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Showing off at Guitar Center...
- Thread starter RobOtto
- Start date
Revisiting to the main topic briefly, I would guess that the bass wanker plays solo most of the time...meaning the bass is not primarly a solo instrument. Most of the time it is played in the context of a band.
But can the wanker in question even play in a band? Is all he is capable of is music store solos with no regard for other musicians and no ability to hold down the bottom line for a band and maybe a vocalist?
Can he discipline his playing to enhance and serve the music or is he all show just for himself? Can he get along with other musicians? Does he have the discipline to show up to rehearsals, to chip in and scarifice time, money and effort for the greater good of a band?
Was his music even listenable or was it just all technique? Was he inventing as he went along without any context of a song or some chord progression? Is slapping the only technique he has mastered? Could he play a walking bass line or a reggae line or accompany a soulful ballad? Could he successfully jam with accomplished jazz or blues musicians? Or would his basslines be a trainwreck in the context of a group of musicians?
I know he made you feel inadequate, but you can bet the store salespeople were on to him. They probably know all his inadequacies as a musician and know his financial situation and lack of credit worthiness or cash to ever purchase good equipment. Also, they hear all the local music scene gossip. They have probably heard other musicians tell them what he is really like. Maybe they have even played with him and kicked him out of their group.
Last, but not least... The salespeople don't give a hoot how well you play or badly you play; they only care about much money you will spend in their store. They'd far rather make a quick and easy sale to you than try to waste time with that show off who has ego deficits and financial deficits,too.
But can the wanker in question even play in a band? Is all he is capable of is music store solos with no regard for other musicians and no ability to hold down the bottom line for a band and maybe a vocalist?
Can he discipline his playing to enhance and serve the music or is he all show just for himself? Can he get along with other musicians? Does he have the discipline to show up to rehearsals, to chip in and scarifice time, money and effort for the greater good of a band?
Was his music even listenable or was it just all technique? Was he inventing as he went along without any context of a song or some chord progression? Is slapping the only technique he has mastered? Could he play a walking bass line or a reggae line or accompany a soulful ballad? Could he successfully jam with accomplished jazz or blues musicians? Or would his basslines be a trainwreck in the context of a group of musicians?
I know he made you feel inadequate, but you can bet the store salespeople were on to him. They probably know all his inadequacies as a musician and know his financial situation and lack of credit worthiness or cash to ever purchase good equipment. Also, they hear all the local music scene gossip. They have probably heard other musicians tell them what he is really like. Maybe they have even played with him and kicked him out of their group.
Last, but not least... The salespeople don't give a hoot how well you play or badly you play; they only care about much money you will spend in their store. They'd far rather make a quick and easy sale to you than try to waste time with that show off who has ego deficits and financial deficits,too.
OHHHHHHHH MY GOD!
has wesley willis joined the forum?
marc40a,*cough* i mean wesley, you forgot to say something like: "guitar center- home of every bass wanker of america."
Music store musicians usually aren't playing music. So don't be intimidated by thier "prowess".
If it's a recording artist giving a demo, that's great. Otherwise tend to what is going to work for you.
There are always people in those settings playing too loud. Guitar Center always plays the overhead music too loud anyway.
Don't go to Guitar Center with the expectation that your personal needs will be met there.
If it's a recording artist giving a demo, that's great. Otherwise tend to what is going to work for you.
There are always people in those settings playing too loud. Guitar Center always plays the overhead music too loud anyway.
Don't go to Guitar Center with the expectation that your personal needs will be met there.
The only time these types of people get on my nerves is when they feel the need to CRANK the amp that they are playing into. They usually get told to turn down eventually (from what I have seen), but it is still annoying. Especially when I am trying to quietly try out basses and/or amps.
It is very easy to tell the "wankers" from actual working muscians, IMHO, though. Notice how some of these guys have to pause every once in awhile to see if anyone is paying attention to him slapping "Higher Ground" over and over. Usually incorrectly, too, I might add.
It is very easy to tell the "wankers" from actual working muscians, IMHO, though. Notice how some of these guys have to pause every once in awhile to see if anyone is paying attention to him slapping "Higher Ground" over and over. Usually incorrectly, too, I might add.
when people aren't very good and they beat the hell out of a bass I get mad.. but when they are good.. i will usually stop and listen.
a few months back i was in a mars music and this man was just thumping away.. and I mean this cat could play.. so i sit down with a Fender jazz and start runnin through some licks.. i wasn't playing loud or obnoxious.. but the man and I started to talk. and while I was amazed at his slap technique and his insite on playing, he was asking me about my fingerpicking technique and how I worked on my speed.. I was flattered, here is this man who has been playing bass for 40 + years and is a monster asking me questions... I guess everyone has something to learn..
