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What have you learned in 2016?


radiophonic
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About Bass, about music, about playing in a band.

I've had an odd year - playing music that should have worked, but didn't because of the people (well, one person in particular), getting very depressed about the lack of a music scene where I live - to the point of almost giving up / selling all my gear - and then accidentally stumbling on a whole new group of musicians who I never knew existed, playing music that I totally love. Given that my technique can't have improved in the space of a week, but that leaving one band and joining another has made me feel like a much better player almost overnight, I conclude that synergy and personality cannot be underestimated. I [i]knew [/i]this already, but recent months have really rammed it home. It's about people as much as chops.

Technically, I've been learning to follow the singer rather than relying on knowing exactly what chords the guitarist is playing.This has opened up a world of unusual possibilities, since the melodies rely on scales that you don't find often in Anglo-American music. I'm looking forward to 2017 a lot more than I looked forward to 2016.

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[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1482223613' post='3198512']
I've learned that playing fretless bass is fantastic fun.
So much so that I've barely touched a fretted bass since the beginning of October.
[/quote]

Actually, I bought a fretless too. I wouldn't say I've [i]learned [/i]a great deal yet, other than 'I can play this' and 'I can play this on stage' aren't the same thing! But I did it anyway.

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Actually that's not true, I learned that studying [b]Jazz[/b] has ruined my guitarist friend's ability to play in our (very infrequent) band.
Whereas he used to be happy playing a simple spikey fun riff, he now is literally unable to stop himself trying to do a f***ing improvised solo over anything that moves. So be careful out there, jazz can kill your band! :shok: :sun_bespectacled:

Edited by tedmanzie
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For me: Flat EQ ( or as flat as possible) works more than boosting. (In most situations at band volume). I kinda knew this anyway but this year has been one for actively deploying this concept and sticking to it.
Adding a bit of chorus pedal here and there is a good thing.
Learning/ re learning properly how to read music is a good move. Its a new journey with out end but I find I'm now genuinely interested in it rather than because I suppose I ought to.
I really don't want to play on a cruise ship.
My Fender jazz is better than any new ones I've tried in shops local (ish) to me.

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Positives - my Dingwall sounds totally bitchin' in a full live band scenario.

Negatives - Musicians have no more integrity than anybody else, no matter how good they are or what kind of bloody music degree they have... I knew this anyway but I've had it confirmed in spades this year. Still, onward and upwards...

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Alot of theory and the understanding that you never ever get to fulfilling it musically and learn everythig. Then again I knew that back in 2015/2014 and so on. Also alot of musicians passed away and people/ pets passed away and bolsters my view that im an agnostic and religon should not be romantisised..Also I wanted Prince to go on and on. He still had alot of creativity In him.

Edited by bubinga5
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[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1482238407' post='3198702']Negatives - Musicians have no more integrity than anybody else, no matter how good they are or what kind of bloody music degree they have... I knew this anyway but I've had it confirmed in spades this year. Still, onward and upwards...
[/quote]

Ouch. That sounds painful... :(

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[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1482238407' post='3198702']
Negatives - Musicians have no more integrity than anybody else, no matter how good they are or what kind of bloody music degree they have...
[/quote]

Why would they have? They're just people and, by and large, people are dicks.

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