What Is the difference between a Professional Bass and a Bass player.

[MikeBass]

According to my old accountant, who does taxes for other musician friends of mine, if you file taxes on income you make as a musician and to use write-offs of say gear for example, you are a professional.

 

[MikeBass]

ask yourself "are you a Pro?"
Can you:

1. Can play any gig/style extremely competently with limited or no rehearsing? To accompish this you must be able to read music (of all kinds)! For example, you take a church gig or a recording session,when all you're going to get is a piano chart or Tuba score that you need to transpose on sight. Then make a musical bassline and groove.
2. The next gig you get is a salsa gig. You better be able to nail that style! can you?
3. Then you get called for a top 40 pop dance gig. Do you already know "brown eyed girl", "I will Surive," Sweet home Alabama," "Tainted Love," "Harder to Breathe," "At Last," "Respect," and "T.N.T"? beacuse your going to need to know these songs -cold!
4. How many Jazz standards do you know. I'm mean really know!! 5? 10? Could you play a 3 hour jazz gig w/out your realbook?
5. The band leader calls out a song you don't know. Can you fake it? Can you play a song you have never played before, but have heard the song? Can you transpose that song?
6. You're next gig the sound guy is a no show!! uh oh!! Can you run a PA and still hold down your bass parts?
7. Do you have reliable gear and actually know how its works?
8. Do you show up on time? everytime?
9. are you a good communicator? can you take orders?

I'm sure there is more. I'm not saying I can do all of this, but in my mind a true "pro" is the kind of person that can do all this.

Some people that can do all this don't use music or bass as their main source of income. And some that play bass as their main source of income can't do most of these things.

So I don't equate making money to being a "PRO"

That is all included in "being professional" and "acting professional".

I stick to my above post.

 

[lx_night]

good stuff.

 

[rokkitt]

ask yourself "are you a Pro?"
Can you:

1. Can play any gig/style extremely competently with limited or no rehearsing? To accompish this you must be able to read music (of all kinds)! For example, you take a church gig or a recording session,when all you're going to get is a piano chart or Tuba score that you need to transpose on sight. Then make a musical bassline and groove.
2. The next gig you get is a salsa gig. You better be able to nail that style! can you?
3. Then you get called for a top 40 pop dance gig. Do you already know "brown eyed girl", "I will Surive," Sweet home Alabama," "Tainted Love," "Harder to Breathe," "At Last," "Respect," and "T.N.T"? beacuse your going to need to know these songs -cold!
4. How many Jazz standards do you know. I'm mean really know!! 5? 10? Could you play a 3 hour jazz gig w/out your realbook?
5. The band leader calls out a song you don't know. Can you fake it? Can you play a song you have never played before, but have heard the song? Can you transpose that song?
6. You're next gig the sound guy is a no show!! uh oh!! Can you run a PA and still hold down your bass parts?
7. Do you have reliable gear and actually know how its works?
8. Do you show up on time? everytime?
9. are you a good communicator? can you take orders?

I'm sure there is more. I'm not saying I can do all of this, but in my mind a true "pro" is the kind of person that can do all this.

Some people that can do all this don't use music or bass as their main source of income. And some that play bass as their main source of income can't do most of these things.

So I don't equate making money to being a "PRO"

wow...that is a tall order to nail this full list

and, report income and deduct gear expenses....hmmmm that might be a good guage

 

[Chad Michael]

According to my old accountant, who does taxes for other musician friends of mine, if you file taxes on income you make as a musician and to use write-offs of say gear for example, you are a professional.

Some would just say you're being honest

... if you file taxes on income you make as a musician and to use write-offs of say gear for example, ....

Since I do this, I may be a pro in your accountant's eyes but still don't "qualify" according to opinions of others. Either way, being paid to play bass has helped feed my family and pay the bills. It didn't seem like 'work', though .

 

[Fergie Fulton]

I would have to say attitude. Any one can develop a pros attitude to any walk of life. The fact a pro gets paid for this is because they has a great attitude to what they are doing as a rule.
If players who are not in a position to earn money from their playing take a pros attitude to their musical situation then it becomes so much easier.

