I will try to be clear, english is my second language :)


First, how do you find YOUR sound?
I sound very "generic" you could never guess it's me playing, but when you just hear a note of Jaco, Alain Caron (on fretless), Gary willis, Micheal Manring Todd Johnson (even though I only own one album), You know it's them. At the first note, just by the sound.

How do you work on it?
I don't beleive that much come from the equipment.

Second:

How do you find your style?

I mean, if I walk in a forest I could take a trail done by Jaco, Willis, Manring, it's easy. But how do I make my own trail? How do I get out of these old patern I always play?
I try to listen to as much music as I can, latin, dance( cha cha, rumba etc) Rock, R&B, motown etc.
But I still can't seem to get out of those patern I was playing 20 years ago! They are just under my finger.

I know it might be a very hard question to answer.

Thank you


Yvon

Just subscribing, great questions looking forward to answers.

I'll throw my two cents in before Todd comes and enlightens us all.

To be more creative RESTRICT what you can use. Like a painter don't add colors to try and be more creative to remove color and maybe even work with only one color. When you work under a restriction you force yourself to be more creative.

On you bass there are many ways to do that. Decide to only use certain notes in your solo. So take a Real Book tune and only use the appropriate 3rd, 4th, and 5th of every chord. What to learn to use colors more then only use 9th, 11th, and 13th. You can get even simplier than than and only use 3rd or 7th forcing you to think more rhythmicly. Force yourself to put space into your solos, like I will layout every 4th measure. Get the idea?

When I played guitar my favorite teacher would have me do things like only use two strings. That not only takes you out of old patterns, but forces you to know a lot more about your fretboard. Then things like only the two outside string so have to work with interval leaps. Practice in the dark so you have to learn the feel of your instrument and listen more to yourself. Also puttng big rests between notes makes the note you choose more important, and if it is a clunker then you have to learn to articulate it to be a good note. As Mile Davis said there are no mistakes, just opportunities.

Find a way to restrict yourself and that will take you out of using familiar patterns and force you to me more creative. It may also make you have to learn more about your theory or technique at the same time.

I used to save these things for the end of my practice day before going to bed. It made it easier to let go and just let the music flow. That is a whole other topic but learning to let go and let the music come through.

thank you Steve,
I really need to practice these exercise now!!

eric clapton talks about how he tried his hardest to sound exactly like muddy waters

michael manring talks about how he tried to sound just like jaco pastorious

flea talks about how he was playing lots of funk lots of r&b and lots of rock and eventually what we now hear came out of that

eddie van halen talks about how his high school band could not get gigs because even though they were trying they could not sound like the songs on the radio

these are four examples of people who have a unique sound who where not trying to sound different. they they were trying to sound like somebody else. there was something in the sound that somebody else had that lead them to spend hours and hours trying to sound like other people, and get this, their own sound came out of their failure to sound like those people, not from trying to sound unique

my brother had a book that listed several people who, in the author's opinion, reached enlightenment. he was explaining it to me one day and told me that if he studied these people he would understand enlightenment and be able to reach it himself. but without even reading the book I told him that those people had reached enlightenment not by striving for it. instead they had reached enlightenment by striving after something else and enlightenment was the result of the struggle.

even though I am not an expert in what you are asking about I would recommend picking one artist who has qualities that you really like, and separate out the songs that they played that you like the most, and spend lots and lots of time trying your best to sound exactly like that. then pick another and do it again. while you are doing that take time to write original music similar to the music you are working on. or write orginal bass parts like what you are working on to other songs. so then you are not just listening, you are working with your bass on creating bass lines to specific songs based on the specific things you have picked out in other people that you like.

i would think that this would lots and lots of time over maybe lots of years.

<SNIP> these are four examples of people who have a unique sound who where not trying to sound different. they they were trying to sound like somebody else. there was something in the sound that somebody else had that lead them to spend hours and hours trying to sound like other people, and get this, their own sound came out of their failure to sound like those people, not from trying to sound unique<SNIP>

My path was similar. I spent my youth working like a dog to emulate my favorite bassists. When I found myself unable to emulate them note-for-note, I began to discover my own voice. For a long time, I kicked myself, hearing my own voice as little more than a failure to completely emulate my bass heroes - and I was disheartened when I was in my twenties.

It was only after I became more comfortable living in my own skin and owning my shortcomings that I began to allow my voice as a bassist to emerge and quit beating myself up for being an individual.

Now I tend to play lines that are exceedingly simple when I'm learning a new song, or playing with a new band. My voice tends to emerge, seemingly on its own, as I become more familiar with the material (and my bandmates) and allow my hands to play what they will without forcing the issue.

It's when I have difficulty expressing with my fingers what my ears are compelling them to play that I head for the woodshed to work on technique and details.

Great questions.......subscribing

I will try to be clear, english is my second language :)


First, how do you find YOUR sound?
I sound very "generic" you could never guess it's me playing, but when you just hear a note of Jaco, Alain Caron (on fretless), Gary willis, Micheal Manring Todd Johnson (even though I only own one album), You know it's them. At the first note, just by the sound.

How do you work on it?
I don't beleive that much come from the equipment.

Second:

How do you find your style?

I mean, if I walk in a forest I could take a trail done by Jaco, Willis, Manring, it's easy. But how do I make my own trail? How do I get out of these old patern I always play?
I try to listen to as much music as I can, latin, dance( cha cha, rumba etc) Rock, R&B, motown etc.
But I still can't seem to get out of those patern I was playing 20 years ago! They are just under my finger.

I know it might be a very hard question to answer.

Thank you


Yvon

Yvon,

Hey, GREAT advice from everyone!! Thanks Guys!!

There is no SINGLE way to develop your voice etc.

The main thing is to not WORRY about it....just play, play, play...study, study, study....and over time it will happen.

That all being said....I recommend you work on sounding like different players you admire...(like what everyone else recommended)....But don't just take from one person....Remember: "If you steal from one person then you're a thief........if you steal from 100 people then it's called research!!". ;)

I sound like a strange combination of Ray Brown, Wes Montgomery, Miles, Clifford Brown, a bunch of organ players, Ron Eschete, Nathan East, Gary Willis, Will Lee, Shirley Horn, Sinatra, Nat Cole.....wow, I've stolen from a TON of people.....eventually, you'll come out sounding like you.....or not.....but you'll sure sound good!!!!!!!!!!!:hyper:

I hope this helps!!

Just remeber that there is no such thing as failure; you will only find another way that know won't work.

That all being said....I recommend you work on sounding like different players you admire...(like what everyone else recommended)....But don't just take from one person....Remember: "If you steal from one person then you're a thief........if you steal from 100 people then it's called research!!". ;)



As I heard in a clinic recently. Good players borrow, great player steal.


I think was Herbie Hancock who said steal from every great player you can, then forget it all and play.

As I heard in a clinic recently. Good players borrow, great player steal.


I think was Herbie Hancock who said steal from every great player you can, then forget it all and play.

I couldn't have said it better myself!!!!!