Bass guitar sure is an interesting instrument. Or more being a bass player is an interesting thing to do.
There are so many possibilities that just open up when you have the skills to play a musical instrument. Having a way to express yourself is one of the main reason why I started to play bass all those years ago now.
I like to think that I’m a creative person but yet I find the feeling and need for having a creative outlet comes and goes.
Some days I just want to pick up my shinny blue Yamaha bass to try and create something new. I want to express my mood, how I’m feeling. If I’m happy I play something upbeat and joyful. If I’m sad then the bass line I play reflects that.
It’s great to be able to transfer emotions into sound. I can see why we artists gain so much from our work.
Another thing that I noticed is many bass players and musicians are not creative at all. They simply act as human jukeboxes, recreating songs and bass lines that they already have stored in their memory.
This kind of playing is great and obviously essential if you’re playing covers at a gig, yet some people never let their creative side loose.
Perhaps they are scared of making a mistake. With creative bass playing what you play doesn’t always sound perfect, but nore should it. I think that fear for some people traps them into playing safe. To play only what they know already sounds good.
I highly recommend that next time you pick up your bass guitar that you just play something new. Don’t just focus on the right notes but let them emotion shine through.
You might be surprised at what you create.
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