7.00 means 7.00 not 7.10 or 6.30 but 7.00 so be on time.
Have your gear set up and ready to go with minimal fuss and effort.
Always be prepared for problems and handle them, try not to make your problems someone elses. Like if you break a string and do not have a spare then waste time sorting it out, or make excuses as to why you do not have a spare...your problem.
Be honest and know what it is you have to do, do not be scared to say you do not understand something. Only a fool would do or get into something they don't understand.
Be prepared to say no and mean it.
Talk about situations you are un-happy with away from the public glare, make sure your point is noted.
Always count any money in front of the person that gave it to you so there can be no miss-understandings over what you just received.

And so on and so on, like i said it is an attitude.

 

[GeoffTPS!]

If you get paid to do a thing you are a professional in that field by the very definition of the word.

 

[Langueta]

Exactly right. Take Bill Wyman of the Stones for example. I don't believe he could sub and make it through the night with a hack wedding band. However, he is the very definition of a professional bassist... one who makes (or at least made) their living playing bass. It again has nothing to do with 'skill', even though you would hope there is at least some relationship between being 'good' and making a living.

There are many 'professional bassists' that I have given lessons to in the past... guys who play reasonably well and made a living playing club gigs in rehearsed bands (at least before the bottom dropped out of that part of the business about 20 years ago). Many of these guys really 'couldn't play' by even my meager standards (i.e., poor technique, no reading skills, virtually no theory knowledge, etc., etc.). However, they were professionals... they made their living playing bass.

Bass Lines
Stones

Miss you
When the whip comes down
Far away eyes
Lies
Respectable
Beast of Burden
Send it to me
She is so cold
Start me up
Too much blood
Mixed Emotions
Terryfing
Hearts for sale
Rock and a hard place
Under my thumb
Listen to him with the Rhythm kings he plays some jazz there.

try to learn those and play them with his rhitmic variations, I would bet most of you will struggle to learn them! Listen carefully he has much more skills than you could imagine.
Groove, Sincopation, Rhythm, obviously he could play on any wedding band!!!!

 

[Langueta]

I am sure Bill was able to read music, if you analize carefully his tunes you will understand.

 

[rtslinger]

In my opinion, a Pro bass player no matter if they make a living off of it or not, is a person who has put in the time and effort to finely hone his craft as a player. When you see him or her you know they are feeling every note they play and they are flawless and effortlessly performing the songs. So many so called bass players aren't worth the strings they are banging on are playing sold out major concerts.and others who are not playing big arenas, but are putting in the time to be the best they can be are the real pros in my eyes. I have seen some weekend warriors who belong on the big stage but weren't one of the lucky ones. RTS

 

[zarigunn]

None , pete wentz is a professional bass player. His profession and the way he makes money is through his bass playing, if you can call it that. If your a pro it has to be your main source fo income because it is thus your profession.

If it is like you say I playbetter as a pro

 

[rokkitt]

I would have to say attitude. Any one can develop a pros attitude to any walk of life. The fact a pro gets paid for this is because they has a great attitude to what they are doing as a rule.
If players who are not in a position to earn money from their playing take a pros attitude to their musical situation then it becomes so much easier.

7.00 means 7.00 not 7.10 or 6.30 but 7.00 so be on time.
Have your gear set up and ready to go with minimal fuss and effort.
Always be prepared for problems and handle them, try not to make your problems someone elses. Like if you break a string and do not have a spare then waste time sorting it out, or make excuses as to why you do not have a spare...your problem.
Be honest and know what it is you have to do, do not be scared to say you do not understand something. Only a fool would do or get into something they don't understand.
Be prepared to say no and mean it.
Talk about situations you are un-happy with away from the public glare, make sure your point is noted.
Always count any money in front of the person that gave it to you so there can be no miss-understandings over what you just received.

And so on and so on, like i said it is an attitude.

I like this....and it easily translates to your work week -at least mine- very easily

Props to this....
allen