#1781726 - 07/14/07 04:44 PM
professional bass player wanna be
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avb9
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Registered: 07/05/07
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when is a bass player considered a professional bass player?
[email]sugahbass9@aol.com
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#1783070 - 07/17/07 01:21 PM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: avb9]
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Greg Olwell
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Registered: 10/09/02
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Loc: San Bruno, CA
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Well, what makes someone a professional? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, professional means, "Participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs. <a professional golfer>." So, you're a professional bass player if you make money at it.
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#1803179 - 08/31/07 09:39 AM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: Greg Olwell]
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jeremy c
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Registered: 02/01/01
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Loc: Berkeley,CA,UNITED STATES
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... you're a professional bass player if you make money at it.
What he said.
Playing for the door and the band members ending up with $6 each may not count. 
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#1806639 - 09/07/07 02:11 PM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: jeremy c]
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Max Valentino
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Registered: 01/20/03
Posts: 750
Loc: Southern California
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There is a big difference between making money and making a livlihood at it (i.e. making a living).
along with that would a professional attitude and demeanor, as well as the neccessary skills, knowledge and experience.
A "professional" player does not have an attitude, nor does he/she let ego govern their musical part or direction.
A professional player always brings something to the table but knows instinctively when to defer to others in the decision making.
You should also have a very good and deep foundation in harmony, rhythm and music theory and be able to play any tune in any key at any time.....regardless of whether or not you know it or, for that matter, have even heard it before.
There is a VERY big difference bewteen someone who plays a musical instrument (and the skill levels there can be quite high) and a musician.
Max
_________________________
...it's not the arrow, it's the Indian.
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#1810609 - 09/14/07 01:20 PM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: avb9]
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MongoN1
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Registered: 09/12/07
Posts: 162
Loc: Miami
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Does music pay the bills?
If the answer is yes - you are a pro.
If the answer is no - keep at it and focus on being entertaining.
It could start paying the bills any day now.
and also read all the stuff Max said. He made some very good points.
Mongo......
Edited by MongoN1 (09/14/07 01:22 PM)
Edit Reason: spelin errerz - mite be moor
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#1832090 - 10/29/07 11:59 AM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: MongoN1]
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Mario Bassista
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Registered: 08/06/07
Posts: 23
Loc: Nevada
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Max nailed it, but I would like to add my two cents. Whereas I have made money from my music in the past, I have never reached the stage where I could make a living off of music. With that being said, I cheerfully despise the term amateur for the following reasons:
1) I have never met a musician that would stop being a musician if the money dried up. All of us are musicians because we love music so much that we feel a need to participate in its making, and a loose definition of "amateur" is someone who participates in activity for the sheer love of it.
2) Being an amateur does not give you carte blanch to act like an idiot. I had a drummer just recently that did not bother showing up for a gig; ask me if I will ever call him back?
3) Without rethreading what Max succinctly stated, I will put my own spin on things; being professional means that you show up on time, prepared, and with your head in the game.
4) To quote my old bass teacher, "it's not that professional players never make mistakes, they just know how to recover better." I will pick on drummers again, please forgive me; I had one drummer recently that lost it in the middle of a song, and flat out stopped; doing dumb things like that, will flag you as an amateur quicker than anything that I can think of. If you loose the bubble, it happens to the best of us, even pros, don't get that deer in the headlights look on your face. Maintain your composure, stay on key, and find your place; if you are playing in a bar most members of the audience won't know the difference anyhow.
5) Last but not least, you are in the bar to work, stay sober. You may think that you play better when you are drunk or stoned, but trust me, it's just not true. Besides, would you show at a "real job" drunk?
To close, just because your music does not pay all your bills, if you want to get to the stage where playing your bass will take care of your mortgage, start acting like a professional now!
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One Rick to rule them all, and in the groove confine them.
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#1833991 - 11/01/07 03:34 PM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: Copius RC]
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Mario Bassista
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Registered: 08/06/07
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Loc: Nevada
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Thanks a bunch guys; just trying to put a bit of common sense in a topic that can be contentious.
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One Rick to rule them all, and in the groove confine them.
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#1838782 - 11/10/07 07:10 AM
Re: professional bass player wanna be
[Re: Mario Bassista]
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Howlin' Hanson
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Registered: 06/23/07
Posts: 22
Loc: Austin Texas USA
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Originally Posted By: carpedebass
Mario...good post! By the by...feel absolutely free to pick on drummers all you want...that's what they are for!
Copius replied: Exactly. Their sole purpose is to annoy the hell out of musicians.
And Hanson says--- the function of the bass player is to keep the drummer and the keyboard player from killing each other.
But the real point is what Max and Mario said: the more you act professionally, the sooner you and others will recognize you as as such.
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Steve Hanson
Building from the bottom up
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