"Theory only comes in if there's a problem, if I need it. Theory is a tool, and like riding in a car, the tools are in the trunk. They're not in the passenger seat. I hope I never need the tools!" Brilliant analogy.
He's so right. If you play a "wrong" note, resolve it to a "right" note. The "wrong" notes are charged with tension, the "right" notes discharge that tension and bring you home. If you're lost, bend and make a face until you hit a pitch you like. Or slide until you hear a cool pitch.
Best statement Victor made was that "it is the context in which the notes are being played that matter. There are no wrong notes." That concept is what is "missing" in music education today.
@@pcb1962 I think this statement is not contradict with Adam's view on music. He always says that theory is a wonderful opportunity of studying and analysis music, which is, by Victor's words, a problem. You want to understand how it works and why does it affect your perception of this specific piece then you should try theory. You want to groove/jam with some fella? You hardly think about what scale goes with that chord, since you have no time to do while you playing. You apply your experience and empirical knowledge to reach the sound you think is mostly fits in this moment. At least I see it this way :)
@@DoubleAncient I don't disagree, my point is that every note that Adam plays he knows exactly why he's playing that note, theory, whereas Victor knows what notes to play without thinking about any theory. I'm wondering if Adam is saying that you need to know theory to play well, and Victor is saying that you don't.
This bass player: you don't need theory for most genres if you have a good set of ears, a bit of imagination, and a good sense of groove. I know a fairly minimal amount of theory, based almost solely on things I've noticed while playing and watching others play. I can still make most players sound good while playing most things, just on merit of groove and my intuition. Hell, I don't always even know what key I'm playing in, haha!
well that is not an excuse to not learn theory, it means that after you have mastered it you should forgot about it and use your feel and emotion, Charlie Parker said simmiliar wisdom, something like learn the theory and then just forgot about it and play...
He then says “now here Is where theory can come in....you learn theory so much, so well, that you don’t have to think about it” So again, it’s not don’t learn it, it’s not valuable. It’s learn it so you can be right and use the incorrect notes... correctly lol
@@efrainrobles3610 a few of his albums have a very short first track as an intro before the first song. I think this might be referring to the opening of _The Music Lesson Soundtrack._
A Show of Hands is the debut album by bassist Victor Wooten. It was recorded at Top of the Hill Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and was released in 1996 by Compass Records. The album features bass guitar with only the accompaniment of vocals, and showcases Wooten's slap bass and signature open-hammer-pluck techniques
12:31: “That’s cool. This is cooler. I’m gonna reshape his groove to make him sound better.” Causally activates GOD MODE. I don’t play bass. I don’t play guitar. I keep coming back to this video because it’s ridiculously impactful. Eyes, ears and heart wide open. This is beautiful.
Same man. As you can tell by my pfp I’m a drummer. So I love bass too. Victor is a mad man. But everything he days here I can take over to the drums and use that as inspiration
George Heasley I’m a trumpet player! I definitely understand how to play lead but also how to support the lead player. He just demonstrated it in a compelling way free of arrogance and self importance. Selfless. That’s beautiful. Jam out brother! Be well.
little_puff_ball puffinshmirtz well, arrogance is part of the ingredients to even sticking with playing trumpet. Who in the right mind would even enjoy playing this blasted piece of devil brass????
"We don't drive around with the tools in the passenger seat, they're in the trunk." - Just might be some of the best advice I've heard that goes for anything.
That's the second piece of great advice I've had today. The first was "If you want to excel at your job - learn to do the job of the guy that comes before you, and the job of the guy that comes after you." Now this: "We don't drive around with the tools in the passenger's seat; they're in the trunk."
