I've Been Playing Bass For 50 Years, So What?

[Bluewine]

I think there's enough seniors here for this discussion.

Playing for 50 years alone really doesn't mean much. What have you done, how have you adapted, and what have you learned that you can share that might help new bass players.

Blue

[Woodinblack]

I am only 53 so I can't really say, but I just thought I would comment that in that picture, because you are leaning a bit, and your shirt is dark it looks like you are actually standing behind the amp, and the guitar has a fake set of legs attached to it!

[Norris]

29 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I am only 53 so I can't really say, but I just thought I would comment that in that picture, because you are leaning a bit, and your shirt is dark it looks like you are actually standing behind the amp, and the guitar has a fake set of legs attached to it!

I was going to say he doesn't move around the stage much - he's still in the same place as when he started the worst gigs ever thread!

I'm 52, 33 years of regular gigging, pretty much with the same guitarist throughout. I'd say that no matter how good you think you are you can always get better (assuming no health issues to trip you up). There's always room for improvement, both technically and musically. It's a journey with no end destination.

[Bluewine]

 

At the earliest age possible;

Understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Understand what you want to do with your playing, teach, perform, write and what level you can realistically achieve.

Learn to recognize pitfalls and real opportunity.

Blue

Edited September 21, 2018 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

I am only 53 so I can't really say, but I just thought I would comment that in that picture, because you are leaning a bit, and your shirt is dark it looks like you are actually standing behind the amp, and the guitar has a fake set of legs attached to it!

This is great advice for new bass players interested in adding legs to their bass 

Blue

Edited September 21, 2018 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

I think us seniors have to accept the fact a lot of gigging protocol we grew up with are no longer relevant.

Blue

[peteb]

40 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

I think us seniors have to accept the fact a lot of gigging protocol we grew up with are no longer relevant.

Blue

How so?? A lot of the gear has changed, you're less likely to get in a fight with the PA crew and there is the impact of social media, but beyond that things have stayed pretty much the same in many respects. 

[musicbassman]

In my darker moments I sometimes wonder if maybe 'rock' music (in all it's manifestations and as we currently understand it) is actually starting its final lap, and in another couple of decades giving 'advice to young bass players' will be as relevant as teaching the correct protocol for lighting gas lamps...    🙄

[itsmedunc]

Been playing for 40 years and if there's one thing I've learned playing in a band it's, don't get yourself in a position where you are being 'told' what to do by a guitarist or a singer. If you do, you may as well become a session player and earn some money! The real fulfilling part of it all is - you will be the only one that is! 

The realistic future for those that 'tell' others what to do is loneliness as everyone will eventually have enough and leave. Same as any relationship!

[chris_b]

I bought my first bass on 14th August 1965 and started gigging on 20th November 1966. I bought the bass and amp in the first year then had to wait till the next summer holidays to earn enough to buy the cab.

In some respects nothing has changed. My Duck Dunn bass lines still fit into all the bands I play in. . . with Little Richard, Bruno Mars and Jessie Jay songs alike. Then it seems like you blink and everything has changed.

[Happy Jack]

On 14th August 1965 I was an 8-year-old wanting to be taken to the public swimming pool. I had no clue what a bass guitar was. 

[Woodinblack]

On the 14th August 1965 I was 10 days off my 3 month birthday. I don’t really remember what my main concern was. Probably breasts. I guess nothing much has changed

[chris_b]

11 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

I had no clue what a bass guitar was.

Me neither.

I'd spent about a year playing bass lines on the bottom 4 strings of my terrible Spanish guitar and buying the real thing just seemed to be the next logical step. When I got it home I didn't have the first idea what to do with it! After a week or 2 the flood gates opened and in the next 2 years I learnt 99% of everything I've played ever since.

Edited September 22, 2018 by chris_b

[arthurhenry]

11 hours ago, musicbassman said:

In my darker moments I sometimes wonder if maybe 'rock' music (in all it's manifestations and as we currently understand it) is actually starting its final lap, and in another couple of decades giving 'advice to young bass players' will be as relevant as teaching the correct protocol for lighting gas lamps...    🙄

People were saying that a couple of decades ago.

[chris_b]

15 hours ago, Bluewine said:

Playing for 50 years alone really doesn't mean much. . . . what have you learned that you can share that might help new bass players.

What have I discovered and what can I share? These are just common sense and have been in many threads on Basschat in the last 10 years.

 

Effective bass lines are the best. Simple bass lines are the most effective. A good "Adam Clayton" is worth his weight in gold. An almost good "Jaco" misses by a mile.

Your groove is more important than your sound. Obviously don't sound bad, but what you play beats the sound of your gear every time. The audience or your mates might tell you you sound good, but if you're a good player you'll be asked to join bands.

Get the basics right. Second nature, so you can't play it wrong. Then you can focus on the good stuff.

Learn to keep good time. Don't count but feel the beats. Play every note exactly in time.The basic difference between the world's best and semi pro is the quality of the timing.

