Things you wish you'd known earlier?

[Cestrian]

This follows on from a previous topic I posted regarding muting the E and A strings. I'm having to readjust my technique, with some difficulty. Of course I wish that I'd been shown the correct technique initially. What else do you know now that you really wish you'd been told when you first started out?

[Lozz196]

Buy one main bass, one backup bass, one amp, one backup amp, one speaker cab, and whatever you do don`t join Basschat as you will talk yourself out of all of the former and it will cost you a fortune.

[dlloyd]

I spent a lot of time obsessing over theoretical concepts that have little application in most music. There are a lot of people who sell instructional materials that offer a magic bullets that are nonsense... there is no substitute for getting out there and playing.

It's particularly bad with jazz where people obsess about scale choices to go over chord changes (because that's what a very popular series of books say you need to do) and they end up sounding like they're playing scales over chords.

[Cat Burrito]

A halfway decent stereo and tuning up every time you play makes picking out basslines much, much easier. I don't recall anyone saying this, just something I worked out myself.

[casapete]

That I'd be far better playing bass than guitar - wasted too many years on 6 strings when I should
have realised bass was always going to be my thing.

[chris_b]

Even the most complicated music is simple, if you break it down into sections.

[Dad3353]

I wish I'd known earlier that you were going to post this topic; I've have had time to think of a better response.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Dad3353

[louisthebass]

1) "Learn how to learn" - in other words, really applying yourself when it comes to learning how to play this instrument properly (also known as putting the work in and not getting frustrated with yourself that it takes time to get good....)

2) Learn to read notation.

Edited October 8, 2017 by louisthebass

[Heathy]

Good advice at the start of the Nile Rogers programme on BBC4 on Friday, which was along the lines of:

Make sure you enjoy what you do, because at some point you will experience failure

[bassbiscuits]

I wish I'd known how much of my life was going to be spent playing music. I'd have actually bothered learning to read and write music properly and taking GCSE and A Level music at school perhaps.

[yorks5stringer]

Hindsight is 100%....

[ezbass]

[quote name='casapete' timestamp='1507457962' post='3385509']
That I'd be far better playing bass than guitar - wasted too many years on 6 strings when I should
have realised bass was always going to be my thing.
[/quote]+1

[silverfoxnik]

+1 to all of the above words of wisdom..

And like bassbiscuits, I wish I'd known when I started playing as a 15 year old kid how much music and bass-playing would become a cornerstone of my life. If I had done, I'd have treated the learning aspects of playing bass a lot more seriously when I was younger as it would have been so much easier to learn stuff then!

[louisthebass]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1507465673' post='3385605']
+1 to all of the above words of wisdom..

And like bassbiscuits, I wish I'd known when I started playing as a 15 year old kid how much music and bass-playing would become a cornerstone of my life. If I had done, I'd have treated the learning aspects of playing bass a lot more seriously when I was younger as it would have been so much easier to learn stuff then!
[/quote]

+1 Especially pre internet....

[T-Bay]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1507456219' post='3385490']
whatever you do don`t join Basschat as you will talk yourself out of all of the former and it will cost you a fortune.
[/quote]
as I have found out to my cost. I am doing well on the one main amp and cab but with 6 basses and severe GAS for a couple more I am failing badly.

[Davebassics]

That the jack cable works both ways

[Coilte]

Wearing quality ear plugs when playing in a band is a worthwhile investment.

[interpol52]

Price and quality do not always go hand in hand.

Enjoy it, you might not be Jaco (insert any other highly regarded bassist) but being able to make music is a gift.

You don't get better by looking at 'for sale' adverts for basses/amps/effects ?

Edited November 16, 2017 by interpol52

[atsampson]

Things I wish I'd known earlier: doing your own bass setup and maintenance is pretty straightforward, and the manufacturer's standard setup is not necessarily ideal for you. Get a beaten-up cheap bass from your local small ads, take it apart, clean it, put it back together, and experiment with different action heights, pickup heights, neck relief, etc. etc. to see what you prefer -- that'll give you the confidence to do the same with your main instrument.

Also, I wish I'd experimented with different types and gauges of strings earlier -- if I'd tried light-gauge flats/tapes ten years ago I would have played bass a lot more then!

[martin8708]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1507458361' post='3385518']
Even the most complicated music is simple, if you break it down into sections.
[/quote]
I find the reverse is true as well , songs that are supposed to be "simple " tend to have little quirks in them which often make them more difficult than they initially seem .

Other things I have learnt :

A more expensive bass does not make you a better player , if anything it can lead other musicians to think you are some kind of bass genius .

If you play for fun , make sure you do have fun , I have done far too many rehearsals with dread in my heart because of some obnoxious band member , it's taken me a long long time to gain the confidence to just say " thanks , but no thanks " and walk away .

[Raslee]

I wish I’d have known the drugs don’t work 😃😃😃😃

[toneknob]

Don't waste time trying to sound like your heroes. They don't sound much like you either.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

its a waste of everyone's time & effort if
1. Any band members don't understand that there's a difference between practice & rehearsal
2. The drummer can't keep a beat and never practices

[lurksalot]

The point at which the band you are in, are playing different tunes

[Woodinblack]

I wish I had been told that a sense of timing wasn't something that most musicians naturally had, and actually it was quite unusual.