Have these Lockdowns improved your bass playing?

[inthedoghouse]

1 hour ago, dave_bass5 said:

And it costs nothing to at least get the song in your head so they’re are no ‘you sure we didnt miss a bit out’ moments. This seems to be the biggest issue, rather than notes. 

Quite often the drummer would tell us ‘I had a quick listen in the car on the way here’. 

Yes, for me getting the song stuck in my head is the hard thing at first.

The last drummer I played with had been with the band for 2 years playing the same originals and still every week he used to have to look at his notes - even then he obviously didn't know the songs and played like a beginner with us two ex pros. 

I called time on it because it was a waste of time and money even though I enjoyed hte music and playing with the other guy.  Of course, that makes me the 'bad guy' for calling time on it and thte drummer hasn't spoken to me since, despite having known him from where we worked for about 20 years.

[dave_bass5]

11 minutes ago, inthedoghouse said:

Yes, for me getting the song stuck in my head is the hard thing at first.

The last drummer I played with had been with the band for 2 years playing the same originals and still every week he used to have to look at his notes - even then he obviously didn't know the songs and played like a beginner with us two ex pros. 

I think he is playing with me now 😂

Haha, just kidding, mine doesn’t even use notes 😬

[DrBike]

I'm in 2 bands.  One of the bands went into extended hiatus in Lockdown 1 and apart from 1 attempt at doing an online collab and a socially distanced outdoor jam nothing has really happened.

For the other band as soon as we went into lockdown we shared a list of songs that we wanted to learn, everyone* learnt their part, recorded it and I pulled the results together in GarageBand and not only did we have new songs ready go when we got back together again but we also got a couple of demo recordings.

*after we got together post lockdown the rhythm guitarist sad he didn't like any of the new songs and wasn't happy, which was fine with the rest of us as we were looking to get rid of him anyway.

During the summer (post lockdown 1) we got back to rehearsing together and without the rhythm guitar player we had a new found freedom and learned even more new songs.  We managed to do a live stream and a socially distanced "gig" at the end of August.  We got into the routine of practising weekly again during the autumn and managed to do a Christmas live stream with most of the songs being completely new.

Now we're in lockdown again we;ve got another batch of 5 songs that we're learning and starting to pull together the individually recorded parts.

[diskwave]

Cant help noticing this thread has drifted a bit into this band that band chat..to get back on track. 

My drum room is like the arctic so its no go, so I play bass in our warm lounge overlooking the garden. Even tho I'll prob never play live bass again I absolutely love trying to learn stuff that maybe Ive never been able to get....eg some of Jamersons best gems etc. What I'm saying is I just love playing bass and drums, and even if no one else sees my efforts I know I'm improving, cause you never know....and keeping my mind active.

On 14/02/2021 at 10:51, FinnDave said:

and haven't opened the case since. Zero motivation to play with nothing on the horizon.

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by greavesbass

[dmccombe7]

Its an odd thing for me but when i have a few weeks off playing at home and then start again i seem to have a new lease of life and can play better, faster and just seem to be more "into it". I want to learn new things or master some of the things i tried before but couldn't be bothered putting the effort in. Take a wee break and all of a sudden it falls into place.

I've always been like that. 45 yrs now.

Dave

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by dmccombe7

[Happy Jack]

22 hours ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

When I was playing in bands, I put in the work so that;

a) If it went wrong it wasn't me.

b) If it went wrong, I had half a chance of holding it together while other people recover.

In the best band I was in, we all  made the effort. And it showed.

 

22 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Me being in a band where only I made the effort, as good as the band is musician wise, its taken lockdown to realise how emotionally draining it all is. Probably a big factor in me not doing much too.

Most musicians are inherently lazy, don't live in the real world - and thinks the world owes them a living. Minimum input, maximise take.

 

22 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

This, to me, is a genuinely sad reflection. I must have been lucky not to have encountered this.

 

And those three posts pretty much sum up the whole discussion.

I would love, absolutely love, to be in Mykesbass's situation, but I'm not. I'm in EBS-freak's situation so I adopt Llafex's approach.

