The bass player and one of the composers for Snarky Puppy, is sitting besides Victor, looking awed. What an inspiration Wooten is, therapy through music.
Yep when I first clicked on this I was like, “Is that Michael League standing behind him??” Lol. Love it. You can’t be a young bass player in the jazz space and not have been impacted by Victor Wooten.
He’s a genius musician and bandleader in his own right. I had the privilege of meeting him when a band I played in, in the Dallas jam band scene in 2007 and 2008, played on a night that had several local bands play. He’s such a nice guy as well as being a brilliant musician.
@@LeakyJAZZ THE “lipbone” who was notorious for the “I think I got a twenty down in this pocket” joke he’d play on everyone when it was time to pay tabs? That’s a name I wasn’t expecting to read.
1:31 "You're born with feeling, you'll die with feeling. Feeling doesn't have to be learned. Feeling is another universal language like love, hate, jealousy--nobody has to learn that. That's not cultural dependent. We feel everywhere all the time. So when you can reach someone with feeling, you can play less techniques. Right? And you end up playing more music." - Victor Wooten
He’s in the same class of people as Carl Sagan and Mr. Rogers: People that are so passionate about what they do and say, that their enthusiasm rubs off on you.
Coming from one of the most technically expressive bassists we’ve ever seen, to hear him bring it back to the basic fundamentals of a good bass line, is amazing.
@@matthewlawton9241 soooo true dude… as a former elite basket-baller, now coach of elite 15 to 18 year olds, a bass player, surfer, scientist and business owner ,, nothing could more true … all facts in fact !! 😃 …. the quicker ya learn this in ya life, the better off ya life will be …
@@etiennemiemczyk7081 I don't like jazz when it gets too complicated, because it doesn't make me feel anything. I don't feel like it makes sense. I'm ok with complexity, but I can appreciate simplicity.
Actually it is pretty easy to feel, thats why it is so popular and most beginner guitarists take it up. Hendrix probably said that just to try to be cool or insightful.
Victor Wooten is the wisest musician to ever walk this Earth. Every time he opens his mouth, people should listen to what he has to say. I'm not deifying the man or anything, he just drops so much musical wisdom, it's astounding. This has nothing to do with knowledge or "smartness", just pure wisdom.
Radek Szyroki - If you like what he has to say here, you might enjoy reading his book “The Lesson”. I dog eared many of its pages as he imparts a number of bits of musical wisdom.
I think that he is the wisest musician you know, okay no (just kidding) XD Edit: check out who Benjamin Zander is, another wise musician just like Victor.
1990 Telluride Town Square. Shawn Colvin had just finished a songwriting clinic. Everyone left the square except me. I was just sitting, nice buzz, strumming a few chords. There’s a bass clinic coming up in a few minutes. This guy walks over, plugs in a small bass amp and starts warming up. I can’t help but notice that he’s good. Another minute or two goes by. Now, I can’t help but notice that this guy is really something special. He’s playing super intricate, lightning fast perfect timing. I finally say, “Whoa man, you’re a great player!” He says, “Thanks, man. I’m Vic”.
This took me a LONG time to learn. Flea talks about this as being "generous" with your band. Giving them the space to share the love. In The thing is, if your bored with the simple groove, your doing it wrong, FEEL the groove, dont think, thinking is the enemy. FEEL the grove, drive your fingers with your heart, not your brain. .
The point is also, when you find something you feel but then cannot do practically/technically, stick around that for a while until you feel more in control of that movement, let it sinks in and become part of your language and vocabulary. Work it our, groove it. Never neglect what your fingers wanted to do but couldn't.
Amazing advice! As a _drummer,_ it really resonates because...all too often...drummers get bored and start thinking, "I should be doing more." Then we start _decorating_ the beat and/or throwing in unnecessary fills. One of the things that made Charlie Watts (a highly accomplished and technically masterful Jazz drummer) one of the greatest Rock & Roll drummers of all time is that he could just play a simple beat for several minutes without drawing focus. "My job is to provide a simple, stable platform, so Mick and Keith can shine." Whatever our instrument(s), when we play with others, we are part of something bigger than ourselves...and _individual_ expression at the wrong moment can inhibit the _collective_ emotional creation.
Victor Wooten: - play simple, catch people feelings, BB King famous playing 5 notes Also Victor Wooten: - plays uber stuff, chords, double thumb slap, tapping, became famous because he is a virtuoso of bass I'm joking (don't take it too seriously) i love him, amazing human being, teacher and musician
In my early 20s I was all about how fast and complex I could make my bass lines. Had a "crusty old veteran", who was probably younger than I am now, approach me after a show and say something that has stuck with me ever since. Him "You play pretty good." Me "Thanks!" Him "Its not how good you play, its how good what you play is." It took a good 48 hours to appreciate how much I had been roasted. It took another 10 years or so for me to truly understand what he had told me. I still show off, and cant lay off adding my own flair to any song I play... But now I am looking for spots where those additions enhance the song. I am making sure my fills/passing notes/counter melodies do not step on anyone else. Most importantly, I now make sure to stay true to the foundation of what I am playing. This results in my flair blending into the overall sonic frequencies instead of trying to stand out from them. Victor is preaching here, but its not a sermon anyone will understand until they are ready. I guarantee there were bass players in that audience who came away from it with "Victor is amazing, I must slap harder and faster to emulate him" as a take.
@@jasco5001 Not at all, he dropped a nugget of wisdom I needed to hear. Many life lessons are delivered in uncomfortable to painful packages. If that man had just said I was overplaying, I would have completely blown him off. I am grateful he chose the words he did and am absolutely a better bass player because of his comment.
