Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: Denim n Leather on June 28, 2009, 02:50:56 AM

Title: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Denim n Leather on June 28, 2009, 02:50:56 AM
An excerpt from Victor Wooten's Groove Workshop DVD. You don't have to be a bass player to appreciate this; it really transcends the instrument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H66K9eugZZM&feature=fvst
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: noodleplugerine on June 28, 2009, 10:42:40 AM
I find it very ironic that Victor Wooten, the king of musicless slap shred, can do a bit on "What is music"

Good anyway though.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Philly Q on June 28, 2009, 11:00:13 AM
What he says is very interesting, and listening to just that little clip I'm sure he must be a very inspiring teacher.

(I really like that Fodera Yin Yang bass of his, too)

Would I have the imagination to go away and apply those ideas?  No chance.  :lol:

Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Davey on June 28, 2009, 01:36:04 PM
Exactly the same school of thought as Marty Friedman ... so what if you hit a 'wrong' note here and there.. you're always only a half step away from the right one, and in most cases that wrong note might give you that special flair, expression or individuality and 'thinking outside the box' that will give your playing a special feel to it.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Mr.Coneman on July 02, 2009, 05:01:30 AM
Seemed a little self righteous, but good advise none the less.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: indysmith on July 02, 2009, 09:12:05 AM
The guy's talking absolute wank, playing absolute wank, but clearly living by his wank philosophy that the 'right note' is only a half step away...
The 'right note' is not always a half step away! it depends entirely on what you're trying to express - it's a lot more complicated that playing random notes and getting them in key some of the time, and not in key the rest of the time, as you can tell by the awful horrible noises he's making with that bass!

When the video first started up and came up with the quote
"There's more to making music than just playing the right notes..."
I didn't expect it to end with
"...sometimes play the $%&#ing wrong notes, it's cool, nobody will mind". :roll:
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Afghan Dave on July 02, 2009, 09:43:28 AM
I think that is my problem with Jazz... The right note is only a half step away...

That sounded awful IMHO... Sorry.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Afghan Dave on July 02, 2009, 09:54:51 AM
WTF is going on here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdJvHE8qxA
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: _tom_ on July 02, 2009, 10:26:47 AM
haha what a load of bollocks.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: nfe on July 02, 2009, 11:24:41 AM
Pretentious, self indulgent nonsense. Soundtracked with horrendous drivel. Not to mention a bit paradoxical. "Music is a language, a way of communicating, so just play whatever, who cares!" It's kinda like saying English is a language, nobody will care if you spell the as sif. The right letters are only one step away, after all.

This is why I hate bassist's bassists. And why Guy Pratt is great.

Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: 38thBeatle on July 02, 2009, 06:59:58 PM
That is the exact type of bass playing that I hate.Undoubtedly he has a great deal of skill but all that slapping is, to me, an unpleasant noise. Give me Ronnie Lane any day of the week.
This video explains a lot- I think our bass player may have been taking this philosophy to heart as he specializes in hitting a note close to the one that he should be going for.   
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: MDV on July 02, 2009, 07:29:26 PM
I think the linguistic version of his message would be 'its not what you say but how you say it'. Which is obviously also bollocks. For example, theres no way to say "What a load of bollocks" and have it not mean that what you just saw is bollocks. You can sugar it with your tone of voice, soften the blow of the meaning of the words, or make it vicious, but it means the same thing.

Yes, the way you say something (expression, feeling, tone, vocally and musically) is extremely important, but not the neglect of the words (notes and beats).

And it is very ironic, and he does seem to mainly be saying "I'm stoned".
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Philly Q on July 02, 2009, 07:30:17 PM
I'm a little surprised by all the Wootten-antipathy here!  :lol:  I can't stand (most) shred guitar, but somehow I find shred bass a lot more listenable.

I don't think he's saying "the right note is only a half step away, therefore you can play any old wank and call it music".   I think he's saying "the right note is only a half step away, so don't be afraid of getting out of your depth or making a mistake".  Which seems quite modest and down-to-earth to me, not pretentious at all.

