing in a year's time was possible, the scene would be crawling with mind-blowing players that don't need a DAW to produce album quality tracks. They aren't out there. There are no shortcuts - if there were, the shortcuts would simply be the way everybody does it.
That said, you're doing the best thing possible - working hard and studying with a guy who is an established and legitimate high-level player. That alone will put you far ahead of the game. You still have to grind and do the work, but he can tell you where to best extend your efforts to get the most results quicker than someone who doesn't have his kind of guidance.
That said, you're doing the best thing possible - working hard and studying with a guy who is an established and legitimate high-level player. That alone will put you far ahead of the game. You still have to grind and do the work, but he can tell you where to best extend your efforts to get the most results quicker than someone who doesn't have his kind of guidance.
Read through the thread.
@Smogcity - there's the old saying about shooting for the moon and landing among the stars. I think that applies here; the question isn't whether we think it's possible, but whether you think it is. Judging by your actions, it sounds like you believe that it is possible, and you're on track to make it happen. It helps that you have prior experience as a gigging musician and a long-time bassist.
How about starting a separate public practice log thread? One member here has already started a good one in the General Instruction forum. It's a good way to chart your progress and keep yourself accountable, and it's also nice to be able to look back and see what you were thinking/how you were feeling in the past versus now. (Selfishly, I also think that practice threads on Talkbass are more interesting than the usual topics. It's cool to be part of a community of musicians who are actively improving themselves and their craft; that is inspirational.)
Good luck. Hope to see how far you've come in a year's time.
@Smogcity - there's the old saying about shooting for the moon and landing among the stars. I think that applies here; the question isn't whether we think it's possible, but whether you think it is. Judging by your actions, it sounds like you believe that it is possible, and you're on track to make it happen. It helps that you have prior experience as a gigging musician and a long-time bassist.
How about starting a separate public practice log thread? One member here has already started a good one in the General Instruction forum. It's a good way to chart your progress and keep yourself accountable, and it's also nice to be able to look back and see what you were thinking/how you were feeling in the past versus now. (Selfishly, I also think that practice threads on Talkbass are more interesting than the usual topics. It's cool to be part of a community of musicians who are actively improving themselves and their craft; that is inspirational.)
Good luck. Hope to see how far you've come in a year's time.
Wow! Necro post from me from "the good old days" of pre-pandemic 2016
So my progress has been a VERY mixed bag...
I did not achieve the growth in bass reading etc. that I was shooting for. As the saying goes "man plans, god laughs"..
I did achieve a lot and did experience huge growth in various areas:
I learned to play guitar and started a gigging county/americana band with my wife on bass/lead vocals. Obviously we didn't need two bass players (thats what we both play) so I drew the short straw and learned/moved to guitar. I had just read the Keith Richards autobiography where he described the 5-string open G technique he uses and that's how I learned
. Strangely enough, I've gotten really good at it and most people dont know I'm playing a different way than traditional 6 string guitar. Here's some of what we do (i'm on the tele):Regarding bass, I've made a good deal of progress and up to this crisis have been gigging in numerous bands. Here's some of my recent work:
Here's the last time I got play in a room with other musicians. Just before the Los Angeles lockdown this month, my mates and I sparked one up
and did a bunch of stoney free form instrumental jams in his home studio (while recording it). Over the last two weeks, he and his wife laid vocals, mixed them and made videos and are releasing it as an album. Here's a taste:I'm glad to see all my goals from 2016 again and it looks like I've got a BUNCH of time locked in my house to recommit to achieving them!
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Wow! Necro post from me from "the good old days" of pre-pandemic 2016
So my progress has been a VERY mixed bag...
I did not achieve the growth in bass reading etc. that I was shooting for. As the saying goes "man plans, god laughs"..
I did achieve a lot and did experience huge growth in various areas:
I learned to play guitar and started a gigging county/americana band with my wife on bass/lead vocals. Obviously we didn't need two bass players (thats what we both play) so I drew the short straw and learned/moved to guitar. I had just read the Keith Richards autobiography where he described the 5-string open G technique he uses and that's how I learned
Regarding bass, I've made a good deal of progress and up to this crisis have been gigging in numerous bands. Here's some of my recent work:
Here's the last time I got play in a room with other musicians. Just before the Los Angeles lockdown this month, my mates and I sparked one up
I'm glad to see all my goals from 2016 again and it looks like I've got a BUNCH of time locked in my house to recommit to achieving them!
Dude! All good stuff, and you sound really good on that bass! (I especially love your playing and the groove on your last in person jam). You sound good on guitar, too. I'll have to check out that Kieth Richards thing. Your wife is a great frontperson, too. I especially like her vocals on the "Allison ... Live" recording.
Morrison & Co probably isn't the right vehicle, but there's definitely a place for double bass (sic) in a band. I mean, two guitars is kind of standard, and look how many bands have pulled off three. You just have to differentiate the space you each play in. May even some Allman Brothers style doubling with different tones, effects, fingerings, and/or octaves. Justa thought. It's something I'm wanting to play around with, but I am waaaay behind you in terms of performing. Still looking for a chance to do it.
What was your biggest takeaway from the experiment?
So. You, your wife, and your daughter all play bass. Any more family members? Do they play bass, too?
Apparently this guy didn't read through the dates. What a dunce...
Nah. A lot of us forget now and then. A couple of times, I space out and looked at the date someone joined and thought it was the post date and was really confused.
Haha my 18 year old son is the family rebel and won't play music
. I keep telling him chicks dig drummers and you get to drive the "band van" while encouraging him to play the kit in my living room.. Nope.. Kids these days!
A second song I played bass on from the pre-lockdown stoney jam is coming out today. Here's a preview:
Lessons learned? Practice less and smoke more weed perhaps? I'm kidding, but I'm pretty pleased with how these tracks came out and my playing on them. We literally were just screwing around and happened to run tape and capture the whole session.
Lessons learned? Practice less and smoke more weed perhaps?
I'm kidding, but I'm pretty pleased with how these tracks came out and my playing on them. We literally were just screwing around and happened to run tape and capture the whole session.
Ok, so here is the real time status of my playing after working on improving over the last four years..
One of the bands I play bass for just released this today. We recorded a live free form jam night right before the Los Angeles lockdown and the band's leader has been picking takes, overdubbing vocals and making videos for the good takes during the quarantine.
This is the second song/video released out of this crazy turn of events:
One of the bands I play bass for just released this today. We recorded a live free form jam night right before the Los Angeles lockdown and the band's leader has been picking takes, overdubbing vocals and making videos for the good takes during the quarantine.
This is the second song/video released out of this crazy turn of events:
