I have been playing bass for a year and after just exploring music and just life in general I realized I want to become a pro bassist . My playing is OK but I feel I'm bad and probably won't make it to being a pro but anyways I would like to know the steps needed to become pro or at least close to it. BTW my style is typically roots, fifths, thirds, octaves and chromatic and diatonic movement
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How to become a pro bassist?
- Thread starter Jay boogs
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1) Practice
2) Get in a band and learn how to function with a drummer. Join the first band you can and play with others. Play styles you don't even like (as they will teach you something).
3) Network - Meet with any pro musician you can find. Find out what they did. Find out who they know. Go to open mic nights. Go to other bands' shows.
4) If practice and playing and networking in a band doesn't get you moving in the right direction quickly enough try formal lessons/education. Then repeat steps 1-3.
2) Get in a band and learn how to function with a drummer. Join the first band you can and play with others. Play styles you don't even like (as they will teach you something).
3) Network - Meet with any pro musician you can find. Find out what they did. Find out who they know. Go to open mic nights. Go to other bands' shows.
4) If practice and playing and networking in a band doesn't get you moving in the right direction quickly enough try formal lessons/education. Then repeat steps 1-3.
Be as good at business and networking as you are at playing and understand the rule of supply and demand.
You've been playing for a year. You don't have a "style".
All "pro" means is getting paid to play.
1 Play with people better than you as often as possible. Learn from your mistakes.
2 Take every paying gig you are offered. Make them glad they hired you.
3
4 Pro.
Define "pro" -
Covers/function band player
Touring/studio session musician
Bassist with successful originals band
Any way you play it, you'll need to work hard at networking, running multiple jobs at the same time, and giving music lessons on the side to pay your bills. You'll need to be 10x smarter with money than your friends and work 20x harder.
My 2c
Covers/function band player
Touring/studio session musician
Bassist with successful originals band
Any way you play it, you'll need to work hard at networking, running multiple jobs at the same time, and giving music lessons on the side to pay your bills. You'll need to be 10x smarter with money than your friends and work 20x harder.
My 2c
Couldn't have been said any betterDefine "pro" -
Covers/function band player
Touring/studio session musician
Bassist with successful originals band
Any way you play it, you'll need to work hard at networking, running multiple jobs at the same time, and giving music lessons on the side to pay your bills. You'll need to be 10x smarter with money than your friends and work 20x harder.
My 2c
Bruh, all pro means is getting paid to do what you do. You've only been playing a year, practice practice practice every day even if it's for 30 minutes. Your skills will increase, just slowly. I've been a musician for 13 years, and been playing bass for over 8 years. I'm good but not where I want to be yet. Be patient and PRACTICE!!!
I agree, all "pro" means is that someone pays you to play. You can literally suck on your given instrument and be one of the lucky ones who stumbles into being paid well. Those cases are of course the exception but anyhow...
You've only been playing a short while so cut yourself slack and just focus on doing music all the time, with as many different people and as many different styles of music as you can get yourself involved with. And in this day and age, I feel the MOST important thing is, don't just focus on bass. Start now learning about recording and computer music production, start writing, etc. That's ultimately where the money is, in the writing.
You've only been playing a short while so cut yourself slack and just focus on doing music all the time, with as many different people and as many different styles of music as you can get yourself involved with. And in this day and age, I feel the MOST important thing is, don't just focus on bass. Start now learning about recording and computer music production, start writing, etc. That's ultimately where the money is, in the writing.
The number one thing I can think of:
Cleanliness.
As in, near perfect levels of precision and timing in everything you play. No flubbing any notes, no inconsistency in your plucking, no wandering in and out of tempo.
Especially if you're going to try to be a hired gun or recording artist, you have to be able to play things perfectly the first time.
Even if you're only playing simple songs, this is a much harder proposition than it sounds on the face of it. It takes years and years of hard dedicated practice to make even a simple bassline not sound like crap on a DI track.
Hell, I've been at it for 15 years now, and I'm only starting to get to the point where I can play the stuff that I want cleanly.
Cleanliness.
As in, near perfect levels of precision and timing in everything you play. No flubbing any notes, no inconsistency in your plucking, no wandering in and out of tempo.
Especially if you're going to try to be a hired gun or recording artist, you have to be able to play things perfectly the first time.
Even if you're only playing simple songs, this is a much harder proposition than it sounds on the face of it. It takes years and years of hard dedicated practice to make even a simple bassline not sound like crap on a DI track.
Hell, I've been at it for 15 years now, and I'm only starting to get to the point where I can play the stuff that I want cleanly.
For what it sounds I will sell my first song at 31
Define "pro" -
Covers/function band player
Touring/studio session musician
Bassist with successful originals band
Any way you play it, you'll need to work hard at networking, running multiple jobs at the same time, and giving music lessons on the side to pay your bills. You'll need to be 10x smarter with money than your friends and work 20x harder.
My 2c
As a working "pro"... you will, like me, probably do all of the above. And I recommend learning to be a bartender as well...
- Get a teacher. Should be someone who has been there done that. I've been playing for decades and I still go to a teacher sometimes. Go to YouTube and search "Lamont Johnson bass". That's my teacher.
- Pick 10 songs that you really like. Learn to play them.
- Pick three songs you don't like. Learn to play them.
- Meet other bass players. Your teacher can help with that. If you are in a decent sized metropolitan area, look for Facebook groups of bassists and other musicians. For example, if you are in Detroit, Detroit Bass Players is a very active group of bass player, many of whom are professionals and play for artists that you more than likely have on your smartphone.
- What two-fingers said
- What Odinbass said
- What bass12 said.
There's no quick, easy, or guaranteed road to becoming a professional musician - or anything else that involves skill and good judgement.
You bring the commitment, put in the time, and do your best to be smart about things. And after you've done all you possibly can on your side of the equation - you hope for the best, and maybe say a prayer if that's your thing.
There's an old saying that chance favors the guy who's best prepared. And it's true. So practice. Learn all you can about the biz. Be flexible. And there's a very good chance you'll pull it off and make it as a pro.
Luck!
You bring the commitment, put in the time, and do your best to be smart about things. And after you've done all you possibly can on your side of the equation - you hope for the best, and maybe say a prayer if that's your thing.
There's an old saying that chance favors the guy who's best prepared. And it's true. So practice. Learn all you can about the biz. Be flexible. And there's a very good chance you'll pull it off and make it as a pro.
Luck!
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