So anyways, don't be intimidated by people who are doing things you can't yet do.. you may just be able to do something they can't... and if he is playing loud.. oh well.. you can sit by an amp and be loud enough to hear yourself..
a few months back i was in a mars music and this man was just thumping away.. and I mean this cat could play.. so i sit down with a Fender jazz and start runnin through some licks.. i wasn't playing loud or obnoxious.. but the man and I started to talk. and while I was amazed at his slap technique and his insite on playing, he was asking me about my fingerpicking technique and how I worked on my speed.. I was flattered, here is this man who has been playing bass for 40 + years and is a monster asking me questions... I guess everyone has something to learn..
So anyways, don't be intimidated by people who are doing things you can't yet do.. you may just be able to do something they can't... and if he is playing loud.. oh well.. you can sit by an amp and be loud enough to hear yourself..
I went to Bass Northwest one weekend to try out something, don't remember what, maybe a G&L 2000. Anyway, I'm dinking around, playing thru their Ashdown rig and sounding pretty good. This dude a few stools down (for those that have been to BNW, you know it's a pretty small place and very tough to "try" out a bass/rig/etc "properly) is doing his thing. We're both playing pretty quietly. Finally, I finish what I'm doing and take a look at this other guy. He's rippin' it up, but in a cool way. Not "look-at-me-I-rock-the-bass" but more like "I-know-I-am-good-but-don't-have-to-hit-you-over-the-head-with-my-skillz". So as I watch him in awe, I slowly come to the realization that this man is...
blind.
Couldn't see the bass he was playing. But he played and played and man was he good.
Funny. I always leave BNW feeling inadequate for some reason or another...
blind.
Couldn't see the bass he was playing. But he played and played and man was he good.
Funny. I always leave BNW feeling inadequate for some reason or another...
Originally posted by Ryan Lunneborg
The only time these types of people get on my nerves is when they feel the need to CRANK the amp that they are playing into. They usually get told to turn down eventually (from what I have seen), but it is still annoying. Especially when I am trying to quietly try out basses and/or amps.
It is very easy to tell the "wankers" from actual working muscians, IMHO, though. Notice how some of these guys have to pause every once in awhile to see if anyone is paying attention to him slapping "Higher Ground" over and over. Usually incorrectly, too, I might add.
Sometimes I wish I could crank it.
Id like to be able to find out just how loud my new amp will be before I walk out of the store with it.
But of course thats a different situation.
Peace
Nick
This "older guy" -- in his forties. Just great. That's what I needed to hear. I'm going to go lather my feet with Joint-Ritis, down a bottle of Geritol, fire up the heating pad, and drag my forty-something butt to bed, before I stroke out.
Out of my way, sonny!
Very interesting point. At my church a few months ago, the music department decided to hold a youth musician clinic, to begin to teach some hand-picked kids, all supposedly intermediate to advanced on their respective instruments, how to play in a band setting, how to play in a worship team. I arrived at church a few minutes before the clinic was to start, and there was one of the kids standing there, waiting for me, slapping his bass silly -- just kind of warming up, and no doubt showing off. Flea-knock-off stuff. Non-amplified. It was apparent to me that the kid had spent hours perfecting his wanking technique. I thought, oh crap, this kid's probably got better chops than I do.
Maybe, but when I began to show him and the other kids in my class how to lay into the pocket and groove, how to learn an actual song, how to play foundationally and support his bandmates, how to lock in with the drummer AND keep the lines interesting, etc., he was completely lost. In fact, he was the least able to master the art of playing a song in an ensemble situation.
He reinforced a valuable lesson for me. That is, the fact that someone can slap or pluck a million notes per second doesn't make them a MUSICIAN. It only makes them somewhat of a technician. I'm sure the kid is a good musician, but he didn't demonstrate it that day.
A perfect example of what I call "Music Store Chops". If someone plays slap style a lot and has to check out how loud the amp can get for playing that's valid. But most of the time the wanking is just someone showing off their music store chops.
If they had a gig they wouldn't need to show off.
When I try something I just play the bass lines to the songs that I play in my trio with my brother and see how they sound. Anyone who knows about bass knows that you can't tell much how a bass or rig is going to sound in a BAND situation by listening to it soloed. You have to try it out in the band.
If they had a gig they wouldn't need to show off.
