Portable music device

[floaded27]

Can you be a serious musician today without one?

Whether it be an iPod/Zune/other mp3 player, iPad/other tablet, music capable phone, portable CD player, or old school Walkman (lol), i think its very difficult to be totally serious or dedicated to your music when you're restricted to listening to music ONLY at home.

[malthumb]

I agree.  It's all about rate of change.  Think about it.....a lot of the music in the 50's and 60's tended to sound similar.  Have a similar feel.  Even as you looked across genres. That's because people always adapt music from things they've heard somewhere else.

Now add technology.  People can hear more different types of music in a weekend now than you could probably hear in a year in the 50s or 60s.  If you're a serious musician, you have to stay on top of new styles, new approaches, new sounds.  Today you cannot do that without the technologies Floaded27 mentioned.

Just my opinion.

[lowlife350]

Good question.  I am not a serious musician, but I know that long before today's technology, there were great musicians.  Jaco, Miles, Jamerson, Mozart etc...never had portable players.

Personally, I am inundated with music even though I do not use a portable device.  I listen at home, every time I am in my vehicle and through headphones at work (when I had a job).  My life is pretty contained to those arenas so I am almost always listening to the music that I am learning.  If I take a walk, go fishing or play a game of hoop I consider it balance and feel that is is a healthy break from being inundated.

WOW...i tried to post, but we get nice warnings when someone beats us to it.

To add, I agree that there is a greater variety of music available, but most musicians play in a limited number of environments.  I know that I have a lot to learn, but other than some fancy runs and jazzy chord changes, I don't think music is really much more complicated than past generations.  Other than the pop that originated in and matured out of the 50's and 60's, some may say it is less complicated.

[StooB]

This is a funny one as we have too kinds of conflicting posts here.

On one hand it's crucial for a musician to explore their passion, you should be in music 100% if that is your way in life. I love having my iPod on when walking the baby or taking a long journey, really hearing those bass lines up close and drilling them into my head.

However, research has also said that for children they shouldn't be plugged in when going to school for example as they need the rest to set them up for a calmer more thoughtful day (as if!  )

As I said, if music is your passion then a portable device is another weapon in your armor and if small enough, you can take your passion with you everywhere. But sometimes we need the silence to reflect on things and also we should remember Psalm 46:10. If you don't know the verse by heart then unplug your portable device, get off the internet and read your bible! 

[lowlife350]

Advances in technology have given us many advantages, but I think that most of us are plugged in well beyond necessity.

I fully agree that a portable device is a great tool; I just get wary when I see things stated as definites.  I have a hard time believing that all serious musicians are constantly plugged in and tuned out.  I hypothesize that if we are always listening, we can not really create only emulate.  Without experiences outside of music, we are inclined to imitate and regurgitate which is the first step to being a serious musician.  But the serious musician must be able to create.  The hardest step, I think, is creating original thought.

I remember Victor Wooten saying in an interview that when he is not on tour, or working on a project, he tries not to listen to anything like what he plays.  He says his daughter gets run of the radio so he is often listening to pop music or children's CD's.  He needs to step out of it he says in order to gain experiences to bring back to his music. 

I feel this way about any endeavor we take on.  Though we may be passionate, some level of moderation is very healthy.


Okay ... off to catch some (largemouth) bass at sun rise!!! Then back for a 6:00 shed tonight.  Best Summer since I was 16!

[floaded27]

Good question.  I am not a serious musician, but I know that long before today's technology, there were great musicians.  Jaco, Miles, Jamerson, Mozart etc...never had portable players.

And i bet because of this they immersed themselves in the music they had to study and learn even more than many of us do now. Im not just talking about learning/hearing new things but also familiarizing yourself with the music you are responsible for playing. In order to memorize/internalize the material, they logged in serious hours in rehearsals. But you can be a serious musician, but not a full-time musician. If im not mistaken, these guys were full time.

Personally, I am inundated with music even though I do not use a portable device.  I listen at home, every time I am in my vehicle and through headphones at work (when I had a job).  My life is pretty contained to those arenas so I am almost always listening to the music that I am learning.  If I take a walk, go fishing or play a game of hoop I consider it balance and feel that is is a healthy break from being inundated.

But you got a portion of what im saying going on. There are other times listening to music, either the stuff you have to listen to or other things. If you're only active at home for like an hour a day (the rest is in ur bed sleep), how can "listening at home" ONLY do you any good? But i've come across so many musicians where thats ALL they do. Its like saying "Im serious about fitness" but only active for that 2 hours you spend at the gym once a week.