In the last 10 years of serious gigging with multiple bands, I cannot remember at any time the rest of any band turning up for a rehearsal where everybody had practised and/or prepared. I can certainly remember many many rehearsals which kicked off with "I haven't touched my guitar since last week" and "No, I haven't learned the words yet" and "I forgot to bring any drumsticks" and "I want to spent the whole evening using you guys to help me work out how to operate my new pedal".

New material? "Oh yes, I had a quick listen, sounds easy. What's that? No, I didn't chart it. I figured you'd have the chords worked out for me."

Looking at the bright side, I'm a realist. None of this comes as a surprise to me (the more you do for people, the more they'll let you do) and, while it can be frustrating at times, I took early retirement precisely so that I could spend more time doing this ... I'm largely impervious to emotional draining. I'm sorry, did somebody mention a spectrum? 

[dave_bass5]

11 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Looking at the bright side, I'm a realist. None of this comes as a surprise to me (the more you do for people, the more they'll let you do) and, while it can be frustrating at times, I took early retirement precisely so that I could spend more time doing this ... I'm largely impervious to emotional draining. I'm sorry, did somebody mention a spectrum? 

Well after experiencing all that as well, I’m with you that you can just get on with it and not let it get to you. Some days it does, others it doesn't. I think I've plateaued to a certain degree. Saying that, having your guitarist watching a bloody football match on his phone during rehearsals is going a bit too far (as was telling us he won’t gig on the nights his team were playing). 

 My band options are limited, in that i dont drive, so I’m pretty much stuck with what i have. Ive been doing it too long, and on here for long enough, to know its not unique to me. Maybe not quite the norm, but norm enough to know i could well end up in a worse situation if I walked. 

[chris_b]

19 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Looking at the bright side, I'm a realist. None of this comes as a surprise to me (the more you do for people, the more they'll let you do) and, while it can be frustrating at times, I took early retirement precisely so that I could spend more time doing this ... I'm largely impervious to emotional draining.

Yep. We signed up to play with musicians and a lot of them, at many levels, are exactly like this. If these situations get us down the only thing we can do is get better and make sure we move in circles with access to better players.

Everything is a playing opportunity and I use these sessions as a workout for me. I've mostly played with good drummers so IME it's the guitarists, keys and singers who need the guide dogs. I can play all day with a good drummer.

[EBS_freak]

6 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

And those three posts pretty much sum up the whole discussion.

I would love, absolutely love, to be in Mykesbass's situation, but I'm not. I'm in EBS-freak's situation so I adopt Llafex's approach.

In the last 10 years of serious gigging with multiple bands, I cannot remember at any time the rest of any band turning up for a rehearsal where everybody had practised and/or prepared. I can certainly remember many many rehearsals which kicked off with "I haven't touched my guitar since last week" and "No, I haven't learned the words yet" and "I forgot to bring any drumsticks" and "I want to spent the whole evening using you guys to help me work out how to operate my new pedal".

New material? "Oh yes, I had a quick listen, sounds easy. What's that? No, I didn't chart it. I figured you'd have the chords worked out for me."

Looking at the bright side, I'm a realist. None of this comes as a surprise to me (the more you do for people, the more they'll let you do) and, while it can be frustrating at times, I took early retirement precisely so that I could spend more time doing this ... I'm largely impervious to emotional draining. I'm sorry, did somebody mention a spectrum? 

Crazy isn't it? My most successful band was a unit of people all working towards a common goal. Hence we had a packed diary, had many gigs abroad - and got to experience all the high points without too many of the low points. My current band want what my other band want - but expect me to magic it out of a hat for them. Considering we have been in a number of lockdowns, we could have worked on material, got loads of promotional packs built... but there's always the enthusiasm - but never the action. Talking is easier than doing.

The funny thing is, I started dong online collaborations with people that I knew would get stuff done... and they did. And then of course, the band all got 4rsey with me. So I said fine, lets get a track together then... and here we are, still waiting. That was 9 months a go now. Some people will always lack drive... but want it all.

