Do you find your playing limited by your tastes?

[Barking Spiders]

I'm only a hobbyist so it's never been my aim to become proficient across a wide range of genres. I've really only stuck to the styles of playing in genres I enjoy listening to i.e funk, Stax, disco, 80s post punk, Dub and House. I've learned to play, not by practising scales etc, but by learning basslines from songs. Put me in a band playing metal, rock, country, jazz, opera and I'm lost. 

[tegs07]

2 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

I'm only a hobbyist so it's never been my aim to become proficient across a wide range of genres. I've really only stuck to the styles of playing in genres I enjoy listening to i.e funk, Stax, disco, 80s post punk, Dub and House. I've learned to play, not by practising scales etc, but by learning basslines from songs. Put me in a band playing metal, rock, country, jazz, opera and I'm lost. 

I find my playing limited by my ineptitude and lack of discipline!

[6feet7]

Totally. Blues/rock - yes. Some pop - sometimes. Anything else I am unable to even listen too.

[tauzero]

I've played in a few covers bands where I wouldn't listen to the music we played, and a ceilidh band playing playing traditional music. My preferred genres are prog and various of the subdivisions of rock.

[BigRedX]

I'm sure that my technical ability is limited by my taste in music, but for me it doesn't matter in the slightest. I'm a composer first and foremost and technical ability is only an issue if I come up with a musical idea that I can't play, in which case I practice until I can play it. If it really turns out to be stumbling block I can always let the sequencer play it and do something else over the top. Because I am a composer I only write music that I like, so techniques and musical styles that I am not familiar with will never be an issue because I simply won't write like that. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

Most definitely. I'm a hobby player and I only want to play things I enjoy. While I realise and accept that this will almost certainly limit my ability I don't really care. 

 

By which I mean (for example) I don't care that I lack the ability to play jazz standards, when I'd rather listen to roadworks than listen to jazz. I don't want to play it, therefore I don't miss not having the ability to play it. 

 

If I had any desire to be a professional musician then i would most likely see things differently. 

 

 

[Cat Burrito]

I'm sure most of us do. That and time. I was branching out and expanding my playing a lot over lockdown, playing different genres to challenge myself but I'm back to focusing on what I like now. Again, probably like most older musicians, I have a range of tastes so I don't find the limitations too constricting. I think if I had spent 35 years listening to one genre it would be more problematic. 

[Marc S]

Definitely not. I'm only a hobbyist too - but my range of listening tastes is quite wide and varied.
I'm also in several bands, each of which (apart from one) is quite different to each other - so I'm playing several genres too, and with quite different musicians. I also play upright as well as bass guitar - and that requires quite different discipline and approach, let alone the different styles of upright playing I need to do....

The downside if all this, is that I'm busy learning songs, but don't get enough time to truly "learn" as much as I'd like, because I've got a rehearsal with band A, followed by a rehearsal with band B, for a gig with each this weekend, while I need to learn some stuff sent to me by band C for a gig next week..... and I'd really like to nail those songs, and perhaps work on what I could play that's a bit "different", and work on some theory & technique. Of course, I also need to work in the meantime etc etc

But I wouldn't change it, it's my hobby and I enjoy it all  

EDIT: I meant to add / underline that it's time, and not taste that limits my playing, or at least my ability to improve

Edited October 24, 2023 by Marc S

[Dad3353]

My main instrument is drums; the limitations are certainly not my tastes, but my own ability, steadily reducing over time. I have rather wide tastes in music, culminating in the likes of Terry Bozzio, Dave Weckl, Christian Vander, Joe Morello, Dave Mattacks  and many more; never have I been anywhere near their proficiency. The limitation is not my tastes, but me.

For other instruments, such as the bass, I compose, and to do so I listen to all sorts of inspirations, gleaning something from almost any and every genre, whether or not it's anything I'd ordinarily choose to listen to, or even enjoy. I find that there is much of interest in most music, but will admit to having little time for rudimentary dross such as repetitive EDM, disco, 'funk' and others. Doubtless great to dance to, if well lubricated and physically fit, but with little for the ear alone, for the most part. If this means that I'm limited by my tastes, so be it; I'll accept that as a bonus. 

