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How to know if you're good?

#21
Music is the ultimate team sport. Playing bass is more about making the other members of the band look good rather than trying to impress people with your technical prowess.

The guitar play and singer in my band stand on my shoulders all night long, and I try to keep them in the spotlight until the last note is played.

My drummer and I try to set a stage large enough for the rest of the players to perform Hamlet on.

I would say the measure of how good you are isn't about what you can do that I cannot. It isn't about how long you've been playing or how many basses you own.

It's not even found in the number of other bassists who think you are greatest bass player ever to come out of where ever it is you come out of.

The measure of a bass players worth is found in the number of very talented people that want you to play bass for them.

I have to have some of the best people in my area playing in my band. They are all so much more blessed with ability than I am, yet they genuinely like having me on the team.

Can other people play circles around me in a solo type setting? Sure.

Does that have any bearing in a co-operative effort like a gig? Not so much.
 
#33
alpha males march to the beat of their own drum... they don't go measuring themselves up against each other because the true alpha male sits above & beyond competitive jostling...

if you have to consider your place in the hierarchy for one second... you ain't the alpha male

sorry, sonny :) either change your name or get practicing with that bass (real bass practice, no 'shredding' now) :bassist:
 
#34
You can measure how many notes per second you are able to play.
You can measure how good you are at reading music.
You can measure how tightly you play.

But you can't measure how good you are at playing music. However, if you as a bassist are getting lots of gigs with different bands, you know you're on the right track at least. That's about how close you get to the answer to your question how good you are.
 
#36
What does shredding got to do with playing bass??? Bass is a support instrument no matter what style of music you're playing. Also people develop at different rates. A lot guys you may think aren't developing fast, but musicially they are way ahead of everyone and their technique/chops will catch up. You might fit into that category.

Want to know if you're good, if other good musicians are asking you to play with them and asking you back, your doing good. People calling you to play paying gigs and your picking up other gigs from those gigs, you're doing good. Go to a Cut Sesson and hold your own, you're doing good. When you don't have to ask am I good and have confidence in your playing you're good.
 
#37
DocBop said:
What does shredding got to do with playing bass??? Bass is a support instrument no matter what style of music you're playing. Also people develop at different rates. A lot guys you may think aren't developing fast, but musicially they are way ahead of everyone and their technique/chops will catch up. You might fit into that category.

Want to know if you're good, if other good musicians are asking you to play with them and asking you back, your doing good. People calling you to play paying gigs and your picking up other gigs from those gigs, you're doing good. Go to a Cut Sesson and hold your own, you're doing good. When you don't have to ask am I good and have confidence in your playing you're good.
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Excellent post, Doc -

I'm one who hopes to fit into the catagory you so-well explain in your first paragraph! That sort of inspired me; seeing it put like that. My fretboard tapping is really coming-around these days - after struggling with it for over a year! ..Man! -am I starting to groove in that style now; even with NOT- two-part, bass-plus chords (admittedly, usually 'two-note chords'.. ahem) - I mean just the bass line - some songs just groove better for me with my hands dancing in tap-technique position.

I keep thinking to myself "am I good enough yet to post a clip up on the Technique Forum for critique yet?"

Thanks -

Joe
 
#38
AlphaMale,
I hope you take a serious look at all the replies to your question. I also hope you view these replies as a learning experience. "Shredding" someone has nothing to do with be a good musician. Keep working at your craft and don't worry about how to measure if you're good or not. :bassist:
 
#39
DocBop said:
What does shredding got to do with playing bass??? Bass is a support instrument no matter what style of music you're playing. Also people develop at different rates. A lot guys you may think aren't developing fast, but musicially they are way ahead of everyone and their technique/chops will catch up. You might fit into that category.

Want to know if you're good, if other good musicians are asking you to play with them and asking you back, your doing good. People calling you to play paying gigs and your picking up other gigs from those gigs, you're doing good. Go to a Cut Sesson and hold your own, you're doing good. When you don't have to ask am I good and have confidence in your playing you're good.
Click to expand...

+1!!!!!! Another thing, while it's good to have confidence in your playing it's another thing to come off like a jerk. For example, if you're out on the field, rink, court talking crap about how great you are and how you can take this guy or that guy, then you lose me as a fan and friend. If you come out and let your play do the talking and have other folks, without being asked, tell you your good and then you have the maturity to graciously accept praise and not let it go to your head, then I think you're on the right track. I am confident in my abilities as a bass player, because like DocBop pointed out, I am playing gigs, getting gigs, getting asked to sit in, fill in, and to do studio work. It's not at all because I am an unbelievable bass player. It's because I am solid fundamentally and have an above average ear. But more importantly, I have been told this many times, is because I am very easy to work with, giving as a musician and have a sense of humor. The second you start pulling the "I can out-shread" this guy or that girl, and GEEZ DO I HATE that term, you start alienating yourself and lose in my opinion the true intention of the music, the creativity and companionship. You can be a virtuoso, but if let your ego get in the way of learning to be a complete musician and more importantly a complete person, it's going to be very lonely. Peace.
 
#40
DocBop said:
What does shredding got to do with playing bass??? Bass is a support instrument no matter what style of music you're playing. Also people develop at different rates. A lot guys you may think aren't developing fast, but musicially they are way ahead of everyone and their technique/chops will catch up. You might fit into that category.

Want to know if you're good, if other good musicians are asking you to play with them and asking you back, your doing good. People calling you to play paying gigs and your picking up other gigs from those gigs, you're doing good. Go to a Cut Sesson and hold your own, you're doing good. When you don't have to ask am I good and have confidence in your playing you're good.
Click to expand...

Excellent post IMO too :)

If I compare myself to my 12 years younger brother, who is a 17 year old guitarist, I have a much wider musical knowledge and ear than he has, as is quite natural. However, he has a really good technique and he will probably aim at a professional career in music. I look with fear in my eyes on the day his musical ear is on my level or higher. :ninja: Then he has beaten me completely... hehe... ;) Good for me he's not playing bass... :smug:
 

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