Im not saying be plugged in ALL the time (im not) but at least give your craft a significant portion of time. Especially when there are plenty of times for most of us when we're idle. Instead of staring out the window on the bus ride home or playing games on my phone while waiting for a friend, how about start learning this song.

So rather than specifically "portable music device", maybe i should say means to listen to music in other places.

[BassbyGrace]

I get what you saying floaded.  I keep an ipod and a basic CD player.  Mainly because sometimes, the ppl will give you a CD to listen to or just have that to go off of at that moment.  For general listening though, I keep music on.  Often the car is my exploration time.  I will just flip the dial and stop on whatever is on.  As long as it isn't vulgar, I study structure and the tone and composition of the bass.  Im really starting to get into variation of tone, and to me it takes a little diversity to truly explore it.  Anyway...lol

[lowlife350]

Okay, so floaded, I apologize.

I knew we'd come out the same end after discussion, however after reading your OP again, I think we started in the same place.

Let me change my answer to "I concur!"

Well, no largemouth today, but the pike were hitting!   26" and 25".  I don't carry a scale.  Not bad for a couple of hours out on the water though ...

[floaded27]

bass playing and bass fishing . is that a coincidence? (although the pronunciation is different, but we're reading here so its funny)

[phbrown]

bass playing and bass fishing . is that a coincidence? (although the pronunciation is different, but we're reading here so its funny)

MAN! that dude always thinking about bass (pun intended)

[superjaay]

Two fishes.... I think there's a biblical reference in there.....

Nice catch

[StooB]

Two fishes.... I think there's a biblical reference in there.....

You should've seen the size of his dinner when he got home...

[phbrown]

Follow-up question:

for those who are plugged in either constantly or quite a bit, where do you go to find new sounds? I know a few mentioned letting other people choose the radio station. Is there anything else?

Pandora? Spotify? Just listen to the local gospel station(s) on the radio?

[malthumb]

Follow-up question:

for those who are plugged in either constantly or quite a bit, where do you go to find new sounds? I know a few mentioned letting other people choose the radio station. Is there anything else?

Pandora? Spotify? Just listen to the local gospel station(s) on the radio?

In no particular order.....

• Pandora
• Radio (local & XM)
• Help requests and discussions on LGM about songs I haven't heard
• Song suggestions from other musicians / band members

[StooB]

This leads me to ask, are there any good streaming or recorded gospel worship meetings online? There are loads of CCM recorded stuff but I haven't found any gospel worship yet. Any suggestions?

[floaded27]

Youtube.
Mostly I get suggestions of what to listen to from other people. The singers i know like their stuff (varying gospel from CCM, traditional gospel, Christian Pop, Rap, etc), my cousin who works with me on bass from time to time has his suggestions (always 70s funk mostly), my other teacher has his (varies many styles and not always gospel), theres stuff I have to learn as well, as well as videos and song lists you guys post on here.

Often times for an initial "check this song out" i try to find it on youtube and a lot of times afterwards i find myself following a trail of related videos till im in another dimension, but often i discover something new that way.

[lowlife350]

bass playing and bass fishing . is that a coincidence? (although the pronunciation is different, but we're reading here so its funny)

  I've always found that funny also.  They are my first and second hobbies before anything else.

Two fishes.... I think there's a biblical reference in there.....

Nice catch

Thanks superjaay.  It's odd here in NY to catch legal pike this time of year.  I got out again last weekend and hauled in a couple nice bass.

You should've seen the size of his dinner when he got home...

Hilarious!!

[lowlife350]

Generally, I use any outside source possible to gain exposure (live shows, radio, other people).  When at home, I find myself doing what floaded suggested and drifting around YouTube until I find myself grooving to a lot of music that I've never heard.

The problem with this, for me, is that I often waste a lot of time in the internet and computer.  I have recently limited my internet time studying bass/theory and been trying hard to put in more hours on the instrument.

For this reason, like Stoob, I've been looking for good streaming sites and have thus far only been mildly successful.

If anyone knows if any good online stream sites, it would be very helpful if you shared.  I would get at least another hour of practice in each day.

[StooB]

I often waste a lot of time in the internet and computer.  I have recently limited my internet time studying bass/theory and been trying hard to put in more hours on the instrument.

Mustn't go on Facebook, mustn't go on Facebook... this and the Lord's prayer are my two main mantras...