What bass lesson or tip changed your life.

[123Nil]

What's the point once you've got it down?

I ask, because for me.. The more I play it.. The better it gets

 

[JimmyM]

I ask, because for me.. The more I play it.. The better it gets

That's a whole different ballgame than playing something you already know is as good as it's going to get and you can play it in your sleep.

 

[punchdrunk]

Be a part of the sound system. Period.

 

[mambo4]

Learning to read rhythm

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

I learned the hard way that playing for exposure is bullsh!t. Not that this comes as a surprise to anyone here, but this was long before I started reading TB.

Also, an interview with Andrew Weiss taught me to lead with my middle finger rather than my index when playing fingerstyle. Much more comfortable IMO.

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

Sorry it's long...

What bass lesson or tip changed your life?
Not any lessons per se, more like experiences...

1st, what has affected my playing the most.

I grew up in the 70s, started playing in the late 70s, so everything I learned, I learned by ear. And I was still using that method up until the early 2000s when I quit playing bass. A couple of years back, I started playing again and someone looked at me and said this song is basically G, D, and C... Well I looked at him and said that's fine, play it first cause I got to hear it, G, D, and C doesn't mean squat to me. They told me to start learning the fretboard. So I printed out, and laminated a chart of the fret board and carried it with me to a few gigs. When we played a song I didn't know, they would tell me the notes and I would take a quick glance over at my chart sitting on top of my amp. I only needed it for about month.

The funny thing about it, is now I can pick something up by ear even quicker than I did before, which I was pretty good at, but now I also know what the notes actually are. And a lot of times with new material I can even anticipate what the next few notes are going to be before I actually have to play them even though it's something I have never played before.

Why I didn't do this sooner in life is beyond me. You would have thought I would have, especially considering that at one time early in life I was reading sheet music and playing clarinet and contrabass bassoon in school. But I never found I really needed it with bass. Anytime I needed to learn new material on bass I just sat down and learned it, by ear. And back in the day, no Internet, so it wasn't like I could just go out and get sheet music for bass for Aerosmith, Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC, whatever, at the drop of a hat. A lot of learning was done sitting beside a record player, 8 track player, or cassette deck. I wore out a lot of tapes with the rewind button back in the day.

Where I have really begun to shine is when I'm out at someone else's live gig and I sit in on something I have never played before. Throw me some notes and I'll figure the rest of it out on the fly as we play. And I get asked to sit in a lot when I go out. And that's a whole other subject. Playing with different folks all the time keeps one on their toes, and it definitely makes me a better player. I'm always learning something new even when I do a song with someone one week, and then do the same song with someone else another week. There's always something to pick up on or explore. I can't stress enough how important it is to continually play with others you don't normally play with even when it's not the same type of music you would play.

2nd, what has affected my thinking about playing the most?

There is a two hour video on Neil Peart reinventing himself after he had played drums for 30 years. A lot of what he talks about, and does in the video, can easily be applied to playing bass, especially if you're playing bass with two guitarists because the rhythm has more coverage allowing more room for the bass to explore.

See Neil is filling in not only with normal drum stuff, but he does things with his drums that fill in for a lack of a normal bass player holding the bottom end down due to the lack of guitarists. Rush's music requires it because of Geddy's style and the lack of a rhythm guitar all the time. When Alex goes to playing lead, Geddy tends to fill in the missing rhythm with a lot of notes, leaving Neil to expand his drum playing to cover all of the low end of things.

Now Neil doesn't come right out and say that. But his job is definitely different than the average drummer out there playing in a 4 or 5 piece band. And that's what I took away from his explaining how he does somethings to fill "spaces", alter the timing, or bring the guitar and bass to a crescendo. So take some of his methods and apply it to playing bass in a band that has more rhythm coverage opening up more areas for the bass to go. What if you used the bass to bring the guitars and drums to a crescendo?

It's long, but worth watching. He actually explains what he does, then shows how he does it and why he does it. Some of what he does can definitely be applied to notes on a bass fretboard. Just don't try using drumsticks to do it. Maybe I just relate to the video more than most because the last year to year and half I have been reinventing myself as well, not only in music, but in my career path, and living style as well.

Only you can watch the video and decide for yourself if you can learn anything to apply to playing bass from it. But you have to remember, when he plays a triplett, whether it be on a crash, a tom, a high hat, a cowbell, whatever, he's still playing notes and it's what he does with those notes that I can see in my mind's eye applying to playing bass.

Thanks for the heads up, I'm going to check this out when I have an hour or two to myself. Sounds fascinating.

 

[KohanMike]

Being that I started playing bass 5 years ago for my ukulele group, just taking lessons changed my life. Where I was a guitar player for almost 50 years, I now consider myself to be a bass player, plus ukulele and harmonica.

 

[retslock]

Perfect.

I was 15 years old when I started playing in clubs all over NC and VA. The other band members were in their 30s. I was at that age when my mom n dad were "stupid". So I listened to these guys because they weren't my parents. (My parents have since become my heroes.)

