Why are you frustrated as a bassist?

[Jayben]

I'm frustrated as a bass player because my playing consistently underwhelms me - and it's not just about fingerboard pyrotechnics either, something as simple as laying down the groove in "Play That Funky Music White Boy" can totally escape me sometimes.

I'd love to be more fluent with sightreading and theory, especially the Major modes (I've learnt the patterns, but what the f*** do I DO with them?!).

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1364342942' post='2025308']
Not everyone is a musician, and let's face it, unless we are content and believe we will never be able to fully express ourselves on our instruments, we are frustrated as musicians. We can't float the boat quickly enough, or at all. Not every note satisfies. We wish the beautiful mistake was deliberate, or the deliberate was a beautiful mistake, depending on your personal aesthetic, approach to learning, and confidence. We mistake passion for ability, ability for passion, wondering if people will dance to our new grooves, needing affirmation of some sort.

You are probably a frustrated musician, but what is it that stops you accepting that the way you approach life and music is what you are? And stops you accepting and hearing your unique voice for what it is? Preventing you from developing your own truth as a musician and as a musical person. What makes you doubt your capacity to delight yourself, and touch other people?
[/quote]

i now play guitar in a band, therefore my ego does not allow for such things

[fatback]

Frustrated by the lack of originals bands to play with in my part of the world. Got one long-distance gig, but need more.

I get my kicks mostly from good new songs, and I can't get enough (and no, i couldn't write one if my life depended on it. )

Other than that, frustration is... learning to bow the double bass. No doubt about it. Reduces me to an infantile state of weeping and gnashing and throwing my toys out the pram in minutes.

[danthevan]

Frustrated by the rest of the majority of the rest of the band at the moment.
It's purely for fun and to get me out the house more than anything else, but it's getting to the stage at most gigs where i'm clock watching waiting for last orders!
Drummer is touching 70, been playing forever and when he's on form ( I remember 1 gig so far!) he's good. Trouble is, he likes screwing about. Most of the stuff we do are you bog standard rock covers, but he'll cock about with double snare hits or random bad timed tom fills right at the point where you need a nice solid beat to play to.
Rhythm guitarist has no rhythm whatsoever. He plays with ear plugs and basically starts the song at the beginning, and plays to the end. Whatever happens in between he knows nothing about because he cant hear the rest of us. Also has a nasty habit of using a horrible dirty sound on his guitar, with virtually no volume. Spend most of the time at gigs standing behind him turning up his amp so we can hear him.
Singer needs to learn the damn words. Some songs he's a reader more than a singer.
Lead guitarist is alright, but too damn loud at times. Biggest problem with him is he plays by ear, so hasn't got a clue note/chord wise what he is playing. Can make it awkward when learning new stuff!

If that's encouraged you enough to come and see us, we have a gig saturday night.......... !

[icastle]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1364481043' post='2027062']
Other than that, frustration is... learning to bow the double bass. No doubt about it. Reduces me to an infantile state of weeping and gnashing and throwing my toys out the pram in minutes.
[/quote]

That was probably one of the hardest things I've had to learn to do in years.
Dry your eyes, pick up your toys and try again, you'll get there in the end.

[Delberthot]

I'm frustrated by nothing. I'm getting better every day and, by jebus, take a chill pill cos its only a hobby deary

I dep with a lot of bands and I play what I want. I play the important bits and I'm busy playing. Why should I be worried about that I'm "only" the bass player.

You need to get out more or at least relax

[karlfer]

In my 50's, still doing 40+ gigs per year, I'm just about good enough to play the covers we do convincingly. Thankfully the live track we have just put on our website comes badly mixed under the title "bassist seen and not heard"
Frustrations? Would love to do a few gigs with a prog band. Would love to set up a " rock and roll" covers band, everything from Haley through Beatles, T Rex, Quo, Shaky to Paulo Nutini.
Excuses? Time and effort, ie not making either available.
And I haven't been arsed writing my own stuff for a decade.
Who's a miserable old Hector then?

[fatback]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1364516592' post='2027722']
That was probably one of the hardest things I've had to learn to do in years.
Dry your eyes, pick up your toys and try again, you'll get there in the end.
[/quote]

Here's hoping. Meantime, remember Basil Fawlty beating the car with a stick?

