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Playing Fast Technical Vs Playing with feel

G

gai113

Apr 25, 2008
866
7
#1
IS it just me or do anyone else feel like this quote is so true...


"People believe that by playing faster and creating new playing techniques you can progress forward, but then they realize that emotionally they don't progress at all. They transmit nothing to the people listening and they stay at where Hendrix was three decades ago."

As far as playing fast and techinical with alot of notes than just simple with more feel and emotion...

Personally i find the more notes i play the harder it is to get more emotion and feel..... Nothing against Hadrien Feraud but his music and technical abilities do not "move" me any way emotionally

Any know what i mean?
 
#5
Vorago said:
All the technique and gear in the world don't mean a thing if you've got nothing to say.
Click to expand...

True. But if you've got nothing to say AND you want to still want people to think you can play.... lots of notes will make an impression.

On the other hand.... if you have something to say, and can say with your instrument, but the people you are playing for don't dig it...... lots of notes will make an impression.
 
#8
BassChuck said:
True. But if you've got nothing to say AND you want to still want people to think you can play.... lots of notes will make an impression.

On the other hand.... if you have something to say, and can say with your instrument, but the people you are playing for don't dig it...... lots of notes will make an impression.
Click to expand...

I agree but the subdiffusion won't last long, I try to impress on my younger students that party tricks are just that, technical exercises to momentarily impress (and to make you popular with the girls) :D.
 
#11
skwee said:
Fast notes aren't only about being impressive, though. Sometimes fast notes are required to say what you want to say. Sometimes you need movement structurally. Nobody faulted Vivaldi for playing fast.
Click to expand...

True, I wouldn't say it's more a speed debate but more when/where/how you use technique to convey music, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having astounding technical ability, it's how and where and when you use it, the music is the most important aspect of everything we learn, IMO musicality rather than technicality is what sets bassists apart.
 
#12
cire113 said:
"People believe that by playing faster and creating new playing techniques you can progress forward, but then they realize that emotionally they don't progress at all. They transmit nothing to the people listening and they stay at where Hendrix was three decades ago."
Click to expand...

I don't buy the idea that slower necessarily conveys more 'feel' or 'emotion'... a composer has something to get across, and uses the right set of tools to achieve that... fast/slow, loud/quiet, simple/complicated... it's all good to me

I think people are sometimes impressed by hollow, flailing virtuosity for its own sake, but even those people are entitled to the entertainment they want... you don't have to listen to it

I've heard some terrible 'slow' bass players... the bars round here are full of them... and some fantastic ones who play lots of notes.... and vice versa... it doesn't matter to me, provided they're saying something

I'm an angry guy, and I like to make my opinions and feelings known, loudly if necessary... why should I be forced to express myself like the BB King of the bass guitar? tasteful and slow? no thanks, it might be you but it ain't me... let me express myself with a few fast notes if I want to.. you don't have to listen
 
#17
I played with a guitarist who was all about emotion. His interpretation of emotion was that melancholy music was more soulful and had more conviction. That's his thing, which is fine but it gave him a bias against anything else and he couldn't understand context. Emotion to me isn't about too many or too few notes, it's about doing what's appropriate for the moment or the music.

I'm not overly fond of speed because sometimes is can mask a players lack of imagination in being melodic or creative because most of the notes go by too quickly to be heard tunefully but it has it's place and sometimes can move me.
 
#18
To put it another way, there's tons of players that do not emanate 'soul' or feeling in their playing. It's as if they don't feel the music...

Okay, that may be a good fit for studio work, however, if you're not going to deliver 'feeling' in live performance, leave the stage work to someone else. ;)
 
#19
I've always found that when people NEEDED to play more it was for no reason other than to try to play something to impress, not to fit the song. I can't tell you how many people I've met where they come up with a part and then "Eh, it's too simple". To which I would respond "But doesn't it sound good?" To which they'd respond "Well, yea... but it's too simple".

Obviously everyone has different tastes but theres always a time and a place for playing alot and laying back. I've found laying back usually serves the song better where as technical and 100's of notes serves the individual better.
 

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