Mark Wilson
Supporting Member
Yeah you are. ESPECIALLY if you're going to marry Emma Watson!
Yea!
A big shot movie star like her will be wooed when my pickup line is "hey baby. I'm maybe a 4 in person. But on bass, i'm an 8.
"
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How good are you at bass? (read 1st post before voting)
- Thread starter DanielleMuscato
- Start date
Yea!
A big shot movie star like her will be wooed when my pickup line is "hey baby. I'm maybe a 4 in person. But on bass, i'm an 8.
"
I rated myself a 5, but that's based somewhat on my guitar training also. I took theory and classical guitar in college and can read, but not sight read at tempo (I have to work it out measure by measure - tedious). I've never had a bass lesson, although I'm sure it would be beneficial. Pretty much self-taught on bass, and learn most stuff the old fashioned way, by listening to the recording.
One thing I don't do is think in terms of scales and modes. I mean, yes, I learned something about scales and modes way back when, but I just play the notes it takes to make it sound like the song, and don't think about if its G Mixilodian or what.
One thing I don't do is think in terms of scales and modes. I mean, yes, I learned something about scales and modes way back when, but I just play the notes it takes to make it sound like the song, and don't think about if its G Mixilodian or what.
I thought I'd be a 1 since I only picked up a bass and started learning at home about a month ago.
I can read music (no lessons, just from books), know a little about theory from books (but still very confused by most of it), can play a small number of 'easier' classic rock songs all the way through, and can write my own music to some riffs I played around with recently.
I'm not sure I have an 'ear' developed yet, but for those songs I just listened through the headphones and figured out which note to start with and then walked my way around to what sounded right, then wrote the notes down.
I find I actually have a good groove, problem is I know so little I don't get very far when I try to improvise on the fly. If I sit down and work my way around a song I can write out the notes and then play it.
I can read music (no lessons, just from books), know a little about theory from books (but still very confused by most of it), can play a small number of 'easier' classic rock songs all the way through, and can write my own music to some riffs I played around with recently.
I'm not sure I have an 'ear' developed yet, but for those songs I just listened through the headphones and figured out which note to start with and then walked my way around to what sounded right, then wrote the notes down.
I find I actually have a good groove, problem is I know so little I don't get very far when I try to improvise on the fly. If I sit down and work my way around a song I can write out the notes and then play it.
I know several posters who teach Jazz at college level...like Chris Fitzgerald, although most of them lurk on the DB side...?
- Aug 21, 2003
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I play, sight read and write. I'll never be a pro in my own mind so I stay a very happy and gigging and recording intermediate.
Im another one of those...according to this scale, Im about a 4 but my technical skills and ear are probably at an 8. I started out in lessons with music theory and reading for the first 3 years, then I started feeling boxed in and needed to just get out and play. Thats what I did and my playing took off. That was the best thing for me, to get a foundation and then do my own thing.
What I am interested in knowing is....is this poll outcome relative to the length of how long a given person has been playing. I went with '3' because I only just started playing again back in November. I practice sight reading, time signature studies, and music theory at every practice but my ear training is VERY sub-par. Is this something that only improves over time or is this something that one has to deliberately train oneself to be proficient in? I am curious to know, these people who answered say 5 or higher how long have they been playing?
Put myself at a stinking 5, took an average to get there. I'm more of an improv guy who can't read music.
I was talking to my old guitard a few weeks ago, he's been playing for 30+ years w/ no formal theory, he had just started taking lessons on modes. He said the funny thing was that he knew 75% of what this guy was teaching, but he had always just called it 'taste and intuition'. What's the point you ask... I believe that years of experience and 'working' as a musician is as good as theory training.
If you know how to play it, but you can't name it, does that make you less of a musician??
I was talking to my old guitard a few weeks ago, he's been playing for 30+ years w/ no formal theory, he had just started taking lessons on modes. He said the funny thing was that he knew 75% of what this guy was teaching, but he had always just called it 'taste and intuition'. What's the point you ask... I believe that years of experience and 'working' as a musician is as good as theory training.
If you know how to play it, but you can't name it, does that make you less of a musician??
I put myself at a 6. I would have been a 7 but I didn't know what a neopolitan sixth was.
(But I looked it up in wikipedia so now I'm a 7!
Really happy with my progress today )
I'm not sure that this belongs in 9/10:
You can transcribe Paul Chambers (except that you call him PC),
Anyone at the 5 level should be able to transcribe PC.
