Not feeling 'good enough'...

[JTUK]

Practice doesn't make you perfect, it just makes you better than you were.
Be reasonable with what you expect and then hone what you do well.
As much as it may be nice to be super flash... this is not what the vast
majority of people look for in bass players.

What you need is a good sound, a good feel is better than great chops..altho nice to have both
and the ability to understand what everyone wants from you. If you play covers..the easy part
is that you can just copy the original part...
Not so many of us are lucky enough to dedicate everything and exactly what we want as 'life' gets in the way and
we aren't driven enough for the sacrifices.

Reconcile your expectations...

[thisnameistaken]

Practise time is mistakes time, making mistakes and recognising what you did wrong are the things that make you a better player. When I'm practising alone I deliberately go for stuff I can't do, moving to positions on the fingerboard that are a bit of a leap of faith or going for an interval I'm not sure about just because I'll figure it out along the way, and if it does work out I'll feel like a champ.

Improvement comes steadily and you shouldn't expect too much too soon. You might not notice it happening at all but it is happening and obviously if you don't push yourself when you're practising and make mistakes, it will only happen slower.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1405445362' post='2501976']
We all make mistakes from time to time, however long we've been playing and however much we practice. I find it helps to recognise that, not to dwell on mistakes, just let them go, smile and move on to the next phrase, keep the disruption to a minimum.
[/quote]

More commonly known as 'live performance'.

[GrammeFriday]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1405452358' post='2502073']
Practise time is mistakes time, making mistakes and recognising what you did wrong are the things that make you a better player.
[/quote]
+1
This is really, really important. Making mistakes is good, because it means that you are playing beyond your comfort zone, which is what you need to do if you want to improve. The key to it, as thisnameistaken says, is to look at mistakes in a different way - as opportunities for learning, not as reasons to beat yourself up.

[discreet]

[quote name='GrammeFriday' timestamp='1405460420' post='2502193']
look at mistakes in a different way - as opportunities for learning, not as reasons to beat yourself up.
[/quote]

The Chinese cryptogram for 'crisis' and 'opportunity' is the same... embrace crisitunity!

Edited July 15, 2014 by discreet

[MilkyBarKid]

Have you thought of reading the book "The Inner Game of Music", it's years since I read it but it seemed to address this problem. I know I used to get mad as hell with my ski-ing at a time when I did it frequently. I couldn't get anything right one cold weekend morning in Scotland, I didn't normally drink on the slopes but I think I had about three or four pints and stayed in the restaurant for a couple of hours, at the time it wasn't much compared to what I consumed every night, so I wasn't in any way inebriated, but the difference it made to my ski-ing was tremendous, I was relaxed not trying hard and everything just clicked. I've found the same with other endeavours - if you're not in the right relaxed framework - you won't learn, you'll just get frustrated and you may as well go and do something else.

[alyctes]

Try learning from the end. Learn the last bit first. Then learn the bit before it, and play through the end part you already know. Repeat, adding earlier bits.

So, let's say your song has five parts, ABCDE. Learn E first. Then learn D, and whenever you play D, play E after it, so you're playing DE. Then learn C, and play CDE. And so on.

That way you don't get caught knowing the first bit but never getting to the second bit, and your confidence ought to improve as you go through a song. Try it

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='MilkyBarKid' timestamp='1405461973' post='2502209']I had about three or four pints and stayed in the restaurant for a couple of hours, at the time it wasn't much compared to what I consumed every night, so I wasn't in any way inebriated, but the difference it made to my ski-ing was tremendous,[/quote]

While I wouldn't advocate relying on substance abuse, it's otherwise a good point - maybe you've got inappropriate expectations of your practice time. It seems you might be sitting down to a session where you're expecting to impress yourself with the fruits of your labour. Of course it takes time to grow fruit. Instead you should be expecting to surprise yourself with the things you can't do, and feeling the excitement of opportunity with the realisation that it's something you have recognised that you can learn.

It's such a small change in your perception, but it will make a big difference your experience.

Edited July 15, 2014 by thisnameistaken

[icastle]

All musicians have a 'weak point' somewhere.

Some have to use a pick, some can't use a pick, some can't slap, some can't improvise, some can only play dull ploddy stuff, some always insist on overcomplicating things... the list is endless.

