Versatility or Stylistic?

[Doddy]

[quote name='ElCapitan' post='899846' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:40 AM']Shut it hat boy.[/quote]

Did you forget the smiley,or should I begin to get pissed off with you?

[thisnameistaken]

Can I just say I've no idea who this person is and I didn't put him up to it.

[Doddy]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='899851' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:44 AM']Can I just say I've no idea who this person is and I didn't put him up to it.[/quote]

Thanks,good to know. Besides you'd have written something better.

[ElCapitan]

[quote name='Doddy' post='899858' date='Jul 20 2010, 10:48 AM']Thanks,good to know. Besides you'd have written something better.[/quote]


Don't make me fetch the hose.

[Doddy]

[quote name='ElCapitan' post='899864' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:53 AM']Don't make me fetch the hose.[/quote]
What???????

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='ElCapitan' post='899864' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:53 AM']Don't make me fetch the hose.[/quote]

That did make me laugh though.

[D-L-B]

[quote name='andyjingram' post='899177' date='Jul 19 2010, 05:45 PM']People are slating players who cover a variety of expressions of music, but it is not too much different to a brick layer building a prison, then building an airport! They might have very different outcomes, by they're all made of the same stuff. Ok, so one will need more room for iron bars than the other, but that is all in the detail. The builder might choose to pass through one, and not the other in his life, but his skills will apply to making either.[/quote]
I imagine loads of builders getting together on Wednesday nights in practise rooms around the country to hone their brick laying skills, build new walls or just throw some buildings up for the fun of it with some mates.
They gather at the boundary fences of building sites to watch master builders plying their trade.
They spend hours discussing mixes and who's the best layer.
They get TAS (trowel acquisition syndrome) every time they pass a builders yard.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='899868' date='Jul 20 2010, 12:00 PM']That did make me laugh though. [/quote]

Like a drain?

[AndyTravis]

Started in a Punk Band.
Joined A RHCP Band.
Played a few trad Jazz Sessions.
Played Melodic, Hooky-Esque Lead Bass and Baritone Guitar in an Alt-Rock Band.
And down i'm playing really dark Indie/Folk stuff.

In my spare time, I practice using Miller/Wooten/Mark King stuff. And i've recently been working through Motown gear.

I find that any Slap/Funk/Jazz stuff helps me work on timing, knowing wher to miss notes, add notes etc.

I'm not adverse to using a chunky plectrum, an e-bow and I have used a slide on one recording...nothing groundbreaking.

I've basically worked on being a toolkit, a bit of everything as a player.

My current band is led by a prolific singer/songwriter, and he'll throw suggestions like 'can you make the bassline really groovy' or 'really electronic' or 'as much like a double bass a possible' he then totally leaves me to it, and has never asked me to rethink what i'm playing. So it's nice to have direction, but with total freedom.

There are plenty of bassists who come in my shop, and sit with a bass. They sit down and nail 'Teen Town' (Something i'm too lazy to commit to) perfect tone, touch, timing and feel, but then try to slap something and it sounds like a bag of spanners...
There are also folks who Slap something amazingly well, but just can't do anything else.
And it makes me think - why didn't you 50/50 split your practice time?

And of course there are Playes who sound like a bag of spanners rolling down the stairs no matter what they do, but are convinced they're the grooviest white guy in town...

Each to their own, but if you're going to be a Stylistic type, learn how to bloody play the thing.

[4000]

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='899937' date='Jul 20 2010, 01:04 PM']Started in a Punk Band.
Joined A RHCP Band.
Played a few trad Jazz Sessions.
Played Melodic, Hooky-Esque Lead Bass and Baritone Guitar in an Alt-Rock Band.
And down i'm playing really dark Indie/Folk stuff.

In my spare time, I practice using Miller/Wooten/Mark King stuff. And i've recently been working through Motown gear.

I find that any Slap/Funk/Jazz stuff helps me work on timing, knowing wher to miss notes, add notes etc.

I'm not adverse to using a chunky plectrum, an e-bow and I have used a slide on one recording...nothing groundbreaking.

I've basically worked on being a toolkit, a bit of everything as a player.

