Uriah - Song Path

[tondee]

Uriah, I spoke to you on a Saturday morning a few months ago about being inspired - 'pushed' to play for the Church.  I played guitar years ago.  I still have instruments but I wasn't committing to them.  I'm somewhat familiar to Rock, R&B, Blues, stuff like that.  I'm finding great difficulty changing from secular to Gospel.  Some gospel is similar to the other stuff.  But most of the music I'm seeing seems to rolls all over the place, like jazz, leaving me staring like a deer in headlights.  Sometimes I know a change is coming but I don't know where to.  Sometimes I DON"T know a change is coming.  Either way, the results are terrible.  I'm used to playing 4 beats here, 4 beats there, mix it up a little while I'm there, 1-4-5 stuff, and so on.  Secular music seems lazy compared to this.  They will make a 3-6-2-5 roll anywhere... seems to me.  At any time.  And not necesarily start on 3.  And fast...  You know how organ players play, they march all over the place,   What would you suggest I do to catch on quickly, along with listening to lots of Gospel.  

Tony

[uriahsmusic]

....unless you are in a pro group where they need to be consistant...you may have a problem.....organists rarley do the same thing twice and thats that!....This is not a bad thing really!....I made a comment in someone elses post that I dont learn songs...I just doodle!

well I do some extreme doodling... and you can too.  I like the sound of a roving organist and they like the sound of a roving Uriah!

....unless they expect you to learn a specific part...DONT!....If the do expect you to learn a specific part then it would be ok for you to tell them that they are changing up on you.  

If they are being consistant and can prove it!...You need to step up and learn the songs..(some have a change a minute!)..I wont do that!...to much to remember just to play for one Sunday!

....I have posted many riffs just for that purpose.  learn those riffs and apply them and you will be plesantly suprised!...You can add your riffs where ever you'd like....mix it up....the people will love it...and you wont be frustrated!

 8O

[ladybass]

same here Uriah  

...I just doodle!

well I do some extreme doodling... and you can too.  I like the sound of a roving organist and they like the sound of a roving Uriah!

tru dat ... i use your riffs often ... Thank you!!

....I have posted many riffs just for that purpose.  learn those riffs and apply them and you will be plesantly suprised!...You can add your riffs where ever you'd like....mix it up....the people will love it...and you wont be frustrated!

~~ I'm a witness ~~

[Robbace]

Take A look at all uriah and bacefingers past posts and it will help you tremendoulsy I am a witness to that and then ask GOD almighty to help you these guys has helped everyone step by step and I thank you guys you are wonderful people  and I also dont go without thanking God almighty for his grace and favor with me

[tondee]

Uriah qouted:
....unless they expect you to learn a specific part...DONT!....If the do expect you to learn a specific part then it would be ok for you to tell them that they are changing up on you.  

If they are being consistant and can prove it!...You need to step up and learn the songs..(some have a change a minute!)..I wont do that!...to much to remember just to play for one Sunday!

....I have posted many riffs just for that purpose.  learn those riffs and apply them and you will be plesantly suprised!...You can add your riffs where ever you'd like....mix it up....the people will love it...and you wont be frustrated!


Will do!

Tony

[tondee]

Okay Uriah,

As of now, I am Bassplayer-in-Training.  They threw me out into the mix.  Every Sunday.  Some of it is easy, a lot of it is hard.  In front of, at times, 300+.  Man, this is crazy.  I keep asking myself why am I here?  Who do I think I am?  There are some 'others' who don't like my presence, rather have me out of their way.  Weird, when I originally told you about this,  there were nobody (players) nowhere around.  For a looong time.  Nothing.  Then, as soon as I step up to the plate, here they are, already established as a unit, nonverbally, but very forcefully, saying, 'get out of the way.'  But my reason for being there is different from theirs.  Isn't it funny how Satan and/or his friends meet you at the door?  I failed to realize I was going to have enemies while doing this...  By the way, I'm going over some of your riffs.  And things are getting easier.  I thank you for that.  So, as of now, I just have to continue moving forward, calm down, be patient and see where God is going with this.

Tony

[BACEFINGERS]

I wish I was allowed to play the way Uriah plays all the time but the core group of musicians I play with WON"T allow it. I have to be very specific about what I play and how. Now at my own church I can doodle so to speak. Just show up on Sundays and pick up a chord or two and run with it in some manner. But the difficult stuff pays off more than just fill-ins. I spend hours and hours and hours transcribing songs that we play or when they write their own music they give me the bassline the way they want it to go. It's a tiresome way to practice and learn but at the same time you can use those professional sounding riffs and runs in your own music and switch them around a little bit. Everything we do as musicians is used material anyway, nothing new under the sun.