[icastle]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1364551350' post='2027976']
Here's hoping. Meantime, remember Basil Fawlty beating the car with a stick?
[/quote]

[ambient]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1364344804' post='2025331']
This...

To be a good musician you need an ego the size of a small planet to drive you to be as good as you can be, yet you are inevitably led to doubt whether you are as good as you would like to think you are! I'm afraid that insecurity is the natural state for any artist or musician, which is why we get so affected by criticism or indeed praise...
[/quote]

I totally agree about the insecurity bit, that's probably why I spend most of my waking life either practicing some element of my playing, or revising my theory.

The ego bit is a load of twaddle, I most certainly do not have an ego the size of a small planet. I'm a student at music college in London, and I guess the insecurity bit is true of a lot of the guys there, but few have any sort of ego. They and myself just have the desire to be the best and most creative musician that we can be.

I actual believe that ego gets in the way of that.

[Myke]

I'm frustrated because nothing I play makes me want to dance and groove.. Let alone other people.

I feel like i'm stuck in patterns say G7.. I'd play mixolydian.. which is fair.. but I can't break out of it. I feel, in that sense, my theory is holding me back. I also feel like I don't know enough theory (Work that out!)

I feel like I don't get myself out there enough, I never go to jam night cause I'm too scared of messing up and looking a fool!

I also have little confidence in my playing which makes me think I won't be good enough to be a professional.

Okay.. Feeling sad for myself over. I'm going to play bass

[SimonEdward]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1364603436' post='2028871']

...

I feel like I don't get myself out there enough, I never go to jam night cause I'm too scared of messing up and looking a fool!

I also have little confidence in my playing which makes me think I won't be good enough to be a professional.

...
[/quote]

Hi Myke. There will be other guys - on other threads - who can help you with theory......... All of us want to 'be' and 'sound' [u]professional[/u] - that goes without saying - but as far a jam nights are concerned, locate one near you and just go along and get comfy (don't take any gear for a first go), get a drink, and listen to the guys there.. you will soon find out what level they're at, and you'll be surprised! Someone might be looking for you - at their/same level.

One suggestion to build confidence in you/your playing, would be to make a short demo (up to three minutes) of all the things you do and play during practice. Think about linking them together, and maybe find a drum loop or pattern to play them too?

I'm guessing a bit here. But, you might obviously have a computer of some sort, and there are loads of relatively inexpensive usb/audio interfaces out there.. a DAW called Reaper is free to try. You will learn loads of new stuff, i.e. multi-tracking etc and when you're ready, put it out there.. and see what other musicians think.. IME most folks keep their fingers in their pockets if they haven't go anything nice to say, but those that do comment will encourage you to do more, and grow...............

I would say I'm an OK player - slightly above ordinary - but have a look at my links - I'm sure you could do just as well, if not better.

[peteb]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1364601519' post='2028852']
I totally agree about the insecurity bit, that's probably why I spend most of my waking life either practicing some element of my playing, or revising my theory.

The ego bit is a load of twaddle, I most certainly do not have an ego the size of a small planet. I'm a student at music college in London, and I guess the insecurity bit is true of a lot of the guys there, but few have any sort of ego. They and myself just have the desire to be the best and most creative musician that we can be.

I actual believe that ego gets in the way of that.
[/quote]
I have never known any musician who is any good who hasn't got a healthy ego!

That is not so that they are all prima donnas, far from it, but it is the ego that drives you to be the 'best and most creative musician' that you can be. You may be surrounded by a class of practising Zen Bhudist musicians, but that is not my experience...

Edited March 30, 2013 by peteb

[Myke]

[quote name='SimonEdward' timestamp='1364635839' post='2029020']




Hi Myke. There will be other guys - on other threads - who can help you with theory......... All of us want to 'be' and 'sound' [u]professional[/u] - that goes without saying - but as far a jam nights are concerned, locate one near you and just go along and get comfy (don't take any gear for a first go), get a drink, and listen to the guys there.. you will soon find out what level they're at, and you'll be surprised! Someone might be looking for you - at their/same level.