@4ever EndlessX lets say you imagine a melody, u imagine the rhythm and all the parts and everything. at some point, without theoretical knowledge you will not know what notes and movements you need in order to achieve it. Ive noticed this myself many times and as hard as i try to realize most of the work i would make, it simply does not arise without the knowledge, even though theory is so fucking complicated, i know it well but not enough i have complete knowledge of rhythm yet i never use it to compose directly, sometimes it helps but withotu the knowledge of interchanges and harmony i cant realize melodies
victor was absolutely right though. this is always something I say to friends that ask about theory. they'll ask like "oh i really wanna learn theory so i can get better at writing" and my response is usually "the only reason you'd ever wanna use theory is if you need to communicate with other musicians" writing using theory almost always makes you sound terrible and boring.
When i hear the term " music industry" it imediately asociate me to business, money - mundane. Music is mistery per se and total art that shouldnt be lost in mundane world of money, sucess, fame etc.
That's a pretty good lesson in and of itself. To quote Miles Davis, “It's not the note you play that's the wrong note, it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.”
This video is over a year old now, and it has been the only youtube video that has actually given me good advice. Victor teaches so well how to not focus on the technicality, and just feel it. I really appreciate this video, and remember it every time I play.
This reminds me of a quote from Herbie Hancock, where Herbie once asked Miles Davis about ways to improve soloing. Davis replied with "Don't play the bottom notes", meaning don't play the notes below the root, but Herbie misheard him and thought he said, "Don't play the butter notes", which Herbie interpreted as "Don't play the notes that are comforting or are what people expect to hear". Herbie said next live show he incorporated that idea into his solo and got a standing ovation, and now lives by "not playing the butter notes".
I can’t believe I’m only just seeing this! I don’t know if you realized what you did though. You didn’t just ask questions to get answers. You were tickling the passionate heartstrings of one of the greatest bassists to exist. When you started talking about teaching people, Victor’s face lit up and to hear his passion when he speaks….great video, man!
@@13AustinPrinceOof, when little white kid attempts to ruin a joke between two musicians by injecting woke progressive identity politics in order to sound like an adult. You almost did it champ, better luck next time.
Victor is such an amazing guy. So talented and yet so humble and wise. He's really one of a kind, there will never be another like him. He's one of the greats.
Playing the wrong notes is dangerous and that’s why using them right requires mastery. In the hands of a gifted surgeon, wrong notes create classic moments in music
“Theory only comes in if there’s a problem; is a tool. Like riding in a car, the tools are in the trunk, not in the passenger seat. I hope I don’t have to use it” As a music producer and music student I spent a lot of time focusing on theory and trying to get very technical. I started actually finishing tracks when I let things flow and started using my ears. Very wise musician.
Exactly the same experience for me. Focusing on theory and technique has ruined my early years, as a musician. Today, it's as if I were freed from all that stuff. Django knew no theory. He WAS music. Does nature need theory? Theory is a tool, as he says, mainly when you're learning, when you're young. But, as P. Boulez said, musical studies must be as short as can be.
@@pascalsolal That's a really narrow-minded perspective. A musician that stops learning and growing is not a good example of a musician in my eyes. There are many genres where a lack of musical understanding will just hinder your progress or slow it down immensly. If I hadn't devoted myself to technique and theory training I would be stuck right where I was 2 years ago. Not everyone plays 1-4-5 blues all the time.
@@swaggerchegger98 You misunderstood my point (or I didn't make myself clear). I didn't mean you stopped learning. But you learn by practicing, by making music, by listening. Not in books. Debussy, Schoenberg, had the same point of view. Bartok said that composing can't be learnt.
he knows the theory so well that he naturally plays the 'right' notes. he said something in those regards in the interview. he wanted to connect to the interviewer, who's at a lower level, so that's why he explained it that way. he teaches new students all the time so he wants his students to stay interested and creative, especially if they're young. but you'd be a fool if you thought that he can't talk shop about theory on a very high level. i've heard alot of high level musicians say something along the lines of what vic said because they've achieved full creativity with their music/art. hell if even joe pass says it it's good enough for me lol
@@swaggerchegger98 "A musician that stops learning and growing" Jeez ! So by that statement are u saying that learning theory the only way to learn and grow for a Musician? Looks like u don't want to accept that the many years you've "devoted" to learning theory may have all been for nothing .... Dude, if you can't understand the emphasis on FEELING You've lost the point of Vic message. You can talk to a scholar with unquenchable vocabulary ...but the problem is after couple of seconds , it feels like bullshiting each other ...Because I as a general audience, dont wanna know or talk big words man or how they are constructed or what's their importance ....I am here to feel your music and THAT realisation liberates you from being this Self Important, Knowledgeable theory dude who can point at the wrong note but when it matters can't play a good interesting groove ....Tyler is a great example lol ... You theory whores are all about pointing at things coz that's all u know ... Pointing at things and giving it a name , the music simply flew off the window, the feeling of the long drive broke like a bitch coz all this while you were hooked on the tools at the back of the truck ....