[uriahsmusic]

.....TRY NOT TO TAKE THIS ALL IN AT ONCE AND RUN WITH IT...BUT CONSIDER IT A WAY TO GRADUALLY IMPROVE YOUR LIFE!

I DONT LET ANYONE MESS WITH ME...AT ANY LEVEL!....AND I TEACH MY CHILDREN THE SAME!....EVEN MY WIFE HAS PICKED THIS UP.

APPROACH EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH THE HEART OF GOD...WITH A GENUINE CHRISTLIKE HONESTY AND EFFORT....AND IF SOMEONE MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE IN YOUR ENDEAVOR ....TAKE A DEEP BREATH...GET YOUR NERVE TOGETHER...(IN THE HUBLEST FASHION YOU CAN MUSTER).....

AND APPROACH THE FOLKS THAT ARE MAKING YOU UNEASY...AND EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW YOU FEEL!

IF YOU DO THIS...YOU WILL NOT ONLY BE TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR SITUATION...BUT YOU WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE THINGS YOU DO GOING FOWARD.   WHY?

BECAUSE GOD HAS NOT GIVE US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR!...
YOU NEED NOT FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND ANYONE....

YOU WILL NO DOUBT BE SUPRISED THAT ONCE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REVEAL TO THE FOLKS OFFENDING YOU THAT ARE OFFENDED...THEY WILL STOP.....

LETS SAY THEY JUST MAKE YOU FEEL UN-NEEDED...TELL THEM!...SAY IT OUT LOUD TO THEM....IN SIMPLE WORDS

IF THEY DONT KNOW...THEY WILL PROBABLY STOP...(MOST PEOPLE DONT REALIZE THAT THEIR ACTIONS ARE OFFENSIVE)

IF THEY DO KNOW ....THEY WILL PROBABLY BACK OFF WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING ...BECAUSE YOU HAVE EXPOSED THE SITUATION...
MY EXPERIENCE IN CHURCHES IS THAT SATAN CAN ONLY THRIVE WHERE PEOPLE HARBOR HIM IN SECRET!..(IF YOU SAY AND DO NOTHING!)

IF YOU GO TO THE FOLKS THAT OFFEND YOU AND EXPLAIN IN A CALM AND CHRISTLIKE WAY WHAT IS GOING ON YOU WILL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT OF IT AND CHANGE IT....YOU WILL BE HAPPY...THEY WILL BE HAPPY AND THE MUSIC WILL BE HAPPY!

THIS IS NOT JUST MY 2 CENTS...IT IS THE WAY I LIVE....

P.S....YOU MAY WANNA PRAY FOR SOME HUMILITY FIRST!

[B3Wannabe]

I don't usually say anything to other musicians that I play with unless they're throwing me off really bad, or I want them to do something specific. If they're a beginner or they're having problems attacking some of the changes, I'll tell them to revert to a basic progression, and I'll follow suit. This way, everyone gets to play, and no one feels left out. The biggest thing to playing music, in my opinion, is having a good ear. With that, you can learn changes a lot faster without someone telling you what to do.

[Robbace]

Let me tell ya I play for two churches one that doesnt have that many member and mine that have over two thousand almost three thousand every Sunday  and they love improvisation and expect you to add your own flavor but you gotta be at the next note on time they dont limit me when it comes to that and I know there are people who would love to be in my shoes but you gotta be at the next note and practice hours or youll be lost and your ear gotta be on or your in trouble but what I did was use the smaller church to be my practicing ground for my ear training and my practicing ground it has and God has worked this out beautifully for me and now everything has slowed down for me and I'm having no problem cathing on during services in my own church and know exactlly what to listen for when playing on the fly but the Lord God almighty had to help teach me some things in the smaller church and bring some things out in me so I go underground play for the smaller church and God blesses me in my own church and my church jazzes it all up and it isnt easy but God has made it easy and lucky I grew up penticostal where it wasnt totally alien to my understanding and now I know what to listen for and and can catch on the fly they wonder what happened to me all of a sudden because organists dont like to practice I have found that out so God provided a practicing ground for me Go to a smaller church that doesnt care if you mess up I dont mean just playing anything because no church wants that but ask God to help train your ear when going to the smaller church and go to your church fully loaded and ready with his presence and it will work remember just dont play anything listen then play because they are basically the same thing its just a smaller church the tapes of your organist will help but not totally go underground don't tell anyone and ask God to bless you and he will work a miracle if your consistent because I see now that I can step in with anyone and play beyond a shadow of a doubt I go to the smaller church unnanounced and just play God is just as good there as he is at my own   and you never know who you might meet that needs a bassist in the smaller church if they like you  :lol: their group then you are hooked up for sure lol then you can smile uncontrollably at the next service then  oops God just blessed you your in lol<<< then you can laugh inside at those who said you couldnt do it and those hoping you will fall so that they could step in  8O I have had people say to me(Christians) when I was learning you can't play your faking it BUT GOD<<<<<)I battled through and they never knew what I went through to get to the level God wanted me at,GOD is a mightyawsome  GOD he RAINS from HEAVEN ABOVE noone can stand next to him let me stop before I preach lol BUT GOD Bassists

