There is ALWAYS someone better than you

[avvie]

Let me preface this by saying that I don't suck.

I was listening to Jack Cassidy's interview on No Treble today and he made the comment that there is always someone who has more technical skills and musical knowledge than you do and that the important thing was to find your own tone and voice and not worry about what others are playing. I totally agree with this. As a 50-year-old influenced by Lee and Entwistle I don't think I need to spend all day on YouTube trying to master every riff and skill available. I do just fine and play enough notes and fills as it is and people like it. I have no need to slap as much as Mark King or do any two-hand tapping or any of that; I am a bass player and not an acrobat.

This does not stop drummers from constantly having to remark about other bass players in the area in a way that says "they're really skilled and schooled in a way that you are not." Even if this were true and somehow relevant (because I am schooled and experienced in a way that THEY are not), I think this is just plain rude. I have a favorite drummer to play with who has his own voice and is not as technically prowessed and schooled as others but I do not say this to him; instead I say he's my favorite drummer to jam with here. I got him into the scene and gigging regularly...I'm not sure sometimes if this is appreciated.

Another is very skilled...he woodsheds and practices all the time. Big into jazz fusion. Always talks about professional musicianship...and he is the least professional of anyone I've worked with. I've had to fire him twice from two different bands for this. This is another who spends time comparing other players in a negative way but is perpetually a sub and never a member and can't understand why.

Yet another is pretty good and very experienced but is very arrogant and is an addict who feels he is above being questioned when he shows up stoned and plays everything too slow to dance to. He definitely makes it a point to mention other "better" players...yet- again- I am the one with the steady gig.

There is ALWAYS someone better than you. There is no need to make any comparisons because it's just plain rude. I know of several players who are better than me in one way or another but it is entirely irrelevant because I'm not walking in their shoes and they're not walking in mine. I have played big arenas and small clubs and recorded and been broadcast locally and nationally in one way or another and somehow trying to tell me that I am somehow lesser than another (based on arbitrary criteria) says more about them than me. Every player brings different things, and the amount of formal training is not the only standard to measure by. If that were the case, most of your favorite players would never even have been heard of. I know someone who is "better" than every single person I've ever met in this business, both pro and amateur...I just don't SAY it.

 

[pacojas]

"everyone is better than me". that is my motto in life. no stress, no hard feelings. when folks criticize my playing i can't help but agree!

 

[FilterFunk]

I read a saying that goes something like this:

"No matter what you do, there's an Asian guy on YouTube who's better than you."

I would edit out "better" and insert "more technically proficient". "Better" depends on so many variables. That bassist with the amazing technical chops might not have an ounce of funk in him/her.

 

[avvie]

Great player can also mean lousy bandmate. The most talented guitarist I know is also the one I would most like to bash with a baseball bat. If I still lived in the old 'hood I'd be checking the obituaries every single day looking for his name and an excuse to party.

 

[denhou1974]

Nice post.

I do what I do. If BL thinks they can find someone better then go get em.

 

[BassChuck]

Yup. There are lots of players out there that can cover the basic needs of the gig. Be the person they want in the band. Equipment that works, personality that fits in, SHOW UP BEFORE CALL TIME, musical skills adequate to the job. Don't make extra work for the BL, and that includes giving suggestions that don't solve emergencies. If you have other skills or equipment that makes the gig easier, make sure the BL knows they are available and then let them worry about whats needed. Expect to be flexible. This gig is not the last one you'll play.

 

[LowNloud1]

I know my talent is limited.

I accept that doing my very best is enough because if I didn't, I'd probably give up doing something I love doing.

If the time comes that I don't/can't give a pluck, I'll exit gracefully.

 

[samson3382]

I wish more "tough guys" would realize this before looking for a fight.
No matter how big and tough you might think you are, there is always someone who is bigger and tougher.
And they very well may not look it at all.

 

[ZenG]

As B.B. King put it "there's thousands of better players out there....but they weren't me".

 

[woodyng2]

There's usually people worser than you,too.
So there's that to hold on to....

Teknikly speaking,i can't do any number of the various virtuoso techniques on display on the interwebs,but i like to think i can bring something interesting to the table when i play in an ensemble....

 

[Wolfenstein666]

Cliff Burton had a good quote about this. I'm probably butchering it but I'll try. It was something along the lines of "that's why I practice so much. Because somebody somewhere is sitting in there garage practicing, and they're way better than me and will never make it to where I am."

