I had a jazz instructor in college who used to say, "The drums are the beat, but the bass in the glue of the band".
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Most important lessons you have learned about bass
- Thread starter JordyLegend
- Start date
Damn, this - above all others.
Technique, style, keeping with the drummer, tone, amps, bass, cabs, recording style, light touch, digging in, pick, fingerstyle, slap, tapping, scales, chops..
None of it matters if you lose the ability to hear it.
If you use effects, the most important thing is knowing when not to use them, and when you do use them, do it sparingly.
Don't scoop your tone.
Don't scoop your tone.
- Jan 12, 2011
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- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
Listen very carefully to what everybody else has to say and how they play, and then forget all that B.S. and just play.
I've been learning plenty of lessons that are slowly and steadily making me not only a better bass player but a musician.
I guess that's the best one: think in terms of the music. Feel in terms of the music. Serve the music. After all we are musicians (unlike what other instrumentalist think about bass players).
I guess that's the best one: think in terms of the music. Feel in terms of the music. Serve the music. After all we are musicians (unlike what other instrumentalist think about bass players).
Keep it simple! I'm not a great player but get compliments of my style and tone! I always shake my head and ask what they were listening to lol,,
For me:
- don't let fashion get in the way of good instrument fit and comfort
- use hearing protection of some kind at all times, particularly at gigs.
- a beer or two is ok, a case of beer is borderline, when the pot and coke come out, it's a show-stopper. I pack up and leave immediately.
The first one simply means don't persist with an instrument that's painful to play. Eg. if it has poor balance, a tone that forces you to have to hit it too hard etc. Don't be afraid to hack the instrument up if necessary, or sell it and get another, etc. I learned this too late and now have a lot of permanent damage in my hands/arms.
The second is obvious. If your ears are ringing after a gig or a recording session, it's too loud and you have a find a way to attenuate it at your ears. Earplugs, headphones, get away from the amp or monitors, do something. I also learned this too late and can no longer gig because of low-frequency hearing damage (sensitivity is normal and I have no unusual tinnitus, but above a certain level, all bass sounds are distorted; a low B all the way up to the highest note I can play all sound like the same blur! Truly an insult to a bass player lol).
The third one is a personal choice and my reaction is extremely forcible when I encounter it (I hate drunks, drugs, drug users and drug dealers worse than Mark "Chopper" Reid), but in general you're guaranteed to make very little, if any, music under those conditions. But it doesn't bother others; just something to be aware of as a real impediment to being a successful musician.
LS
+1.
Also : if you don't need strings below E and you are not a complete bear of a human being, consider using a short scale.
If you're gonna make a mistake, it's almost always better to play the wrong note at the right time than play the right note at the wrong time.
Most recent lesson learned; always do warm ups and stretches especially if you practice a lot, like I do. I ignored this very crucial item and I am paying dearly for it at the moment. At least 3 weeks with no bass and a whole lot of pain. 
