When you get compliments on your playing

[anaxcrosswords]

I've always found myself saying "thanks" very, very awkwardly and hoping they'll leave it at that.
Are bassists inherently a bit shy in this regard? It's OK for guitarists - they can say "of course I'm fantastic. Now down on your knees you meaningless non-god while I tell you all about myself".
All I want to do is escape!

[JapanAxe]

To me, it is not enough just to say 'thanks'. So I say 'thanks, that's very kind of you' or 'thanks, glad you enjoyed it'. I don't find it embarrassing, just surprising!

[JTUK]

I just say 'glad you enjoyed it' but I generally don't take compliments too well...I know when I've done well
so am not looking for anyone else to reassure me, as such.
Just try and be gracious, thats all...

[bassbiscuits]

I had this exact experience last night - and I'm so bad at taking compliments.

A guy came to tell me how great my bass sound was etc and I just ended up waffling about my gear and awkwardly saying how I never get to hear it from the audience point of view etc.

Nice to have some praise I guess. I need to have a better response tho!

[Lozz196]

Must admit I find it a little embarrassing as I find I`m not very good at receiving compliments. Of course I say thanks, and usually try and find out what music the person is into - invariably I get the comments about their fave bassists being JJ Burnell or Bruce Foxton, as my tone is very much like that nowadays, and playing punk, those two are big influences on my playing.

[CamdenRob]

This isn't a problem I often encounter...

[Raymondo]

I learned the hard way to be attentive and try to engage people whom compliment my playing,even though I find it embarrassing.

Many years ago a young guy came up to say how much he enjoyed the band and how good my bass playing was;to my eternal shame I was in mid conversation with my band mates and just mumbled a thanks and carried on with my mates.

Straight away I realised that I must have come over as a right cocky git and I am far from it,quite the opposite in fact.

I still feel shamed by my reaction and so, if you were the young guy that went to see Dumpys Rusty Nuts at the Mardi Gras club in Nottingham in 1985.....my band SYZ II were the support.....I apologise

[EssentialTension]

Mrs ET tells me that she is reliably informed by her Spanish flamenco dance teacher that when receiving a compliment such as 'You are looking gorgeous' or 'Your dancing is tremendous' the correct response is ............ 'Yes, I know'.

[hubrad]

It took me ages to come to terms with it. It eventually sunk in that it wasn't all end-of-the-night drunks who will say anything just to have been seen talking to the band!
If I keep getting re-bookings, I must be doing something right for somebody; if I'm enjoying it too, then that's all grand! :-)
There's still far too many folks that I consider well ahead of me, so I'm not going to get conceited about it.

[Oopsdabassist]

I think its just us bass players, cos I get embarrassed too, or think, 'he's just taking the micky' I try to be polite though, just in case........

[SpaceChick]

I just say "Thankyou, I'm glad you've enjoyed" I'm another that doesn't take compliments too well!!

You can always tell when it's a general punter or a muso punter... The muso punters always mention the fretless!

[deepbass5]

I think these comments go to show we bass players are an unassuming, selfless lot, that's why we play bass and support others while they take the lime light be that guitar or vocals, happy just to bathe in that warm vibration that is "bass" gratification in its self

[ezbass]

It's such a rare, albeit lovely, thing, that I'm often a bit embarrassed at the time. Replies of, "You're too kind," and, "Glad you liked it," and that ilk seem to be the order of the day. However, inside I'm going, "Get in!"

[Norris]

Another one to add to the list of bass players who are embarrassed by compliments. As far as I am concerned it's really only me that knows how well I've played and possibly my band mates. I try to take compliments with grace though and have a bit of a chat with them. I've never really been comfortable engaging with the punters but you want them to come back next time!

[bassbiscuits]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1428833759' post='2744925']
It's such a rare, albeit lovely, thing, that I'm often a bit embarrassed at the time. Replies of, "You're too kind," and, "Glad you liked it," and that ilk seem to be the order of the day. However, inside I'm going, "Get in!"
[/quote]

Ha ha! Exactly! Inside I'm thinking "glad it all sounds good, as I've put a lot of time and effort into it over the years!"

[Hobbayne]

I once got a complement from the bassist of the next band on a festival. "Nice bass playing mate" he quoth. I just stared at my shoes and mumbled something about the onstage sound being crap.
He must have thought I was a right arsehole!

[anaxcrosswords]

Yes, I certainly get that internal buzz – it’s nice to know that whatever I’m doing works. It’s just that, for me, whenever a compliment arrives I relapse to teen self-consciousness. But I’m hugely encouraged by the responses so far; seems I’m not as abnormal as I think.

[anaxcrosswords]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1428836523' post='2744978']
...mumbled something about the onstage sound being crap.
[/quote]
Oh yes, oh yes! That is one of my stock responses, probably the most frequent one I use.

[bassbiscuits]

[quote name='anaxcrosswords' timestamp='1428836671' post='2744982']

Oh yes, oh yes! That is one of my stock responses, probably the most frequent one I use.
[/quote]

Yeah mine usually involves something like "I can't really hear it up here so I'm glad it sounds good in the audience blah blah"
I really want to be gracious, witty and humble if someone has taken the time to give a compliment - certainly don't want to appear as an aloof, socially inept tool.(Bit late for that now tho...😀)

[Cameronj279]

I don't get embarrassed as such but I just seem to have an in-built cynicism that just assumed I'm having the piss ripped out me. I'm sure it's a horribly unhealthy mind-set but it's just my first instinct whenever I get a compliment and usually ends in me mumbling "Thanks" then heading off. I'm aware I come across as an arsehole of the highest calibre when I do this but I seem unable to respond with anything else.

I had some girl at a gig a month or so back say (just as we were leaving the venue) "I'm a bass player and you're much better than me!". How the hell do you reply to that!?

[chris_b]

I like compliments.

I smile and say thanks, glad you liked it. A little hand shaking might ensue if they [i]really[/i] liked it. Keep eye contact and appreciate what's happening.

Like applause, a cheer at the end of a number, dancing and a shout for encores, it means we're doing something right and, if they're paying any attention, it's a signal to the promoter that the band done good.

[FinnDave]

On the rare occasions that someone compliments my playing I simply thank them and say it is nice to be appreciated. It doesn't embarrass me (not a lot does) but it does give me a little boost at the end of the gig.

[alyctes]

The only time it's ever happened to me, I could only think "blimey. So you're tone deaf and don't know when my timing's f***ed...".

[seashell]

I bloody love it, I do. That's probably because I'm a flouncing luvvie first and a bass player second!

[dadofsix]

Surprisingly enough, I do hear that quite often. A big smile, and a "thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it" goes a long way.

<><Peace