One suggestion to build confidence in you/your playing, would be to make a short demo (up to three minutes) of all the things you do and play during practice. Think about linking them together, and maybe find a drum loop or pattern to play them too?

I'm guessing a bit here. But, you might obviously have a computer of some sort, and there are loads of relatively inexpensive usb/audio interfaces out there.. a DAW called Reaper is free to try. You will learn loads of new stuff, i.e. multi-tracking etc and when you're ready, put it out there.. and see what other musicians think.. IME most folks keep their fingers in their pockets if they haven't go anything nice to say, but those that do comment will encourage you to do more, and grow...............

I would say I'm an OK player - slightly above ordinary - but have a look at my links - I'm sure you could do just as well, if not better.
[/quote]

Cheers man I'm going to start going to jam nights! I'll grab a couple of me buddies and just watch the first few times I think though

I do have some recording stuff and every now and then I do record some tracks but I never feel that they are good enough so I just hide 'em and work on other stuff.

[discreet]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1364667115' post='2029505']
...I do record some tracks but I never feel that they are good enough so I just hide 'em and work on other stuff.
[/quote]

C'maan, get 'em out and let's have a look at 'em!!

...your recordings, obviously.

[Myke]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1364667319' post='2029509']
C'maan, get 'em out and let's have a look at 'em!!

...your recordings, obviously.
[/quote]

Not yet!

[Myke]

[quote name='SimonEdward' timestamp='1364635839' post='2029020']
but have a look at my links - I'm sure you could do just as well, if not better.
[/quote]

I listen to the songs on your Soundcloud Nice work there, I especially love the melodic part on Retro Harmonics

[discreet]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1364667462' post='2029512']
Not yet!
[/quote]

Well, OK... no pressure.

[Samashton12]

I am frustrated due to the fact i cant play harmonic chords. Ahh, it'll come eventually.. I hope

[Delberthot]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1364603436' post='2028871']


I feel like i'm stuck in patterns say G7.. I'd play mixolydian.. which is fair.. but I can't break out of it. I feel, in that sense, my theory is holding me back. I also feel like I don't know enough theory (Work that out!)


[/quote]

I don't have a clue what mixolodian is - its a kids cartoon channel innit?

Sometimes I think that trying to focus on scales and so on limits what you can play in that you're consciously trying to follow a particular scale or something. I don't have the first clue or desire to learn scales, arpeggios and whatnot. I love to play and I'll keep making stuff up on the spot with no idea what it is cos I haven't learned what it is but it sounds good.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't learn that stuff but I know for a fact that I'm a better player because I play what feels right rather than consciously thinking about what thingy I'm playing. See? Couldn't even think what the right word was there

[SimonEdward]

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1364667520' post='2029514']
I listen to the songs on your Soundcloud Nice work there, I especially love the melodic part on Retro Harmonics
[/quote]

Thanks for taking the time Myke - glad you enjoyed listening to me practising! the joy of multi-track Bass! Do you have a sound cloud account yet? sign up and have a browse through the genres.. & there are tons of other Bass Chatter's on there.. there is even a BC group! no pressure!

[Myke]

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1364698893' post='2029836']
I don't have a clue what mixolodian is - its a kids cartoon channel innit?

Sometimes I think that trying to focus on scales and so on limits what you can play in that you're consciously trying to follow a particular scale or something. I don't have the first clue or desire to learn scales, arpeggios and whatnot. I love to play and I'll keep making stuff up on the spot with no idea what it is cos I haven't learned what it is but it sounds good.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't learn that stuff but I know for a fact that I'm a better player because I play what feels right rather than consciously thinking about what thingy I'm playing. See? Couldn't even think what the right word was there
[/quote]

That's exactly my point! I'm glad I've learnt them as it has helped me understand chords more but now I can't break out of the whole pattern thing..

[Myke]

[quote name='SimonEdward' timestamp='1364720733' post='2029906']
Thanks for taking the time Myke - glad you enjoyed listening to me practising! the joy of multi-track Bass! Do you have a sound cloud account yet? sign up and have a browse through the genres.. & there are tons of other Bass Chatter's on there.. there is even a BC group! no pressure!
[/quote]

Practicing ey? Haha, no I have not but I will do soon