If you were heralded as a clone

To an extent, yes. To be compared to my heroes would be a great compliment to me. I only hope that if and when that day comes, I can do the comparison justice.

I'd like to think I'd have enough of my own voice to make the comparison a passing one, but there are some people convinced that everyone is a clone of someone else - and I never cared too much about what people said about my playing anyway.

 

I can't really take comparisons of my playing with that of my heroes very seriously because of the simple fact that 9 people out of 10 making the comparison aren't even sure what a bass is really supposed to sound like. It doesn't help that I play a signature model bass, so the usual comparison I get is Marcus Miller even though I play mostly fingerstyle at shows and my slap is both more barebones and more violent than the smooth grooves that Marcus gives us.

I take it as a pretty big compliment if another bassist who I know is knowledgeable about such things makes any comparisons between me and my heroes, however.

 

if it were a quick comment, i have the feeling that i'd probably take the comparison first as a compliment, then later overthink it and grow to resent the comparison

if it were a thoughtful, detailed comparison, such as an article or published critique of my work, i'd probably find details in which to revel before deciding i need to either find my own voice or become more adept at communicating my own voice

 

Once as a new player, I was compared to Phil Lesh, while trying my hardest to sound like Jack Casady.Lesson learned? in the ear of the beholder. Don't buy into your own hype.

 

when i played drums, people always told me i sounded like i was influenced by folks i never really listened to. so, grain of salt.

at this point, anyone who says i sound like another bassist is basically insulting the other bassist.

 

I think most folks around here would agree: If you could clone a turd, then I would play bass like that clone.

 

I would take it as a compliment, & then see what I could do to keep that from happening again.

 

no. for a while i had some people say i sounded like jeff berlin. (one of my least favorite players) some would take it as a compliment, i wanted to punch myself in the face.

 

I don't think I would revel in the comparison but I would site that person as an influence, if in fact that person was an influence. Some folks just sound like somebody without even trying or even having that person as an influence.

I don't have a problem with doing a bit of emulating. I take great pride in trying to play as well as a Nathan East. Why? Well, he is the consumate bass player as well as Will Lee. The kind that offer not just bass playing. They offer vocals and being a team player and play well without flashiness!

Having said all this, I have never been told I sound like anyone!

 

Isn't the point of having heroes to try to first emulate them then, if you can, surpass them?

 

Haha, same here.

 

It will never happen because my playing is a hodgepodge of different influences.There's probably four or five big ones and many others where I've stolen a little lick here and there.
If somebody picks out something and tell me where I got it from it's usually me who has to compliment them for being smart to be able to pick it out. I know where I stole everything. If I do anything original it's an accident. It has happened occasionally.

 

from your recordings i wouldn't agree--you have life in your lines--it sounds better!

anyways, I wouldn't mind if i sounded like reed mathis--I would really hope that i would sound like a 50/50 mix of reed's playing and my own. Then i'd be happy

 

Um...if I was what?

 

Maybe he was referring to the usage of "herald" when "heralded" would have been more appropriate.

 

I don't know any bassist named Harold, how could I sound like him?





Seriously, I'd take it to mean that I should listen to some of my other influences a bit more, lest I get tunnel-vision (tunnel-hearing?) in my approach to the instrument.

 

Exactly. Although I'm perfectly willing to believe that "herald" is the correct usage of the word; it's just that, being such an arcane word, it's hard to find a definitive authoritiy on usage.

Oh yeah: Plus it still doesn't make sense. Why would one be "herald (or heralded, or proclaimed, or announced, or ushered in) as a clone"? Do you mean "if you found out you were a clone"? Or "if you discovered there was a clone of you"?

I stand by my earlier post. If I was what?

 

I agree the phrase has no meaning - normally if you are "heralded" - that would be like feted or cheered - so it would be an entirely positive thing.

Yet talking about "a clone" only has negative connotations - so you could be heralded as e.g. "a God among men" - but could only be "denounced" as a clone...