He asked “anything else you want to add to this groove for the outro?” and Victor dropped a demonstration of the bass’s roll in a band so impactful that I’ll never forget it
Victor Wooten is on a whole different level. When you think he’s teaching you how to be a better musician he actually teaching you how to be a better human being.
Had a chance several years ago to meet and visit with Victor Wooten, I’m really bad at bass but He was so nice and made me feel like we had been friends for a long time. He has great philosophy and yes he made me feel comfortable missing a note and showed how everyone has been a bass player just listening to music, he also said the most influential people in the world make music, think about it, a musician can ask 100k people to quiet down and they will. Not even your favorite political figure has that influence over people. A year later I met him in a crowd again and he remembered me, I didn’t ask he just said your that guy from.... made a nobody like me feel pretty special if only for a moment.
There are bad notes. We all know them when we heard them. It takes a mill musical miles experience to not hit them. By theory or by ear. Theory guys are correct. By ear is a much longer road to getting there. I just won't play any other way but by ear or feel. Never been fired from a gig in 30 yrs. But it was a hard road indeed.
I get the feeling that Tyler can barely contain his fanboyism and is just thinking "OMG I'M PLAYING GUITAR WITH VICTOR WOOTEN OMG I'M PLAYING GUITAR WITH VICTOR WOOTEN" during this entire video lol
I thought his lack of fanboyism was odd at first but realized that likely if he let even a little glee out, there’s no way he could reel it back. Meanwhile I’m smiling at the screen like a pure fool lol
Lol I played guitar in a band that had a lead singer that would sometimes sing sharp. Then he'd come over to me and look at my guitar and me like I was playing the wrong chord!! And the thing that sucked is people watching believed him! So it looked like I was playing off.
I’ve seen this video like 10 times and still, every time I see it recommended, I watch it again. I don’t even play bass but Victor is just such a master and his insight is second to none. There’s few people who I can say have as much musical knowledge as he does. Put simply, he has the feel and also has the intelligence to explain it. You rarely see people with both those traits.
As a guitar player, I absolutely hate when the rhythm section just follows me. It takes away tremendously from creativity. With every instrument doing its own thing, my band and I can incorporate cool things like polymeters, sick bass lines and countermelodies into our songs to keep them unique and invigorating.
xxxtentioncable it all depends on the style of music bro, if that’s good for your band, then great, but for funk, jazz, etc. sometimes it’s better to just let the music do the talking-sometimes less is more
@@fuggledugglegaming I'm a bassist and I used to be in a band with this guitarist who never stuck to a key signature or anything when he played, which is fine, but he also couldn't relay what he was doing to me so I could make up basslines to go with it. Guy knew nothing about music theory or notes on his guitar or anything. Since he played in weird tunings, following his fretting was worthless and even though he was creative and his playing was good, it was too much of a headache to be constantly trying to keep up with him.
