Thanks for asking. I'm a complete novice playing for almost two years now, but I'm better than I was last month and I do have a lot of fun. I cannot/will not slap and I had to Google the term "chops because I wasn't 100% sure what it meant.....
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I read once that Coltrane said something similar in response to the same question:
"Well, I'm working on my tone."
I can learn quickly most of what I need to learn to work steadily. I don’t have great improv skills so I shy away from open mics. Jazz is beyond me. I know when NOT to play, which is sometimes a hard lesson to learn.
I'm your basic average bass player. I've played in mostly cover bands and haven't found anything I can't play yet. Some are harder than others, and take longer, but most I can pick up pretty quick. I played in one mostly originals band and that was a lot of fun. I like being the first bass player to ever have played a song.
I suck! But, I know basic music theory. I know how a bass is supposed to sound in a band. Simple is best. Play bass! Let everyone else play what they play.
Peace!
Peace!
okay so I'm decentI hope this thread doesn't devolve as much as I think it will, so prove me wrong Talkbass!
I want to know how good you are, and how it relates to the amount of time you've been playing.
For the purposes of this thread, "good" means technical ability, or chops so to speak. Playing fast, playing clean, playing with good taste, being versatile, knowing different techniques, being able to play in different styles, can you learn difficult pieces? etc.
(Yes I know playing root fifth third is also good, but we're looking at chops today).
I know for a lot of people the natural reflex is to say "Ahh I'm not that good" and minimize their actual skill level. Don't be humble! Be objective as to how you compare to other musicians around you, and pros. No one is judging you here! (But don't exaggerate your skill either)
I can't slap worth a damn right handed but use to be able when I was playing lefty other than that something someone else wrote about me very humbling http://www.ralphbarone.me/rob-pizapio-aka-mr-rt-slinger.html
Over four decades, my body of work would suggest I've been a very good bassist, but personally, I've never been as good as I've wanted to be. At this point in life, I'm fully content with just loving music and doing my very best to competently contribute to it whenever I can.
If you mean speed on the neck whilst playing clean notes, check the improv file called 'chops' and judge for yourself. For a more philosophical point of view:
How 'good' I am depends on the company I keep and is always relative to the situation. Sometimes I'm the best musician in the room, sometimes I am severely humbled by the (technical) skills of others. What is truly important in my opinion is how well you mesh with other musicians and what you are able to create out of the moment as a unit. The best experiences I have had up until now are the moments when every one is having fun and finding 'the zone' as a superorganism, rather than those jam sessions where the parts of the sum individually need specific moments to shine on their own. Everyone needs some sort of a baseline of skill to start from, but in general it's not about how good you are as a player, but what your group is able to pull out of the creative aether as a collective.
How good am I am as an individual? Well, I don't know music theory nor do I really know scales.. So realistically speaking I am limited in that regard as I'm simply too lazy to actually study anything. I do have a pretty decent ear and up until so far (I started playing bass in 2008) I've been able to get by with just knowing my instrument and simply listening to the rest and vibing off of what is being played. My basslines are usually pretty simple, but I can hold a groove and I find pride and joy in serving the song.
My latest contribution was to the piece enclosed (called 'track'). it's not a difficult bassline by any stretch of means, so I guess you don't have to be very 'good' to be able to play it. I am however very pleased with the thought that I just walked in and was able to improvise a bassline that vibes on the right frequency with the rest of the track. In my opinion, if you can pull that off, you're good enough and the rest is situational.
How 'good' I am depends on the company I keep and is always relative to the situation. Sometimes I'm the best musician in the room, sometimes I am severely humbled by the (technical) skills of others. What is truly important in my opinion is how well you mesh with other musicians and what you are able to create out of the moment as a unit. The best experiences I have had up until now are the moments when every one is having fun and finding 'the zone' as a superorganism, rather than those jam sessions where the parts of the sum individually need specific moments to shine on their own. Everyone needs some sort of a baseline of skill to start from, but in general it's not about how good you are as a player, but what your group is able to pull out of the creative aether as a collective.
How good am I am as an individual? Well, I don't know music theory nor do I really know scales.. So realistically speaking I am limited in that regard as I'm simply too lazy to actually study anything. I do have a pretty decent ear and up until so far (I started playing bass in 2008) I've been able to get by with just knowing my instrument and simply listening to the rest and vibing off of what is being played. My basslines are usually pretty simple, but I can hold a groove and I find pride and joy in serving the song.
My latest contribution was to the piece enclosed (called 'track'). it's not a difficult bassline by any stretch of means, so I guess you don't have to be very 'good' to be able to play it. I am however very pleased with the thought that I just walked in and was able to improvise a bassline that vibes on the right frequency with the rest of the track. In my opinion, if you can pull that off, you're good enough and the rest is situational.
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Not nearly as good as I could be, considering that I've been playing for four decades. 
On the plus side, I learn quickly by ear. I'm talking about bass lines in rock/pop genres -- I'm a total hack at jazz. I listen well and can sometimes fake my way through tunes on the fly when subbing. These skills keep me busy as a weekend warrior: mostly cover bands, mostly bar gigs. Pre-covid I played in a half-dozen semi-regular bands, along with occasional sub gigs. I have even subbed with new bands on short notice with no prior rehearsal. Short-notice requires that I know some of the set list already, but I also subbed with an all-originals band with only 2 weeks lead time and no prior rehearsal.
