Lord Sausage Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) Recently i was speaking with a guitarist I was working with and i remarked how i wasn't happy with my playing currently. He said "Who is? Musicians will always be never happy with it. Always looking to improve." I agreed about always looking to improve but surely you can still be happy with it. I thought back though and I haven't been happy with it for many years. So who is?..............and who isn't? Edited December 6, 2013 by Lord Sausage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Happy with mine... I never stop learning though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Not happy with mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I'm 30 now, I'm never going to make pro, I play gigs with no problems, couldn't give a f*** from there on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) Comes and goes, and depends on what I'm trying to do. In my current band the playing is mostly pretty straightforward and I feel pretty good about it. When I was recently trying to get a prog-metal band off the ground and trying to play Dream Theater-type lines, I felt very inadequate. Likewise in a couple of jazz-funk bands I have felt unable to play what I would have liked to be able to play... But then I realised that I just don't spend much time [i]playing[/i] those kinds of music these days, so it is no surprise that I have not built up a broad repertoire in those styles. I am OK with that. I think it [i]is[/i] a part of the musician's psyche to always feel that there are better players and to aspire to be better. Problem is, when full-time jobs and families come along - where does one find the time?? Edited December 6, 2013 by Conan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Content - but could always improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leen2112 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I go through big periods where I'm all but giving up coz I think I can't play the guitards riff as I'm crap. But if I look to where I was 2 or three years ago I've grown as a player and I've been playing bass since the late 80's!! I'll never be able to play fast though, a big problem being in a prog metal band. Overall I am pretty much not happy with my playing, but I know I'm still learning which is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artisan Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) I'm much happier now that i am an old bastard & have now stopped over playing everything,as young players tend to do. Keep it simple & tasteful works every time for me these days. Edited December 6, 2013 by artisan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 As long as I'm learning and getter better I'm happy but most of all I just enjoy playing the Bass again which is important IMHO John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigjas Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I'm happy with my playing because it makes me happy when i play. I have an enourmous amount to learn and improve, but I enjoy doing that. I am happy with the fact that I am not the best Bassist, but will always try and improve and learn. I think that if I wasn't happy with my playing, then I would probably stop. Jas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 [quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1386343444' post='2299060'] Content - but could always improve. [/quote] This puts it better than I could - I'm quite happy with my playing at the moment, but there are always ways I could improve it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I'm happy with my playing. It doesn't stop me experimenting with different techniques or learning new things though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) Perfectly happy with my playing, but I've never been a "strive to be the best" kind of person. I've certainly got no interest in actively learning or improving anymore. Edited December 6, 2013 by RhysP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Lot's of angles to that question, but I'm basically happy with being adequate enough to play minor gigs and parties that everyone seems to enjoy. I know there's a massive amount of room for improvement in my playing and theory and my limitations would prevent me from earning a living from playing music, but I'm ok with that because it's not an ambition. I can't slap or improvise fast solos up and down the neck, but that's also ok because that's not an ambition either - if it was then I'd be putting in more effort, which I don't because I'm basically happy and have loads of other things to fit into my available time on this planet. Guess I've risen to my own level of mediocrity and am happy enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 [quote name='Adrenochrome' timestamp='1386343444' post='2299060'] Content - but could always improve. [/quote] This. Rating my own playing is a vanity which has disappeared over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I'd like to be stretched a bit. I'm pretty comfortable with the stuff I play at the moment, but like to be dropped in the deep end now and again. I'm touring next year with a U.S. artist called James Harman, who's a bit of a blues legend. He's had some great DB and electric players in his band over the years, so I will need to get up to speed with my West Coast Swing so I don't let the side down. In my fantasy world I'd like to get the call from [size=4][font=arial, sans-serif]Jay Kay from Jamiroquai. That would get me out of my comfort zone and that's for sure.[/font][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1386343429' post='2299059'] Comes and goes, and depends on what I'm trying to do. In my current band the playing is mostly pretty straightforward and I feel pretty good about it. When I was recently trying to get a prog-metal band off the ground and trying to play Dream Theater-type lines, I felt very inadequate. Likewise in a couple of jazz-funk bands I have felt unable to play what I would have liked to be able to play... But then I realised that I just don't spend much time [i]playing[/i] those kinds of music these days, so it is no surprise that I have not built up a broad repertoire in those styles. I am OK with that. I think it [i]is[/i] a part of the musician's psyche to always feel that there are better players and to aspire to be better. Problem is, when full-time jobs and families come along - where does one find the time?? [/quote] It's not so much about aspiring to other players for me. What it is, for example, is about 10 yrs ago if you gave me a chord sheet and a groove i could do something good instantly everytime, blaze and improvise over most things. I was happy with my playing. Now if i looked back on some of that stuff i might think it rubbish now but at the time my playing matched up with my musical mind. Nowadays though, it hasn't kept up and my mind is infront of my playing. Does that make sense!? Edited December 6, 2013 by Lord Sausage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I'm happy with my playing, but the quest to be happ...[b]ier,[/b] is what keeps me going. There is always room for improvement, no matter who you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Sometimes satisfied. Never happy. Even if I can fool other people I always know that I can do better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I think I've reached a stage (a while ago) where I am relaxed in what I do and think I do it fairly well. I'm not the best player but definitely of a standard and slowly improving all the time.... bit too slowly at times but there it is. As a rule I tend not to get kicked out of bands and people like working with me which after 25yrs must say something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenYork Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I go in and out of being happy with my playing. I'm currently not very happy with my own playing but I am loving the gigging and practicing more than ever, I just feel like I'm personally stuck in a rut. But there are times when I feel on top of the world with it all. As said above there is always room for improvement and I'm desperately trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Left Foot Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 [quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1386343272' post='2299056'] I'm 30 now, I'm never going to make pro, I play gigs with no problems, couldn't give a f*** from there on. [/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Content as a bassist and as a guitarist. I'm now learning piano, theory, sight reading etc and feel very inadequate, but my goal is to be able to eventually sight read pieces by Rachmaninoff, Gershwin etc and improvise around jazz changes, so I have a lot of work to do. With bass and guitar my goal was to make original music in originals bands, and I felt happy with what I know for that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 When it's going well I'm happy. When RL gets in the way and the day-job takes away the time to practice and the bass goes to sh1t I get fed up with it. I've a colleague who's a guitarist, or "was as gutarist" I should say. He gave up due to lack of time. I can understand that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I wish I could do more than I can, but never really do anything other than learn and practice songs I required to cover, or songs that I feel inspired to learn I can allow myself to get unhappy with what I don't know or can't do, no more than I can wish I was a yard faster and could do Ronaldo step overs at football Im 44 and a weekend gig player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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