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Is TalkBass improving your bass playing? If so, how?

#24
talkbass.com has not only improved my abilities as a bass player, it has helped to make me a better mother, a better lover, a more well-rounded individual, as well as a better human being in general, and it has improved my understanding of chartered accountancy.

When I first came to talkbass.com, I was a three hundred and seventy-five pound Lebonese Tea-Merchant, and ever since using their exclusive aps, I have been a Hollywood Movie Star earning over three figures! My fingers are longer. My nails are less brittle. My peanuts are more brittle. My thistles can really whistle. I started out on first base, and now every inning is a grand slam home run!

With talkbass.com, my dishes come out sparkly clean every time, and the women in my life really sit up and take notice. My car is getting substantially better gas mileage, and when people see my smile, they immediately enroll in the Peace Corps, to benefit all of humanity. I am only writing hit songs, and catching touchdowns. Many of my deceased ancestors have risen from the grave, and together we're cracking down on illiteracy, and poor personal hygeine.

talkbass.com: it CAN save the world. It HAS saved the world. And it will do your kids' homework for them.
 
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#25
TalkBass has helped me to improve my bass playing thusly:-

(1) Although I was quite comfortable using a pick for bass with no issues, reading a number of threads on TB piqued my interest in finger-picking, which at first I didn't believe I could do that well. But now I can do it quite well. So that was an accomplishment.

(2) Surfing through the threads in all departments here I have stumbled upon arbitrary nuggets of information that have been very helpful in regards to sound, set-ups, tweaks, gear etc etc etc.
which in turn fueled my playing desire.

As long as you know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, there's some good info to be found on TB.
 
#26
ZenG said:
TalkBass has helped me to improve my bass playing thusly:-

(1) Although I was quite comfortable using a pick for bass with no issues, reading a number of threads on TB piqued my interest in finger-picking, which at first I didn't believe I could do that well. But now I can do it quite well. So that was an accomplishment.

(2) Surfing through the threads in all departments here I have stumbled upon arbitrary nuggets of information that have been very helpful in regards to sound, set-ups, tweaks, gear etc etc etc.
which in turn fueled my playing desire.

As long as you know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, there's some good info to be found on TB.
Click to expand...

I always rub my strings with a stick of butter if the show is going to involve any disco.
 
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#27
Yes, I think it has helped to improve my playing. I've been exposed to players I wouldn't otherwise have known about, learned about gear I never would have heard of otherwise, and been introduced to music I wouldn't have heard. All of that filters into my playing, and I've definitely been inspired a time or two.
 
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#30
mellowinman said:
talkbass.com has not only improved my abilities as a bass player, it has helped to make me a better mother, a better lover, a more well-rounded individual, as well as a better human being in general, and it has improved my understanding of chartered accountancy.

When I first came to talkbass.com, I was a three hundred and seventy-five pound Lebonese Tea-Merchant, and ever since using their exclusive aps, I have been a Hollywood Movie Star earning over three figures! My fingers are longer. My nails are less brittle. My peanuts are more brittle. My thistles can really whistle. I started out on first base, and now every inning is a grand slam home run!

With talkbass.com, my dishes come out sparkly clean every time, and the women in my life really sit up and take notice. My car is getting substantially better gas mileage, and when people see my smile, they immediately enroll in the Peace Corps, to benefit all of humanity. I am only writing hit songs, and catching touchdowns. Many of my deceased ancestors have risen from the grave, and together we're cracking down on illiteracy, and poor personal hygeine.

talkbass.com: it CAN save the world. It HAS saved the world. And it will do your kids' homework for them.
Click to expand...

I call B.S. No way your peanuts are more brittle.
 
#31
Well, bass playing has not really improved but my bass collection has.... My amp and cabs are top notch, need a bottle of Rolaids thank you very much.... If Spent half the time playing that I spend on looking at or "shopping" , I may not suck at playing so much. Still, I do love this place.
 
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#34
When I first joined TB it was after a rather significant time away from music (20+ years). As an adult I'm much better with said instrument as I'm focused on just the playing not everything that goes with it ( band, gig, practice, making ends meet doing all of the above...) I think, though, I was more creative and free as a young man so there is a trade off I suppose.

Still, as a source of info on every facet you would be hard pressed to find a better, more complete lexicon of words on the subject.

The only negative I can see is that it has turned me into a stark raving lunatic pedal whore.
 
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#35
Definitely improved. It helps keep me engaged in it when I'm not in a position to practice. Makes me think about it and in an entertaining way.

I've also gleaned a lot about band management, just from hearing the war stories.

Yeah, there's a lot of deadwood here, but some real nuggets as well.
 
#36
Lobster11 said:
What's the best butter for metal?
Click to expand...

Spiky_Butter_Dish_Symmetrical_Pottery1.jpg
 
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#37
Being serious for one moment. TB created GAS for a while, then cured it. I don't want much of anything bass related that I don't already have. I'm not trying to get anybody's tone, and I'm completely uninterested in pedals and effects. The sounds I get out of my instruments and amps is what I like, and I have figured out how to vary things with attack and location on the strings. When all else fails, I pick up a different bass I already have. For technique improvements, I just need to put in the time to work through issues I'm already aware that I have. The band stories are useful, but mostly, this place is entertaining. The characters are amusing, and the fact that we are all bass players means we are all a little weird to begin with. That makes it worthwhile.
 
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#38
Practicing bass seems to cause more improvement than talking about playing bass. I would encourage you to investigate the science of psycocybernetics (Dr. maxwell Maltz). The science of mental practice. Very interesting stuff.
 

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