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Playing with actual people!
- Thread starter Forty-Thirty
- Start date
You'll have a ball.
Take every chance you get to play with others. That time is worth many times the time spent in independent practice. Many times. Dog years vs. human years.
I spent years in a living room with jazz players while gigging routinely with a country act. I loved both. When the country act folded, I was ready to change genres and by then had developed another network. Time spent with others working through anything is by far the best development work there is in my view.
Take every chance you get to play with others. That time is worth many times the time spent in independent practice. Many times. Dog years vs. human years.
I spent years in a living room with jazz players while gigging routinely with a country act. I loved both. When the country act folded, I was ready to change genres and by then had developed another network. Time spent with others working through anything is by far the best development work there is in my view.
Make sure you have a 810 cab and about a thousand watt all tube head and 12 basses of every variety and just have fun!
jazzyitalian
Supporting Member
Be sure to drop terms like: Modes, Plus Eleven, Alt Scale, Comb Filtering, Paradiddle, Jaco.
About Free Fallin'... Simple yes, mindless not!
True, although compared to the things I like to try to work on on my own (mostly Zep), it's a piece of cake. Free Fallin' is much more appropriate for my actual skill level than what I'm currently learning (Living Loving Maid and How Many More Times), so I'm glad my friend chose it.
As long as you're in the neighborhood, you might as well throw in "Breakdown" too. I find that one fun to play despite its simplicity.
Tomorrow, tomorrow! We're playing tomorrow! It's only a day aaaaaawaaaaaaay!
I am slightly excited.
I am slightly excited.
I DID IT! I PLAYED WITH PEOPLE! AND IT WAS GREAT!
As it turns out, I wasn't the weak link. I played with my colleague friend and his daughter, who is a student at the university where we teach, and she hadn't learned her part yet (and she is a new player as well). I held down the fort! Since she was still learning the chords, we played together along with the track for the most part, but playing along with the track WITH other people is a totally different experience from playing with a track alone. I feel like I actually played better that way than when I have been practicing alone.
SO MUCH FUN!
We set up in a room off of the Sociology office at a time when no classes were going on in the vicinity. We played about an hour, which felt like no time at all, until my department chair came and told us to turn down the volume. It wasn't too loud, but he had a class across the hall starting about an hour into our practice and I guess that was close enough that he could hear it in his room. So we just packed up. Bummer. We are going to make this a regular Wednesday thing and meet at my house, which is very close to campus, so we can blow the roof off and no one will complain.
No audio, since we ended up having to stop early, but I'll record something next time. I feel like this has opened up a whole new world! I didn't get enough today. I don't know if I ever will now...
As it turns out, I wasn't the weak link. I played with my colleague friend and his daughter, who is a student at the university where we teach, and she hadn't learned her part yet (and she is a new player as well). I held down the fort! Since she was still learning the chords, we played together along with the track for the most part, but playing along with the track WITH other people is a totally different experience from playing with a track alone. I feel like I actually played better that way than when I have been practicing alone.
SO MUCH FUN!
We set up in a room off of the Sociology office at a time when no classes were going on in the vicinity. We played about an hour, which felt like no time at all, until my department chair came and told us to turn down the volume. It wasn't too loud, but he had a class across the hall starting about an hour into our practice and I guess that was close enough that he could hear it in his room. So we just packed up. Bummer. We are going to make this a regular Wednesday thing and meet at my house, which is very close to campus, so we can blow the roof off and no one will complain.
No audio, since we ended up having to stop early, but I'll record something next time. I feel like this has opened up a whole new world! I didn't get enough today. I don't know if I ever will now...
Oh, and also... I made an observation. I feel like I sound better in terms of tone when playing with others. Is that a normal thing to experience? I obsess over tone like everyone else, but it seemed to sound much nicer with other instruments. Is that just my perception being colored by my excitement, or do things really sound different when you combine bass tones with other frequencies?
I'm still on cloud 9. Can't stop smiling.
I'm still on cloud 9. Can't stop smiling.
Generally, playing with others will add to your sound and kind of gloss over mistakes. Thats why i will practice with just my drummer sometimes.Oh, and also... I made an observation. I feel like I sound better in terms of tone when playing with others. Is that a normal thing to experience? I obsess over tone like everyone else, but it seemed to sound much nicer with other instruments. Is that just my perception being colored by my excitement, or do things really sound different when you combine bass tones with other frequencies?
I'm still on cloud 9. Can't stop smiling.
Oh, and also... I made an observation. I feel like I sound better in terms of tone when playing with others. Is that a normal thing to experience? I obsess over tone like everyone else, but it seemed to sound much nicer with other instruments. Is that just my perception being colored by my excitement, or do things really sound different when you combine bass tones with other frequencies?
I'm still on cloud 9. Can't stop smiling.
Solo bass is kind of incomplete. It's like peanut butter without the jelly and the bread.
I DID IT! I PLAYED WITH PEOPLE! AND IT WAS GREAT!
As it turns out, I wasn't the weak link. I played with my colleague friend and his daughter, who is a student at the university where we teach, and she hadn't learned her part yet (and she is a new player as well). I held down the fort! Since she was still learning the chords, we played together along with the track for the most part, but playing along with the track WITH other people is a totally different experience from playing with a track alone. I feel like I actually played better that way than when I have been practicing alone.
SO MUCH FUN!
