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Musician Attitudes

H

Hypnotaize

Guest
Apr 10, 2014
285
56
#1
Ranting time. Fun, isn't it?

An acquaintance asked me why I was so excited about being able to play slap bass. Note that I am a high schooler who has only been playing for about a year, and a large portion of what I do is self-taught, in addition to my lessons.

"I know, but it's easily done."
Really? So is every goddamn ten year-old that touches a bass popping like the pros?
Yes. It's a basic technique to remember. No, it's not extremely easy to apply for a beginner. When a baby says his first word, do you go, "Pfft. I can write a five paragraph essay explaining why that word should be banned", or do you high five the kid for finally saying "Mama"? No! You high five the kid and go for another round of patty-cake!

I don't care if you're born able to pick up bass or anything quickly and easily. Don't tell anybody it's easy. Say you got it relatively quickly. In any way that doesn't make it seem like they're inferior for taking longer to get it.
It's also worth noting that a while ago (months and months), this kid was supposed to play keyboard for us, but we kicked him out because
1.) We never even got to do our first rehearsal because he never had time.
2.) He was never active in our discussions when we saw each other at lunch to talk about how we could fix this, where we would go with the band, what our goals were, etc.

He did eventually apologize and explain that that's all he can do on bass, or any string instruments. And all he can do is improvise with it. He can't play anything he or anybody else has written. And all in all, that's all I wanted to hear.

I'm glad he ended up explaining himself, but this attitude is way too common among musicians.
 
#3
Your acquaintance is right even if he didn't initially himself properly. Slap has become as cliché to bass as Smoke On The Water is to guitar. You walk into any music store any day of the week and there are a bunch of teenagers slapping away with no real sense of rhythm or feel.
 
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#4
Because it's an instant gratification / lookit me! skill in that context.
Many do it badly, few stick with it to do it well.
Personally, it bores me as a style but would be lying if a well placed pop I wasn't expecting, that *fit* the song would still prick up my ears.

Otherwise, like Kmonk is getting at, it's all wankadoo jerk the neck off nonsense.
 
#5
To the OP I don't think it's so much musicians attitude as it is your friend feeling a little butt-hurt that you easily picked up a technique that he can barely do. You slapped down his ego so he's dismissing it.
As far as slap in general I think it's a good tool to have in the tool box and quite effective when done well and in the right situation.
As for music stores we all like to show off to some degree. To be considered cool. Especially teens. That's why all the slap now and years ago all the Jaco wannabes butchering Donna Lee and such. For the Guitar players it's attempting tapping like Eddie Van Halen.
We want to be cool. Yeah it's cliché' but it is what it is.
 
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#8
hrodbert696 said:
I have a feeling what we're really talking about here is not musicians' attitudes, but teenagers' attitudes.

Correct me if I'm wrong...
Click to expand...
I feel like I've heard this a lot with other, older musicians.
Kmonk said:
Your acquaintance is right even if he didn't initially himself properly. Slap has become as cliché to bass as Smoke On The Water is to guitar. You walk into any music store any day of the week and there are a bunch of teenagers slapping away with no real sense of rhythm or feel.
Click to expand...
He was right. I'm not denying that. Once I learned the bass strings, I think the next thing I started figuring out was how to slap, and I picked it up quickly. But while the physical technique is easy to get down, it takes a while to learn how to do it accurately and when to use it, which is what I was talking about.
 
#9
Hypnotaize said:
...But while the physical technique is easy to get down, it takes a while to learn how to do it accurately and when to use it, which is what I was talking about.
Click to expand...

You previously mentioned doing lessons, has your teacher covered this with you? If he's into slap bass he could probably show you some things you may be missing. Ghost note accents, left hand muting/ghosting, and leveling out your attack were all things I thought I had down after playing slap for 7 years... I didn't and my teacher proved that lol. Not demeaning your achievement, just saying it's good that you have a teacher, they could prevent you from developing bad habits like I did and make sure your technique is clean. As for your buddy, as you'll quickly learn there are people you take advice from on your instrument/playing, and people that you completely ignore. Would you take advice about pitching from a guy whose extent of exposure to baseball was going to batting cages 2 or 3 times in his life? Just consider the source man, plenty of jerks I've met like that in my life. The guitard who goes "I can slap!" with zero muting and tons of overtones ringing all over the place. Congratulations, you can hit an object with your thumb like a caveman lol
 
#10
KevInDaBassment said:
You previously mentioned doing lessons, has your teacher covered this with you? If he's into slap bass he could probably show you some things you may be missing. Ghost note accents, left hand muting/ghosting, and leveling out your attack were all things I thought I had down after playing slap for 7 years... I didn't and my teacher proved that lol. Not demeaning your achievement, just saying it's good that you have a teacher, they could prevent you from developing bad habits like I did and make sure your technique is clean. As for your buddy, as you'll quickly learn there are people you take advice from on your instrument/playing, and people that you completely ignore. Would you take advice about pitching from a guy whose extent of exposure to baseball was going to batting cages 2 or 3 times in his life? Just consider the source man, plenty of jerks I've met like that in my life. The guitard who goes "I can slap!" with zero muting and tons of overtones ringing all over the place. Congratulations, you can hit an object with your thumb like a caveman lol
Click to expand...
He showed me how to do the basic motions, and that I can use it to access octaves, but I did tell him I wanted to work more on that and he said he'd help me.
 
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#11
If all this kid can do is improvise, why do you care what he thinks? He doesn't understand music. I don't understand how you can "improvise" in a key but not play pre written material in same said key? You can hear/play intervals, or you can't, you don't need to read sheet music to do that. He never showed up to jam because he either can't learn the material or has no sense of rhythm and timing. I doubt you would have wanted to play with him anyway, probably would have been a ton of drama and disappointment. Anytime anyone has ever done that to me while I was playing guitar or bass, I hand them the instrument and say "show me, because I'm really struggling with it". Then either watch them fail, or give every reason in the world why they won't do it.

Anyone who says something is easy without actually demonstrating how easy is nothing but a tool.
 
#13
Life is too short to be overly concerned about what the ignorant and/or stupid people you run into everyday think or say.

When someone says something particularly idiotic my advice is to stay calm and quiet.

Study their face closely for several seconds to etch it on your mind. This way you'll be able to spot them from a distance and avoid them if your paths cross in the future.

Then just walk away
 
#19
Haha yes he can. Dude, really don't pay any mind to those who denigrate your instrument or your skill. Just keep plowing through and learning. A good bass player is always in high demand, and one who can play in multiple styles will almost always have work.
 

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