The corect way to play bass

[Elemetal]

I was at a party yesterday and there was a band playing. the bass player is a friend of mine and so before the band started playing I asked if I could play his bass. I sat on top of the amp amd plugged in. When i started playing the room got quiet and all eyes wwere on me. people could not believe that I could play the way I did. I played an original composition called "Jaco" which is in a nutshell my tribute to Jaco. Then my bass player friend comes up and says Ok we are palying now let me have my bass back. When he started playing he played a steady stream of nothing but eigth notes the entire time. then after his band played he said to me that Is how the bass is meant to be played. Dont ask to play me bass again if you are going to much up the bass lines with melody. Bass is not a melodic instrument. Shortly after I left the party.
Was this guy jealous that I stole his moment since he was the host of the party?

To start stating the correct way to play bass you should learn how to spell the word correct first.

Dude that guy is just a dumbass. He must be a guitarist or something. He just doesn't leave the house much or something. That or he's just a noob and tell him to frick off.

 

[Kelly Lee]

I'm sorry, but with all due respect I couldn't disagree with you more. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with wanting to show somebody what you can do. To me it's part of the satisfaction of being a musician. If someone allows you to play their instrument, it seems self-defeating to 'dumb it down' and play at what you percieve to be their level or expectation.

You missed the whole point of my post.

You said "To me it's part of the satisfaction of being a musician." This was supposed to be a friend. There should be a difference between the two. Get it?

I don't need to prove myself at someone else's gig, let alone a friend's gig. I would never do what she did. You don't do that to a friend, period.

Now, if he really isn't a friend and more of an aquaintance, and with his attitude, by all means...stick it to him!

 

[dukerutledge]

I've been a culprate of accidentally show boating with someone else's bass, however, I'm pretty good at recognizing that I did. My fix is to find something that the person is better at and ask them how they do it. For example a friend of mine is much better at slap and I played his bass before a gig and naturally just played some crazy stuff not thinking about it. After I played I was like oh no there are people here, I hope I didn't damage any egos. So after he played I just told him he kick a$$ and asked him to give me some pointers on slapping and how he got to where he is. Find a way to turn around your showboating if you accidentally do it, don't stand your ground. However in your case the guy was a jackass.

 

[Bassconbeatz]

After further thought, had you ever heard him and his band play before? Perhaps you knew that his bass lines were not complicated, and your solo would sound really snazzy compared to what he was going to do. That would be what you call "showboating."

As far as the corect [sic] way to play bass, complicated lines don't usually work in a band situation. Soloing is one thing, but some songs need eighth notes. It's appropriate to play for the song rather than for the glory.

+1 on that.

 

[Munjibunga]

As I am totally unencumbered by a fear of being an "arse" I'll again ask: WHO CARES if it was intentional or not?

I think what it gets down to is, who is the doo doo here, the showboater or the one who didn't like it? I don't see the positive in either side of the equation.

 

[Munjibunga]

Just wanted to show him what I could realy do since I am a woman. I think that is really what ticked him off a woman played better than he did.

Sounds like you accomplished what you were going for. It wouldn't surprise me if the idea was in your head well before the party ... like around the time you were practicing that fresh piece.

 

[Poop-Loops]

i'm assuming your school has alot of people in "hardcore" bands as well? this is a common thing in my area.

I spelled "college" wrong. That should give you a hint.

Let's pretend for a moment that it wasn't the OP who did this, but the Ghost of Jaco Past came and decided to play something, then the host said "you only play 8th notes on bass!!"

What would you all be saying?

 

[Dirty Dave]

You missed the whole point of my post.

I did not miss the point of your post! I just disagree with you. Maybe you take issue with that?

You said "To me it's part of the satisfaction of being a musician." This was supposed to be a friend. There should be a difference between the two. Get it?

Oh I get it completely. In this instance both friends are musicians. One asked to play, the other agreed. As far as we both know, the host never stated specific rules about what the guest was allowed to play or not to play, so I really don't see what his problem was. I'm completely sold on the theory that his big ego was bruised because he felt a woman played better than him.

