New Blog post: What future do you have with the Bass guitar?

Chuddda Chudda! Ching!

http://mrlamius.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-future-do-you-have-with-bass.html

A good, insightful, and somewhat upsetting (we feel sorry for you, Dman ...Then again if you did get big in the music industry then us guys would be all alone! ) read!

They used to have tabbed versions of songs you could learn, but they seem to have gone now.

Yeah, they took them out literally 2 or 3 months ago!

EDIT:

they took them out literally 2 or 3 months ago!

Well, Bass Guitar Magazine did anyway. Mixed up BP with BGM

good stuff..

here is also good documentary about music and what music business has become.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-856606244008931882

Bass Player? Last issue I bought (a month or two ago?) had a transcription of Stomp by Brothers Johnson, and has a transcription every month, along with a 'case study' of a bassist, with a couple of licks from their songs, or in their style.

Bass Guitar Magazine (BGM)? I'm not sure, I can flick through the past few issues and see if they did have transcriptions... I know their Jan/Feb issue had a transcription in that I'm learning

Bass Player is FULL of adverts. It's actually bloody ridiculous. But they have some good inteviews and articles, but not enough to justify the £4 price tag when there's so many adverts... I much prefer BGM for how much is actually in it & they always have loads of gear & interviews, along with tips etc.

& yeah, the music industry has gone from a culture to a business... Back in the 60's, when people would play in packed back gardens, pubs, clubs, anywhere. Now you're lucky to find a place that will let you play, let alone have people actually turn up to it, and to get yourself into a position where you're getting an income from being in a band....

Man that was great.Ιt's the truth we don't want to know.The freedom that's so hard to live....
But it's better being a happy kiosk officer than being a neurotic scientist....

Since I was 11, music has been the main focus of my life. I've notice a lot of those things you mentioned. One thing a lot of people don't realize, is location location location. I've been stuck in this hellhole all my life. BFE West Virginia, if you are American you might have a vague idea of what I mean. No culture. If you mention jazz, people think you're a homo. I graduated high school with one other person that played music. I suppose it all boils down to supply and demand. And around here I can't supply what they demand. Demographics tend to lean more toward Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley.


Sorry for that, I just felt I needed to add that.

mts wrote:good stuff..

here is also good documentary about music and what music business has become.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-856606244008931882

There went 1 hour of my time... I only intended to watch 5 minutes of it, bookmark it, and watch it later in the week... But I ended up watching the whole thing

Whereas this blogpost doesnt really relate to me - I havent delved that much into playing, just about half a year, it does indeed remind me of a friend of mine.

He's not a bassist though, hes plays the guitar, and if you ask me, i'd say hes damn good. He told me he's been playing since he was 9 (now 23) but he really got hooked when he was 15.

He wasted 3 years of school (gymnasium - dno what the equivalent is in other countries) because he too was a dreamer. He just wanted to write songs and play in a band. He got shitty grades, which he at that time didnt really care about, and went out out and bought music-equipment fitting for a pro-guitarist. He didnt have money, though. But the bank did. He now owes 60.000DKr ~ £7000.

And then he found out, that beeing a musician for a living, really wasnt all that easy. Because being a dreamer does not fit in a world driven by money. He was good alright. But not good enough. - and not good enough at all to enter The Royal Danish Academy of Music which is the real ticket for being a pro-musician here.

So after suffering the mental letdown of not being able to following his dream, he got up again and thought about what to do instead. He ended up wanting to study philosophy. But now he got fucked by his low grades from school (which he, at that time, didnt waste a second thought on), though there is a slim chance of entering, a 5 year study with 60000DKr of debt to ponder on at the same time, is just not cool.

The only thing he really gained from this experience, was a great dosis of reality (and 3 wicked cool guitars and a monster-amp + etc).


I hate hearing him talk about it, because hes dead ironic about it, which is guess is understandable. Its just a bloody shame you cant do what you really love doing.

I REALLY like social distorition and story of my life is one of my favorites by them... I also like ball and chain and their cover of burning ring of fire. I like the bassline to story of my life... its up beat and and a good mood elevator.

I very much understand your friends story, Lasserpetri!

I'm just starting to watch that documentry, mts. It looks very interesting so far...

Lasserpetri's story reminds me of a friend of mine.

Similar thing happened to him, loved music. Loved writing, could play anything you threw at him, by ear. Y'know the type.

He dropped out of school at 16 to focus on it.

By 18, he hadnt gotten far at all. Written an almost complete solo album, Instrumental Prog Metal. I still listen to it, its amazing.

But in the end, he really couldnt get anywhere. In aus we arent gifted with things like Music Universities and such. He did a course on Music industry, things like sound engineering and theory.

But when he hit 18, he figured he had to work harder, so he did, he worked himself so hard he began to hate music. And I still remember the day he hated music so much he threw his guitar across the room and smashed it.

So yeah. He's in the navy now.

Its harder to get along as a musician in australia. Our whole country still has a smaller population then New York. Theres only music universities in capitial cities. Not to mention theres only been about 10 or so bands to really make it far and succeed truly. Like ACDC, Parkway Drive, Prom Queen. etc.
Theres a few bands in the local scene, one that you would expect to make it far, not out of like, talent. but a labels dream of a post hardcore band willing to change their look etc. Theyre the australian version of every mainstream crap you hear

But yeah. Not easy.

Lassepetri * (first + surname)

But yeah, I guess its harder to become a succesful musician than it is to be a doctor

Its really sad Drakon, that your friend ended up so frustrated, that he actually hated music in the end. I cant even imagine it. At least he had the passion for it, to work as hard for it as he did, but whats it good for, when the industry demands even more than that. sigh.

He's looking into getting back into it. But probably acoustic only, and as a side hobby. I think it was good for him to stop trying when he began hating it. But it also meant that it was harder for him to go through life cause.. yeah

great blog man.
myself, im in it for the music, i dont even play in a band and dont really want to, i just love to jam in my room and play along to my CDs. i enjoy the bass and hope to get better and better and just be the best i can.
and the video, i love skating Jay adems, tony alva legends, loooove the lords of dog town movie. im sure you've seen it D man =)
anyone else who likes skating, check it out asap

It's like going fishing - do it for the picture of you with the biggest fish EVER, and the memory of the even bigger one that got away...

Great blog, Dman.

Reading all these stories and watching these videos... it really is a sad truth we need to realize.

I haven't even been on the computer lately 'cause I've been jamming with friends...possibly going to make a band. We don't have like high hopes to get somewhere or anything... We just have such a blast jamming and writing music.

I really suggest trying to get something together to everyone, whether it be jamming with friends or whatever, it really is an unique experience.

Exactly.Agree,agree and agree.

yeaaa....trying desperately to put together a band..ive been playing bass for years now...and your lessons really helped me acheive some major milestones in my development...thanks for everything man...i feel for you...and hey...if i ever get famous..make it big...ill buy ya a pint

Thats exactly where I'm aiming (to play some gigs with a group of people from around where I live). One of my good friends will be the guitarist, me on the bass and we are scouting a keyboard player, a drummer and a singer whilst I'm learning the ropes.

It's an awesome experience, and to the players I'm sure it's pretty much the same thing as being the real deal. If your laying down some killer licks and the crowds going crazy then who cares if it's 150 people drinking at a party or on stage infront of the world. You'll still feel like a champ.