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What I learned from a week at Berklee

#121
T-MOST said:
I guess thats cool "for you" but it's certainly NOT the definition of a bass or bass player in my book. I'm no Vic Wooten by far but I won't subscribe to that way of thinking. :ninja:
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So if you're not focusing on holding the groove, who will? The guitarist? Get real. It's exceedling rare to find a guitarist whose main goal isn't to solo as much as possible to feed their own ego.
 
#122
MrBorisSpider said:
So if you're not focusing on holding the groove, who will? The guitarist? Get real. It's exceedling rare to find a guitarist whose main goal isn't to solo as much as possible to feed their own ego.
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I'll add to that - IME is increasingly rare to find a guitarist who isnt either really pretty darned good or really pretty darned bad. Where have all of the average players gone?

Anyhooo, this thread is in my bookmarks. Thank you all.
 
#124
Pretty alright thread, but for you groovetards(:p), I understand you're employed and you can lay a solid groove and you're in demand and whatever. Here's my saying, practice everything you can and are interested in. It'll make you a better player and heck you might feel better about yourself. Music is supposed to be fun and ear pleasing. What if tapping is fun, what if you enjoy slapping, what if you enjoy playing fast? So what, I've seen SO MUCH hate on TB on these things. Chances are, that the guys who are saying can't really do it. Yeah, if you want to be a working musician you better not practice this in rehearsel. What if you're in some band that does this, and is a little weird. There are no "rules" in music. You guys don't have to be such **cks about other techniques. Yeah, learn your role as a bass player, and learn other things. You have only 1 life, and why not make it fun and interesting? If it's your job and they're telling what to do, you should listen. However, not everyone is doing music for the money, a lot of people have actual jobs and they do music for fun. Just have fun, and remember that.
 
#127
While i do agree that sweep double-thumbing techniques tend to be overkill as well as tapping and such, if you are in a band already and arent a bassist-for-hire or session artist looking to make money doing such things, if you just play 1/4th and 1/8th notes then you are really doing a disservice to only yourself and the instrument.

Now before I get flamed on about why I feel this way, let me state that everyone has their own style and what works for them works for them, but I would be furious if i paid all that money to be told to challenge myself less as a bassist in a real playing environment....REALLY furious lol. Just my opinion, I think we should use grace in our playing and understand the time to pluck and the time to slap, but not forget to push the limits so we don't get too comfy.
 
#129
Mr_Sore_Fingerz said:
While i do agree that sweep double-thumbing techniques tend to be overkill as well as tapping and such, if you are in a band already and arent a bassist-for-hire or session artist looking to make money doing such things, if you just play 1/4th and 1/8th notes then you are really doing a disservice to only yourself and the instrument.

Now before I get flamed on about why I feel this way, let me state that everyone has their own style and what works for them works for them, but I would be furious if i paid all that money to be told to challenge myself less as a bassist in a real playing environment....REALLY furious lol. Just my opinion, I think we should use grace in our playing and understand the time to pluck and the time to slap, but not forget to push the limits so we don't get too comfy.
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"Pushing the limits" is fine when you're practicing by yourself or leading your own band, but that'll get you fired from a paying gig.
 
#130
BassChuck said:
Amen. And really the reverse of your statement is true also. "How are you going to play quarter notes right if you can't play 32nd notes".
I know it sounds slightly crazy at first, but when you break it down to exactly what is going on, the difference between the player who 'grooves' or is playing in the right style comes down to exactly when the quarter (or eighth) note is played... and I'm not talking about a difference in rhythm that could be notated. I'm talking about that very slight adjustment that puts the note 'right where it belongs'.
In other words, being able to play with well controlled speed is part of technique... the other part is knowing when to use it.
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I don't really like using arbitrary words like "grooves" because it really doesn't mean anything. There is no clear definition of the term. It's like about as relevant of a word as like "heavy." I try to be more precise with how I communicate.
 
#131
Martin Bormann said:
I don't really like using arbitrary words like "grooves" because it really doesn't mean anything. There is no clear definition of the term. It's like about as relevant of a word as like "heavy." I try to be more precise with how I communicate.
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When someone grooves you can just feel it. It transcends semantics. It can't be explained; that's the beauty of it.
 
#137
Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I have to ask the groove players a question. Don't you think solid groove basslines can have a melodic quality? In Jazz the best walking basslines can stand by themselves as melodies. And what about being able to play a good melodic solo with good time, note choice, and rhythm? After all it is music and music involves all of these things. I'm not a slapper, tapper, or any other fan of "special effects" on any instrument, but I strive to play solid AND melodic lines support as well as solos. The practice of each can support the other. Another point I wanted to mention, what do you think guys like Geezer were influenced by? There wasn't that much out there other than blues, jazz, classical, R&B, and 50's rock and roll. So when you think about it, learning as much music as possible can be helpful. Personally, I'm an old Metal player, got sick of the local scene and discovered funk and then jazz. Now I feel like my musical life has new breath, I've come to a point now where I will play anything I find fun and interesting. After all of these years it's all just notes and rhythm to me.

Why does it need to be so black and white?
 
#138
TehRoflCopter said:
Danny Mo is a monster. My mom is an Associate Prof of Voice at Berklee and Danny has played with my mom often both at gigs and on her albums. I've been lucky enough to see him live many times and he is one of the tastiest players I've ever heard. Never a busy player but his note choices are perfect. I plan to take at least a few semesters at Berklee.
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I haven't kept in touch with Danny, but we were in a band together in Upstate NY when he was a college freshman (I was about 3 years older, playing guitar) in the '70s, and it was the first time I ever felt "Aaaahhhh, now THAT's a pocket!" with a band I was in instead of one I was watching. He had wonderful dexterity and elasticity but always played simply and supportively. Playing with him made me play better no question, because I could hang anything I did on his groove.

He's the real deal.
 

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