I don't need to prove myself at someone else's gig, let alone a friend's gig. I would never do what she did. You don't do that to a friend, period.

This is starting to sound like a sensitvity issue. I don't know about you but I have a few friends that also play bass. We almost expect each other to ask to play each others basses no matter where we are, parties, gigs, wherever. If that didn't happen we would probably wonder what's up. Never have any of us thought to limit our potential or change our playing style to spare the others feelings. That's just lame. We certainly don't try to tell each other how a bass is supposed to be played. If anything, we try to learn from and motivate each other.

Now, if he really isn't a friend and more of an aquaintance, and with his attitude, by all means...stick it to him!

Well despite the reference, does this guy sound like any kind of friend you would like to have? She stated he always brags about how good he is and then tries to tell her how a bass is supposed to be played. Granted, we are only getting one side of the story but that is all we really have to go on here.

 

[Munjibunga]

I'm completely sold on the theory that his big ego was bruised because he felt a woman played better than him.

OK, let's say that's true. Now what if that was the intent of the OP? Is that a friendly thing to do? What kind of moaning would we be hearing from the OP if the guy said "no" when she asked if she could play his bass?

Something like: "Wow, I went to a party that one of my bass player friends threw the other night, and I asked him if I could play his bass while the band was setting up. He said no. I couldn't believe it. He thinks he's such a hot player, and I know he's afraid I'd show him up, especially because I'm a woman. He just plays eighth notes all the time. So I left the party a little while later."

 

[s.m.80808]

Granted, we are only getting one side of the story but that is all we really have to go on here.

Exactly. . .

I think Munjibunga summed it up best.

Even if he (the guy who was holding the party) is a jerk and an *******, it was his gig. I find it obnoxious that someone (male or female) would ask to play at someone else's gig with the intent on TRYING to show them up. Right or wrong, it doesn't strike me as a classy thing to do.

It isn't like it was one of those open mic blues wankathons, it was a private party.

 

[Munjibunga]

Exactly. . .

I think Munjibunga summed it up best.

Even if he is a jerk and an ******* ...

Whew! That was close!

 

[s.m.80808]

Exactly. . .

I think Munjibunga summed it up best.

Even if he (the guy who was holding the party) is a jerk and an *******,.....

Sorry about that. . .

 

[vindy500]

maybe the guy just didnt like what she played, i know personally i just dont like the way jaco plays, now dont give me the its just cuz i cant play it that i dont like, thats just a rediculous argument but i just cant get into jaco. maybe the guy truly believes he is playing bass the correct way for the music he is playing

 

[s.m.80808]

maybe the guy just didnt like what she played...

Maybe he thought she was being pretentious. Anyway, I don't think the average person who goes to see a rock band at a party would care much for Jaco's solo stuff either. . . let alone a song made up in the style of Jaco named "Jaco"(one which none of us have presumably heard to confirm that it was indeed good). In their eyes it could've really not been that great.

now dont give me the its just cuz i cant play it that i dont like, thats just a ridiculous argument but i just cant get into jaco. ..

I hate that argument too.

 

[K2000]

It's like getting invited to someone's Christmas dinner, and then saying THIS IS HOW YOU CARVE A TURKEY and wielding control of the knives.

You committed a faux pas, and then he said something negative in return because he was bothered about it.

 

[Atoz]

Exactly. . .

I think Munjibunga summed it up best.

Even if he (the guy who was holding the party) is a jerk and an *******, it was his gig. I find it obnoxious that someone (male or female) would ask to play at someone else's gig with the intent on TRYING to show them up. Right or wrong, it doesn't strike me as a classy thing to do.

...