You're telling me it took you ten years and two days to understand that simple sentence that he said? Guess I'll see you in ten years when you understand my comment and get around to replying to it.
It's refreshing to hear someone so talented basically say, 'Don't play as I do, play how you feel'. Makes a big difference when you know technique isn't everything. No one can teach heart, not even a legend like this
This is why playing in a band or ensemble is fulfilling in a different way than playing solo. Technically, it's simple and boring, but the amount of value you add to a song just by existing as a unique voice in the group is immeasurable.
I know what he’s talking about, when he says feeling. It’s an incredible feeling, when you feel the music, it’s like getting chills but it’s a strange feeling. It’s addicting in a way, and you can only get this feeling from music you truly love
This is so true. In my Heavy Metal Guitar Bible, a music book I picked up in the 80s. I read an anonymous quote that has stuck with me since. "Play as fast as you want but with no feeling it means nothing".
I just realised this is what I love about John Frusciante’s work with RHCP. For example “Can’t Stop” … starts simple - you’re feeling … then the song gets more complicated - now you’re listening. Thanks Victor 😃
Mannn ur missing the best part of that line. To me it ends "when you can reach someone with feeling, you can stop playing techniques - and start playing music"
IBlind Samurai that would make a lot of sense. I've been wondering why in the world Vic would be playing a P, but then I remembered that's literally all Michael plays
Not to mention we got Michael League just hanging out up there next to Victor acting super regular. No big deal lol. Two of my favorite musicians! I’d like to see more of this.
As a bassist that has been playing 20+ years. I keep coming back to this video because Victor is a great teacher and can communicate his teachings to non-musicians as well which is extraordinarily rare in people
Bass is so beautiful. It’s nowhere to be found but without it there’d be a weird empty place in a lot of songs. Seeing this guy jammin made me happy and smile in litterally 2 seconds.
I feel like Victor is one of those who's brought wisdom all his life. Even when he was a little kid he was probably blowing minds. He's intelligent, observant and insightful.
Reminds me of the saying “the perfect is the enemy of the good” There’s a million musicians who know everything there is to know about music. They have perfect ears, perfect form, great work ethic, know how to compose, know how to engineer, know how to change styles...... why aren’t they all famous? Because while they know everything there is to know about how to make music, they don’t know how to make you feel it. Simple as that. The most famous musicians aren’t always the best.
@@pardolagames8994 I can’t tell if you like or dislike Polyphia. I hate them tho. Tim Henson to me is like having the playing talent Ichika Nito while only having the song writing ability of Machine Gun Kelly.
Coming from a bass MONSTER like him, that's quite an endorsement for the bass playing its intended support role (ok, ok, with several notable, and highly talented exceptions to that rule!)
Wow, I never knew that quote about how ‘people will forget what you say/do, but will always remember how you made THEM FEEL’, was attributable to Maya Angelou. I first heard Al Jarreau say it in an interview on the Tavis Smiley show, now I hear Victor Wooten talk about the same thing. Ever since I heard Al Jarreau say it, I have been living it myself. Peace. 🐰💙🎸🎶🤝✌️
I was there, sitting just in front of him. Ground Up 2018 fest. Michael was listening him and began crying at some point. It was that strong. I remember from what he had said "when you call you mother you say two syllables and she recognizes you. How many notes do you need to play in order to people recognize your music?" Btw Wooten was just killing on double bass that time.
I’m surprised honestly, I was looking for something but i didn’t know what it was, I felt stressed and lost but when I clicked on this video everything he said just calmed me down the vibe he gives, his wisdom the truth, Once again Mr. Wooten has inspired and gave a life lesson to another fellow musician.
For anyone wondering, if I could remember correctly, the guy fanboying at the left name is Michael League. He is a really great bassist and founder of the mega band "Snarky Puppy".
I love how Victor teaches, and always have. He's the first bassist that I happened to hear teaching his techniques so I bought his DVDs and loved them all.
He is such a genius. How else can you explain this insight into music? Freedom in artistry is what he is about. Saw him live a few times (I feel so lucky) and he is spot on about feelings. He can play music so well that you can move from joy to melancholy to tears. Thank God for VLW. He was and still is an innovator and a game changer who touched so many musicians lives-including mine.
Bass players need to learn this, its about what you are adding to the groove or the feeling tour bassline adds, not always about how many techniques you can do or how complex you can make it...
When kids ask me about writing songs, I often point them to musicians like Chuck Berry, Kurt Cobain, Bowie, Oasis etc. Their most well known songs stick with you because of their simplicity. You don't need to have studied music or know about theory to create something that moves people.
this isnt a bass lesson...its a LIFE lesson. everything he said can be directly applied to how one projects and expresses oneself in life....he is a true master.
Brilliant.. I've been giving a 14 yr old kid bass lesson & been saying or trying to say exactly this.. Now i don't have to, i can just play this for her.. Cheers Doc
Victor grew up in newport news virginia, we are part of the 7 cities, hampton, newport news, suffolk, chesapeake, portsmouth, norfolk, and va beach, we have alot of musical talent, proud to be a virginian.
Wise words - I opened for Bela and the Flectones back in the 90's and was amazed at the virtuosity and yet the down home feel between the bass and banjo. Always in the pocket with Future Man and Howard blowing that chromatic jazz harmonica. What a band...
Howard Levy doesn’t stand out quite as much as the other Flecktones but man he is an incredible musician as well. I was too young in the 90s so I didn’t discover them until after Jeff Coffin replaced Levy, so I never got to see the original Flecktones. I did however have the privilege of seeing the only live show ever when they had both Levy and Coffin on the same stage. 👌🏻
