I play fewer notes and try to be more judicious with slides. Clothes haven't changed too much in 45 years
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How have you changed as a bass player?
- Thread starter tb-player
- Start date
That actually makes me feel a lot better. Maybe I will get a teacher. Thanks for the lift.
I've been playing since 99...
- I've gone through the "get a multi FX" to "fill up a pedalboard" to "think better about effects should you need them" phase...
- I lost the fear of cutting the highs and boosting a bit of lows.
- I have learned that Ampeg's Ultra-Lo button can be useful at times.
- Improved my transcribing and reading sheetmusic abilities.
- Enlarged my chord dictionary.
- I've gone through the "get a multi FX" to "fill up a pedalboard" to "think better about effects should you need them" phase...
- I lost the fear of cutting the highs and boosting a bit of lows.
- I have learned that Ampeg's Ultra-Lo button can be useful at times.
- Improved my transcribing and reading sheetmusic abilities.
- Enlarged my chord dictionary.
Lots of good comments. A couple of mine that I either missed or nobody mentioned:
- I care a lot less if I make a mistake on stage. Now I'm like "oooo, this will be fun to get out of".
- I care a lot less about gear. If a backline amp is loud enough and doesn't fail, I'm happy.
- I care a lot less about what other musicians might think about my playing.
In summary, I care a lot less.
- I care a lot less if I make a mistake on stage. Now I'm like "oooo, this will be fun to get out of".
- I care a lot less about gear. If a backline amp is loud enough and doesn't fail, I'm happy.
- I care a lot less about what other musicians might think about my playing.
In summary, I care a lot less.
* I searched for my ideal tone and purchased instruments and pickups
* I started hearing drums and other instruments in the gigs
* I can play what I want to play
* I discovered my weakness and keep working at it
* I always use the metronome and don't fear recording my playing
* I don't envy what others play anymore
* I started hearing drums and other instruments in the gigs
* I can play what I want to play
* I discovered my weakness and keep working at it
* I always use the metronome and don't fear recording my playing
* I don't envy what others play anymore
I started playing around 1983, and played sporadically through 1992, after which I went ten years without even touching a bass. Since 2002, I've played in several bands and two musical theatre shows. With this, my playing has gone through several phases. The biggest turning points and changes:
1. Taking music theory in college, which gave me a much better understanding of music generally, including bass parts. It helped when I played a musical the following summer, and years later, it helped when I started playing in original bands.
2. Around 1990, playing originals for the first time. I immediately preferred working on originals to covers, and have mostly played in original bands since I returned to playing in 2002. In those bands, my ability to develop my own parts improved considerably.
3. Recording for the first time, in the 2002-03 time frame, which was a rude awakening about my sloppy technique. I cleaned that up very quickly.
4. In 2008, switching to pick playing due to a finger joint problem. Even though I had played guitar longer than bass, the change was challenging at first. I've grown to like it.
5. In 2014, playing a musical theater show. I had not read music in many years and had always had weak reading skills, so I had to develop those in short order. (I also listened to the Broadway cast recording.) I practiced more than I ever had before, sometimes four hours a day. My playing improved dramatically, and after that my original rock band felt like it was moving in slow motion.
6. In 2016, playing in a cover band with a diverse range of material, which improved my ear enormously. Because I had been playing in original bands or had sheet music, I had rarely needed to figure out bass parts by ear, so this was a fantastic education in learning how to listen.
7. Gear-wise, the biggest changes were downsizing to a lightweight amp and cab, and learning to appreciate an active five courtesy of my G&L USA M-2500.
1. Taking music theory in college, which gave me a much better understanding of music generally, including bass parts. It helped when I played a musical the following summer, and years later, it helped when I started playing in original bands.
2. Around 1990, playing originals for the first time. I immediately preferred working on originals to covers, and have mostly played in original bands since I returned to playing in 2002. In those bands, my ability to develop my own parts improved considerably.
3. Recording for the first time, in the 2002-03 time frame, which was a rude awakening about my sloppy technique. I cleaned that up very quickly.
4. In 2008, switching to pick playing due to a finger joint problem. Even though I had played guitar longer than bass, the change was challenging at first. I've grown to like it.
5. In 2014, playing a musical theater show. I had not read music in many years and had always had weak reading skills, so I had to develop those in short order. (I also listened to the Broadway cast recording.) I practiced more than I ever had before, sometimes four hours a day. My playing improved dramatically, and after that my original rock band felt like it was moving in slow motion.
6. In 2016, playing in a cover band with a diverse range of material, which improved my ear enormously. Because I had been playing in original bands or had sheet music, I had rarely needed to figure out bass parts by ear, so this was a fantastic education in learning how to listen.
7. Gear-wise, the biggest changes were downsizing to a lightweight amp and cab, and learning to appreciate an active five courtesy of my G&L USA M-2500.
I started playing when I was 17, back in the stone age of 2001.
- I started on 5 strings back then, and I still prefer 5 for a lot of things, but my precision bass gets a lot of love these days.
- I've chilled out on my playing a TON over the years.
- I still dislike playing covers UNLESS I really like the people I'm playing with.
- It took a lot of personal growth over the years to really understand that playing music is one of only ways I can really express myself emotionally.
- It took even longer to fully come to grips with the fact that I have some really bad audio processing issues (these are far worse with language) and that my synesthesia is a form of that.
- I'm still grappling with the fact that despite being a mediocre bass player at best, people keep wanting to make music with me and are willing to grow and learn with me.
- I found I vastly prefer playing fretless for everything because tone wise, I like it a lot more.
