Who is happy with their playing?

[Dr.Dave]

I'm 52 , I go out with my mates to or gigs and have a better night out than the Williams and come home richer rather than poorer. I can have any instrument I choose and I can play any tune I can think of. As a player I'm confident - with the hard earned skills to back that up - enough not to need to show off and not to care a flying whatever what anybody thinks. I'll walk on a stage with anyone - anyone - and not be phased , starstruck or feel inferior ( though they might) . I wish I could go back in time and tell the 18 year old Doc how worthwhile all the struggles and effort would one day feel. Could I get better ( whatever that means) technically with more practise and study ? Sure. Will I ever stop learning ? Nope. Am I happy with my playing ? No... I'm ecstatic !!! Oh - while I'm on - those of you who reckon you're not good enough to make pro.......... listen to some of the household name jokers out there driving about in rollers who aren't fit to string your bass before you say such nonsense !!

[Dingus]

I am not happy with my playing overall , but sometimes I am happy within the wider context of being unhappy, if that makes sense.

The thing about playing an instrument is that you have good days and bad days, and it can be difficult to predict which you are going to have when , so you just have to learn to roll with it and take the rough with the smooth.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1386343272' post='2299056']
I'm 30 now, I'm never going to make pro, I play gigs with no problems, couldn't give a f*** from there on.
[/quote]
This. Except I'm 61 not 30.

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1386352291' post='2299229']
I am not happy with my playing overall , but sometimes I am happy within the wider context of being unhappy, if that makes sense.

The thing about playing an instrument is that you have good days and bad days, and it can be difficult to predict which you are going to have when , so you just have to learn to roll with it and take the rough with the smooth.
[/quote]
The thing about having a bad day is being good enough to recognise it and do something about it. I make mistakes every night. Every single gig I play. Experience has taught me how to cover that and I bet most of you would never even know.

[risingson]

I'm happy with my playing most of the time mate, there will be times when I feel frustrated or like I've got bass player's equivalent of writer's block but every musician on the planet must feel like that from time to time. There are aspects of my playing that I'd like to improve on but I'd be happy if I could stay this level and get no better if you know what I mean.

You don't have anything to worry about though, surely! From an outsider's point of view you're a great reader and play with feel feel and dynamics, which are what counts when it comes to being a great bassist.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1386352595' post='2299240']
The thing about having a bad day is being good enough to recognise it and do something about it. I make mistakes every night. Every single gig I play. Experience has taught me how to cover that and I bet most of you would never even know.
[/quote]

I often have good nights when I have felt rubbish all day and don't want to play, and bad nights when everything has been perfect up to that point. There really is no rhyme or reason to it.

I am lucky in a certain respect in that a lot of the musicians who I played with when I was starting out were very good players , some of whom have gone on to be top working pros, and it is second nature to me to play with people who are hypercritical and not afraid to tell you when you are not good enough. The long-term benefit of that has been that I have quite often got higher standards that I expect myself to reach no matter what , regardless of what the other musicians in the band will settle for. A tight band is a tight band , and excuses count for nothing, as I'm sure you would agree , Dave.

I think people often have very different goals when they start playing an instrument, too. Some people start playing because they want to be in a band, and some start playing because they want to learn how to play just for the sake of it, and then if they stick with it end up playing in a band ... just because that's what you're supposed to do !

[xgsjx]

It depends on what I'm trying to play. Most of the time I'm happy with my playing & enjoy learning & getting better, but then occasionally I'll try to play something that's in my head & find I can't quite nail it.

I'm usually less happy with other musician's playing skills than my own.

[icastle]

Me being happy with my playing isn't important.

It's what the other musicians think of it that matters.

[xilddx]

Depends dunnit. Sometimes I think I'm very happy and that I'm expressing my personality and musical tastes through the bass, other times I think I'm a useless ****.

But generally I'm happy, while always knowing that if I was told to improvise in a jazz band I really would be a useless ****. The problem here is that while I have little desire to be able to stun people with some improvised beauty in a jazz band, I always feel it would be an amazing feeling to be able to do that and often feel I SHOULD, and probably COULD, be able to if I applied myself and wasn't such a lazy ****. But it's not really my voice so I try not to beat myself up about it too much. I can compose and delight myself, but I can't improvise very well over tricky modulations. I would like to be able to do that.

[xilddx]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1386354854' post='2299289']
Me being happy with my playing isn't important.

It's what the other musicians think of it that matters.
[/quote]

Are you serious Ian?

