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Self Awareness and the ability to play


Bilbo

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One of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a kid: Always get in a band where you are the worst player whenever possible.

Now that`ll sharpen your chops up really quickly.....

Reading the number of posts up here where people ARE settling for being in a less-tahn-great band makes me both sad AND glad I took this particular piece of advice.

I dont care where you are, there have to be SOME decent players in your area. Just persevere.

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49 minutes ago, ivansc said:

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a kid: Always get in a band where you are the worst player whenever possible.

Now that`ll sharpen your chops up really quickly.....

Reading the number of posts up here where people ARE settling for being in a less-tahn-great band makes me both sad AND glad I took this particular piece of advice.

I dont care where you are, there have to be SOME decent players in your area. Just persevere.

yeah, this...or most of it

From personal experience I've developed the most when playing with musicians who are  better than me, both when I started playing the bass, and a few years ago when I got into a band with a load of semi-pros.  And personally I never noticed how I'd improved at the time, it was just later when I could spot myself being able to do things easily that I'd have struggled with previously.

But for all that, I do think you can have plenty of fun and satisfaction playing in a band where you're not pushing yourself particularly.  You might not get any better as a bass player, but you can still have a very, very good time...

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I think with a lot of us, if you are out in the sticks your options are greatly limited. Its fine saying 'if you are not having fun all the time move on', but if your option is not having fun all the time or not playing at all, what is the choice then?

I am mostly happy now, so not that much of an issue for me, but at times when its not so great, what is the option if you really enjoy gigging?

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1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

I think with a lot of us, if you are out in the sticks your options are greatly limited. Its fine saying 'if you are not having fun all the time move on', but if your option is not having fun all the time or not playing at all, what is the choice then?

I am mostly happy now, so not that much of an issue for me, but at times when its not so great, what is the option if you really enjoy gigging?

I'm not even that sticksy, but I identify with your statement.  There are, after all, only so many opportunities.  It's about how far you are willing to travel (in any context) for the right band.

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6 minutes ago, Tonteee said:

I'm not even that sticksy, but I identify with your statement.  There are, after all, only so many opportunities.  It's about how far you are willing to travel (in any context) for the right band.

True, but once you get a more critical mass of musicians, it is much easier to find others and for them to see you and contact you. 

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53 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I think with a lot of us, if you are out in the sticks your options are greatly limited. Its fine saying 'if you are not having fun all the time move on', but if your option is not having fun all the time or not playing at all, what is the choice then?

I am mostly happy now, so not that much of an issue for me, but at times when its not so great, what is the option if you really enjoy gigging?

I live in a relatively large metro area and even here for profit gigging bands are hard to find. Most are "for fun only" and "we only want to gig once a month"opportunities.

Blue

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On 23/11/2017 at 17:46, Woodinblack said:

I think with a lot of us, if you are out in the sticks your options are greatly limited. Its fine saying 'if you are not having fun all the time move on', but if your option is not having fun all the time or not playing at all, what is the choice then?

I am mostly happy now, so not that much of an issue for me, but at times when its not so great, what is the option if you really enjoy gigging?

(grin) look up Wistow in cambridgeshire and tell me how much further out in the sticks you are.  Mind you, we are only about 5 miles from the twin Big Cities of Ramsey and Huntingdon I suppose...

:D    The players are out there, but like I said in another thread sometimes you have to kiss  lot of frogs.

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