5 NEW YEARS BASS PLAYER RESOLUTIONS

2008 is upon us and still no sign of those hover skateboards or jet packs. The start of a new year brings about ( for most people anyway) a sense of a new begining. and new years resolutions are always popular to reset or re-assess where you were at. Ok so here goes my 5 suggestions for your new years bass resolutions..... enjoy.

RESOLUTION 1 : I am going to learn as much about other music as I possibly can this year.

Indeed you are going to learn this yea but how far outside of your safety zone are you prepared to go. Often musicians feel flat, uninspired, or not sure where to look for the next fire starter, alot of people make excuses to have a break from music. You do not need a break, you just need to focus on some different areas. If you are a metal guy, then damn, get down to some Jazz shows or go see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. If you are a Jazz or Funk head go see a big stadium style rock show etc etc.. This will change your perspective a little, or if you are completely set in your ways, will re-affirm the belief in what you are doing and where you are at. Its win, win. No matter what you get out of it, the important thing is what you will gain musically from the experience, and you will 100% guaranteed feel inspired to play when you get home.

RESOLUTION 2: I am going to re-learn my technique from ground up.

Alright so the title is quite extreme, but what if .... to re-teach yourself from the very basics is an important thing to do from time to time. I mean, its all very well to be able to tap 30 notes a second, double pop and slap quintuplets or make your fretless sing like two felines in a honeymoon cruise. Seriously, how well can you play 12 bar blues , how well can you knock out a basic bass line? how often do you use that little finger? (ahhhh ... enough said)

RESOLUTION 3: Take you business seriously but dont take yourself too seriously.

Brotherhood of bass players is possibly the coolest subculture in music if not ever!! (alright im a lil' biased but if you are a guitarist or drummer why are you rading this column?... Its beacuse you want in.). Seriously though , bassists have somehow managed to rise from " fat kid at the back of the band" status to uber cool, (thanks in big part to Les, Flea and Victor) The most important thing is to maintain this, help out other bassists at gigs if their amp blows or they need a lead. Talk to other cats about their gear and style. You can really learn, or teach something to every other bass player you meet, whether they are 15 or 90 years old it doesnt matter. Take every gig or recording you work on seriously, keep a diary, be prepared and keep your ego in check. Remember, I am bass player , therefore I am.

RESOLUTION 4: Maintain all of your equipment.

You never know when you will need that old piece of gearm if it dont work fixt it or chuck it! Makes sense to go through all your leads and do a bit of spring cleaning, throw out or repair everything that is not working properly. Maintain your basses in mint condition, keep them strung , in their cases, fix crackling pots and adjust intonation as you notice it. Don't wait until you are laying down bass parts on a record. Organise all your books and learning aids so they are all on hand. Organise your practice space so it feels good to sit down there and work. Remove all the clutter and unnecessary things from that area, you will definitely be more productive because of it.

RESOLUTION 5: Get more active, if you can.

There is always work out there for good bassplayers, go and find it and succeed. The more seriously you take the craft of bass playing and experience different styles of music, the more flexible ( and hopefully successful) you will become. Try and think outside the box a bit with your style, if you are a good tight bass player then you should be able to play anything and everything. If you had a choice between stacking shelves or playing some musical style that is not your thing, what would you prefer to do.