Bord of bass???

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:04 pm

Jacob, Don't be bored. I've played by myself for over three years and only got two gigs out of it. Still very fun. It is best to play by yourself sometimes. I played certian songs everyday for a year and a half and sure it was annoying but I learned the words of the song, the basspart, how I can sing it and what my limits are and any improv spots. Nothing is more fun than playing rush and playing it better than Geddy Lee. Not saying I'm better than Ged but I can play and scream the hell out of 2112. I can play 2112 better than Geddy does today. I play it how he did in '79. I've played that with guitar and drums once in my attic and I was rusty with it but it still kicked ***.

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:19 pm

well, I don't know you. I have never met you, but let me tell you something that I have learned. I do what I do because I like it. The vast majority of musicians out there aren't on MTV or going from town to town on a tour bus. Most of us have day jobs and do this because we emjoy it. I have worked with awesome players who had bad attitudes. People who constantly criticized, put down other players for mistakes, etc. Working with those people, I realized I no longer was enjoying myself. I wasn't doing that for money, I had my day job. I had no need to be there anymore. I chose to work with other players who maybe weren't as technically good, but because the rapport was there between the musicians the music improved tremendously. Again, I am not criticizing you, but I do urge you to take a careful look at your own attitude. I hope you can find a way to spark your interest again and find the right players to get something off the ground

clankchris · Post by **clankchris** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:15 pm

Javier, that reminds me of an interview with Adam Clayton of U2 that I read in bassplayer. They asked him what the band's primary focus was in their early days, and he said it was just to end a song together!

I thought "Here's the bassist of one of the world's biggest bands, saying that ending a song together used to be their greatest moment!"

Those are the people whom inspire me the most.

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:50 pm

that is what it is all about. You have to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. Regardless what style you play, music is art. You can't produce art in factory or force it to come out without inspiration. For me, much of that inspiration comes from the musicians I work with. Why am I going to even want to be around people who just want to show off or put others down? If you are really good, you don't even have to discuss it. Your playing will speak for itself.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:15 pm

Its not that i have anything wrong with their skill level. And i dont even say anything about them sucking. Iv never once told any of them they suck. And iv never told anyone i was better then them.

Id have nothing wrong playing with them but its the fact that I dont have fun playing stuff like Greenday. I get bord with it. Im bord with it before i even finish the song. That and i hate greenday. Thats all they play. Is stuff i dont like listning to much less playing. I just need people playing stuff thats harder and funner to play.

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:28 pm

Green Day is one band. You need to explore other styles and musicians' work. That's part of what I meant by saying not to box yourself in. Listen to and play as many different styles of music as you can. Play rock, play reggae, play country, play funk, play whatever, as long as you are enjoying it and learning from it. You seem to keep bringing up Green Day a lot. Try introducing your friends to stuff you like. Expand their horizons and let them expand yours.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:28 pm

.... Green day was just an example of what THEY play. You miss understood me. I do play alot of different stuff. And i play stuff i may not even like just because it well help me as a bassist. I play all kinds of stuff.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:49 pm

I get great joy from sitting in my LA-Z-Boy with my Rick and the Tv tuned to the blues station. Especially the boogie stuff!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:05 pm

"And i play stuff i may not even like just because it well help me as a bassist. I play all kinds of stuff."

That's the best attitude, even play stuff you hate, you'll still dislike it but maybe end up liking to playing it. That was something I learned early on. Play all sorts of styles, country, rock, blues, jazz, and everything in between. You'll never regret it.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:19 pm

Yeah. My bass teacher kind of got me into alot of stuff i didnt normally listn to. He was just like... you may not like it but i think it well really help you and i think your (forgot the words) one to put that 1st..... I really went blank there... but i tryed to make sence of it. Haha.... sorry. Im just a olde hippie (whos not old and has never smoked).

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:20 pm

Bob, thank you for validating what I have been saying all along. Don't box yourself in. Don't be a funk bass player, or a jazz bass player or whatever. Be a bass player. Just have fun with the music.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:47 pm

Yeah I play whatever helps me as a bassist and whatever i like.

edski · Post by **edski** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:22 am

There are quite a few songs I don't like listening to, but enjoy to play. A few the other way around too.

Playing to radio, to the TV...very good practice strategies.

david_schwab · Post by **david_schwab** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:45 am

I love playing bass. I usually improvise a lot, just making stuff up as I go along. When I'm getting in a rut, I find some new and challenging music to learn.

Or I go and play guitar!

But the important thing is to listen to and learn to play all styles of music. And don't limit yourself to bass lines. Learn non bass stuff, like guitar and horn solos.

I used to play a lot of Bach stuff on the bass too.

rob · Post by **rob** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:14 am

Jacob,
I'm getting bored playing right now also. I have had this a few times since I started playng an instrument. But, after a while, I do get back into it. Even though I might be bored now, I still love music and the "want" to play will really never go away. It's just on the back burner in our minds right now. Once you pack away your Rickenbacker (or whatever your favorite instrument is), it's always a treat to be "reunited" to your instrument when the desire comes back.