Indeed. So what do you think makes that distinction? What makes you feel like a musician as opposed to someone who plays bass?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Why don't I feel like a musician?
- Thread starter WrapRough
- Start date
Indeed. So what do you think makes that distinction? What makes you feel like a musician as opposed to someone who plays bass?
Find a teacher that is going to teach you music (e.g. reading standard music notation, learning melody, harmony and rhythm and how it all works together). Also make sure to work on ear training, which is being able to identify intervals, chords, scales and melodies by just hearing them.
A musician makes music. It's a discipline.
If you want to feel like a musician, make music.
When you're not making music, think about making music. That's what it feels like.
IME to get out of ruts and grow as a musician you gotta study with a teacher, practice long and hard, and play all the time.
Eventually, with that kind of discipline, things just start to click.
If you want to feel like a musician, make music.
When you're not making music, think about making music. That's what it feels like.
IME to get out of ruts and grow as a musician you gotta study with a teacher, practice long and hard, and play all the time.
Eventually, with that kind of discipline, things just start to click.
Find an influence and become their student. This has helped me in my journey.
If you want something to fire you up, the book Mastery by Robert Greene really got me practicing. It basically opens your mind up so you can explore different avenues to learning as well as learning about the mentor-student dynamic. Highly recommend.
If you want something to fire you up, the book Mastery by Robert Greene really got me practicing. It basically opens your mind up so you can explore different avenues to learning as well as learning about the mentor-student dynamic. Highly recommend.
I’ve suggested this to others with the same kinda questions, with some others throwing e-tomatoes at me, but: while I agree with other player’s posts about learning scales, modes, working on etudes, learning the Bach cello suites, taking lessons with good teachers, etc. etc. etc., to me the best thing you can do to grow as a musician is playing in a style you are unfamiliar with. If you’re a metal guy, find a jazz jam session and sit in. If you live near Nashville, go to the Station Inn on Sunday nights and pretend you’re a bluegrass musician. Play in the pit orchestra for My Fair Lady. Take the five string you bought to play bro country tunes and learn Enter Sandman on it. To me this is the best way to blow through periods where you are just plateau’ed and not improving.
I am in the same boat, man. I’m back at it after more than a decade off. And some of what you are experiencing is the effect of being older and knowing better. For my part, I have learned that some of what I thought I was OK at really needed tons of work. I hope you delve back in and have a great time. I have a couple of teachers to help me out.
I mean this respectfully and I hope you embrace this as you find a teacher:
Both of those statements cannot be true at the same time. One cannot have “great chops” and at the same time not be in control of what they’re playing. Start at the very basics. Get a metronome and start with quarter notes. If you have some spare cash then sign up for one of the online schools where a serious pro takes time with you.
I mean this respectfully and I hope you embrace this as you find a teacher:
Both of those statements cannot be true at the same time. One cannot have “great chops” and at the same time not be in control of what they’re playing. Start at the very basics. Get a metronome and start with quarter notes. If you have some spare cash then sign up for one of the online schools where a serious pro takes time with you.
And one more thing ... not to recommend irresponsible usage of alcohol, but David Bromberg says that every once in a while you need to get drunk before you practice. This, of course, can be a bad idea for a bunch of reasons. But I think I know what he’s after in saying that.
i'd guess that most of the folks on this site probably share some version of your 'angst'.
- musicians always practice...something!
- musicians are always learning...something!
- musicians never stop practicing and learning...something!
- musicians want to practice and learn...something!
accept that it's a lifelong journey. no matter when you start = there is never an end...only satisfaction along the way!
my advice: take a few lessons and be prepared to demonstrate to the teacher how much you don't know.* e.g.,
- "what should a non-musician learn first?"
- "what/how should i practice that now?"
- "and then?"
- yada yada (any/all of your questions!)
* many "bass players" are fearful/avoidant of lessons because they feel that they have to prove something to a person who will 'grade' them --- instead of advocating for their own need to learn from someone who knows more about.....something!
sounds to me like you want to learn some music! you're a budding musician! ...it's a journey! good luck!
