Hi all, this will be a long one.
I keep having these revelations the deeper i go on this bass journey. Things i watch and think i grasp the concept along the way only to experience the “oh crap i fell in the trap moment”. Atleast i was able to recognize the trap thanks to Josh and B2B.
The trap was my own version of “robojosh” if you remeber that video. Here i was, doing what i thought were the right things practicing regularly, learning scales, practicing with drum tracks, metronomes, scouring the internet for tab charts and so on. Only to eventually record myself and watch myself drone on. I thought i was doing good by memorizing the song note for note and be able to and hit all the changes on time. Only to find out it was boring, flavorless, and dull. Lacked personality and depth, and wasnt “musical”.
Then it hit me. I was taking the wrong approach for my personality. That said, im a Chef. Disregarding humility, i’m pretty good at my craft and ive done it for a long time. With most skilled craftsmen, you will find the common denominator is they are fundamentally sound. Its what allows me to navigate the controlled chaos that is a commercial kitchen and thrive. I can accomplish most tasks in the moment that others cannot while staying focused on the ultimate goal.
Songs, I will compare with recipes. While important, they aren’t everything. You rarely see a pro reading music during a concert, and you rarely see a chef reading a recipe during the dinner rush. They are relying on techniques and experience. They might read it once to get the feeling but, the next one will be a little different because we arent using measuring spoons either. We are using our senses, eyes, ears, nose, tastes to create that meal. At the end of the day, that song/recipe was written by some else with a different audience. The whole point of music/food is expression in an otherwise boring existence.
To keep with the kitchen theme, i will add that the bass player is the grill cook. Often over shadowed by the flashier elements of the band, the grill cook is handling the expensive protiens the way the bassist is responsible for shaking the butts. Doing their best to season it without making it too salty, or overcooking it into a piece of shoe leather. People focus on the fancy sauce the guitar is whipping up. Sauce without meat is essentially just a salad. My “bass face” will now be referred to as “grilling meat”. One of lifes simple pleasures. Balancing the amount of fire to get that perfect crust without the char, and being 1st in line for the heavenly aroma it produces. Pretty close to perfect.
Thanks for reading.
I can feel all the sense it makes to you. Thanks for sharing!