My current band is led by a prolific singer/songwriter, and he'll throw suggestions like 'can you make the bassline really groovy' or 'really electronic' or 'as much like a double bass a possible' he then totally leaves me to it, and has never asked me to rethink what i'm playing. So it's nice to have direction, but with total freedom.

There are plenty of bassists who come in my shop, and sit with a bass. They sit down and nail 'Teen Town' (Something i'm too lazy to commit to) perfect tone, touch, timing and feel, but then try to slap something and it sounds like a bag of spanners...
There are also folks who Slap something amazingly well, but just can't do anything else.
And it makes me think - why didn't you 50/50 split your practice time?

And of course there are Playes who sound like a bag of spanners rolling down the stairs no matter what they do, but are convinced they're the grooviest white guy in town...

Each to their own, but if you're going to be a Stylistic type, learn how to bloody play the thing.[/quote]

Ah but Andy, that assumes that everyone wants to slap/play fingestyle/play with a pick etc etc and be able to do all equally well. I don't play much slap but will occasionally bash out a bit in a shop for my own amusement. I'll seldom actually use it, and only then within my limitations, which are considerable. There seems to be an assumption that unless someone can do something well they shouldn't be doing it at all, but isn't it supposed to be about enjoying yourself at the end of the day? If someone is hopeless at slap / whatever but want to go ahead and do it, that's up to them. Of course they may not get in a band doing it, or get on a session, but that shouldn't be the be all and end all. This somewhat reminds me of people criticising Youtube footage of people noodling away for their own amusement. The point is, they're doing it for exactly that reason. When I go in a shop I don't stick to the things I can do, I try whatever pops in my head at the time, good or bad. I'm just having fun, hopefully. What I play in that sort of situation bears no relation to what I'd play in a band or on a session.

[thisnameistaken]

It would also be a bit silly to dedicate 50% of your practice time to slap surely, unless you're Mark King? I don't think I've slapped anything (except ironically) since about 1996.

I have started using a pick for a couple of tunes recently, surprised our guitarist a bit because I've been playing with him for 2 years and he's never seen me use a pick for anything, but it sounded good so I used a pick for a couple of things. Still can't imagine ever slapping though.

[AndyTravis]

Totally understand your point mate.

I personally wouldn't record myself noodling to publish on youtube, but i also wouldn't critiscise anyone for choosing to do so.

To be fair, the bag of spanners brigade usually turn the amp up the loudest, bite their lip while smiling a bit and closing their eyes, tap their feet (out of time) and move their shoulders about...lost in a smug little moment. If i appear to 'groove' then i must be 'in the groove' or some other bollocks they've heard somebody else talking about.

I don't ever critiscise people for their abilities, i'm not playing BassDay 2010 let's put it that way, but it's tough not to mock people with delusions of grandeur, especially when it's all too common.

Edited July 20, 2010 by AndyTravis

[AndyTravis]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='899997' date='Jul 20 2010, 01:39 PM']It would also be a bit silly to dedicate 50% of your practice time to slap surely, unless you're Mark King? I don't think I've slapped anything (except ironically) since about 1996.[/quote]

FFS, right, i meant 'mix it up a bit' i've never understood why you'd dedicate and therefore limit yourself to learning the style and basslines of just one bassist or genre.

Edited July 20, 2010 by AndyTravis

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='ElCapitan' post='899837' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:34 AM']f***ing funny though.[/quote]

I expect Doddy will be wearing his hat in Germany this Friday at the Formula One gig, helping himself to free food and booze, whilst ogling gorgeous women and pocketing a great wage to boot.

Who's laughing now?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='900194' date='Jul 20 2010, 03:52 PM']I expect Doddy will be wearing his hat in Germany this Friday at the Formula One gig, helping himself to free food and booze, whilst ogling gorgeous women and pocketing a great wage to boot.

Who's laughing now? [/quote]
Perfect answer

[cheddatom]

I'm not bothered about being versatile - I don't want to play covers or sessions. However, the things I do want to play often require versatility, so while I think of myself as having a bit of a style, that style means quite a bit of slapping, fingering, picking, playing chords, playing very high up, and using a f*** load of effects. That pretty much covered all the techniques mentioned in this thread, but I wouldn't call myself versatile at all. How did you like reading that load of pointless sh*te?

