flyfisher Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I don't get all this "why aren't these people in pro bands" thing. Why should they be? Who says that being in a pro band is the only qualification for being a great bassist? I'd say it just goes to show that talent and skill is not synonymous with the music business and, frankly, I'd be surprised if it was. Anyway, the facts of the matter are there for all to see. These guys are all highly competent players yet not pro musicians. What's the problem? As RogerStodge points out, a lot of most musicians time is pretty dull really and why should we be surprised if a lot of people think that the price of an hour or so in the spotlight is rather more than they're prepared to put up with. Unless a musician really hits the big time, it can be a life of low pay and travel drudgery so why not choose an easier job, for a lot more money and just playing music for pure fun? Horses for courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) [quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1359137006' post='1950612'] Not everyone wants to be out on the road and playing in bands and driving up and down the Country .. Me included.. Been there and done it, YUK!! [/quote] But there's plenty of bands that are quite happy to play in their own town/city - gigs where you are back home before midnight. It doesn't have to be a slog if you don't want it to be. Most people sound pretty good playing along to recordings where they have pros backing them up and the original bassline as a safety net below. For me the real fun of being a musician is what happens when you take that safety net away and interact with other musicians in real time. Edited January 25, 2013 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I've seen some excellent players on Youtube , but with certain notable exceptions ( Marlowe DK ) , they are not the ones listed in this article or indeed amongst the most watched or celebrated of Youtube bass players . Just echo what Doddy and Silddx have said , so many bass players seem completely devoid of originality even in their influences - Flea and Victor Wooten seem to have inspired a thousand mainly bad imitators and cliched funk is the [i]lingua franca [/i]of Youtube bass playing - that watching a few of these supposedly exemplary bass players can get very wearing after a time . That is not say the whole Youtube phenomena is all bad in this respect - I've also seen some fine players and learnt a few things from watching some of them - but as with most things , I am scheptical when it comes to the taste of the general listening public . As to why people do play along vids , I am sure it is for a couple of reasons . Firstly , younger aspiring players think they can show off their abilities and get themselves some exposure that might lead to oppotunities , and secondly older or less ambitiious players who think this will be an outlet for their currently under - utilised playing skills will at least they get to show the world what they can do . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1359138195' post='1950657'] I don't get all this "why aren't these people in pro bands" thing. Why should they be? Who says that being in a pro band is the only qualification for being a great bassist? [/quote] No one said it is.....but,I'd much rather see a player actually out there and doing it. To me,none of the players listed in the OP,qualify as being particularly 'great'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) I never watch these vids, bore me rigid. Anyway aren't the likes of Wooten, Clarke, Millar, Pino etc etc etc on YouTube? They seem to be missing from the list. Oh, and Peter Hook of course Edited January 25, 2013 by Marvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xray Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1359130212' post='1950396'] Because a lot of bands and their egos simply suck and because they are sick of playing 12 bar blues crap all evening at the local jamsessions where guitarplayers keep playing never ending solos on the same theme all night every week. [/quote] A few well established blues bassists, dead and alive just farted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan_da_man Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Good to see Zander Zon on the list - always rated his playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master blaster Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 These players are using youtube as a tool to get there material and playing exposed. There's nothing wrong with that. And what's to say they don't go up and down the country gigging 5 nights a week. MarloweDK is a busy bassist that gigs over Europe. He's even shared a played with Larry Graham. I'm sure youtube has opened up opertunities for a lot of players to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 God there's some miserable bastards on here. Can't people just enjoy themselves. Surely the initial point of Youtube was to share your own video's with people. It's not like everyone is trying to do their own Mona Lisa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1359138195' post='1950657'] I don't get all this "why aren't these people in pro bands" thing. Why should they be? Who says that being in a pro band is the only qualification for being a great bassist? I'd say it just goes to show that talent and skill is not synonymous with the music business and, frankly, I'd be surprised if it was. Anyway, the facts of the matter are there for all to see. These guys are all highly competent players yet not pro musicians. What's the problem? [/quote] It's because bass is an accompaniment instrument, so most of your real learning comes from playing with real people, in real time. you can tell very quickly who has gigged a lot and who isna bedroom god. As Doddy says, we've all played along to music, but I wouldn't even consider putting something on YT unless it was a particularly challenging track that I might have taken years to get to grips with and I totally nailed it I'd also dispute that many are indeed highly competent, and people like MarloweDK and most of the "best" in the list don't do it for me. If I want to hear Do I Do for the 500th time, I'll take Nate Watts please The problem is wading through loads of total crap to find something with any value. Still, I don't have to watch it so if people get something out of it, good for them. It's funny though. I started playing 25 years ago, and back then none of this was available. You'd think that with the Internet everyone would become a monster player very quickly, but all it seems to do is highlight how many people can't do the basics and have no idea that they're distinctly ordinary - apart from the bloke dressed as a girl, who's just fabulous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1359145876' post='1950850'] God there's some miserable bastards on here. Can't people just enjoy themselves. Surely the initial point of Youtube was to share your own video's with people. It's not like everyone is trying to do their own Mona Lisa. [/quote] This too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Some people play along to background music in pubs and clubs. I wish they stayed in their bedrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1359145876' post='1950850'] God there's some miserable bastards on here. Can't people just enjoy themselves. Surely the initial point of Youtube was to share your own video's with people. It's not like everyone is trying to do their own Mona