Perhaps it needs to be something like:
"You can transcribe coltrane without slowing down the recording"
or something like that...
(But I looked it up in wikipedia so now I'm a 7!
Really happy with my progress today )I'm not sure that this belongs in 9/10:
You can transcribe Paul Chambers (except that you call him PC),
Anyone at the 5 level should be able to transcribe PC.
Perhaps it needs to be something like:
"You can transcribe coltrane without slowing down the recording"
or something like that...
Nope.
The obvious exceptions are if you are going to be a session person or hired gun that needs to be able to walk in and sight read on the go.
I would say 6, I feel like if I practiced more I could be much better, I wish I had more time. I feel like my ear is very good, I can arrange different parts but cannot read. I pretty much do everything by ear and feel. If I took the time to learn all of the theory and to sight read I would be at an 8. But I am 6 and thats ok, my gear is a 9 or 10 but I don't think that helps my rating out. Cheers
With all due respect to the OP, if it sounds good it is good. To me, it seems like the "standards" you set forth are what somebody at a low level of playing would imagine a high level jazz player to be capable of.
Where would Gary Willis fit into this?
1. Doesn't sight read very well on bass, let alone any other instrument (acknowledges this in many interviews)
2. Has not arranged anything that I am aware of
3. I am also not aware that he is a big transcriber (please correct me)
By the same token, what about a guy with a music degree who can arrange, transcribe and sight read on three instruments but:
1. Rushes like hell
2. Has iffy intonation
3. Has ideas that don't resolve well, if at all
4. Gets lost frequently, even when reading charts
5. Isn't even fun to hang out with after the gig
If you get the opportunity to hear great musicians talk about their favorite local bassist, you will rarely hear the words "transcribe" "degree" and/or "arrangement" (okay, maybe arrangement in rare circumstances). More likely, you will hear "time", "intonation", "ideas" and "nice" (or "fun".)
There are alot of drummers and horn players in my area which would be the equivalent of your "9-10" that I would never call for a gig.
Where would Gary Willis fit into this?
1. Doesn't sight read very well on bass, let alone any other instrument (acknowledges this in many interviews)
2. Has not arranged anything that I am aware of
3. I am also not aware that he is a big transcriber (please correct me)
By the same token, what about a guy with a music degree who can arrange, transcribe and sight read on three instruments but:
1. Rushes like hell
2. Has iffy intonation
3. Has ideas that don't resolve well, if at all
4. Gets lost frequently, even when reading charts
5. Isn't even fun to hang out with after the gig
If you get the opportunity to hear great musicians talk about their favorite local bassist, you will rarely hear the words "transcribe" "degree" and/or "arrangement" (okay, maybe arrangement in rare circumstances). More likely, you will hear "time", "intonation", "ideas" and "nice" (or "fun".)
There are alot of drummers and horn players in my area which would be the equivalent of your "9-10" that I would never call for a gig.
I'm around a 4. I've been playing for a little while; and although I haven't had any proper bass lessons I have a sketchy musical background including clarinet, guitar, and classical guitar lessons. I can read tabs and sheet music and have had some music theory training (although I'm trying to remember it all, since the last time I studied it properly was about 8 years ago). I could probably play some simple basslines if I tried, but I'm nowhere near playing out yet.
I'd say I'm roughly a 6.5 because although I have learned and understand a lot of theory over the years and have done a lot of sight reading in Jazz Band in college, I have no need for... that ..stuff cause... it's...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
huh?? wha??? someone say something?
huh?? wha??? someone say something?
- Jun 19, 2004
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Irrelevant, maybe, but not invalid. If you want to read about making a living playing bass, check out the Band Management forum. There are plenty of threads over there about it. I started this thread because I know one has little to do with the other, but I wanted to know, because of that fact, how much players still choose to learn in spite of it. It's not all about money.
Those comments could be made about players from any background train or untrained, amateur or pro. It all boils down to if or when someone "gets it" about music. What time is about, what groove is about (all music has its groove), what playing together is about, knowing your craft and developing the skills and ear. Learning to make music flow out of you when you play.
There are highly trained musicians who play technical perfection but it sounds sterol. There are ear player who can rip off amazing riffs and tone, but their time and phrasing sucks. They both amaze some people, but they aren't playing music. Music has to have Soul whether it be Classical, Jazz, Blues, or Rock to sound good has to be played with Soul.
