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#120 - Does Playing Fast Make You A Better Musician? (Patreon)

Published:
2024-08-30 22:14:50
Imported:
2026-06
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  • 347253645.mp4
  • 1 2 3 1 Speed Exercise - Tab.pdf
  • 1 7 1 3 Speed Exercise - Tab.pdf
  • 1 7 1 3 Speed Exercise - Tab.musicxml
  • 1 2 3 1 Speed Exercise - Tab.musicxml
  • 1 7 1 3 Fingerstyle Speed Exercise - Backing Track.mp3
  • 1 7 1 3 Fingerstyle Speed Exercise.mp3
  • 1 2 3 1 Fingerstyle Speed Exercise - Backing Track.mp3
  • 1 2 3 1 Fingerstyle Speed Exercise.mp3

Missing 1 video, 8 files, as this post has not yet been imported.

Content

My fellow bassists,

This seems to be one of the great debates in music. Does playing fast/technical mean you're a "better" musician?

It's good to think about these questions. It helps us know what our goals are and how to use different elements of music to create the moods and emotions we want to create.

In this video I'll watch a few viral videos of virtuosic playing and give my thoughts on whether their technicality and speed is musical or pretentious!

Make sure to check out the practice videos #120.1 and #120.2 which will allow you to develop your fingerstyle speed, which will improve your overall technique!

Thanks so much for coming here and learning with me, have a great weekend and I'll see you in the next lesson!

Charles

Comments

Oscar Ardon

It's usually the people that suck or don't understand music that critique. I used to not like slap. And then I learned it. Now that's all I play 😂

Dana Johnson

None of your examples could be called unmusical. Even Marcin whose music often reminds me of shattering mirrors whose shards somehow manage to maintain the original image I still have to take my hat off to him for making the suffering worth while. He is kind of the anti-bass. My thoughts otherwise are that I think it is important to have your speed and technique be able to be realized on the instrument. When notes are too short to get past the attack, it can take something that could sparkle just turn to mud. This doesn’t apply to essentially rhythmic elements that take advantage of the attack phase and don’t really need the note. I find listening to myself after recording something helps me to hear what it really sounded like as opposed to what I was “hearing” in my mind. I play so much better there!

Charles Berthoud
>>148058804

Recording yourself is very helpful! Like you said it allows you to hear what you truly sound like rather than what you're aiming for

Denis Rondeau

In some cases tempo is indicated by the composer. Check out Tchaikovsky Symphony NO. 4 conducted by Leonard Bernstein. These exercises would be handy to prepare for the fourth movement! Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1VRuZGAFOY 35:25 minute mark.

Michael John

I struggle with this sometimes. Especially because I'm a bass player who aspires to be technically competent and I've seen a lot of bass players derided for overplaying the second they diverge from a root note. That said, I do think some of the critiques are warranted. In my view, there is no harm in having as many techniques in your toolbag as possible. And the ability to play "fast" is certainly useful to any musician. I think, however, that very talented musicians have a tendency to utilize every single tool in the toolbag...sometimes at the expense of the song. It's kind of like how seasoning your food with some salt might improve the dish, but if you put on too much salt, the meal becomes inedible. Nevertheless, I don't think it's productive to shit on someone else for how they choose to express themselves musically. If it is good for their soul to double thumb 16th note triplets at 200 bpm, then more power to them.

Adrian Moore

I think the issue is that some players don't know when NOT to play fast. They're so proud of their skill they want to use it all the time. Knowing when to use speed, when to allow space etc...that's the real skill. Speed is a byproduct!

Charles Berthoud
>>148581791

Yeah it's definitely tempting to show the results of all the work you've done, but resisting the urge to do that all the time is important!