Townes1992 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Hey guys this is quite simple & straight-forward really, ever get the feeling you're a terrible musician haha? For the 4 years i have been playing bass, i do get the feeling I am just not as good as i should be. Despite the practicing of new techniques etc, I have little confidence in myself when it comes how good i believe myself to be, whether its a lack of versatility or crispness. I was just wondering, does anybody else get this same feeling? It can be rather demoralising!! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Erm, no but thats partly because I have been doing it for long enough and I just don't care. There really should be no yardstick to gauge yourself against. The only thing that matters is if you enjoy playing. If you enjoy it then thats all that matters. There will always be someone better than you and someone worse but music is not a competition, it should be about enjoyment and about the art of communication. You don't see people say person x is better because they communicate better than person y. Just enjoying it and over time you will become more confident in your abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Always... it's a personality failing. I'd enjoy myself more and probably play better if I wasn't so self critical but there you are!! On the other hand a bit of humility is needed in order to progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibody Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='Townes1992' timestamp='1331389090' post='1572215'] Hey guys this is quite simple & straight-forward really, ever get the feeling you're a terrible musician haha? For the 4 years i have been playing bass, i do get the feeling I am just not as good as i should be. Despite the practicing of new techniques etc, I have little confidence in myself when it comes how good i believe myself to be, whether its a lack of versatility or crispness. I was just wondering, does anybody else get this same feeling? It can be rather demoralising!! Cheers [/quote] Been through this. Just learned that I play the way I play. Probably a good percentage of the folks on this forum are technically "better" than me, but I'm happy playing like me. Sometimes I learn a new trick and I'm chuffed, but at the end of the day I'm me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) Get some lessons, learn more about music, not just bass, but actually music.....theory, harmony, rhythm etc. If you 'know' something is right, because you've been taught that it is, then that'll improve your self confidence, and your playing. Edited March 10, 2012 by kjb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 No, I'm bloody great, me! At least I think I am, which is what confidence is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1331389598' post='1572220'] Always... it's a personality failing. I'd enjoy myself more and probably play better if I wasn't so self critical but there you are!! On the other hand a bit of humility is needed in order to progress. [/quote] It's the curse of the considered musician. I deeply care about my musicality and ability and am forever beating myself about the face with the rolled-up newspaper of self loathing. However it drives me to be a better musician, and I'm actually pretty good at what I do these days. So don't worry about it, it has its benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I don't get the feeling that I'm a terrible musician,but I do get the feeling that I'm not playing as well as I want to be. Maybe I've tried to play a line and scuffed it up,so I'll feel that I'll have to spend a bit of time on my technique...or I might try something and hit a duff note,so I know that in my next practice session I need to look at harmony. It usually depends on how much and what I've been playing.If I've had a couple of days without practice,for whatever reason, I generally won't be as happy with my playing as I am when I have been practising. I'm really hard on myself anyway and I always want to be playing better.That's why,despite being busy,I try to take a couple of lessons a year to get new ideas to practice and improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Townes1992 Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Thanks for the advice thus far, yeah i think measuring yourself against people you know or artists you hear is a big problem of it, its difficult to escape i guess, what with some less considerate people judging styles and sounds and gear etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1331389871' post='1572233'] ...am forever beating myself about the face with the rolled-up newspaper of self loathing.... [/quote] Would that be The Daily Mail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1331390100' post='1572241'] Would that be The Daily Mail? [/quote] A whole decade's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1331390150' post='1572245'] A whole decade's worth. [/quote] Wow, you must really hate yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1331390238' post='1572248'] Wow, you must really hate yourself! [/quote] I've gone off Princess Diana a bit too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='Townes1992' timestamp='1331390053' post='1572239'] Thanks for the advice thus far, yeah i think measuring yourself against people you know or artists you hear is a big problem of it, its difficult to escape i guess, what with some less considerate people judging styles and sounds and gear etc [/quote] I don't think that's a particularly bad thing. I often hear someone play something that I can't and want to be able to do it,so it gives me the inspiration to sit down and practice until,usually,I can. Done right,judging yourself against someone else can really help to improve your playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I the grand scheme of things I'm a fairly average bassist. I'm probably the musician with the least technical ability in my band (and that includes Mr Venom who's actually a pretty handy drummer). However I play well enough to be able to do most of the things I need to be able to play, and a bit of practice gets me to the point of competence with any new ideas that I come up with that my fingers can't actually do straight away. What I mostly do is play and not worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 A hell of a lot of being a musician (or performer of any kind) is about confidence When I was in my 20s, I played with a lot of good musicians where I thought that I was never quite as good as them, which vertainly held me back. After a while I kinda realised that I was always in demand with these guys so I couldn't be that bad! This changed my perception of my own playing (as well as other peoples peceptions of me), which undoubtedly gave me more confidence and made me a better player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1331390360' post='1572253'] I don't think that's a particularly bad thing. I often hear someone play something that I can't and want to be able to do it,so it gives me the inspiration to sit down and practice until,usually,I can. Done right,judging yourself against someone else can really help to improve your playing. [/quote] This used to happen with me a lot, but it's very rare now. I'm fairly happy with my technique for the most part, what I love to work on is my compositional personality, and much of that can be done by thinking. I find that I can't play a lot of the ideas I come up with and that is having a very good effect on my developing personal style and approach. And as time goes on these two elements reinforce eachother. So I'm developing my skills and my compositional approach is feeding off itself. I actually feel I'm developing a style and approach that I can truthfully say is my own. I'm nowhere near as influenced by other players as I was a few years ago. That's something to be very grateful for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Confession time: I can't slap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1331391274' post='1572281'] Confession time: I can't slap. [/quote] If you can't slap you ain't worth a f*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Whenever I feel like that I go out and watch a band. I usually come back with the feeling that I'm not doing too badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 It`s funny, but I was always the same, until I quit drinking, and suddenly saw my true worth on the bass. Up until then, I always thought I was ok, and could hold a tune, and always took the comments as being a solid bassist as somewhat barbed comments that I couldn`t play anything complicated. But, once I quit, my perspective on many things changed, including my musical abilities. Now I still don`t know scales, and can`t slap very well, but I`m confident of what I can do, and what my style can bring to a band. I`ve realised there`s no point in thinking I`m bad cos I can`t play like Mark King, as for the music I play, that style wouldn`t fit anyway, and the way I play is exactly right for the music I both like, and play. So although not flash, I`m good for the job I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1331391274' post='1572281'] Confession time: I can't slap. [/quote] But what do you do when you're in a music shop at the weekend and you want to impress the spotty teenage boys and the mummies and daddies out to buy a Daisy Rock guitar for their precious little Trixiebell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 To be honest being unhappy or unsatisfied with how good you are at something will give you motivation to improve. Otherwise we would still be living in caves, or playing in rock n roll bands!! Ooops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibody Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1331393197' post='1572318'] It`s funny, but I was always the same, until I quit drinking, and suddenly saw my true worth on the bass. Up until then, I always thought I was ok, and could hold a tune, and always took the comments as being a solid bassist as somewhat barbed comments that I couldn`t play anything complicated. But, once I quit, my perspective on many things changed, including my musical abilities. Now I still don`t know scales, and can`t slap very well, but I`m confident of what I can do, and what my style can bring to a band. I`ve realised there`s no point in thinking I`m bad cos I can`t play like Mark King, as for the music I play, that style wouldn`t fit anyway, and the way I play is exactly right for the music I both like, and play. So although not flash, I`m good for the job I do. [/quote] That is a much better way of saying what I was trying to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1331390350' post='1572252'] I've gone off Princess Diana a bit too [/quote] best you change to the daily express for a while then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.