[icastle]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1386355223' post='2299297']
Are you serious Ian?
[/quote]

Yep.

It sounds awful, but I'm 'ever so slightly mercenary' about it.
I regularly play stuff that I hate and wouldn't listen to in a million years, but as long as people like it, I get repeat work and I get to eat.

[Roger2611]

I am totally happy, I know I am creating the best stuff I have ever done, so far. Recently a band I very much respect came to see us and commented on how good my bass playing was... unsolicited compliments from people you respect...I think that is as good as it gets

[pnefc42]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1386343272' post='2299056']
I'm 30 now, I'm never going to make pro, I play gigs with no problems, couldn't give a f*** from there on.
[/quote]

+2

[JTUK]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1386343272' post='2299056']
I'm 30 now, I'm never going to make pro, I play gigs with no problems, couldn't give a f*** from there on.
[/quote]

Depends what you mean by Pro.... anyone can get lucky and fluke a gig and make a living...but REAL talent
is something else...

[thisnameistaken]

No I'm still not happy with my playing. When I listen back to recordings I take pride in hearing stuff I played, and I have nights where I am chuffed with what I'm doing and I feel like I'm on good form, but I'm not content with how I play by any means, I'm always keen to improve.

I'll be 40 next year and I've long since given up trying to be a musical athlete, but I work hard on understanding what I'm doing and trying to play interesting stuff that adds an extra dimension to a song without being too busy. I still can't take a compliment though, I'm not happy enough with my playing to take any comfort in someone else congratulating me for it.

[Thunderbird]

I think what gets me down with my playing is that I can honestly say I do not have any natural talent so what ever I achieve on my bass has come from lots of hard work and practice I think if I had some raw ability to start with I think i may be happy with my playing , sometimes I knock out a few tunes and think yeah who's the daddy lol but recently I think my playing has gone to pot since being unwell I think I have forgotten more than I know and sometimes I don't pick up my bass for days on end but I am really trying to "make" myself play a little every day even if it is messing about around the board

Edited December 6, 2013 by Thunderbird

[Delberthot]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1386343272' post='2299056']
I'm 30 now, I'm never going to make pro, I play gigs with no problems, couldn't give a f*** from there on.
[/quote]

I'm 38 and have never wanted to make it pro. It's always been a hobby. Make it my lively hood and it stops being fun unless there's guaranteed to be vast amounts of wealth at the end of it.

I know I'm good, other people tell me I'm good but I'm not always happy with my playing. I remember reading an article about Stu Hamm where he said that he has to try hard not to get too excited cos if he does he starts playing harder and it affects his playing. If I get too excited or if I can't hear myself well enough then I start playing harder and I can't play what I want to play.

Other than that I'm very happy with everything else. I don't practice at home, in fact I rarely pickup my bass at home ever and I think that's what keeps my playing fresh. If I wasn't gigging as often then I think I'd need to practice at home

[grandad]

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1386343599' post='2299067']
I'm much happier now that i am an old bastard & have now stopped over playing everything,as young players tend to do.
Keep it simple & tasteful works every time for me these days.
[/quote]

Agree. Also, played the last 3 gigs with a very competent drummer who was a pleasure to play with, makes all the difference.

[White Cloud]

Very happy thanks!

[Marvin]

I'm never happy, full stop.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1386343444' post='2299060']
Content - but could always improve.
[/quote]

Same here.

[phil.i.stein]

Never. but a good gig is when you're not thinking about you.

[Lord Sausage]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1386352841' post='2299246']
I'm happy with my playing most of the time mate, there will be times when I feel frustrated or like I've got bass player's equivalent of writer's block but every musician on the planet must feel like that from time to time. There are aspects of my playing that I'd like to improve on but I'd be happy if I could stay this level and get no better if you know what I mean.

You don't have anything to worry about though, surely! From an outsider's point of view you're a great reader and play with feel feel and dynamics, which are what counts when it comes to being a great bassist.
[/quote]
Thanks pal, that put's it better than i did actually, the writer' block thing. I suppose i'm not unhappy with my playing but not 100% happy. I don't think you have to worry about not improving, your class. It's like Rory said You're a Monster!

[Noah Deere]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1386347061' post='2299131']
Sometimes satisfied.

Never happy.

Even if I can fool other people I always know that I can do better.
[/quote]

That pretty much sums up my thoughts about my own playing.

[risingson]

Did a gig last night and could have kicked myself after. Wasn't feeling it at all, didn't feel like I was playing at full capacity. It definitely happens to everyone!