My chops are adequate: I can play some Rush tunes pretty well, but that's my limit. No harmonics, tapping, fancy slap stuff.
On the downside: even though it has never been my intention to go pro, I should have worked on pro-level skills. I should have studied advanced music theory, including jazz. Expert chart-reading would be minimum, but after all this time I should have learned to sight-read. Last but definitely not least: I have a terrible singing voice, but I should have worked on it enough to give me reasonable backup vocal skills (as opposed to just "shout" vocals). Backup vocals would have increased my marketability tremendously! As it is now, when I get job offers, first thing out of my mouth is "I can't help you with backup vocals".
P.S. I was happy when the bassist son of a former bandmate said "hey, on your recommendation I took some singing lessons and can help my bands out with backup vocals!"
On the plus side, I learn quickly by ear. I'm talking about bass lines in rock/pop genres -- I'm a total hack at jazz. I listen well and can sometimes fake my way through tunes on the fly when subbing. These skills keep me busy as a weekend warrior: mostly cover bands, mostly bar gigs. Pre-covid I played in a half-dozen semi-regular bands, along with occasional sub gigs. I have even subbed with new bands on short notice with no prior rehearsal. Short-notice requires that I know some of the set list already, but I also subbed with an all-originals band with only 2 weeks lead time and no prior rehearsal.
My chops are adequate: I can play some Rush tunes pretty well, but that's my limit. No harmonics, tapping, fancy slap stuff.
On the downside: even though it has never been my intention to go pro, I should have worked on pro-level skills. I should have studied advanced music theory, including jazz. Expert chart-reading would be minimum, but after all this time I should have learned to sight-read. Last but definitely not least: I have a terrible singing voice, but I should have worked on it enough to give me reasonable backup vocal skills (as opposed to just "shout" vocals). Backup vocals would have increased my marketability tremendously! As it is now, when I get job offers, first thing out of my mouth is "I can't help you with backup vocals".
P.S. I was happy when the bassist son of a former bandmate said "hey, on your recommendation I took some singing lessons and can help my bands out with backup vocals!"
Just For background, I’ve been playing pretty seriously for right at 35 years, taking a couple of years off somewhere in the middle to get married and have some kids.
This almost seems like it should be one of those “What I think I do, what other people think I do” memes. That being said, I think I’m pretty good. I’ve been told that I am incredibly good. I have recordings of some of my live performances that I’m still kind of shocked that I played it. However, regardless of what I think, or what I’ve heard, I should really be a whole shaging lot better.
This almost seems like it should be one of those “What I think I do, what other people think I do” memes. That being said, I think I’m pretty good. I’ve been told that I am incredibly good. I have recordings of some of my live performances that I’m still kind of shocked that I played it. However, regardless of what I think, or what I’ve heard, I should really be a whole shaging lot better.
How good am I.... in my style playing rock music, I’m more of a Duff, Glenn Hughes not a Geddy or Flea for sure, but I’ve played Rush songs, I can learn and play rock music, can’t read, self taught and can play with fingers or pick .... can’t slap.
I was asked to write the bass parts and play on two cd’s that I’ve been told sounded pretty good ( yea, by people I don’t know or that I’m related to ).
Bands I’ve played in have played in “other countries “, have had flyaway gigs, played on TV...
Does any of this make me “good”, well as long as my wife says I am, and I’m ok’d to buy more gear I
don’t need........ that’s it
I was asked to write the bass parts and play on two cd’s that I’ve been told sounded pretty good ( yea, by people I don’t know or that I’m related to ).
Bands I’ve played in have played in “other countries “, have had flyaway gigs, played on TV...
Does any of this make me “good”, well as long as my wife says I am, and I’m ok’d to buy more gear I
don’t need........ that’s it
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I've seen bands with pretty pedestrian bass players rise up outta the local scene and do very well for themselves. Bearing that in mind, I think I'm probably a lot better than I really NEED to be.
I’m a member of the Mediocre Bassists Club. Does that tell you anything?
I hope this thread doesn't devolve as much as I think it will, so prove me wrong Talkbass!
I want to know how good you are, and how it relates to the amount of time you've been playing.
For the purposes of this thread, "good" means technical ability, or chops so to speak. Playing fast, playing clean, playing with good taste, being versatile, knowing different techniques, being able to play in different styles, can you learn difficult pieces? etc.
(Yes I know playing root fifth third is also good, but we're looking at chops today).
I know for a lot of people the natural reflex is to say "Ahh I'm not that good" and minimize their actual skill level. Don't be humble! Be objective as to how you compare to other musicians around you, and pros. No one is judging you here! (But don't exaggerate your skill either
I started in '63 and played heavily until quitting in 1970 for almost the next 35 years. I was good at listening to a song and then playing by ear. I got back into playing bass around 2004 and have been playing ever since. Of note, was I auditioned to join a band when I turned 70 and I learned more about playing than I had ever played before. In particular, I was always a 'lead bass' kind of guy with hero's like Jack Bruce, Jack Casady and Phil Lesh. But what I learned for the first time ever, was how to play with a drummer, which really means listening. I feel I have never played better. I know, duh? Point is, you are never too old to learn.
Probably already said or should have been said...That I'm not pro but good enough to convince people to pay me and ask me back.
