happens all the time..........haha.....never bothered me because i tossed all basses into my firewood pile out back for burning..............but i usually just practice more
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Someone plays better than you?
- Thread starter Axtman
- Start date
I hate to be this guy, but I usually don't see bassists that are any better than me. The thing is, I can play anything, do anything technique wise, sight read, and know theory inside and out. I'm lightning fast when I have to be and rock solid in the pocket. At that point, "better" starts to get really subjective.
Being as I tend to work in the reggae and thrash scenes, I don't often get the pleasure to see bassists on the same level as me, but when I do, I love to watch them work.
Being as I tend to work in the reggae and thrash scenes, I don't often get the pleasure to see bassists on the same level as me, but when I do, I love to watch them work.
If they’re really that much better than me at a style of play that I actually care about, I learn their parts and do my best to absorb their influence into my own playing. It’s the closest I can legally get to killing them, cutting out their still-warm heart and devouring it raw to take their power for myself.
Um, none of the above.
I try to improve my bass skills for the personal growth aspect of it or to play something I find enjoyable to listen to, but have not yet taken the time to learn. I don't do it because I think someone's better than me. Nobody's better at being me than me. Being me is a great fit for the band I'm in. Maybe I'll outgrow the band. Maybe the band will outgrow me, but for now we've been growing together and it works.
I try to improve my bass skills for the personal growth aspect of it or to play something I find enjoyable to listen to, but have not yet taken the time to learn. I don't do it because I think someone's better than me. Nobody's better at being me than me. Being me is a great fit for the band I'm in. Maybe I'll outgrow the band. Maybe the band will outgrow me, but for now we've been growing together and it works.
- Sep 14, 2009
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- Endorsing Artist: GullanskyLab pickups
I watch and try to learn.
After all I also try to learn from those who play worse...
After all I also try to learn from those who play worse...
Enjoy the show, pay attention and maybe learn something new. Applaud there abilities and effort. No reason to not appreciate someone’s talent.
Since I picked up a guitar 25 years ago, awesome players have only made me want to play. Really, it’s the same with hearing anybody of most any skill level play. Kinda like since I quit smoking, smelling one just makes me want to light up.
It’s motivation to worker harder for me. I’ve been blessed to be able to open for a lot of my idols and play at some big festivals that included some legendary musicians. I also have gone to tons of big shows over the years that I wasn’t playing at. It’s always motivational for me. I really only worry about being shown up by local musicians lol. But that’s not necessary a bad thing either. For example when I first started gigging I used to just stand still on stage like a statue. And there was a local band in our scene that played kind of sloppy but they went absolutely nuts onstage and people loved it. So that band really influenced my showmanship because I didn’t want to be shown up by them. It really made me go back to the drawing board and do things like focus on being able to play the songs without looking at my hands so often, because I noticed when I looked at my hands a lot I didn’t put on as good of a show.
I always tell people that if there were only two bass players in the whole world.....I'd be the third best.
My youngest (he's 14) plays way better than I do. I mean honestly, his band regularly plays numbers that I have little to no hope of keeping up with - Vulfpeck's Dean Town is one, Dick Dale's Mirsilou (sp?) another. I have to settle for the warm glow of paternal pride, which ain't so bad.
Nothing, I’m done comparing. If anything I’ll try and figure out what they are doing.
I get impressed. Does it effect me or my efforts to improve? I get more motivated to improve and usually do listening to myself playing on recordings than listening to somebody else.
We’re bass players, right? I mean, aren’t we all here because we’re failed guitar players? That’s what the guitar players tell me anyway...
So a bass player better than me is really a less-failed-than-me guitar player, so I applaud him on his ability to fail awesomely...
So a bass player better than me is really a less-failed-than-me guitar player, so I applaud him on his ability to fail awesomely...
I have a different thinking: There will always be someone who plays better, even WAY better, than you.
Also there will be always a LOT of people who cannot plays as good as you do.
But, in fact, NO ONE will never play like you do. Your feel, your emotions, and vision on what you're doing is something that belongs only to you.
I don't care if someone plays better or worse than me. I really don't. But i'll always try to get something from others while they're playing. For me it's a joy see other guys playing good stuff, sharing techniques and other things...
Better than learning what to do, is learning what NOT to do, using the experience ( and failures ) of others. lol
Also there will be always a LOT of people who cannot plays as good as you do.
But, in fact, NO ONE will never play like you do. Your feel, your emotions, and vision on what you're doing is something that belongs only to you.
I don't care if someone plays better or worse than me. I really don't. But i'll always try to get something from others while they're playing. For me it's a joy see other guys playing good stuff, sharing techniques and other things...
Better than learning what to do, is learning what NOT to do, using the experience ( and failures ) of others. lol
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I applaud them, its the decent thing to do. And pay attention, you might learn something
I like to play bass because I get off on the tone and the bass lines I am playing. I still practice and I still work on advancing my technical prowess, when and if I want to play something and find I can't produce what I hear in my head in real life. But I'm not in competition with anybody else and just because somebody does some technique or other that I can't do. Or don't do. Or won't do, that does not mean they are "better than me". Not in my book, anyway.
I've reached the point where I am happy with the lines I lay down in the genres I prefer to play in. More so when I was playing more, of course.
If I hear something another bass player does that I like, I steal it.
If I happen to hear something another player does that I like but can't play, I tinker with it until I can play it if I like it enough. Otherwise, I just forget about it which means I save it for later to tinker with when I have time. There's always something new to learn, and things to improve upon.
And there are always going to musicians who do things you can't do, no matter who you are.
My focus is solely on laying down a bass line that supports the tune I'm playing. If that's not enough, you'll have to find somebody else.
I've reached the point where I am happy with the lines I lay down in the genres I prefer to play in. More so when I was playing more, of course.
If I hear something another bass player does that I like, I steal it.
If I happen to hear something another player does that I like but can't play, I tinker with it until I can play it if I like it enough. Otherwise, I just forget about it which means I save it for later to tinker with when I have time. There's always something new to learn, and things to improve upon.
And there are always going to musicians who do things you can't do, no matter who you are.
My focus is solely on laying down a bass line that supports the tune I'm playing. If that's not enough, you'll have to find somebody else.
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Man, seems like everybody I see plays better than me, but nobody plays me better than me. Imma go home and practice right now.
YouTube 16 yr olds with videos of their Tribassic prowess have destroyed my sense of self esteem.
1973, I considered leaving college to play guitar based on the encouragement of dorm mates. Then I met Eric Johnson, 6 string soul crusher, and quit playing guitar for a decade.
1973, I considered leaving college to play guitar based on the encouragement of dorm mates. Then I met Eric Johnson, 6 string soul crusher, and quit playing guitar for a decade.
