Your Bass Playing Skills

[PauFerro]

I am curious about the breadth of skills here on Talkbass. Looking at my own evolution as a bass player, I have constructed a set of skills, with only one choice....it will be interesting to see the distribution of skills we have here....

 

[Fat Freddy]

I'm a hack, pure and simple.....Hopefully, one day, I won't be

 

[Camaro69]

I'm a hack, pure and simple.....Hopefully, one day, I won't be

From the picture, looks like you hack fur balls

I too am a hack, er, not in a band at the moment. Not a fan of soloing. If you wanna wank, play guitar

 

[Art Damage]

Interesting thread and I'm curious to see where people fall. I haven't played in quite a while and just now have my first bass in years being shipped to me (thanks TB classifieds), but when I was in my band in the early 2000's, I tried to do too much and would have been better off spending way more time in the bottom 12 just holding it down. Chalk it up to being young and dumb and having a shiny spankin' new Stingray that I was convinced had to be heard at all times, as well as being in a band with a guitarist that tried his hardest to be Stevie Ray Vaughn.

 

[JJR58]

When i was gigging, i was good, trying to support the band and be melodic when appropriate.

Now i'm back to being just a notch above hack, i'm rusty.
But back to at least practicing after work every night.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I may not be where I was when I was gigging 6 nights a week, but I'm doing okay. I didn't say I played upright, because I sold my last one a couple of years a go and don't have any plan to get another. I find it too much to store and haul around.

 

[JRA]

i like "supporting the band" anywhere on the neck that a tune (inspiration?) takes me. but a lot of the tunes my jazz band covers = 12 fretless or below until the bass solo (which are few). i'm probably not as fast as i used to be, but i'm not as slow either!

 

[ak56]

I went with 'I support the Band in lower 12 frets', but I'm working on going higher.

 

[Dave W]

I support the band wherever I need to, and solo everywhere on the neck, on electric bass.

I'm not really sure how that translates into a certain skill set though.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

I'm a hack, pure and simple.....Hopefully, one day, I won't be

Last night was a great performance.
Thanks for the front row seats. Here is the video I shot.

 

[Thor]

I support the band wherever I need to, and solo everywhere on the neck, on electric bass.
Ditto here.

Helpful tip: The upper half of the fingerboard is laid out exactly like the one below the 12th fret. Have fun up there.

I'm not really sure how that translates into a certain skill set though.

My comment on this (on my old Ibby Roadster) is I have 24 frets and I paid for each and every one of them. Some do get more use than others but there is no reason not to be proficient across the whole fretboard.

 

[10cc]

I'm Sawesome. That's when you suck so bad it's awesome.

 

[theduke1]

I play whatever the song requires. Trio is my group of choice, so I play what is needed. I've been told that I play what I feel on every song. People tell me I'm am a very good bassplayer and a performer.
That's what I do!
If the bassplayer and the drummer are in the pocket, it doesn't matter what the rest of the band does.
IMVHO
Duke

 

[rapidfirerob]

I'm playing in an Allman Brothers tribute band. I use all 24 frets fairly regularly. I practice at home with fusion material.
I know some theory, but not an expert. Most importantly, I enjoy playing the bass! That's what matters most.

 

[Gluvhand]

Eh. I'm a'ight.

 

[dave64o]

I'm a hack, pure and simple.....Hopefully, one day, I won't be

(*raises hand*) Yep, that's me, too!

 

[fdeck]

I use all of the frets of my fretless bass.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I do whatteva I gotta do whereva I gotta do it.

 

[jerry]

I can manage to screw up the whole neck!

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

I don't think playing on frets above the twelfth fret should imply that one is a better musician, but you gotta admit there is an entire other instrument available there.