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How Fast Can You Play?
- Thread starter Stickk
- Start date
music IS a sport, and it is very competitive. Even symphonic players are sometimes comprised of a team of many dozens of members, all who must have the playbook (songs) down perfectly, or they "fumble" and are replaced.
same thing for your typical "battle of the rock bands" trying to out-do the competition to get that spot on the radio, or in the fancy venue that only the elite will be able to play at.
as far as competitive nature...human's would not survive without competition for something.
Well - I would oppose every point there and would say that any music that is about competition, is nothing that I am interested in listening to!
When I go to concerts in the Royal Albert Hall with the best orchestras in Europe - there is anything but a competitive atmosphere - it is all about collaboration to produce a great sound and experience. With no losers - it's a winning combination for all!
One time...I played so fast I finished before the song was over....
Sometimes that is allowed,
whats not allowed is finishing,before it starts.
Guys its not always good to finish first.
you are 100% correct, but my point was not taken....When I go to concerts in the Royal Albert Hall with the best orchestras in Europe - there is anything but a competitive atmosphere - it is all about collaboration to produce a great sound and experience. With no losers - it's a winning combination for all!
collaboration for the final product yes,
but your average "joe" does not get to sit with those people, quite a bit of competition of "who gets to sit in that seat", long before you walk into the theater.
But you won't get a job in an orchestra if you are not prepared to be collaborative and a "team player" - egos are left to the opera stars! 
But you won't get a job in an orchestra if you are not prepared to be collaborative and a "team player" - egos are left to the opera stars!
Outch...you realy are a bitch.
Seriously that was good.
Woffle
Nice ignorant blanket statement.
I play my guitar in a completely different way than bass.
On guitar, I pretty much do whatever I want and play fast, but when I play bass I'm extremely focused on staying in the pocket and rarely play fast to be sure I don't lose the rhythm.
So you can't just say that "all guitarists sucks at bass" if there are guitar players who take bass seriously, as well.
The term 'multi-instrumentalist' was coined for a reason, you know.
You being fast is good if you are an athlete running the 100 meters etc. - but not if you are a bass player and the rest of the band is playing a tender, slow ballad...
You being fast is good if you are an athlete running the 100 meters etc. - but not if you are a bass player and the rest of the band is playing a tender, slow ballad...
And vice versa when the rest of the band is playing music that is like running the 100 meter sprint.
To answer the OP:
To be honest, now I'm at my slowest ability of playing bass.
That's because I'm in the first months of 'Relearning my basic technique after 20+ years of professionally being a bassist/musician".
I work hard not to play faster than 60BPM (!!) in practicing Hanon. And man.. How not easy it is
But I understand the OP. cause me too, someday in this my relearning process, would curious to know.. How fast can someone play (properly).. At say... Hanon lesson no.1...
I read that Janek Gwizdala (in his Ask The Pro subforum) can play the Hanon exercise up to 400 bpm(!!) wow.. What a speed!
I only aim to 108bpm or so in this Hanon things. But like I said, for now I struggle to stay slow on 60 bpm
Cheers
To be honest, now I'm at my slowest ability of playing bass.
That's because I'm in the first months of 'Relearning my basic technique after 20+ years of professionally being a bassist/musician".
I work hard not to play faster than 60BPM (!!) in practicing Hanon. And man.. How not easy it is
But I understand the OP. cause me too, someday in this my relearning process, would curious to know.. How fast can someone play (properly).. At say... Hanon lesson no.1...
I read that Janek Gwizdala (in his Ask The Pro subforum) can play the Hanon exercise up to 400 bpm(!!) wow.. What a speed!
I only aim to 108bpm or so in this Hanon things. But like I said, for now I struggle to stay slow on 60 bpm
Cheers
Haven't read the whole thread, but wondering if anyone here does sweeps ala Gambale, et al.? I'd love to see that.
I've never timed myself persay, but I can get come pretty good speed going using my index finger in a pick motion. Much more natural then any other technique I've tried.
Well - I would oppose every point there and would say that any music that is about competition, is nothing that I am interested in listening to!
I agree with this and, thus, it feels weird when some top notch bassist refers to a friend of his as being 'the fastest bassist'. I know I can play fast enough for any situations I may have to face, but speed, IMO, is far from being the most important attribute a bassist would concentrate on spending most of his practice time on.
Hahaha! That is screaming out to be sigged, and I shall do the needful!
Is the operative word one?
I can play 128th notes. If you don't believe me, I can upload a clip of myself playing one.
There's nothing wrong with playing fast, BTW. There IS, however, something wrong when it's all you can do. I saw a band Thursday night at a bar in Boston that the bass player could only play fast, and he threw in a whole lot of crap and pretty much ruined the band. The guitarist was trying to do solos and the bass player just stomped his head into the ground every time. And when they did a slow song, he was all over the tempo.
Meanwhile, I did a gig last night where I might have played one fast thing the whole show, and no doubt in my mind I got paid a LOT more than he did Context, people! "Come Together" does not need 128th notes at 200 BPM.
Meanwhile, I did a gig last night where I might have played one fast thing the whole show, and no doubt in my mind I got paid a LOT more than he did
Context, people! "Come Together" does not need 128th notes at 200 BPM.