From conversation: - I can tell you even before we start, that I will not be thinking about music theory. I’m tell you that right away This people don’t want to hear my theory come out of here(means guitar), they want to hear my passion(my emotion, my feel), they don’t care about how much theory I know - We learn theory in order to be right, but what gets your attention is the wrongness. As soon as I play note not in a key, you say woooo (point finger to the guitar), right. So we need to learn theory well enough that we could be wrong with it. - Nobody hires me to play the right key, they hire me to make groove. - Check it out, I don’t know what key, I don’t have perfect pitch, but I don’t care, because you’re not gonna dance to the key, you dance to the groove. - The contex make it right, not the pitch. We teach you pitch, but we should teach you context. You can put any note into that groove context and it will work. - A lot of the time I see is the instrument in a tune by playin chords. That much more fun than this(play melodycs). I like to make music. - Main thing is if I groove hard enough I can play any notes and you will like it. - I can play in a total wrong key so well, that I can make you sound wrong. - Sometimes to make him sound better I play in a different place. - My job is not just play with him, my job is to make him sound better. - We don’t teach that, we teach musician how to sound better, when you job on the guitar as rythm section … your job is to make other people sound better. And zero people teach you that.
"I don't know the key, I don't have perfect pitch... but I don't care". As a musician, this brings me a lot of relief. I have read Victor's book "A music lesson" a few times and it has truly changed my life. If you are a musician reading this, I can't recommend it enough! It is the best book on being a musician and understanding music I have ever read.
13:09 Victor just basically explained what Cliff did for Metallica before his death. He did play what James or Kirk was playing he changed it just a little bit so he could drive their riffs to the fullest and make them sound better.
VW is one of the most humblest music legends. Apart from the musical advices he gives, he always slips in a moral lesson which is so uplifting. Just like his music!
Yeah, and the metaphor of the car: "you're riding in the car and the tools are in the trunk, they're not on the passenger's seat, I hope I'll never need the tools" :-)
A better analogy imo would be “you are the mechanic, and your car is the music, you can only build a fast car if you have the right parts (ideas) and the right tools (skills)” The fewer parts and tools you have, the slower and less reliable your car will be. The fewer ideas and skills you have the less interesting and dynamic your music will be. You can’t build your car without having both of those things, a load of tools isn’t much use without something to build.
If you haven't yet, you should read "The Music Lesson" by Victor Wooten. The way he talks in this phenomenal interview directly relates to his incredible book.
I loved that book. Listened to it as an audiobook which I would recommend as Victor lays down some grooves in between things that makes it even nicer. Victor reads his parts too which is awesome. In fact, I extracted the audiobook and made it into an MP3 then put it on a thumb drive and handed it to the great Tommy Emmanuel at one of his guitar camps!
His analogy of Music theory to talking really clicked with me. We know the rules of language (hopefully) well enough to manipulate to our needs and achieve our goal. Music theory is like the rules of music, once mastered, can be manipulated to achieve something new/ different.
if you liked his analogy of music theory and talking then you MUST listen to his ted talk. It's a whole speech about how learning to speak and learning to talk are similar, in particular about how we don't scold a toddler when they use improper grammar and we shouldn't scold musicians when they are imperfect either.
What I ultimately got from this lesson is: Playing cool music is like being on a tour or road trip or whatever. You try to go and visit as many places as you want, but in the end, when you go home after a long tiring trip, it's one of the best feelings in the world. It's really nothing short of amazing how victor wooten can elevate the sound of any musician he's playing with by playing the "wrong" notes before playing the right ones.
I feel like the real difference between a good and bad musician is the... confidence. It doesn't matter how complex the stuff you play is, or how precise you are, what matters is how confidently you do it. This especially applies to bass, the reason why a lot of guitarists sound like shit when they pick up bass is how timidly they play it. Bass sets the key, the rhythm, and it is the real lead instrument, because when played properly, it LEADS the whole band. Lead guitar doesn't lead anything, it just stands on top. In fact, it works best when following the other instuments.
Luey Sixty-six Bass and guitar constantly interact the job of the bassist is to make the guitar or groove of the song sound better. So they need to interacr
6mins he says the exact opposite. Truth is theory is behind everything he’s doing. There’s thought and consideration behind the grooves and the harmonic content of his playing. He purposely plays a #11 over I (Lydian) at the end of that little jam and then has to admit that theory came into the forefront of his process at that point because that was a considered choice - based on his knowledge of what playing #4 over I conveys emotionally. He’s not explaining it clearly imo. What he should be saying is that understanding of music theory gives you a wider vocabulary with which you can express yourself, but you can know all the theory under the sun and it won’t make a difference unless you have something to say on your instrument. The goal is human expression, theory and chops etc are just tools you use along the way.
