It's hard to feel like a musician without gigs. Any gigging player is a musician, even "just" playing covers.
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Why don't I feel like a musician?
- Thread starter WrapRough
- Start date
It's not as complex as you think it is. It's about being mindful and intentional, which you didn't do when you played bass before.
The simplest musical analysis will sort this out. Start with a song you know well.
1. Write out the chord chart
2. Analyse the chord progressions eg. Chord I IV V vi etc.
3. Write out the actual names of the notes the bass plays.
4. Analyze the scale degree of that note within the key signature AND within its chord.
eg 1. C/G - G7 - Cmaj7.
eg 2. C - G/B - Am - C/G - F - C/E - Dm7 - G7 - C.
Apply this to a dozen songs you already know and lightbulb moments will start happening.
If this is too complex, ask a teacher to help you understand this approach.
I think we go through phases in our musical journey throughout life. What we think we know or dont know is really all in our heads. I'll be 40 this year. I started playing trumpet in school when I was 9 years old and felt like I didn't understand any theory. But after years of playing in school I started gigging in bands and realized I knew a lot more than most of the people I was playing with. Then I went through a phase where I felt overly confident about my grasp of theory. Now at almost 40 I feel like each new thing I learn opens the door to something else I didn't know. I know I don't know everything when it comes to theory. But I play music so I call myself a musician. Because that what a musician does. And instead of getting down about what I don't know or cocky about what I do know I just enjoy the journey. Feeling like you don't know everything is a healthy thing really, it keeps you hungry to learn more. When people get comfortable they stop progressing, I know that from experience because looking back that's what happened in times where I was overly confident. The process of learning can be a lot of fun.
Yep. Bass is being a part of a bigger thing. Playing with other people and making a song sound better than it would without you. Either at a gig or on a recording. Anything else is just preparing for that.
OP: If you want to feel like a musician, find other people to work with. Even if it's just sending tracks back and forth and posting the finished product on social media, that's the experience of being a musician.
That's within my grasp actually. Do you mean figure out the progression by ear? I can usually transcribe an easy line. I guess I should start easy. Gonna try this with one of the songs that got me into playing bass... Rio. I also love The Bottle by Paul Weller, which has a great line that I could use for this exercise.
Mix it up
- from memory (with AND without a bass in your hands),
- from a written bass line on printed sheet music, write in the scale degree of the bass notes, the chords, etc.
- from written chord charts, write down the notes/scale degrees of its bass line.
For fun, transcribe the chords and bass line from the song Yellow Brick Road by Elton John.
- First by ear only without bass and write it down.
- then with bass in hand and write that down
- analyze as in prev post.
- then find a chord chart online to check.
Take piano lessons. Basic reading and technique, then study with a jazz piano player.
That will get you up to speed on how harmony works and how to improvise.
Imposter Syndrome is rough. Basically every day of my life. I've decided that it's intention that makes you a musician. Whether you're a world-famous player or only play for yourself, you're actively pursuing a passion.
I got to grade five abrsm when I was younger, but you needed grade five theory to progress beyond that. So I never did....and then I discovered drugs and girls a s me er really went back to piano. I still play sometimes for pleasure but I only ever play classical... Jazz would be interesting. But surely i may as well just study jazz on the bass. Only so much time in the day...!
I said I was "just a covers player really". I did not at any point mean to imply that was a bad thing. But I want more. If that's working for you then all good. Apologies if I managed to offend you somehow.
There is no way I could do it without a bass in my hand I don't think. It'll be fun seeing how close I am though
You described me to a T. Got burned out with giggling every weekend around 2008. Jumped back in in 2015, into a situation that was pretty perfect for me. Played a lot and regained my facilities, but still felt that I could be doing so much more with some additional knowledge.
Then COVID hit, and I had more time on my hands. Last year, I found a (well-known) online instructor and have been taking weekly lessons, taught myself to read, and am listening to much more challenging music (and find joy in it).
I have so, so far to go, but I'm farther along than I was six months ago.
Then COVID hit, and I had more time on my hands. Last year, I found a (well-known) online instructor and have been taking weekly lessons, taught myself to read, and am listening to much more challenging music (and find joy in it).
I have so, so far to go, but I'm farther along than I was six months ago.
No, not really. Pretty much tongue in cheek. I understand where you're coming from, though. I recently downloaded a lesson program "Study Bass" which is introducing me to basic music theory. I tried learning theory before and got lost and frustrated. I'm going to take a more diligent approach this time. I belive this will make me a better player and also give me the knowledge I need to improvise more. No hard feelings.
This guy is great. Watched a quite a few already I closing the below. Funnily enough I know way more than I thought I did... Seems like I can physically play and know a reasonable amount of theory... Now I need to tie those two things together
The answer may be a bit ironic. My perception is you may be somewhat of a natural bass player, based on your description. In other words the technical aspects of playing the bass come fairly easy to you. The problem is that is if you are only essentially copying the music that you are really more of a technician than a musician. In order to feel like a musician, maybe you need to actually study music instead of focusing on bass technique.
I think the most important things for you to study are music theory and ear training. Music majors would also study music history as that gives them context for understand why things are done a certain way. Don't underestimate the value of learning a lot of stuff that you think you have absolutely no interest in, because it all fits together and will benefit you in the end.
I am a retired pro and most accomplished musicians would probably consider me a semi-literate hack. The reason is because I am a generalist rather than a specialist, but I found a niche were I could be extremely successful and had a great career. I didn't have the desire or drive to be an orchestral section bass player, headline artist, or a bar musician, but turns out I was pretty uniquely qualified to be a military musician. But I was also extremely lucky to get my foot in the door because I was only able to complete music theory 101-201 before I joined the military. I was way underqualified when I was hired. Most of my peers had a Bachelor of Science degree, many had a Masters, and some even had a Doctorate in Music.
The knowledge I gained in those three semesters of music classes gave me a great foundation to build upon. I essentially taught myself to read and interpret chord notation while I was taking classical theory. One of the young guitar players on staff mentored me and would jam with me after hours once a week.
After third semester I had to drop out and get a job. I felt my best option was to join the military, I didn't even know they had a full-time band program, but it would not have mattered as I was not ready yet. I continued self study for about 5 years before I auditioned. I kept practicing and wound up playing in a backup band for the base talent contest at my first assignment, and that led to the formation of a cover band that played at the Enlisted Club and various other events on base.
My second assignment was to a base that had a military band. I bought a really crappy upright bass and started working my chops back up. The audition was mainly on bass guitar in a cover band, but I believe my abilities on upright, and my ability to read chord changes out of the Real Book are what got me the job, even though they said my intonation was pretty bad.
Within six weeks I was at my third assignment and I spent the rest of my career in the band. I walked into the organization with my crappy upright bass on my shoulders and they were elated. They had planned to put me in a cover band, but needed an upright player in the concert band and big band. I had to work really hard to get up to speed, but I had a lot of help. It would not have been possible without a background in music theory.
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