[Stub Mandrel]

Ok back to the subject!

I enjoy playing bass for its own sake.

Being in a band is great, and I can't wait to move and the end of lockdown and to start tarting my talents around South Wales, but I have no trouble finding motivation to play bass on my own for hours.

Guitar is a contrast, I run out of enthusiasm much faster.

[EssentialTension]

No.

[EBS_freak]

Playing spoons. That's where its at. Every time I go into the kitchen... quick practice.

 

[EBS_freak]

(and the amount of time I go into the kitchen, that's a lot of practice)

 

[BigRedX]

One of the most successful bands I was in (other than The Terrortones) was very much subject to the sorts of logistics problems that @EBS_freak has outlined. We didn't have any problems on the musical and playing side and TBH I don't think I would have time for any band member who didn't put in the required practice outside of band rehearsals should it be needed. However for every other aspect of the band - organising rehearsals, gigs, recording, promotion etc. it came down to the fact that if I didn't do it, then nothing would get done. 

After a couple of years of this combined with having a quite stressful day job that had a tendency to take up all my waking hours to the extent where the only way I could guarantee to be available for a gig would be to take the whole day off as holiday, it was unsurprising that I suffering from band burn out. As an experiment, I stopped organising anything to do with the other band members, and had a quite relaxing six weeks off doing almost nothing from a band PoV (up to that point we had be rehearsing twice a week and gigging at least once a month) until one of them phoned up asking when the next rehearsal was going to be...

 

[DrBike]

Back on track 

• Has my bass playing improved?  Yes
• Am I practising more? - Also yes.

I follow Mary Spender on YouTube and she set out to a video every day during January and encouraged people to play/practice for at least 15 every day.  I can't say that I've managed every day but I'm trying to practice most days,

 

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, EBS_freak said:

Playing spoons. That's where its at. Every time I go into the kitchen... quick practice.

 

Is that soup spoons or have you moved onto teaspoons yet. Teaspoons is where the talent comes in and you find a better, more experienced social network that are all willing to put the effort in.

You don't get to teaspoons without putting the work in on soup spoons. 

Tablespoons will take you to the lower end of the market and best avoid. 

Dave😂

[dmccombe7]

I'm finding that i'm using my 6 string fretless a lot more especially enjoying playing along to Peter Gabriel Live album. So many opportunities to drift off and do your own thing with that album.

Dave

[Paul S]

Didn't even know they made fretless spoons.  Every day is a school day.

[dmccombe7]

6 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Didn't even know they made fretless spoons.  Every day is a school day.

Brilliant 😂

You'll find most spoons are fretless. Most players prefer that smooth bowl finish.

"Fretted" or more commonly known as "ribbed" ones are very rare but you can get them. They produce a more vibrant tone with defined harmonic tendancies in the upper range. 😂

Edited February 15, 2021 by dmccombe7

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Playing spoons. That's where its at. Every time I go into the kitchen... quick practice.

 

Fingerstyle or do you wimp out and use a plectrum?

[dmccombe7]

5 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Fingerstyle or do you wimp out and use a plectrum?

Surely for this level of musicianship it has to be fingerstyle. I'm surprised you had to ask that question. 😁

I have seen them played with a violin bow but that was just showing off and had no musical content.

Dave

[Happy Jack]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

Brilliant 😂

You'll find most spoons are fretless. Most players prefer that smooth bowl finish.

"Fretted" or more commonly known as "ribbed" ones are very rare but you can get them. They produce a more vibrant tone with defined harmonic tendancies in the upper range. 😂

That type is known for its punch. 🤨

[Mykesbass]

What's the best metal for spoons?

What's the best spoon for metal?

[dmccombe7]

37 minutes ago, Mykesbass said:

What's the best metal for spoons?

What's the best spoon for metal?

Stainless on both counts

Nickel for general playing 

wooden spoons for folk music

[dave_bass5]

7 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Stainless on both counts

Nickel for general playing 

wooden spoons for folk music

And plastic for the annoying spoon slappers 😂