I can't recommend this book highly enough for someone learning to read standard notation. For someone like you who already has the mechanics of playing it will be a breeze. However, try not to fall back on old strengths of using your ability to memorize bass lines -- actually *read* each exercise as you play along. Don't move to the next page until you can get through the exercise, then move on. In a few weeks you'll have the basics down.
Ed Freidland's Bass Method
https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836/
Since you read tabs, you are probably already familiar with the Ultimate Guitar website. What is new is there is now an option for viewing songs in standard notation, with or without tabs. This feature is only available on the "official version" transcriptions (ones they have created themselves) and that requires a $5/month subscription, but that is not much for music education. Find some songs you like and learn them by reading the transcriptions in standard notation. Maybe at first enable the tablature feature as a crutch, but use it only if you get stuck.
Ed Freidland's Bass Method
https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836/
Since you read tabs, you are probably already familiar with the Ultimate Guitar website. What is new is there is now an option for viewing songs in standard notation, with or without tabs. This feature is only available on the "official version" transcriptions (ones they have created themselves) and that requires a $5/month subscription, but that is not much for music education. Find some songs you like and learn them by reading the transcriptions in standard notation. Maybe at first enable the tablature feature as a crutch, but use it only if you get stuck.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
Get a teacher. You've identified you have many holes in your knowledge and you've also identified you haven't been successful at tackling them without help. So logically it makes sense to get a teacher. Fortunately, many of us are available for remote lessons!
@WrapRough I get what you're saying and can say I'm sometimes in the same boat. I also mainly play covers and learn by ear or with tab.
I have worked on original material written by someone else, and it is both the most challenging and liberating at once. It's often initially a very rudimentary idea of a bassline that evolves, and that "sound in your head" can be elusive. Having an understanding of how chords are constructed can really help at this stage.
One of the things I've tasked myself with is getting more comfortable over the entire length of the fretboard, and for that I've been enrolled in Scott Devine's Fretboard Accelerator online class. It really helps to have the structure, but like a lot of things in life, you get out of it what you put in (says the guy who's still stuck on inversions).
Lessons are great, and teachers are like therapists: they need to "get you" and at the same time know how to see through you and push you in the right direction. If you and the teacher aren't on the same wavelength, say "thank you" and move on until you find the right fit.
But you will "feel like a musician" the moment you play one note that connects with another person, and you feel that connection come back to you. It doesn't happen in isolation, at least not for me.
I have worked on original material written by someone else, and it is both the most challenging and liberating at once. It's often initially a very rudimentary idea of a bassline that evolves, and that "sound in your head" can be elusive. Having an understanding of how chords are constructed can really help at this stage.
One of the things I've tasked myself with is getting more comfortable over the entire length of the fretboard, and for that I've been enrolled in Scott Devine's Fretboard Accelerator online class. It really helps to have the structure, but like a lot of things in life, you get out of it what you put in (says the guy who's still stuck on inversions).
Lessons are great, and teachers are like therapists: they need to "get you" and at the same time know how to see through you and push you in the right direction. If you and the teacher aren't on the same wavelength, say "thank you" and move on until you find the right fit.
But you will "feel like a musician" the moment you play one note that connects with another person, and you feel that connection come back to you. It doesn't happen in isolation, at least not for me.
Last edited:
You are a musician!
You probably don’t feel like one because they always make us stand next to the drummer on stage
You probably don’t feel like one because they always make us stand next to the drummer on stage
Thanks man. I hear you.
What I meant by chops was just the ability to play advanced songs. Purely physical. For example I could YYZ really well, but I had absolutely no understanding of any of it. I was just copying a tab and practicing it over and over until i could play. When I say command over my instrument, which may be bad wording, I mean mentally as well as physically. I want to understand every note in a song...why and how of everything. Not sure if I'm making sense here
I'll check it out thanks man. When I used to have a piano teacher, I'd be held way through playing a piece and she'd shout "stop!" and ask me where I was on the sheet. Got me every damn time. I guess it's a great skill to have but as you say it's just too easy to fall back on.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
Music is a language. Do you have something to say?
Because every time you take a step forward you realize there's a whole bunch of people who already knew all this 'brand new' stuff and you're just drowning trying to catch up.
I'm sorry, that's me. Carry on.
I'm sorry, that's me. Carry on.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