We set up in a room off of the Sociology office at a time when no classes were going on in the vicinity. We played about an hour, which felt like no time at all, until my department chair came and told us to turn down the volume. It wasn't too loud, but he had a class across the hall starting about an hour into our practice and I guess that was close enough that he could hear it in his room. So we just packed up. Bummer. We are going to make this a regular Wednesday thing and meet at my house, which is very close to campus, so we can blow the roof off and no one will complain.
No audio, since we ended up having to stop early, but I'll record something next time. I feel like this has opened up a whole new world! I didn't get enough today. I don't know if I ever will now...
Yep, you're hooked.
I DID IT! I PLAYED WITH PEOPLE! AND IT WAS GREAT!
As it turns out, I wasn't the weak link. I played with my colleague friend and his daughter, who is a student at the university where we teach, and she hadn't learned her part yet (and she is a new player as well). I held down the fort! Since she was still learning the chords, we played together along with the track for the most part, but playing along with the track WITH other people is a totally different experience from playing with a track alone. I feel like I actually played better that way than when I have been practicing alone.
SO MUCH FUN!
We set up in a room off of the Sociology office at a time when no classes were going on in the vicinity. We played about an hour, which felt like no time at all, until my department chair came and told us to turn down the volume. It wasn't too loud, but he had a class across the hall starting about an hour into our practice and I guess that was close enough that he could hear it in his room. So we just packed up. Bummer. We are going to make this a regular Wednesday thing and meet at my house, which is very close to campus, so we can blow the roof off and no one will complain.
No audio, since we ended up having to stop early, but I'll record something next time. I feel like this has opened up a whole new world! I didn't get enough today. I don't know if I ever will now...
Happy dance! Congratulations! There's nothing like locking in with others.
Oh, and also... I made an observation. I feel like I sound better in terms of tone when playing with others. Is that a normal thing to experience? I obsess over tone like everyone else, but it seemed to sound much nicer with other instruments. Is that just my perception being colored by my excitement, or do things really sound different when you combine bass tones with other frequencies?
I'm still on cloud 9. Can't stop smiling.
Depends on what tone you're going for, and how it blends with what they're doing. For example, if you're going for a tone with lots of fuzz or something, if you're not careful it can get washed out in guitar distortion and cymbals and just disappear. But if you find the right blend of sounds, then like you say - it all gets richer. That's why everyone around here obsesses about the "mix" so much.
It has been a while since I started this thread, and my friend and I have gotten to play together several times. I can feel myself getting better, and playing with other instruments in real time is just so, so, so moving for me. But I have an update! Another milestone: my first jam!
I'm at home for Thanksgiving, and I brought my bass with me. My dad is a fabulous pianist (former professional), so I have been wanting to play with him. Now, I've played with my one friend on a couple of pre-established songs, but we have never just jammed, so this was very new. It took me a little bit to get my jam-legs, but once I did, it was REALLY FUN and went really well! He played a piano bit he wrote many years ago and I came up with my own part, and then I played a bass riff I've been playing with and he created a piano part. We ended up with two very different songs--a kind of bluesy, upbeat song and a slow, groovy, minor-keyed song. The upbeat one is a lot cleaner, but the slower one is really hauntingly beautiful and we have plans to work on it more the next time we see each other and get it sounding really nice.
Here is what we came up with! I welcome constructive criticism, but keep in mind that I am a beginner and this was my first jam.
Upbeat tune:
Slower tune (which has a lot of mistakes on my part, I know):
I'm at home for Thanksgiving, and I brought my bass with me. My dad is a fabulous pianist (former professional), so I have been wanting to play with him. Now, I've played with my one friend on a couple of pre-established songs, but we have never just jammed, so this was very new. It took me a little bit to get my jam-legs, but once I did, it was REALLY FUN and went really well! He played a piano bit he wrote many years ago and I came up with my own part, and then I played a bass riff I've been playing with and he created a piano part. We ended up with two very different songs--a kind of bluesy, upbeat song and a slow, groovy, minor-keyed song. The upbeat one is a lot cleaner, but the slower one is really hauntingly beautiful and we have plans to work on it more the next time we see each other and get it sounding really nice.
Here is what we came up with! I welcome constructive criticism, but keep in mind that I am a beginner and this was my first jam.
Upbeat tune:
Slower tune (which has a lot of mistakes on my part, I know):
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Nice, you didn't just rely on the root note, but moved with the melody. Ask you father to send you a recording with just the piano so you can work on your part. Might be a good Christmas present for him to see how you progress.
Nice...
I would say you don't need to point out your "mistakes" as such in a setting other than this forum (because there were no glaring mistakes that would cause a listener to think that is anything but musical emotion). Be aware of want you want to improve in a positive way. But embrace the art you are creating as the brush strokes flow from you and be proud of it.
I like both tracks but prefer the slower one... Some of the hauntingly beautiful effect comes from harmonic tension you created (on purpose or not) at points.
I would say you don't need to point out your "mistakes" as such in a setting other than this forum (because there were no glaring mistakes that would cause a listener to think that is anything but musical emotion). Be aware of want you want to improve in a positive way. But embrace the art you are creating as the brush strokes flow from you and be proud of it.
I like both tracks but prefer the slower one... Some of the hauntingly beautiful effect comes from harmonic tension you created (on purpose or not) at points.