- I still suck at learning new songs by ear, but I can pick up a new song from charts/sheet music/tab/scribbled notes in a matter of minutes
- I prefer recording and doing stuff in a studio to playing on a stage
One of these days I might actually reach out and try to find a teacher for music, if only to get a better handle on some of the theory and compositional aspects of music that I've had issues learning on my own.
- I started on 5 strings back then, and I still prefer 5 for a lot of things, but my precision bass gets a lot of love these days.
- I've chilled out on my playing a TON over the years.
- I still dislike playing covers UNLESS I really like the people I'm playing with.
- It took a lot of personal growth over the years to really understand that playing music is one of only ways I can really express myself emotionally.
- It took even longer to fully come to grips with the fact that I have some really bad audio processing issues (these are far worse with language) and that my synesthesia is a form of that.
- I'm still grappling with the fact that despite being a mediocre bass player at best, people keep wanting to make music with me and are willing to grow and learn with me.
- I found I vastly prefer playing fretless for everything because tone wise, I like it a lot more.
- I still suck at learning new songs by ear, but I can pick up a new song from charts/sheet music/tab/scribbled notes in a matter of minutes
- I prefer recording and doing stuff in a studio to playing on a stage
One of these days I might actually reach out and try to find a teacher for music, if only to get a better handle on some of the theory and compositional aspects of music that I've had issues learning on my own.
At least you know yourself and are comfortable with your place in the music. It’s not unusual to not get the cover songs note for note. Most groups are not picky about that. Just get the hook line! Lol! Occasionally, you’ll get the anal player (s) who insist on it. I think it’s very important to cop the feel of the song.
Glad you like the fretless. Been concentrating on it much more in the last 13 years. I love it. So much more able to be expressive!
Now! Let’s talk about the Stone Age of 2001!
I guess I started in the Mesozoic of 1978!Lol..just kidding.
Just enjoy!!
When I want to do covers of stuff, I can nail them 100%, usually down to the tone of the recording. I don't like doing that though, so, I don't. Its an enjoyment thing for me usually, I'd rather have a chill group of people doing some work on original music, where I have some flexibility to write cool bass lines that help drive and define the songs.
I'm in two originals bands and a third that focuses on some really cool covers of video-game themes and music, THAT is shaping up to be a super cool project but it's taking some fiddling and jostling of people to make it work.
I usually need to throw a big asterisk whenever I refer to myself as a mediocre* player... I have great technical chops, great timing and good intonation, I can play super high bpm metal stuff finger style and my pick playing is getting there... BUT it usually takes me longer than average to learn stuff and I'm reallllyyyy bad at picking up a riff from my guitar player playing it a few times and then remembering it/having it down without writing it down or practicing it a bunch.
Its an avenue of musical development I'm still working at.
Yes on all you said, I am at the point that my bass sounds really good, stays in tune, I am fine with it. I cant justify spending $5000 for a bass that sounds 5% better than my $300 bass. Also does not stay in tune any better than my current bass does. Would I like a more expensive bass? sure, but I only gig 1 or 2 times per month. actually how much better is a $5000 bass compared to a good $300 bass other than the finish? 16 times better? compared to what I have seen over the 25+ years of playing, I would say 1.5 times better, again, mainly the finish..
I played bass in a keyboard driven church band. The keys player quit Saturday night, I was playing keys Sunday AM. But, I never had any lessons, I could read a little music from being in the HS band 40 years ago, we grew up with a piano in the house, I knew all the notes, some chords, no lessons, that was it.
Another bass player showed up 2 weeks later.
I ended up playing keys for 5 years, never learned so much about music, chords, keys, in my life. All of our music just had chords above the words. Filled in the rest. This greatly improved my bass playing skills.
This may sound odd, but I started in high school orchestra. In that setting, practice was indeed all the practice I did - I played upright bass and didn't have one at home, so the only practicing I could do was in orchestra class. Then I had a long layoff (1973 to 1997).
When I joined a surf band 24 years later, I didn't realize that I needed to show up to practice with my parts already worked out. That just hadn't been part of my training. It took me a while to figure out that I had missed something, and I needed to do work ahead of time.
Now (although my practice habits are still weak) I know that I need to work out everything in the set before showing up to practice, so that we can concentrate on working out timing and any odd parts that need to be refined in a group setting.
Some other things I've learned:
I don't have a "tone." I can always get a sound I like out of any amp and bass I've owned or used at a jam. All I care about is getting a sound that's pleasing to me. It can be different every night.
My ears aren't what they used to be, so I don't hear many subtle differences between basses. I often wonder what people are talking about with some of the differences they claim to hear between basses (especially with differences in wood and pickups.) I'm still not sure how often they're hearing something I don't, and how often they're simply describing "psycho-acoustics" that are all in their head.
When I joined a surf band 24 years later, I didn't realize that I needed to show up to practice with my parts already worked out. That just hadn't been part of my training. It took me a while to figure out that I had missed something, and I needed to do work ahead of time.
Now (although my practice habits are still weak) I know that I need to work out everything in the set before showing up to practice, so that we can concentrate on working out timing and any odd parts that need to be refined in a group setting.
Some other things I've learned:
I don't have a "tone." I can always get a sound I like out of any amp and bass I've owned or used at a jam. All I care about is getting a sound that's pleasing to me. It can be different every night.
My ears aren't what they used to be, so I don't hear many subtle differences between basses. I often wonder what people are talking about with some of the differences they claim to hear between basses (especially with differences in wood and pickups.) I'm still not sure how often they're hearing something I don't, and how often they're simply describing "psycho-acoustics" that are all in their head.
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