Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2014 Female Bassist Issue | Page 68

Buy a bass that is not too heavy. Find a
good bass teacher to show you the right
techniques. Step outside of your genre, even
into those you do not like, and also play
songs that may seem too challenging. Jam
to drum grooves, play-alongs and music
on the radio. Find yourself a drummer and
other musicians to work on grooves and
practice whole songs. For a whole year I
practiced for a couple of hours, five times
a week, with just my drummer. This helped
me to develop and work on my groove.

Again and again set yourself new goals that
you want to reach, i.e. playing bass on stage
with Prince. You should generally always
have fun with the bass. If you don’t, then it
may be the wrong instrument for you.

As soon as you can, start playing live gigs.
Learn to play the songs by heart and watch
what the other band members and singers
do. Play with as many different musicians
as you can. Learn and understand the
arrangements of songs, so that you will be
able to give cues to the band. Do not be
afraid to play with more seasoned musicians;
they will motivate you to become better
more quickly. The drummer and bassist are
instrumental in creating the groove. Do not
fiddle with the bass, instead create a solid
fundamental for the band.

My new show “ESCAPE” is ready to rock the
stages. It’s a mix of electronic & funky music
played by live musicians, in combination
with trash dance, theatre, art, visuals and
performance. Gaga + Manson = Angie
Taylor.

Visit bass and drum workshops. There
you will learn new techniques and hear
interesting stories and benefit from the
experience of other musicians. These are
great places to network and sometimes you
can also get good business information.
Continuously widen your horizon, by going
to concerts and generally letting yourself
be inspired by everything linked to your
music. Do not be jealous of others. There
will always be somebody who is better than
you, but keep in mind, there is no one like
you! Practice with motivation and fun.

Never stop dreaming.
What can we look forward