[basspassion26]

Amen, truly an inspiration.  

[tondee]

Robbace,

I hear you and taking your advice as well as Uriah's.  But we're discussing different issues here.  As great as you are, (figure-of-speech) they would do everything in their power to push you out, too.  It's not about your competence level, it's about who you are.  Are you a part of their clique...  (They're not members of the church.  They're from another church coming in to pick up the slack and help out).  Now, everything you said could and would help a person stand his/her ground.  But it's still about the 'clique.'  When their bass player messes up, you see quick communication amongst them for correction.  Not with me...  when I mess up they would do weird things, like start looking at each other - but not me (oh look, an elephant).  Or roll into pre-arranged inserts with no cue (stuff they worked on prior to showing up) or they would do two or three modulations and so on.  The leader-guy normally has a certain style when playing the organ.  But when I play, his patterns get really tripped up because he knows that I'm not familiar with the music and, more than likely, I'm following him.  But God's bringing my ear into perspective.  I'm picking up on his tactics and, most importantly, I'm starting to hear the flow of the music regardless of what it is and regardless of what they do, exactly as Uriah was talking about.  --I can go on and on about these guys but it really doesn't matter now.  My ear is coming in.  Really fast.  My correction time is getting shorter and shorter.  My mess-ups are getting less and less.  Sometimes they don't even know I'm messing up.  So, things are changing with the quickness.  Conditions were very uncomfortable but now things are starting to get pretty humorous.  I just have to continue being patient in the Lord.  And pray for these guys!!!  

Tony

[Robbace]

I don't have to say anything more you answered your own question be pateint I have been through that if you look back on threads we have all had all these things happen to us what you are saying is not a shock and I never said I was great but what God has done for me is to me more than just great I am walking in the immage of the greatest musician of all and thats God almighty don't take what i said and twist it around  read between the lines look at what I said if God is blessing your ear by all means thats a great thing if you hear the changes by all means thats a great thing all you have been through its comming but not overnight but its comming if you dont think that thats great and all you can focus in on is the  8O  <<<< all those ugly faces and funny looks then you maybe should do some fasting like I did for 40 days but thats another issue I went through what you went through for a whole year and that another issue with noone wanting to help me at all all the phone calls i made to other bassist  and what did I get nothing but I knew what God called me to do and all the laughs I got you bet i think this is all great what God has done and say what you will you never know what God has in store for me and i have learned to trust in God almighty not the looks and let him do for me what he set me out to do and thats be great one day if i listened to the organist that told me i would never get this thing I would have sold my equipment basses and all a long time ago look back on all the threads belive me if you get embarrassed in front of 1000 people or more like i was and now you are playing in front of over 2000 almost 3000 by all means I see that what my God has done for me is more than just great and I am loving every second of what God has done brother and the embarrassments that I had to endure I wanted to cry and I have,but God almighty saw my tears and I will let no man no devil whom God almighty took the key from whom was the head musician at one time steal my joy in all I let the the one who created music get the glory and honor because I can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthens me and so can you  God is not finished with me yet I am just waiting for the finished product  :wink:      Thank You JESUS

[tondee]

Robbace,

Wow, listen to you!!!  That's very uplifting for me, everything you said.  And I thank you for all that you said.  I wasn't personalizing anything towards you.  I didn't intend to add to or twist your words.  The greatness comment was a figure-of-speech just to show THEIR persistance.  This is funny.  Everything you described I went thru one way or another, and still going thru right now.  I did a 10 day fast, going thru a low level fast right now.  Not just for this bass situation, but everything - my stance with God.  But, like I said, I appreciate you letting me know that I'm not walking in bubble.  God's work is going to get done, regardless. Hey, I think I hear the bell ringing for round two.  Time for me to get back out there.

Tony