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How good are you at bass? (read 1st post before voting)

How good are you at bass? (use 1-10 scale in 1st post)

  • 1 - beginner

    Votes: 19 2.2%

  • 2

    Votes: 25 2.9%

  • 3 - getting there

    Votes: 72 8.2%

  • 4

    Votes: 135 15.5%

  • 5 - intermediate

    Votes: 249 28.5%

  • 6

    Votes: 209 23.9%

  • 7 - advanced

    Votes: 83 9.5%

  • 8

    Votes: 45 5.2%

  • 9 - pro session level

    Votes: 20 2.3%

  • 10 - (college) teaching-level

    Votes: 16 1.8%
  • Total voters
    873
#61
Hmmm . .. . well I'm a 9 but . . . .
I play/compose professionally, can improvise til the cows come home(meaningfully I hope), do pro sessions, score TV and film, and also do remixing, production, whatever. Bass is a huge part of everything I do(been playing bass for nearly 30 years). But I don't read a lick of music. However, I know my theory, and how to stretch it too;). So if you take the sight reading part out, I'm a solid 9.I can however write a chord chart, numbers chart, transpose on the fly, etc.etc..
So, I'd say my income from bass is about 60% or so . . . .
 
#63
Hi,

Me thinks you left out the working bass players...week in week out...that can play most anythingif asked......yes I have theory training, took lessons...... but how does it all pan out to how you play out as a bass player.. I think you might add that category, as me thinks most of us fall in there!!!!

just my 2 cents worth,
bill
 
#64
RickenBoogie said:
Interesting self discovery on the internet. Never rated myself, but this was a good hard look inside. I'm also about a 6, but should be a 9 for as long as I've been playing. Guess I should spend less time here, and more practice!
Click to expand...

+1. Quoted for truth!

I'm 33 years old, been playing since I was 14 (with a few long layoffs in between times). But I don't rate myself as anything higher than a solid 6.

I'm happy with that though. I think if I put any more time into playing, it'd reduce the "fun factor" for me.
 
#65
morf said:
The problem is that you can get really far with only ear training without having formal music training. It kinda kills the whole rating system. I am a 3 (as far as theory/reading goes) but also a 6 (as far as hearing, improvising goes). On a good day I could be a seven. It's just not as easy as picking a number. If I had to I would say 5 is fair, but someone classically trained who would pick 5 would disagree.
Click to expand...

+1

I voted 5, because even though I've never had a lesson and cannot sight read, I understand basic chord theory (having played a lot of rythym guitar in my folky days) and have been teaching myself scales, modes, etc....
 
#69
T-MOST said:
Half the bassists out there (pro and otherwise) recording and making $$$ would not rate higher than a 6 according to this scale. I know a few guys who can play anything and have done major work with major artists but don't rate higher than a 6 by this scale but make a good living playing only music. So to me it's invalid.
Click to expand...

Same here. No offense.

I had formal training on trumpet through high school. No formal training on bass. Don't have to read anything more complicated than a chord chart on most gigs. Probably know several thousand songs from memory and can play them immediately, in any key... and not just the bass lines. I have the entire arrangements stored in my head.

So where would that fit on that list?:smug:

Sightreading and charting may come in handy for some musical jobs but they're hardly a barometer for how "good" someone is on bass IMO.

I make enough to cover the toys... and I have lots of toys;)
 
#70
Based on the scale I picked 5. I'm a self learner and do better learning things on my own rather than learning in a formal setting. Since the scale is geared towards formal learning, I will probably never advance beyond 5, nor would I want to.
 
#71
I'd give myself a 7.5. I don't think I'll ever get any higher up on the scale than that considering that music isn't my career... It was music or EE, and guess what I picked ;)

I've been playing for 14 years total, gigging over a decade, teaching from time to time, and doing the odd bit of work in the studio. Picking up bass is the second best decision I've ever made!
 
#72
markjazzbassist said:
you scale is skewed. all the levels are for those of learned bass players. what about those of us who have learned by ear? what about the people who don't wanna arrange and learn theory, and just wanna groove your pants off?
Click to expand...

That ties into something I've seen on more than one occassion: I've seen formally trained musicians dropped into situations with no sheet music and it wasn't pretty. Many people "can't" play by ear... so how "good" would they be when you factor that in?
:D
 
#74
I'd say 6 for me, might be a 6.5 or 7 by next summer if I keep working on my reading and continue to do well in my theory classes. My goal is to be able to sightread out of the Charlie Parker Omnibook, which I bought out of pure ambition.

My biggest weakness at this point is looking at jazz lead sheets and being able to walk a bassline over the chords. I can sightread walking lines without a problem, but take away the sheet music and things get hairy. I can handle stuff like All Blues, Impressions, and a 12 bar blues all right, but Confirmation is giving me hell.
 
#77
Weird poll, because how am I supposed to rate myself when I have to have been playing for a number of years to be rated highly?

I'll be honest I'm no virtuoso but have enough technique to cut most any gig and can read sheet music very well (classically trained pianist).

But no, I can't arrange a big band, or strings. But I can write and arrange songs on an ensemble level.

I do have a good knowledge of theory and harmony and focus mostly on straight ahead jazz.
 
#80
I iz over-educamated....Degree...private jazz theory lessons for years..play piano and guitar, read or by ear. Getting gigs on guitar now. I sit at home and read f---ing Schoenberg for FUN. I developed the freakish ability to read upside down, and in any clef. I sit and transcribe movements from Aaron Copland pieces for fun. I have no life..

But I now I have a day job and have for many years, and most people my age I know who are full time players are jealous.
 

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