Why do people think that more notes = better?

[btmpancake]

That's putting too much thought into it. People play originals because without new music there wouldn't be anything for cover bands to play.
I don't bother with covers because its no fun to play someone else's stuff. People around here seem to forget that music is art. Its an expression of you. I can't express myself with someone else's notes.

More power to ya- I'm too lazy and all I want do is enjoy somebody else's labor and pick what I like and add or subtract notes to my liken. P/S I earned being lazy, I'm not a sorry POS.

 

[Al Kraft]

I had a private teacher when I was growing up who said a good musician can play a symphonic concert in the afternoon, a musical in the early evening and finish the day playing covers in a local bar. By definition, that sort of requires a big bag of skills and the ability to know when to use which one.

 

[Bobby King]

Some people imagine that they're getting paid by the note.

 

[Honch]

yea, of course.

Funny video. Funny guy. What impresses me is not his speed, and dexterity with both pick and tapping and slap. It's where he goes from thumbing and slapping to his pick within the 8th of a note. Where did he hold his pick? His middle finger seems not arched when doing the slapping, and thumbing thing, which is the normal place to hide a pick when doing such thing. Sleight of hand?

Funny stage name too: Dave Slave ! he made sure you'll remember that name!

 

[Passinwind]

Some people imagine that they're getting paid by the note.

Some people actually count how many notes the bass part plays in a song?

Longer, lower, wider, faster: its the 'Merkin Way.

 

[Robroy]

My brother-in-law is a great guy. He's smart, funny, and fun to hang with. We get along great. But when it comes to music, he's not knowledgeable. As such, he always equates "fast" and "busy" with better. Its like he's not listening to the music, just gawking at the technique.

Whenever we are together, he ALWAYS asks me if I can play Yes or Rush. He will show me You Tube clips of these guys, and say, "now THAT's bass playing." I have nothing against Geddy or Chris; they are gods. But that style of out-in-front playing just never appealed to me very much. I'm more interested in bass lines that provide a foundation and groove for the song, and/or establish a counter-melody. I find the bass lines of guys like James Jamerson and Paul McCartney much more interesting. That's just my preference.

My question is: why do so many people assume that playing more notes, or playing faster, means you are a better musician? Is it just that they don't understand music, and, in particular, the role of the bass in most songs?

I think it can prove you are more "skilled" at playing difficult things on your instrument. However, one can be highly skilled, while producing little of musical quality.

Les Claypool comes to mind

 

[Whousedtoplay]

one can be highly skilled, while producing little of musical quality.
Les Claypool(!) comes to mind

Are you saying what I think you're saying?

 

[Roy Vogt]

Maybe I'm wrong but I always think about a very simple quarter note as (MINIMUM) four 16th notes (a 16th note grouping) tied together different ways.
To me, the quarter note can have that "feel, tone and swing/pocket" only it is SUBDIVIDED.
There is a BIG difference if someone plays that quarter note as a stubborn and unrefined quarter note or as
three three 16th notes tied together, plus one 16th rest,
or
as two 16th notes tied together, plus two 16th rests,
or
as seven 32nd notes, plus one 32nd rest,
or
as five 32nd notes, plus three 32nd rests, etc...

What if somebody wants to add that "behind/ahead of the beat" feel (otherwise known as "feeling rushed or relaxed)?
In this case, we need to deal with the 64th note subdivision.

John Patitucci is an extraordinary Musician with humongous Music Knowledge and experience.
If John plays even simple quarter notes at 148BPM, it means that he is very comfortable of playing (MINIMUM) the 16th notes at that tempo, even 32nd notes with some spots of the extremely fast 64th notes - for BETTER articulation of "feel, tone and swing/pocket" at that tempo.

P.S. I'm sorry for such a long comment.

I'll actually add to that. To me, quarter notes are felt in a circle, so you can place the note ahead, right on or slightly behind the beat when needed. All you have to do is check out how Jaco, Rocco and David Hood play 16ths in "Come On, Come Over", "Squib Cakes" and "I'll Take You There" to realize that even the 16th note subdivisions can be felt in different places.
In actuality, the swing quarter note of a walking bass line is the triplet subdivision instead of the dotted eighth-sixteenth notation that you see in old Big Band Charts.