It was just humbling. Always practice, never compare. Yeah, there's a million bass players out there better than me. But everyone's journey is different and everyone develops along different paths. I just try to be happy that other people out there love bass the same as I do.

 

[Richland123]

At almost 60 years old, I realized decades ago that as a weekend musical warrior I will never have the time to devote to being as good as many other bassists. It is hard enough when you are doing cover songs and trying to emulate hundreds of bassists on the recordings you cover. I decided to try and be the best at what I can do and not worry about all the players who are better than me or more theory oriented. I will never be proficient at super fast metal licks or snapping and popping. Whatever I have done has worked well for me since I have never been out of work in 46 years and I greatly appreciate that I have been able to play with many good musicians along the way in successful bands.

 

[rico bass]

There is no better ,best ,everytime I hear a good player they always sound better to me then I go home and practice ,everyone has different skills just be the best you can be. I remember going to see Will Lee at a Jazz club in the city ,no tricks ,not slap ,no tap just simple straight lines he was incredible and not too many can do that ,he can play in any situation and do exactly what is needed for the song now thats great bass playing.

 

[Flatwoundround]

I agree with the OP that those drummers comments are rude. You could always do the same thing back to them if you want or you can just confront them on their rudeness. Clearly it is bothering you, it would bug me too and in fact I think it has happened to me also before so I can relate.

 

[Joedog]

People are weird. There is some of that around here. Funny thing is, the BP community is pretty tight, and for the most part non-competitive. When I first moved here, some of the best BP's around were nothing but helpful and very encouraging. That meant a lot. I try and pay it forward with the younger kids coming up. I refuse to try and make myself seem better by denigrating others (in other words, be an ass). I KNOW there are bassists right here that are, and always will be better musicians/BP's than I am. I am fine with that. I respect them and appreciate their friendship. Funny how the few exceptions (players who think they are all that) aren't nearly as good as they think. It's the "big fish in a small pond syndrome". You'll find a bit of that everywhere. Just ignore it, and be the best you that you can be.

 

[elgecko]

True...but you can always get better. Why rest on your laurels?

 

[T-MOST]

Thats a natural fact on ANY level. At the very least someone can be better for that specific situation.

 

[lfmn16]

The most important competition, IMHO, is the competition with yourself. I know I'll never be better than everyone out there, but if I practice, I can always improve on my own playing.

 

[Honch]

I definitely saw one better (there are all around me, though, better ones) than me, this weekends trade fair in Gotheburg Sweden (Fuzz Guitar Trade Fair). His name was Nathan Navarro, he sat there on a stool in the booth of Source Audio demonstrating their stuff. Nice bloke, and boy how innovative and creative he was! I sort of "Where the hell did he get that from?!" all of the time. I don't think I know of a bassists that can make so much creative use of pedalboard and effects. Usually it's guitarists, and bassists are stuck to "one sound" and "good tone" and they're good with that.

The thing is about playing, is that an element is alwyas missed when discussing technicality, virtuosity, or even feeling in your playing. It's always a bipolar state about feeling vs technique. You can have an abundance of both, but you're still playing OTHERS material, that someone else came up with in the first place. Not you. I e someone else shows something to you by playing it. Copying anything afterwards is no big deal. Coming up with things in the first place is a third elelement that has neither to do with feeling nor technique. Creativity, imagination, comes from somewhere else in the brain, than technique, or feeling.

I knew Nathans work from before, and the punters there didn't have a clue what he really did, he went over most peoples head actually. Too daunting.

 

[Honch]

True...but you can always get better. Why rest on your laurels?

This is why I am not playing with friends and musicians of my generation any more. Around 50 or 50 plus. I still want to raise MY bar and the bar, and learn new stuff, and the only thing is to steer towards younger cats, who has different influences and aspirations. Always learn new things. The others at my age are too stiff and resting on their laurels. Bothers the f* out of me. And when showing new things, or styles to them. They make excuses for not liking the music. But just only, and only because they can't play the stuff, from a technically standpoint, and doesn't want to woodshed anything. Or not even woodshed, just making that tiiiiiiin little effort and walk that extra - not mile but - inch to get it there. Its almost that when rehearsing - say - any cover and some slightly harder part shows up that they're not used to they'll sit that one "out". With the explanation "that's just something they've put in there... it's not needed, it's superfluous..:"