Put an enormous sweet potato in your pants before you go to the store. That will distract people from your horrible bass playing.
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Intimidated in the music store.
- Thread starter protegeV
- Start date
Pretty sure I'm the only person who plays whole notes when I try a bass. I rarely slap. I play some Steely Dan. I pay some basic scales and my "signature" licks.
I get that it can be intimidating, and you can feel a certain pressure to "perform" but it really is no ones business. I am not a great guitar payer, but I pick up an acoustic and play things I can play an dtry to make sure I cover the entire range of the instrument. If you don't like "Whole Hearted (love those chords way up the neck) too bad. You're tired of hearing "Blackbird." Tough. It's a great song to check the full range of the instrument.
I get that it can be intimidating, and you can feel a certain pressure to "perform" but it really is no ones business. I am not a great guitar payer, but I pick up an acoustic and play things I can play an dtry to make sure I cover the entire range of the instrument. If you don't like "Whole Hearted (love those chords way up the neck) too bad. You're tired of hearing "Blackbird." Tough. It's a great song to check the full range of the instrument.
Apples and Oranges. Different mindset.
Give me a drummer to play with and I'm fine.
Stand up alone and play, no thanks.
That's me. I accept me.
I don't get intimidated when in music stores, but I usually end up completely forgetting how to play whatever I touch... be it a bass, guitar, piano. I usually just pluck around a few notes here and there and say "hmmm" and put it back, lol. Unless I really love it, then I'll put it through it's paces a little stronger.
Take someone else in with you. That way, they can talk to the shop assistant and that might give you a bit more confidence. I've taken my young children in with me before, it was a great way of distracting the staff!
If I'm there to check out basses, I don't care who's around and what they say or do. It's my little party, so the fun is mine.
First I check tuning, intonation, action and relief. If not in the ballpark, I'll have it set. Then I check tone and sustain of each string and fret. If that's alright then it's time to bang out Motörhead riffs and other stuff that tells me if the bass is the right tool for me.
Don't try to interrupt, as I won't hear or see you.
First I check tuning, intonation, action and relief. If not in the ballpark, I'll have it set. Then I check tone and sustain of each string and fret. If that's alright then it's time to bang out Motörhead riffs and other stuff that tells me if the bass is the right tool for me.
Don't try to interrupt, as I won't hear or see you.
AYCE wings on Mondays
record = 40
Their spiciest wings don't have a patch on my chicken-curry, however.
No matter what type of store you shop at, your money is as good as anyone else's. If that level of respect isn't returned to you, shop elsewhere.
TBH I usually do that. The kids love looking around and playing with the electronic drums WITH HEADPHONES ON, but are still respectful and don't destroy anything or horse around.
The only person I was hoping to impress when bass shopping was myself by finding the right instrument for me.
Since I won't play loud so as not to disturb others, I'll turn around to leave and come back another time if there's a wanker or more than one other person also respectfully plugged in in the bass section because I need to hear the instrument speaking once it passes the feels good field test (it's good to BYOStrap and a pick if you use one.)
It took me several visits to several stores over a period of several months to find the one and only big upgrade I've made in my 7-8 year musical journey. Being in my early 40s at the time helpfully put me in the who-cares-what-those-people-think frame of mind as well. I should also add that I wasn't (and still am not) a player that's going to wow anyone with my chops if I wanted to
I really do miss seeing 'Red' since that Totem Lake GC closed... cool gal! And RIP Bass Northwest, where the staff didn't work on commission thus wasn't motivated to pressure you into a sale if it wasn't the right instrument for you.
Since I won't play loud so as not to disturb others, I'll turn around to leave and come back another time if there's a wanker or more than one other person also respectfully plugged in in the bass section because I need to hear the instrument speaking once it passes the feels good field test (it's good to BYOStrap and a pick if you use one.)
It took me several visits to several stores over a period of several months to find the one and only big upgrade I've made in my 7-8 year musical journey. Being in my early 40s at the time helpfully put me in the who-cares-what-those-people-think frame of mind as well. I should also add that I wasn't (and still am not) a player that's going to wow anyone with my chops if I wanted to
Haha ^ this was almost my EXACT experience at these same exact stores when looking for my big upgrade, albeit (A)Bass Northwest was in the rotation of stops at that time and where I ultimately bought the bass from, and (B) my ex wife was a rad hairdresser, and my own pants are rather form fitting
I really do miss seeing 'Red' since that Totem Lake GC closed... cool gal! And RIP Bass Northwest, where the staff didn't work on commission thus wasn't motivated to pressure you into a sale if it wasn't the right instrument for you.
There are people who literally travel from store to store in my area. Slappin’ and sweatin’, playing licks and then looking up and around for “approval”.
Also in my area are two guitarists in particular—older guys, one who starts off with a classical guitar plugged into an electric amp (Bach cello suites, Rodrigo, etc) and then finishes his 2-3 hour “session” on bass with Allman Bros basslines and VERY unfunky (and irritating) slapping..... The other local guy, sticks to only guitar, and basically goes into his own world playing Chet Atkins mostly, but in poor time. He travels to at least 2 or 3 local music stores per day doing his session, usually 2-3 hours at a shot. Ugh.
Op: i ageee these wankers can be distracting, but you’re there to potentially spend money, unlike the usual wankers in these stores.
Also in my area are two guitarists in particular—older guys, one who starts off with a classical guitar plugged into an electric amp (Bach cello suites, Rodrigo, etc) and then finishes his 2-3 hour “session” on bass with Allman Bros basslines and VERY unfunky (and irritating) slapping..... The other local guy, sticks to only guitar, and basically goes into his own world playing Chet Atkins mostly, but in poor time. He travels to at least 2 or 3 local music stores per day doing his session, usually 2-3 hours at a shot. Ugh.
Op: i ageee these wankers can be distracting, but you’re there to potentially spend money, unlike the usual wankers in these stores.
When I go to a music store to buy a bass I play every note in every string. Long notes. Then I test every knob combination. Then I play some riffs (or walking bass lines) over and over again changing the right hand position (first fingerstyle and, after that, pickstyle) to hear how the instrument react to it.Then I put the instrument on my strap and stand up to feel its balance and weight.
It's a slow process and I don't care about anything else.
There's nothing to fear in a music store. In fact, I think the salesmen themselves are afraid of not selling anything.
That said, here's a trick I learned to be respected as bass player inside a music store. Just play, unpretentiously, "Bassically" (The bass solo made by Geezer Butler - on the first Black Sabbath album - before "N.I.B."). It works, every single time.
It's a slow process and I don't care about anything else.
There's nothing to fear in a music store. In fact, I think the salesmen themselves are afraid of not selling anything.
That said, here's a trick I learned to be respected as bass player inside a music store. Just play, unpretentiously, "Bassically" (The bass solo made by Geezer Butler - on the first Black Sabbath album - before "N.I.B."). It works, every single time.