But I don't feel all that strongly about it, not in the mood for an argument or anything!  :P
 
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Denim n Leather on July 02, 2009, 07:35:00 PM

But I don't feel all that strongly about it, not in the mood for an argument or anything!  :P
 
Then you shoulda known better than to post in one of my threads. PDT_008
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Lew on July 02, 2009, 09:21:28 PM
Knew I'd seen him before, it's Cleavland from Family Guy.

(http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/1/13839/09_2008/Cleveland.jpg)

Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Muttley on July 02, 2009, 09:25:26 PM
I think he's saying "the right note is only a half step away, so don't be afraid of getting out of your depth or making a mistake".

My old guitar teacher always told me that if you're playing live and hit a duff note, just play it again and pretend it's a Jazz lick.  ;)
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: indysmith on July 02, 2009, 09:29:39 PM
Knew I'd seen him before, it's Cleavland from Family Guy.
Ohhh racism ;)

It is an uncanny resemblance actually!
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Copperhead on July 02, 2009, 10:14:12 PM
LOLOOLLL!!11!1

"If I'm playing a piano in the key of C major, 7 of those WHITE KEYS are the right scale......"

FAIL!
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: nfe on July 02, 2009, 10:17:50 PM
LOLOOLLL!!11!1

"If I'm playing a piano in the key of C major, 7 of those WHITE KEYS are the right scale......"

FAIL!

I chuckled at that, to be fair, you know what he means, that all seven notes found on white keys are in the key, and he does go on to make it clearer when he talks about "If I should happen to land on a black key..."

He's still blethering pseudo-zen wank, though. At least it's not of the calibre everyone in RHCP manages to sustain.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Copperhead on July 02, 2009, 10:24:38 PM
HAhaha... I gotta go back and watch the whole thing, I lost it at that point. Is it just me, or does he look like a black Tatoo? He's got the short stubby forearm and big bobblehead thing going on.
Does Mr. Roarke show up to save the day?
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Lew on July 03, 2009, 03:00:44 AM
Knew I'd seen him before, it's Cleavland from Family Guy.
Ohhh racism ;)

It is an uncanny resemblance actually!

haha bless your sheltered soul  8)
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: shaman on July 03, 2009, 03:05:58 AM
wow..people hatin' on Vic!i have seen him a few times live(havent seen any of you, btw..)...he is an incredible musician live-I saw him "shred" with Bela Fleck, saw him play it straight with Govt Mule..he was a very passionate and kind musician when I met him as well(cant say that about all of the pro's I have met...)give my brother a chance!! :D
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: MDV on July 03, 2009, 09:32:04 AM
I dont think anyone is trying to (or could) deny his prodigious talent, but we arent agreeing with what he "says", the words and the music.

Maybe its just how accustomed you are to listening to and deciphering different musics, but he says musics a language, and I pretty much agree, but I have no idea what his music is on about.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Afghan Dave on July 03, 2009, 10:23:06 AM
..... he says musics a language, and I pretty much agree, but I have no idea what his music is on about.

 PDT_004 PDT_003 Nice one...
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: 38thBeatle on July 03, 2009, 07:39:39 PM
I don't dislike the man... I don't know him. I dislike the slapping/popping  bass playing however and no amount of his undoubted skill will make me like it. As for the message, well he has a valid point-I just made a cheap dig at our bassist who is currently under caution because he is the only one in the band who doesn't do his homework and hits more than his share of bum notes as a result. 
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Copperhead on July 08, 2009, 07:30:00 PM
WTF is going on here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdJvHE8qxA

Start and end on the "right" note, and play everything else fast and sloppy and it won't matter.  :D
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: Henk on July 08, 2009, 07:42:07 PM
Bass is 2 strings away from being a guitar guys!

Oversimplifying is an art for sure, but this guy takes Daft Punk to the level of being a religion, kind of sad if you ask me.
Title: Re: Victor Wooten sermonizes on 'what is music'
Post by: HTH AMPS on July 08, 2009, 09:46:16 PM
WTF is going on here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdJvHE8qxA

NICE!!!

CONTEM-POR-ARY!!!