[Baloney Balderdash]

I am generally not liming myself to certain genres or styles of music, but listen to all great music that speaks to my being/soul, neither do I adhere and limit myself to genre clichés when composing.

 

Do I have preferences?

 

Of course I do, but that is a choice, rather than a limitation.

 

I do find it rather pointless to play music that I don't like/can't feel myself though.

 

Which is why I have only played in original bands too, rather than cover bands (except for the music school band that I played guitar in as a teenager, still played all original bands on the sideline though).

 

But again that is a choice, rather than a limitation.

 

Perhaps also worth pointing out is that I developed into considering myself more of a composer kind of musician, rather than predominantly an instrumentalist.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love playing bass, and am good at it too, and I am a decent guitarist and singer as well, but what I truly excel at is writing/composing/producing music.

 

 

So long answer short: No!

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[cetera]

I'm happy to play rock, blues, pop, funk, soul, ballads etc, all of which I enjoy listening to. Years of playing in function bands & tribute bands have enabled me to cover most bas(s)es. I wouldn't know where to start with jazz, though I do occasionally play wrong notes and noone notices

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by cetera

[Leonard Smalls]

33 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

rudimentary dross such as  'funk' 

One man's pile of steaming pig ordure is another man's Jefferson Airplane!

And as all broad churches vary, funk ranges from simple barely syncopated pop music (though I would argue that this doesn't really qualify for the lofty moniker of "Funk", as the Great George himself said "You can't fake The Funk!") via the joys of Parliament/Funkadelic to the complex grooves of 70s/80s Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock and Stanley Clarke...

Still, each to their own!

[fretmeister]

55 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

My main instrument is drums; the limitations are certainly not my tastes, but my own ability, steadily reducing over time. I have rather wide tastes in music, culminating in the likes of Terry Bozzio, Dave Weckl, Christian Vander, Joe Morello, Dave Mattacks  and many more; never have I been anywhere near their proficiency. The limitation is not my tastes, but me.

For other instruments, such as the bass, I compose, and to do so I listen to all sorts of inspirations, gleaning something from almost any and every genre, whether or not it's anything I'd ordinarily choose to listen to, or even enjoy. I find that there is much of interest in most music, but will admit to having little time for rudimentary dross such as repetitive EDM, disco, 'funk' and others. Doubtless great to dance to, if well lubricated and physically fit, but with little for the ear alone, for the most part. If this means that I'm limited by my tastes, so be it; I'll accept that as a bonus. 

 

 

I love some repetitive stuff. I find it mesmerising and creates different emotions to more complex music, which I also love.

I can easily start playing, eg, 'Good Times' and then find out hours have passed, lost in that trance.

 

It's like my happy place (Ye gods I sound like a hippy!  )

[Doctor J]

I only want and need to be as good as the music I write and record requires. Sometimes, I need to do some practicing to be good enough but, in general, my chops are as good as I want them to be and have been for about 30 years. I listen to a lot of different styles of music but being a pop and slap master is of no interest to me whatsoever, for example, even if I might occasionally enjoy listening to music which utilises that technique. I used to use the Prove You Wrong album by Prong as my benchmark. If I could play along to that, I was a good as I needed to be. These days I just know what kind of shape I'm in.
 

I play guitar and drums too and, generally, a similar policy applies in that I haven't really got an interest in compiling and array of techniques or skills I have no musical interest in utilising. However, having only restarted playing drums a few years ago, I'm not where I want to be on that instrument yet. I want to be a better drummer than I currently am, because the music I want to play requires it, but I must balance that with keeping my standard on everything else.

 

Bottom line, I'll be as good as I need to be to get my musical ideas down but don't have the desire to be any better than that, in order to seek the approval of youtube or the fantasy of a megastar band picking me out of the audience because of an accident to their dude. I don't bring my boots to the match either, just in case, if you know what I mean 😉

Edited October 24, 2023 by Doctor J

[Franticsmurf]

In the sense that I only listen to music that is to my taste, then yes I guess I am limited. But I have found that as my tastes have widened, I have embraced the style well enough to play. Just after lockdown I joined the Hulla band and their repertoire is enormously varied as it largely down to the whim of the band leader and the line up of the band. We have ukes, banjo, bongos and brass as well as drums, bass and two guitars. So we play country, folk, rock, funk, pop and (for want of a better term) easy listening. I've had to listen to and play songs I wouldn't normally take notice of, and that has broadened my playing style and in some cases my musical tastes. So in another sense the limit is what I put my mind to and not personal taste.