When I try something I just play the bass lines to the songs that I play in my trio with my brother and see how they sound. Anyone who knows about bass knows that you can't tell much how a bass or rig is going to sound in a BAND situation by listening to it soloed. You have to try it out in the band.
you shouldn't be ashamed of where you are... everyone on here and in a music store was a beginner at one time REGARDLESS of the level they are at NOW. and anyone who would criticize or put down another for doing what they love to do and enjoy doing, needs to have a good long look at themselves... 
i'm not the best bassist in the world but i can handle myself in a live situation adequately whether it's with my band or sitting in with another band and improvising. practice, you'll get there! i always look for pointers and tips when i can but i try to dish them out when i can too...
i'm not the best bassist in the world but i can handle myself in a live situation adequately whether it's with my band or sitting in with another band and improvising. practice, you'll get there! i always look for pointers and tips when i can but i try to dish them out when i can too...
I was at Zone Music in Cotati, CA to check out the new arrivals and this guy with his back to the store was quietly checking out some Line 6 pedals.
He was playing so quietly, you had to strain to hear him over the other show-offs noodling on guitars.
I had to get a kinda' close to actually hear what he was playing.
Needless to say, this guy frickin' jammed.
He looking up to see who was standing behind him and I saw that it was Les Claypool.
Oops. I gave him more space and didn't bug him.
He was completely focused.
It proved to me that the truly talented never show off and like to keep a low profile.
He was playing so quietly, you had to strain to hear him over the other show-offs noodling on guitars.
I had to get a kinda' close to actually hear what he was playing.
Needless to say, this guy frickin' jammed.
He looking up to see who was standing behind him and I saw that it was Les Claypool.
Oops. I gave him more space and didn't bug him.
He was completely focused.
It proved to me that the truly talented never show off and like to keep a low profile.
The wankers are ruining it for the rest of us. The other day I went to GC and grabbed a Pedulla. I never had the pleasure of playing one and this was my chance.
After a couple of minutes one of the staff members tells me that my time is up. I was like ***? My time is up? He explained to me how people turn their stuff up and make it hard for business..... and all this stuff. I understood comepletly as I too used to work at a music shop. The guy was kind of being rude seeing as I am 17. He probably thought I was just another punk kid there to turn my amp up all the way and bust out my BLiNk 182 lines.
Needless to say I missed out on playing a Pedulla
The guy was being rude to me from the start so it just might have been him.
After a couple of minutes one of the staff members tells me that my time is up. I was like ***? My time is up? He explained to me how people turn their stuff up and make it hard for business..... and all this stuff. I understood comepletly as I too used to work at a music shop. The guy was kind of being rude seeing as I am 17. He probably thought I was just another punk kid there to turn my amp up all the way and bust out my BLiNk 182 lines.
Needless to say I missed out on playing a PedullaThe guy was being rude to me from the start so it just might have been him.
I cant stand wankers. When I'm in a GC, or any other music store, I sit quietly in the corner with whichever bass I've trying, usually set the amp at 2. I usually just run through some scales to get a feel for the bass, and if I like, then run though some improv or whichever songs I'm learning at the moment.
I had one kid, problably wans't more than 13 years old, tell me I sucked. I responded, If I suck so bad, what did I just play (G minor scale). He looked at me dumbfounded and didn't answer, so I hand him the bass and say, it was a G minor, now you go and play one hot shot. He took the bass and proceded to NOT play a single note in the scale, or in ANY scale I've ever learned.
I hate trying to play in music stores for that reason.
I had one kid, problably wans't more than 13 years old, tell me I sucked. I responded, If I suck so bad, what did I just play (G minor scale). He looked at me dumbfounded and didn't answer, so I hand him the bass and say, it was a G minor, now you go and play one hot shot. He took the bass and proceded to NOT play a single note in the scale, or in ANY scale I've ever learned.
I hate trying to play in music stores for that reason.
see, i like to do the same thing, set the amp some where between 2-5 (depending on if i want to test the overdrive) and just do improv, and some scales
i dont really like gc all that much. be sides all the ampeg gear and some of there basses i wouldnt go there. i normale play half of black sabbaths nib, and the solo befor it, higher ground(not rhcp one) and i play what i know of pink floyd pigs. i uses these songs to try out basses. when i start to play pigs or higher ground at least some one comes up to me and says some thing like i cant belive ur playing that song.not because it's hard just because iam a 16 year old playing it. i dont like playing nib any more in stores because i get that look.the look people give when theres some one playing the intro to higher ground (rhcp one) over and over.
The incident related above about Les Claypool just proves a forceful point. How do these egotistical wankers know that Les Claypool or Vic Wooten, Gary Willis, even Jason Newsted aren't in the store. I mean wouldn't it be embarrassing to wank away like crazy, then discover Micheal Manring was in the store????