But my life changed working with grownup musicians. I learned how to shut up and take advice. I learned how to show up with a spare everything. I learned how to maintain my gear. I learned how to be little or no drama to my band mates. I learned that every band member should sing at least a little. 5 or 6 part harmonies on stage set you apart from hack bands. In short, I learned how to he a pro.

You can have Jeff Berlin solo skills, Billy Sheehan rock flair, Victor Wooten slap chops, Jamerson groove, and Jaco jazz hands. If everybody hates you, your gear falls apart, you constantly show up late, you fail to learn your parts, etc. none of that matters.

If you can't work with others, you're a tree falling in the woods. Sure, you're making a sound. But nobody hears you, so why does it matter?

Do I have chops? Sure. Plenty good for most mainstream gigs. But my phone rings off the hook because once I take the gig you can scratch bass off the to-do list. I'm gonna show up on time with the songs nailed and good gear and a spare everything. Most importantly I'm gonna show up with a friendly-yet-pro attitude. I'm down for whatever and prepared for almost anything. Want me to sing backups? Sure. Forgot your guitar cable? Here. I've got 5. Pick your favorite color. Singer's throat is getting soar? Lemme take lead on a few. Let's have some fun and make some money!

I equate it to friends. They say to have friend you have to BE a friend. In this context, to be in a great band, you must BE a great band member. Chops is only part of that.

So much good stuff in this post. Make yourself somebody they want to work with.

 

[foal30]

When I play will the rest of the ensemble or band sound better?

 

[logdrum]

Looks like soft skills and work ethics have been also thrown in by folks and to them trumps musical and technique lessons. I really think these are needed whatever you do in life when it comes to working with others. I scratch my head sometimes at the mega threads on these aspects when they become arguments or my-2-cents fests.

Anyway as far as the OP is concerned who asked about pivotal-key lessons or tips technique wise and not being a good hirable side-person:

There is no single one - but if I have to pick and what I am trying to explore musically presently; Mark Dresser
For foundational technique John Patitucci's video, Bass Workshop on the electric bass. Upright was my first bass teacher in NYC who told me how to interpret and apply the 2 Simandl volumes even though I was only interested in Pizz technique.

On the bass these artists really left an impression on me.

Sound and concept - bowing - Mark Dresser lectures/talks
Tumbao (that was applicable to maNy things not just Salsa) - Irakere's bassist Carlos del Puerto
Walking and getting a good sound - Christian McBride in Vermont - impromptu clinic/talk
John Patitucci's Bass Workshop way back then. I basically destroyed the tape pausing, rewinding and forwarding. I have seen him with Chick Corea many times but never got the chance to get a master class.

I like bass keys a lot too. Lonnie Smith and Neal Evans (Soul Live), I listen and study what they are doing. I have a band mate who can replace me anytime because they have that left hand bass hand down.

 

[shoot-r]

Years ago while standing next to our broken-down Bluebird on a highway I don't remember, our BL made a comment I'd not considered before, "The money isn't tied up in the equipment, it's tied up in MOVING that equipment."

 

[socialleper]

To use my pinkie on my fretting hand. I am self taught and was only using my first three fingers on my left hand. When I took two seasons on theory the guy told me I would never get the scales right that way. I have stout fingers, so it was a real game changer.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

For me, Many, but

1) Learning to walk Autumn Leaves on upright., courtesy of Bill Miller, houston bass wonder.
2) learning to do "Perfect Practice". Courtesy of Carol Shiffer, a wonderful piano instructor at HCC.
3) Your time sucks... hopefully it is better after 22 years,
4) Key Center analysis, courtesy of Dr. Woody Witt.

IDK, if there was 1, "life changing" lesson.the 1 that helped my playing most was, SBL's string skipping(octaves) drill transformed my playing! My Right hand technique has improved so much! also metronome timing drills while sight reading & buying bach for bass cello pieces/studies made me a badass!

 

[pappabass]

Curious.. Why do you say.. Don't practice the same stuff over and over?

Learn something new. Not play same run or riff you know over and over

 

[Alban]

“It is better to play the wrong note at the right time, than to play the right note at the wrong time”.

this helped me going forward, to prioritize groove over melody.

 

[crankypants]

The forgotten (lower) fifth.

Country Music Remembers

 

[Mark Ambler]

“It is better to play the wrong note at the right time, than to play the right note at the wrong time”.

this helped me going forward, to prioritize groove over melody.

Hmmm, If in doubt, leave it out. Sometimes it’s so much better not to play. But always play with conviction, even if you’re faking it, (someone once told me).

 

[Alban]

Hmmm, If in doubt, leave it out. Sometimes it’s so much better not to play. But always play with conviction, even if you’re faking it, (someone once told me).

well obviously one should still try to hit as many right notes as possible... but yes, playing with conviction is what it boils down to.

 

[Deleted member 188127]

Best lesson I learnt in my 14 years of bass playing:

Practice everything REALLY slow (around 50-60bpm) with a metronome until you are hitting every note exactly where you mean to before trying to play it at tempo.

My playing improved dramatically.

 

[2112]

Bands aren't looking for the greatest musicians. They're looking for people who can do the job, are easy to get along with, and who they never have to worry or think about.

Das it mane!