If you're going to stand in front of an audience, bring your best game. Every time. It doesn't matter if they are not listening or there is one man and a dog. Go home knowing that you couldn't have given any more, even if you were playing the Albert Hall.

Learn to sing. Bv's are a bare minimum and will make you more valuable to your band.

[Les]

8 minutes ago, chris_b said:

A good "Adam Clayton" is worth his weight in gold. An almost good "Jaco" misses by a mile

you Sir, are a sage.

[Heathy]

 

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

A good "Adam Clayton" is worth his weight in gold. An almost good "Jaco" misses by a mile. 

This is Gold!

 

I have only been playing 33 years. However, the additional advice I would give my teenage self is not to forget right hand technique.

I have just started playing in a band with more challenging lines, so have only recently been found out!

What makes it worse I think is that I am a lefty playing right-handed, so my focus has always been on my dominant (fretting) hand.

[arthurhenry]

3 hours ago, chris_b said:

A good "Adam Clayton" is worth his weight in gold. An almost good "Jaco" misses by a mile.

Outstanding!

3 hours ago, chris_b said:

Simple bass lines are the most effective

Almost always, but not always.

[leroydiamond]

Just recently quit playing after 40 years of regular gigging. Thought I would miss it big time, but not a bit. Free weekends are a god send and now I can plan a few weeks holidays in the sun without looking for a stand in. When I go to see a band now, I haven't the least interest in the bass players technique , gear, blah blah. I am just a regular punter and find this pretty liberating and enjoyable.

The local gig scene has really gone downhill in recent years. A plethora of bands with fewer places to gig resulting in really poor conditions for bands. Money was never my motivator, but I could get better paid 25 years ago than what I can today for a gig, so out of principlei am not interested.

My only option for gigs now would be a function/wedding band (if one would have me), but I have avoided that scene for 40 years and have no plans to take it up now.

There is life after gigging and in my case its a pretty good one.

 

[Bluewine]

On 21/09/2018 at 16:40, peteb said:

How so?? A lot of the gear has changed, you're less likely to get in a fight with the PA crew and there is the impact of social media, but beyond that things have stayed pretty much the same in many respects. 

Huge decline in the appreciation of  live music at the local level.

Blue

Edited September 23, 2018 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, leroydiamond said:

 

There is life after gigging and in my case its a pretty good one.

 

No life for me after gigging. 

Started gigging at 12 now at 65 gigging more than ever. Having a blast I love it.

I become depressed when I have a weekend without a gig.

I have life long friends that challenge me and ask why I'm still doing this

 It's like their talking in a foreign language. Why would I stop?

It's like telling me;

'You know, you should really think about stopping having fun."

 Blue

 

Edited September 22, 2018 by Bluewine

[bubinga5]

I post a lot of music. it may not be to everyones taste, but listening to music and more music is the best Imo. Then applying it to the bass. Lets face it Jaco had influences, Miller had influences. All the greats listened absorbed and applied. 

Edited September 22, 2018 by bubinga5

[josie]

I wanted more than anything else in life to play bass 50 years ago. My mother beat it into my head that I never could. 

I finally defeated the demons about 3 years ago, started to play, and have been playing in a wonderful gigging blues band for 6 months. 

I could curse the wasted years, but it's more important that I'm here now. I've already booked my lovely local community music centre for my 64th birthday party in February - I'm inviting all my musicians friends for a blues jam, and I'm going to play bass all night 🙂 

Plenty of technical stuff to go on working on, but the essential thing is the sheer joy of it. I've come to it too late in life after too long in the dark to ever lose the joy now. 

[peteb]

6 hours ago, Bluewine said:

Huge decline in the appreciation of tell live music at the local level.

Blue

You have to remember that you have lived all through the golden age of rock music. Things change - there are other things for people to spend their leisure time / money on these days, whereas in your time (and mine) it was predominantly music and movies. I still think that there is a viable audience for live music, just it will never be the same as it was up to 15 years ago. 

I've just come back from a local pub gig where we were complaining that we didn't have as big a crowd as we normally get. However, it was still pretty busy - just that there were only 100 or so people there rather than closer to the 150 we would normally expect. It was still by far the busiest pub in that part of town... 

[peteb]

21 minutes ago, josie said:

I wanted more than anything else in life to play bass 50 years ago. My mother beat it into my head that I never could. 

I finally defeated the demons about 3 years ago, started to play, and have been playing in a wonderful gigging blues band for 6 months. 

I could curse the wasted years, but it's more important that I'm here now. I've already booked my lovely local community music centre for my 64th birthday party in February - I'm inviting all my musicians friends for a blues jam, and I'm going to play bass all night 🙂 

 Plenty of technical stuff to go on working on, but the essential thing is the sheer joy of it. I've come to it too late in life after too long in the dark to ever lose the joy now. 

If you can communicate that feeling to an audience (and I'm sure that you can), then you have one of the reasons why there will always be a demand for live music

Edited September 23, 2018 by peteb