In my own quest in learning how to play bass, and learning how to be a musician who plays bass, I have been asking people I consider to be musicians questions on the process of learning music and how to facilitate improvement in one’s own musicianship.
A master musician (guitar is his first instrument, but he plays bass too – as well as drums, sings, keyboards and a couple of wind instruments) told me recently: “In order to become a master musician there needs to be a period of study under a master musician.” Most players are restricted from access to master musicians by either cost, geography or the scarcity of teaching time by master musicians. There’s a resource that can help you overcome these limitations – it’s called Bass Player TV.
Bass Player TV is a resource of streaming videos offered by Bass Player Magazine that will go some way towards solving this problem.
If you want to deputise as a musical theatre pit musician, put yourself in the mindset of the orchestral player you want to work for. The West End is the highest arena for orchestral pit playing in musical theatre. West End theatre musicians are ALWAYS employed by an MU-approved orchestral fixer. It isn’t possible to work as a musician in a West End show otherwise (in fact, it’s illegal). What is your playing like? The sponsoring musician needs to know your playing. The chair holder already has knowledge of their playing ability and their personality. It’s essential that you play a range of instruments.
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