 

[bassplayer2014]

Slow and low is where I get my groove

 

[tekhedd]

Well naturally it devolves into the same old talkbass technique discussion with the same bunch of OCD bass players going at it!

But the thread is long dead otherwise. We all know the answer to the initial question, it's the same as the answer to "Why do people buy 4K televisions for a situation where you can barely make out the difference between 720p and broadcast video?" More = better. Some people care about the subtlety of black levels and color balance, but everybody understands "more pixels". So we end up with, say, phones that display details that humans can only see with an actual literal magnifying glass. Anyway, you get my point.

I dunno, there's plenty of snobbery among the pro musicians too, that isn't just more=better, maybe just from playing so much that they find simple music boring. Some of the musicians I play with really only enjoy fast technical stuff, jazz, fusion, complex rock--and because they haven't played a simple blues song for decades, have very limited ability to make simple music sound good. They don't care; they're happy. But it does make for some depressing moments in a cover band gig when you try to play something soulful. :/ I've noticed a fairly limited supply of players who can both play something technical and also soulful. This applies even to metal and heavy rock--"real" metal players play endless technical prog or get stoned out of their gourds or both, it seems, and would never be seen dead playing a set that would get you paying gigs.

And there's plenty of reverse snobbery too, often coupled with a bit of denial. With a day job and all those rehearsals, it's hard to find time to practice, or that's my excuse. And you, why aren't you practicing? There's time to read talkbass, there's time to do some technique exercises. Why are you still here? You're still here. Oh great, now I can't see anything. You realize covering the webcam won't make you a better player, right? Also, go put on some nicer clothes, have you no shame? What happened to that nice sweater vest I gave you last christmas?

 

[Robroy]

Are you saying what I think you're saying?

Prolly.

 

[btmpancake]

I always thought guys such as victor wooten got paid by the note because if he played like me he'd starve to death.

 

[Robroy]

I always thought guys such as victor wooten got paid by the note because if he played like me he'd starve to death.

I believe the reason reggae sounds the way it does is that the bass players are paid by the note, and the producers are cheap.

 

[btmpancake]

I believe the reason reggae sounds the way it does is that the bass players are paid by the note, and the producers are cheap.

Good point, I need to play more reggae so that I CAN eat more jerk chicken and not starve, victor is only a cheeseburger away from obese.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

The same.holds true for many skills.

In the eyes of many.....

The best swimmers are the fastest.
The best drivers are the fastest.
Runners.
Wood choppers.
Workers.
Readers.
Etc.

Concert violinists will start off playing a sweet melody, but, eventually they have to wow the crowd with a passage that is fast. "Flight of the Bumble Bee" anyone?

Drummers. When it's time for their solo, they start off with some heavy beats and a lick here and there. Before it's over, sure enough.. ..they end with tennis shoes in the dryer type .....stuff.

They have been conditioned to be impressed by speed.

Also, you have to understand the difference between enjoyment and being impressed. When I go to a concert I want to ENJOY most if it, and you can IMPRESS me for a few seconds every now and then. Many are the opposite. They go to concerts to be impressed....with their arms crossed and scowls on their faces. "Oh ehm ghee dude. I could totally play that faster and I wouldn't do it on a Squier neither."

Your buddy is trying to be impressed while you are trying to bring enjoyment to people. You have conflicting goals.

Next time show him that your computer can load a YouTube video faster than his.

Great reply.
What is more important:
How fast a youtube video can load or watching and enjoying the video? Both

 

[Flatwoundround]

I just spoke to the music Gods this morning and they told me that sometimes it is actually okay to play super busy on the bass, and vice versa.

 

[warrplayer]

I just spoke to the music Gods this morning and they told me that sometimes it is actually okay to play super busy on the bass, and vice versa.

The gods have spoken. Close the thread.

 

[Flatwoundround]

I just spoke to the music Gods this morning and they told me that sometimes it is actually okay to play super busy on the bass, and vice versa.

They also warned me that if I ever started to think too much like a guitar player bad things will certainly happen.

 

[Kukulkan61]

I'm guessing you've never played in a 3 piece power band, guitar, bass and drums...

 

[Sixgunn]

As my musical "journey" progresses, I more and more listen to the song and less and less, to the players. I like it like dat!!