[Spoombung]

In a nutshell, I'd like to be more virsatile than I am. However, I've noticed if you get known for playing in a certain style, critics will jump out the bushes when you attempt to change it to fit another situation.

I posted up [url="http://soundcloud.com/spoombung/set-in-silver"]this song [/url]recently - it features what I call my 'plunking bass' style - a simple line that complements the song and doesn't compete for instrumental attention. I immediatley received a message via Facebook from an old Stump fan who wanted to know why his favourite bass player had ditched all the flashy stretched harmonics and rapid tremelos. I then had to explain to him that I still do all that stuff but it wasn't called for on this song. I was pretty cheesed off, to be honest.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='900215' date='Jul 20 2010, 04:19 PM']I'm not bothered about being versatile - I don't want to play covers or sessions. However, the things I do want to play often require versatility, so while I think of myself as having a bit of a style, that style means quite a bit of slapping, fingering, picking, playing chords, playing very high up, and using a f*** load of effects. That pretty much covered all the techniques mentioned in this thread, but I wouldn't call myself versatile at all. How did you like reading that load of pointless sh*te?[/quote]

[Earbrass]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='900194' date='Jul 20 2010, 03:52 PM']I expect Doddy will be wearing his hat in Germany this Friday at the Formula One gig, helping himself to free food and booze, whilst ogling gorgeous women and pocketing a great wage to boot.

Who's laughing now? [/quote]

Not you apparently.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Earbrass' post='900233' date='Jul 20 2010, 04:33 PM']Not you apparently. [/quote]

That's versatility for you.

[Kongo]

[quote name='andyjingram' post='899834' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:28 AM']Ah, I see what you're getting at. I think most people listen in the way you do though, as in artists they like. I certainly don't go around buying up albums because Joe Osborn played the bass on them! I do look up to him because he has played on so many high profile records, made a career without ever being a 'star' as such. I think the only people who give a toss about a session bass players name are musicians themselves. The (career) case for stylism (let's call it that, whether it is a real word or not!) is that you might eventually come to the attention of the public in your own right, rather than blending into the background regardless of situation.

Ask your average joe about Mark King, and like him or hate him, there is a chance they will know who your talking about. Mention Carole Kaye, Joe Osborn, and Ray Pohlman, and they will be much less likely to know who you are talking about, despite them having played on 50% of the records played in that pub that night.

As for variety, too right! There is no wrong or right here, it is self expression, and realistically, self satisfaction which is key in making music![/quote]

Yes indeed, now you understand me.

I guess in the end I turn out 50/50 on this, in the end I love music and the arts including literature, poetry and art itself.
If I can create and perform my art, that's all I would want of this world.
It is unfortunate session musicians don't get recognized but then, that's assuming they base their career on fame, which in itself turns out to be destructive at times. They are performing their art and that's all that they need to.
Same goes for the Stylists, lets just love music and hate not the way it's made.

Edited July 20, 2010 by Kongo

[BigRedX]

I notice that the "how do you like your sound?" thread has been revived.

A quick scan through reveals that a lot of the people who posted in this thread arguing for versatility in playing styles don't appear to have the same approach to sounds. Interesting...

[Doddy]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='900787' date='Jul 21 2010, 10:36 AM']I notice that the "how do you like your sound?" thread has been revived.

A quick scan through reveals that a lot of the people who posted in this thread arguing for versatility in playing styles don't appear to have the same approach to sounds. Interesting...[/quote]

I've just had a look at that thread,and read it as people 'preferred' sound. I know that I mentioned having a naturally bright sound,but what I didn't mention is the variety of instruments that I own and use that all sound different. While my sound of choice is quite bright and full range,lately I've been recording with a flatwound strung Precision. Instrument and sound wise,I have pretty much every eventuality covered.

[cheddatom]

If you want to make a carear out of playing all sorts of sessions then obviously you need to be versatile. If you want to make a carear ou of playing your own weird music, then versatility is clearly not needed. I suppose your point would be that versatility can't hurt - like reading music. You can't really argue with that.