Are YOU a Boring Bass Player?

[12stringbassist]

I always love to hear the deeply insightful thoughts of people who have never been on a stage in their lives and who don't understand the complexities of singing and playing bass at the same time.

[Maude]

I like to move around, have a little dance, etc especially when there's a big stage. Can I still come here? 

 

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, Maude said:

I like to move around, have a little dance, etc especially when there's a big stage. Can I still come here? 

 

As long as you wipe the floor after...

[Maude]

2 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

As long as you wipe the floor after...

That's only if I'm really getting into it. 😖 💦

 

😄

[SpondonBassed]

5 minutes ago, Maude said:

That's only if I'm really getting into it.

I remember seeing a bloke on Jools' show.  I can't remember the band.  The chap looked very much like he was throwing one up his bass throughout the whole performance.

I can get behind a groove but if that's what I look like, I'd sooner have a blow-up sheep than a bass strapped to me.

Edited March 15, 2021 by SpondonBassed

[andy67]

This guy nails it

 

[SpondonBassed]

3 hours ago, andy67 said:

This guy nails it

 

You're not wrong.  He's definitely not half-aŕsed about it.  He puts his entire backside into the performance.

The man has great groove!  Junior Groovador.

I wonder if he's had an OCC chopper off of Mikey and his family yet?

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by SpondonBassed

[TimR]

Thought provoking video. There’s always room to do something on stage. 
 

I’d put the crimes in order top one worst.

1. Staring at music stand

2. Shoegazing

3. Fretboard gazing  

4. Bass player overplaying

Often I’ve been to see a band and wondered what the hell I was listening to while the crowd went mad, and conversely where I’ve seen a band comprised of incredible players being totally ignored by the audience.

Like it or not, every member of the band needs to be engaging and have stage presence if you want to be successful.

If you could bottle stage presence you’d be a rich person.

Some people will never have it and some people just don’t like being on stage.

 

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

Thought provoking video. There’s always room to do something on stage...

But some music is to be listened to, even better with one's eyes closed. There are occasion when jiving is 'la raison d'être' of the event, and others where passivity is appreciated. I seem to remember a concert performed by Ravi Shankar, way back then, at which he introduced the evening with a request that the audience restrain their appreciation; the music he and his colleagues were to play was not played for reactions of the sort. The band Kiss have a different perspective, but some bands prefer the sober approach. Just sayin'. 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Dad3353

[SpondonBassed]

2 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

But some music is to be listened to, even better with one's eyes closed.

Like ⇩this⇩ you mean?

 

[Dad3353]

2 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Like ⇩this⇩ you mean?...

When you've played that so many times, for weddings, village fêtes, dance parties, over the decades... At the moment, my eyes are open; they might just as well be closed.  

[TimR]

18 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

But some music is to be listened to, even better with one's eyes closed. There are occasion when jiving is 'la raison d'être' of the event, and others where passivity is appreciated. I seem to remember a concert performed by Ravi Shankar, way back then, at which he introduced the evening with a request that the audience restrain their appreciation; the music he and his colleagues were to play was not played for reactions of the sort. The band Kiss have a different perspective, but some bands prefer the sober approach. Just sayin'. 

Even a concert pianist shows some expression and has some movement. 
 

It’s about having some presence on the stage. 
 

The key is in the word perform. 

[Dad3353]

2 minutes ago, TimR said:

Even a concert pianist shows some expression and has some movement. 
 

It’s about having some presence on the stage. 
 

The key is in the word perform. 

We're not going to agree. I've listened (often...) to concert pianists, and others, on the radio, so expression..? It's all in the fingers, mate. Bass face..? Nah, 's'for the birds. 'Perform' has many more connotations than that, to me at least.

[TimR]

4 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

We're not going to agree. I've listened (often...) to concert pianists, and others, on the radio, so expression..? It's all in the fingers, mate. Bass face..? Nah, 's'for the birds. 'Perform' has many more connotations than that, to me at least.

I’ve listened to loads of music on the radio. Even have a load of those LP things. 
 

I thought we were taking about going to watch a musician. 

[Dad3353]

The clue is in the OP's title, and opening video. 
Being on stage doesn't have to mean acting the clown, or acting at all. For some, and some circumstances, that's the deal, but at other times, for other performers and audiences, it's not. Simple, really. 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Dad3353

[SpondonBassed]

I blame MTV.

[grandad]

Never been into performance, always the music. I do however tap a foot and on some occasions indulge in a little nodding of the head. 

[Frank Blank]

Just now, grandad said:

Never been into performance, always the music. I do however tap a foot and on some occasions indulge in a little nodding of the head. 

Likewise, a foot tap is almost flamboyant for me.

[HazBeen]

I have to admit I cannot be @rzed to read all 7 pages, but moving around or not does not make you a boring bass player. It may make you a boring stage presence, but boring bass player not so much.

Playing all root notes all the time does, but even that can be viewed “cool” in the right context. 

I must be growing old, all the shallowness on YT confuses me.

[Bilbo]

I remember seeing the St Petersburg Philharmonic playing the Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet' by Prokofiev. 112 musicians all sat there staring at music stands. Bored rigid, I was. No eye contact; nothing. Walked out after two and a half hours.

[TimR]

47 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

I remember seeing the St Petersburg Philharmonic playing the Ballet 'Romeo and Juliet' by Prokofiev. 112 musicians all sat there staring at music stands. Bored rigid, I was. No eye contact; nothing. Walked out after two and a half hours.

What were the conductor and soloists doing? 
 String section? Pianist? 

I have never seen a classical player sat still staring at their music stand. 

Edited March 16, 2021 by TimR

[EBS_freak]

29 minutes ago, TimR said:

What were the conductor and soloists doing? 
 String section? Pianist? 

I have never seen a classical player sat still staring at their music stand. 

To answer your questions in turn....

Conducting

Soloing when required. Probably sitting down when not.

Playing when required. Probably counting bars when not.

Playing when required. Probably counting bars when not.

 

[TimR]

Ah yes. Nothing going on here then. Very boring. 🤷‍♂️
 

 

[Dad3353]

8 minutes ago, TimR said:

Ah yes. Nothing going on here then. Very boring. 🤷‍♂️ ...

Indeed...

 

Cherry-picking..? Just being ornery, or obtuse..? All performers must get up to antics..? You're just being contrary for the sake of it. 

[Frank Blank]