Being Tentative!

Today on @yamahamusicusa #silentbass and @laklandbasses Friday, we talk about being "tentative". Anything, even the most amazing bassline, will sound (to some extent) wrong if played tentatively.  Your approach...your attitude is as important as your note choice. The key is to be confident enough with your playing, the material and your fellow players to be able to comfortably, calmly and purposefully convey your ideas to the listener. It is not always easy to do, especially in areas that are new or intimidating to you. Through practice of fundamentals and challenges (as I have mentioned many times before) and increasing performance experience, one can learn to keep tentative playing under control. It never goes away, but it can be managed. I tell students all the time...sometimes you just have to jump....if there's no net...oh well. You dig? So, how? As I said above, practice is the foundation. Practice yields preparedness...and preparedness leads to confidence! Make sure u are keeping your fundamentals sharp and you know the material in question COLD. If the performance is improvisatory in nature,  then know given harmony (if any) intimately and sharpen your ability to create on the fly (through practice, a teacher, colleague, etc.). The more you have in your head and under your fingers,  the better..dig?. Get with players, in friendly situations. Try to be as assertive and confident in your playing as possible. Use dynamics, space, breath, articulauton. Evaluate what you did. It will get better the more you do it. I have seen countless students go from timid pound puppies to proud lions! It takes time, patience and work! As always, I invite your insights. #yamahamusicusa #makewaves #pirastro #glasserny #laklandbasses #sitstrings #tsunamicables #philjonesbass #basslessons #remotelessons