Instead of dwelling on it, concentrate on what you [b]can[/b] do and excel at it - that'll leave you free to concentrate on resolving the 'weak points' if you find you really need to.

[discreet]

Can't slap? [i]Won't[/i] slap!

[Snarf]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1405471583' post='2502269']
Can't slap? [i]Won't[/i] slap!
[/quote]

Amen to that.


I always used to get frustrated about my playing. I'm not the best bassist ever, never will be. No one is perfect though, some dude from a band we play with may rip it up on stage, but may be rubbish at something else I'm good at. I always think that way now, makes me feel a bit better about my playing!


Widdllyy wiiddllyyy widdddllleeeaaahhhh!!! Can't groove.

[White Cloud]

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1405424771' post='2501743']
My biggest barrier from improving is myself
[/quote]
Nothing unusual about this at all.....your inner [i]saboteur [/i]is at work. Most problems in a persons life come from within.

Have a word with yourself and tell him to let you [i]get better through practice[/i].

[stubass]

I used to get peed off with my lack of progress when I got back into bass playing after a long lay off. Joined a function band who had been playing for a good while. With kids and a renovation project, I didn't have a mental amount of time and some songs that I had to learn took ages, grapevine was particularly traumatic but is now my favourite
I too would hurl expletives at my left hand and declare myself incompetent. But the enjoyment of playing kept me at it and now can learn a song pretty quick, fiddly bits seem to come together quicker. Point of story (yawn) keep at it. Once you crack a song or a part, the sense of achievement is fantastic. The more you can play the more you can learn to play. It's a journey that will never end, nor would I personally want it too

[discreet]

As long as you don't carry on like this guy, you'll be OK!! - NSFW - Extreme Anger and Swearing.

http://youtu.be/Vms_6_TSQuc

[stubass]

^ love this guy! Priceless!

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='Freddy Le Cragg' timestamp='1405449444' post='2502021']
I'm crap and I know it. But I LOVE IT!!
[/quote]

Same here. If this was Talkbass, we could start a club [size=4] [/size]
[size=4]I`m competent, nothing more, can`t slap, pop or any of that guff but have always managed to play in a gigging band when I want to.[/size]
[size=4]Don`t get hung up on it, there is always someone better than you. I know a guy who is a brilliant player but his attitude stinks and he doesn`t last long in any band he joins. [/size]

[TheGreek]

Bet you're not feeling so alone in not being good enough now...the gist here seems to be that very few feel "good enough" - this should be your motivation. I find this quote inspirational:

[url="http://s1167.photobucket.com/user/FairfaxAikman/media/Pelequote_zps1dee6d22.jpeg.html"][/url]

Edited July 18, 2014 by TheGreek

[Weststarx]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1405669689' post='2504114']
Bet you're not feeling so alone in not being good enough now...the gist here seems to be that very few feel "good enough" - this should be your motivation.

[/quote]

Indeed it has been an eye-opener for sure...

Thanks for everyones input on the matter, it really has helped me a lot, when it comes to practice now I am going in with a completely different mind set and a positive attitude that I can achieve something if I just get over myself and practice.

This forum is fantastic!

[ratman]

A few years ago a drummer I've been playing with for years, and I, came home from a great gig. Straight round to his place for too many beers and the obligatory post gig wind down, talking about the gig and music in general. Eventually we got round to talking about our playing. I told him I thought he was the stronger player of the two of us, and I sometimes felt like I was just trying to keep up. His reply was the same, except he though I was the stronger, and he was the one who was trying to keep up! After a lengthy chat about each others playing, we both came away from that night with a clear understanding of our many strengths, and weaknesses, but more importantly we realised we weren't bad players. We'd been around for a while and we finally felt like we weren't beginners any more, we'd sort of paid our dues, so to speak. We certainly didn't get cocky about ourselves as musicians, but from that moment we had more inner confidence. Since then we both approached our playing a lot more relaxed and have been thoroughly enjoying what we do ever since. We still push ourselves to be better players of course. More practise, more gigs, it all counts. We are all students of music and life. That's a journey that never ends. And when I do make a mistake on a gig I still think to myself 'what the f*ck did I do that for?', I'll look around to see which band menber is laughing at me, then I forget it and get on with the playing, that's why I'm there after all, to have fun.