Still playing simple stuff

[3star2nr]

You need to widen your taste in music.

If you only expose your self to one particular style of music you'll only play one particular way. Listen to more and youll get way better really quick.

Also learn new scales and push yourself to get out of the chromatic and pentatonic boxes

 

[Stick_Player]

I don't think I have time for ANOTHER hobby!

Dang, I was going to edit my original post!

I should've said: Maybe different part time hobby?

Glad to hear that you've given up video games - those are ONLY a time waster.

 

[phillybass101]

I have been playing for 42 years and I'm still trying to get the hang of it

 

[aa1xxbb2zzzz]

hi i am new to this forum site .
I joined because i like guitar very much.
Please help me how to post treads and replies.

 

[gregmon79]

Let me weigh in on simple stuff. I used to play all sorts of fancy stuff. I played in some pretty ambitious bands. In 1986 someone asked me if I could fill in on some bluegrass. I had to start bass all over again. No kidding. I had to learn to play very simple, very solid with great timing and tone. I had to learn to play very straight most of the time and drop in one or two extra notes every once in a while. It was much harder than playing fancy. And you know happened next? I got solid. I made everyone else sound much better than they were on their own. I became more of a player's player. I was in demand. Folks who don't know much about music and bands didn't notice me but the musicians did. And you know what? It was great. Play the simple stuff. Play it really well.

This is a great philosophy! It took me a long time to realize that I didnt need to try and be another Jaco. I needed to learn how and when to play. I needed to learn how to listen to what was going on around me and compliment that. Be the bottom end of the band. The balls. Ive come to believe the simpler the better. But it is also good to get to know the fundamentals and even some more complex aspects of playing the bass. IME, playing with other people, jamming the blues mainly, is what opened so many doors in my head and helped me get so much better at playing.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

take all the songs CCR covers, and learn the originals! Much more interesting bass playing.

Tina Turner rocks harder at 70 than 99% of TB (including me) could ever hope to.

Well worth a watch.

 

[tspallone]

I've always played rock which, lets face it, is pretty simple stuff. Recently I've been trying to be a "real" bass playing and try to walk over any jazz standard there is. Well, that IS difficult and, I've noticed that, when I try to add MORE to the line, it sounds ok but then I retreat and go for the root, 5th, octave, maybe a 3rd or a 7th here and there with a leading tone to the next chord and, damn, it still sounds like I want to here a bass line. What got my ear "hearing" the bass in the first place. It's true. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. The Beatles weren't wrong!

 

[Russell L]

Let me weigh in on simple stuff. I used to play all sorts of fancy stuff. I played in some pretty ambitious bands. In 1986 someone asked me if I could fill in on some bluegrass. I had to start bass all over again. No kidding. I had to learn to play very simple, very solid with great timing and tone. I had to learn to play very straight most of the time and drop in one or two extra notes every once in a while. It was much harder than playing fancy. And you know happened next? I got solid. I made everyone else sound much better than they were on their own. I became more of a player's player. I was in demand. Folks who don't know much about music and bands didn't notice me but the musicians did. And you know what? It was great. Play the simple stuff. Play it really well.

+1.

It's why I always say, "ARTICULATION IS EVERYTHING."