I need more Victor Wooten in my life. The ultimate vibe master and music teacher. CLASS IS IN SESSION. Some serious one liner bangers raining down on us. Great video and thank you for sharing!
"All the notes are right!" I love that. I usually feel that way. You can throw in any note and if it's wrong it just adds tension. You just need to resolve it at the right time. So in the end timing is more important that the notes themselves.
Yep, this is the biggest takeaway. It's true from both a temporal and harmonic standpoint. You can diverge and start playing in an alternate time signature from the rest of the band even, but after several measures if it re-aligns with the rest of the band, and you rejoin the timing/groove, it all pays off. For harmonic content, playing all the complex frequency ratios of the tonic (in scale), and even playing passing notes out of scale can just add to tension... and then if you resolve it back to the tonic, it all pays off. Those payoffs are the real head bobbing moments, and the moments that we love in music.
🤗 VICTOR!!! WE LOVE YOU!! 💕 I used to use his 'Amazing grace' as a lullaby for my baby son. That music, that interpretation and some more like that was into my son's brain. 15 years later, he is a drum set drummer 🤘😁 and he's very good. Thanks SO MUCH, for giving to all of us that great energy, knowledge and kind way to go. You are one of the best examples the majority of mothers want for our kids. God bless you 🙌💖✨
I'm 36 and his "Show of Hands" album was one of the first CD's I bought in my teens. Very inspiring for a kid to hear that much emotion thru a 4 string. Thank you Mr. Wooten for motivating me to practice more too.
i swear... this man just KNOW'S music. he could write thousand page books on theory, as deep and experimental as john coltrane... but understands that music is a journey, and he's the conductor. feeling!!! feeling!!! that's the key... i love this guy.
"Theory only comes in if there's a problem." "Theory is a tool." This does not mean don't learn your theory btw "Learn theory well enough that we can be wrong with it" you still have to learn your theory
Dinosaur if you don’t learn it, things will be a lot harder in the long run. Also you kinda disproved your point in your own comment 😂 you may not actively be thinking it, but that basic understanding is there
It's like what Comedians do with the English language. You have to know it so well that you can intentionally use it wrong, which is where slang and comedy ultimately comes from.
This was mindblowing to me. I m A theory guy who always is looking for those other notes and chords that make a song pop. This is truly a great lesson in how to think about it.. or ... how "not to think" about it !
Met Victor two years ago when he came to my highschool in Buffalo, New York. I dropped the bass from discouragement before I met him. Watching him play and hearing him say “just pick up a bass” changed my life now. What an amazing soul, I would love to meet him again.
Yeah what a wise man Victor is... his very knowledgeable words is enough for any musician, bass player or not to pick up an instrument. Also I am from buffalo too dude! That must have been a great experience to meet him.
"Wrong is right." Thelonious Monk "I played the wrong wrong notes." Thelonious Monk INTERVIEWER: "What do you do when you play a wrong note?" MILES DAVIS: "I play it again." "I never wanted to learn how to paint the right way, but I was always interested in learning how to paint the wrong way." Picasso "Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of genius." William Blake "Most of those melodies are me trying to find out what notes fit, and then hitting ones that don't fit in a very interesting way." Brian Eno “Do not fear mistakes - there are none. ” Miles Davis "There is no such thing as a wrong note." Art Tatum "I'm gonna do my best to play the wrong notes." Victor Wooten "Its the wrongness that grabs your emotion." Victor Wooten What kind of music do I make? Wrong music. Who am I to argue with the greats? Doren Garcia "Wronger is better." Doren Garcia "Engineers create music software so that mediocre composers can get their music right. I use software to get music wrong. I'm not saying I'm better, I may be worse, I'm just not mediocre." Doren Garcia
I'm watching this for the second time and 5:28 further cements it in my mind that bass and guitar have their own roles and feed into and off of each other.