Well put. The brother of my ex used to pull this kind of crap all the time. He's a pretty talented professional musician with a good acoustic solo act. What he would do at other people's solo gigs is strike up a conversation during the breaks with whomever was playing. He'd eventually talk the person into letting him pick up their guitar. At this point he'd launch into some incredibly complex passage while staring the person down in the process. He'd then hand the guitar back and smugly walk away. :scowl:

It's like getting invited to someone's Christmas dinner, and then saying THIS IS HOW YOU CARVE A TURKEY and wielding control of the knives.

Exactly. I think that the OP acted in a very tacky manner. The whole "woman" angle she's trying to establish seems to lack merit, as there doesn't appear to be any evidence in the OP's story that anyone was putting her down for being a woman or mocking her playing potential before she started her wankfest.

 

[canopener]

I lot of her threads involve her getting shot down some how. Maybe she really does get the short end of the stick...

 

[Dirty Dave]

OK, let's say that's true. Now what if that was the intent of the OP? Is that a friendly thing to do? What kind of moaning would we be hearing from the OP if the guy said "no" when she asked if she could play his bass?

Something like: "Wow, I went to a party that one of my bass player friends threw the other night, and I asked him if I could play his bass while the band was setting up. He said no. I couldn't believe it. He thinks he's such a hot player, and I know he's afraid I'd show him up, especially because I'm a woman. He just plays eighth notes all the time. So I left the party a little while later."

Are you telling me that during your years as a musician you have never wanted to impress somebody, friend or foe, with your playing? I wouldn't believe you if you said no. What kind of player would you be? Would you even practice anymore once you got the eighth notes down? On the flip side, have you ever handed someone your bass and expected them to play exactly the way you do or consider it disrespectful if they didn't? I just don't understand that mentality.

What kind of "moaning" we would be hearing from the OP if the guy said no would be pure speculation. What if she was asked to join Metallica? I'm sure we would be having a completely different conversation but that's not what she said happened.

 

[s.m.80808]

Are you telling me that during your years as a musician you have never wanted to impress somebody, friend or foe, with your playing?

Yeah, but there is a time and place for that. Not on someone else's gig.

What if you're at a gig and someone ASKS you to play a song or something and it has nothing to do with the type of music you are playing? Billy Sheehan style shredding probably doesn't go over well in a jazz club. Jaco's bass solos probably wouldn't do well at a punk show.

You think that is going to go over well with the crowd that wants to see YOU play when someone invites themself up to play music that is totally out of context? I'd bet it put a damper on the mood.

Think of the situation. Maybe she annoyed him so much by constantly asking that he finally let her play so she would leave him alone. And then maybe perhaps she ruined the mood and he was annoyed.

Maybe she asked "hey man can I try your bass" and then sounded like she was noodling around incoherently (which Jaco sounds like to people who are not feeling his music.)

It is just bad form to go to a gig (not a jam session..a gig) and ask to play. It is one thing to be invited to play a song, but another to be pushy and ask to play. It's just not good form.

If the OP wanted to show him up she should have had her own party and invited him and shut him down with her tremendous skills. Nothing wrong with that.

Maybe, perhaps, noone wants go to to a party and listen to wanking though?

 

[AuG]

Recently I was at a party* and had an acoustic bass thrown onto my lap and told to play. So I said sure.

It was just me and two acoustic guitars, they start jamming, I start playing. Just some basic stuff, 8th's on the root, mixing it up a bit, throwing in some octaves and major chords once in a while. After a bit they decided to stop, so I kept playing and was basically just practicing scales. Harmonics didn't sound too good so I stayed away from anything Jacoish. Eventually the guy that owned the bass came up and wanted it back, so I handed it over. I don't think he was embarrassed or anything, but he did comment on how the bass doesn't have harmonics (don't know if he was taking generally or specifically with his bass) and shouldn't stand out too much.
Just because the guitars stop doesn't mean the bass should still be hitting those 8th notes for the rest of the night. It sounds like Lowner did a little bit of showboating, which to me is fine so long as you're not expecting anyone to listen.

*By "party" I mean maybe 10-15 people.