Lisa. [/quote] Yep, that's what I was trying to say in my earlier post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='XB26354' timestamp='1359146374' post='1950861'] The problem is wading through loads of total crap to find something with any value. [/quote] That's possibly the biggest challenge of the modern world isn't it? Even allowing for personal preferences, there will be more stuff out there that we'd enjoy and find of value than we can ever experience in our entire lifetime, so how do we choose? We'll never really know if there is even better stuff out there than we've ever experienced, even with the best search engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gub Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) [quote name='jaybass 70' timestamp='1359130380' post='1950402'] Davidsinrocks is really cool, covers a lot of different styles, and really gets in to it. check out his channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuuazmV5Sdw [/quote] Yes him defo ! Love him, and the way he gets into the playing ! Edited January 25, 2013 by gub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowender Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 "....I never hear of any YouTube players doing any pro gig. (Or any gig really). " Out of everyone on that list only Marlow and Cannibal Zombie do "play alongs." As for as the fact that you haven't heard of anyone doing pro gigs -- are you aware of every musician and what gigs they do? There are lots of full time musicians who don't play full time with a name act. Talent does not equate to fame. If Van Gogh was so good how come he didn't sell any paintings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 [quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1359158299' post='1951100'] Out of everyone on that list only Marlow and Cannibal Zombie do "play alongs." As for as the fact that you haven't heard of anyone doing pro gigs -- are you aware of every musician and what gigs they do? There are lots of full time musicians who don't play full time with a name act. Talent does not equate to fame. If Van Gogh was so good how come he didn't sell any paintings? [/quote] Talent equating to fame was never mentioned and is a totally different discussion. I'm fully aware that there are a lot of full time musicians that don't play with 'name' acts,being as I make my living as a musician. In the opening post it said 'These guys are pro,no doubt',and I actually doubt that most of them are. You said that this was open to debate...my side is that what most of these guys are doing is not particularly great and I would much rather hear them up on a stage or on record making music rather than sitting at home playing songs to post on Youtube or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowender Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1359163444' post='1951162'] Talent equating to fame was never mentioned and is a totally different discussion. I'm fully aware that there are a lot of full time musicians that don't play with 'name' acts,being as I make my living as a musician. In the opening post it said 'These guys are pro,no doubt',and I actually doubt that most of them are. You said that this was open to debate...my side is that what most of these guys are doing is not particularly great and I would much rather hear them up on a stage or on record making music rather than sitting at home playing songs to post on Youtube or whatever. [/quote] I understand completely, but I think that's the point of the article. The option of playing live on an ongoing basis is not always available (for various reasons). And YouTube is an outlet for artists to have their work recognized. I think that's great. And who knows...maybe you can hear them on stage. I'm pretty sure at least half of those guys gig. At any rate, good is good. Someone can be playing on a street corner, as long as they're saying something musical, I respect that. Edited January 26, 2013 by Lowender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1359129100' post='1950366'] I was going to start a new thread for this, so as not to piss on anyones parade, but this one I think is as good a place as any for it. I have two questions about YouTube playalong videos. 1. Is there actually any proof that what we are hearing on the soundtrack is the person appearing in the video. For anyone with sufficient time (and these people appear to have lots of it) it's not too difficult to fake. 2. If they are all so freaking awesome on the bass (or whatever other instrument we see them playing) then why are they still stuck in their bedrooms playing along to other people's records? If I had half the technical ability that these people appear to have I would be out there taking every opportunity to play with as many people as possible, gigs and sessions and so on. I know that HJFreaks does do gigs with various bands, but they are all somewhat pedestrian and dull compared with the music he chooses to play along to in his bedroom. Discuss? [/quote] Oh you doubter 1. I don't care 2. I don't know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichF Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 (edited) As with all music, when I follow the links and see something I like, then Iike it; if I dont I dont. As to whether they are "pros" or not. I tend to take the view that "who cares?" but if I do care it's to say that what counts as a pro in this digital age is changing and if presenting your music to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, on You Tube and making money from it (as Marlowe DK does) doesn;t count as a pro, I have no idea what "pro" means. Final point, are they as good as Wooton, Jaco, etc. Well probably not, but back to the original point - if you like what you hear then it has some value to you; if you like it more than Wooton then great. I dont have any issue with Doddy or BRX's views - those views make sense - but just have a different perspective. Edited January 26, 2013 by RichF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassPimp66 Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 [quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1359126854' post='1950308'] [size=4]Another great bassist sharing knowledge is a person you can also find on this forum. His name is Scott Devine and he runs scottsbasslessons.com. Also highly recommended![/size] [size=4][/quote][/size] [size=4]Scott Devine is my personal favourite. Great guy![/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerley Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 A few of you are missing the point and use of Youtube here. It is a form of entertainment in itself and these bass players are providing that. Maybe not to you but to many others. I don't want to see someone unboxing their new iPhone but clearly some people do so good for them and Youtube provides a means for them to see it. It gives me a chance to see 1,000s of players of all sorts of instruments up close, some are more informational than others clearly but without it I would have nothing to see at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 [quote name='bremen' timestamp='1359125776' post='1950280'] Can I be first? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMWUYMWlEyo[/media] [/quote] can i be third? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 and dont forget Scott Devine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 What was the question again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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