 

I am not interested in playing jazz, which is probably a good thing as I don't have the technique or discipline to do so, nor metal. No reflection on the genres other than I don't listen to them. 

[TimR]

I'm not sure. 

 

There are some styles I don't need to play and hence don't listen to out of choice. Reggae and anything with slap bass. 

 

I can play Reggae but it doesn't sound authentic to my ears, I have to try too hard and that's not the way to play music. 

 

I can't slap. Have tried but don't have the enthusiasm (or requirement) to practice day after day. But I guess unless someone offered me loads of money to play something I can't  that's not going to change. 

 

So 'limited' is a bit of an odd description. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

I can play both kinds of music.

 

Country AND Western. 

[Barking Spiders]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

I'm not sure. 

 

There are some styles I don't need to play and hence don't listen to out of choice. Reggae and anything with slap bass. 

 

I can play Reggae but it doesn't sound authentic to my ears, I have to try too hard and that's not the way to play music. 

 

I can't slap. Have tried but don't have the enthusiasm (or requirement) to practice day after day. But I guess unless someone offered me loads of money to play something I can't  that's not going to change. 

 

So 'limited' is a bit of an odd description. 

restricted? narrow? diminished? incommodious?. Another way of putting it is guess is playing within your own b

 

3 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

little time for rudimentary dross such as repetitive EDM, disco, 'funk' and others. Doubtless great to dance to, if well lubricated and physically fit, but with little for the ear alone, for the most part. If this means that I'm limited by my tastes, so be it; I'll accept that as a bonus. 

😲😧🤯😱😰

[TimR]

19 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

restricted? narrow? diminished? incommodious?. Another way of putting it is guess is playing within your own b

 

 

I don't know. I just don't feel limited or restricted as I play all kinds of genres.

 

I guess if I was a thrash metal player I'd be stuck looking for bands. In the late 80s I played mainy thrash and listened to little else.

 

But also played in small local amateur dramatic musicals and shows, and at jazz evenings with my dad.

 

 

[Thump]

I too am a hobbyist player , i play what i like listening too , or at least try to. I enjoy Primus so thats something to aim for i guess.

 

I get drawn to tunes with a nice bass groove or a tasty line and end up attempting to play it. Quite often it leads me to new artists or groups i would not have listened to normally.

 

My playing is purely limited to my abilities , which regrettably are not up to much. I'm working on it every day , even just a little bit, there will be improvements over time.

 

 

[Dan Dare]

I wouldn't say our playing is limited by our tastes. It's more that there are only so many hours in the day and it's very difficult to cover all the bases/become proficient at everything. It's pretty well inevitable that we will focus on what we like/wish to play. Over the years, I've picked up a reasonable variety of styles, but I don't see the benefit in devoting a lot of time to learning something I'm unlikely to ever use, although there are odd bits of technique that I've made the effort to work on because I felt they would be useful. 

[Thump]

8 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 It's more that there are only so many hours in the day  

And even less where we can actually play or feel like playing. Short spells but often can be the key to effective practice , it certainly works for myself and some guitar players i know

[Gasman]

Interesting that some of the most regular and opinionated posters on Basschat don’t actually seem to see themselves as jobbing bass players but as composers, drummers, and maybe other types of musician. Would they perhaps benefit from a composers forum (TippetChat?), or a percussion forum (TympaniTalk?). Just wonderin’!

[Wilco]

Oddly no. I’ve played all sorts over the years. If the band output sounds good, then I enjoy whatever it is I’m playing. Have played many a song which otherwise I wouldn’t have ever even listened to. Can’t explain it really. Weird 😆. 

[dclaassen]

I have a different background because I hold a music degree, started out in jazz, but like to play all kinds of music. Always loved country music as that’s what I grew up listening to, but also classic rock. I still enjoy playing jazz, latin and funk but don’t slap. I really don’t enjoy real book based jam sessions. I do like pit work, but haven’t done it for a while. Guess I’m an educated hick at heart.