Everytime I rewatch them I learn something new. Everything Victor says sounds like a friendly chat but is actually really profound for learning how to play musically.
Victor used to write me back when I was a kid and just starting out as a session and touring bassist - he has always been a sweet, patient, and amazing guy.
@@albertplaysguitar I stopped professionally playing years ago to take better care of my wife, a multiple time cancer survivor, and my kids through all that, BUT my eldest son recorded last month with a grammy award winning artist with my old producer from 10 years ago!! I'm actually playing bass daily with him again, and he's SO MUCH BETTER than any musician I've ever played with: he's fluent in music - he's been playing since he was only a few months old. His thinking is like a Beatles or Tommy Dowd... it's like my entire life of creating music was really prepping to be the dad of the real legendary deal lol. I'm sure in time you'll hear the name James Powers ;) I've been building guitars and pedals with him this year and helping him prepare to reveal his work. I know it sounds like proud papa exaggeration but I'll just say this: We're listening to Jeff Buckley and I mention the chord extensions and he listens then picks up the guitar and plays the SAME EXTENSION on a DIFFERENT CHORD... and he goes "Like this?" with my mouth open I just said YUP... lol. It's thrilling to see him grow in leaps and bounds! Unschooling is ultima!! Esp if you can get the talent encoded before age 7 or 8.
@@AntoinMhicArtain why? wooten is objectively a top musician of today, it certainly is of the best. you should broaden your horizons and stop listening to the same 3 dudes
@@AntoinMhicArtain "you should watch more videos" implying there are much more and better examples out there. of course you are wrong. study some music, you have no problem telling people to "watch more videos" so you should have no problem with me telling you to actually pick an instrument up
I keep coming back to this video over the years. This was so brilliantly demonstrated; natural and easy. I’m definitely “one foot in the door, one foot out” when it comes to utilizing music theory. The more you understand and have ingrained within you, the further you can get away from it while improvising or writing.
I don't even play guitar and know nothing about it. I'm learning the piano. And yet I learnt so much from this. This gentleman is articulate and his analogies are dead on.Incredible! Bonus lesson learnt: respect the background accompaniment, not just the solo artist!
Honestly, the part around 11:41 where they’re both playing in totally different keys still sounds fantastic to me, reminds me a lot of the album “birds of fire” by the mahavishnu orchestra, that album is very heavy on polytonality
Tyler, you said "maybe go back and watch it a second time". i think i first watched this video about a year ago. i watch it every few weeks. every time it comes back up on my feed. every time i watch it i not only learn something new, but it gets me in the right mindset to not be afraid to learn to "speak" with my instruments. i really hope to run into you and Victor next year at NAMM.
Don’t miss around 10:31 where Victor intentionally tries to make me mess up by playing in different keys and syncopations 😂
Slap like hahaha
if you think a note is wrong it is not.. its just haven't been resolved yet..
Victor Wooten having guitarists feel like the supporting instrument.
Music is Win Awesome, I love the way Victor teachers… It throws people off sometimes because he’s unconventional, but you did a great job
Dude that is seriously dope! 😵
Came for a music lesson, left with a life lesson.
IKR
That's what happens when you learn from Mr Wooten!
Woooorddd
So true
That’s Victor for you. This man is a national treasure.
"Theory only comes in if there's a problem, if I need it. Theory is a tool, and like riding in a car, the tools are in the trunk. They're not in the passenger seat. I hope I never need the tools!" Brilliant analogy.
He's a really wise dude. Runs music camps and such. He definitely finds joy in music education & his language reflects it.
Also can i add, if your car ever stopps, u use ur tools to improve ur car and to fix and make ur car move...
@@lucapolo9 yes my dude
an amazing answer from someone who knows the hell out of music
pretty sure Keanu Reeves said that...
7:05 "the coolest notes are the wrong ones". Well who knew after all this time that my playing was cool after all
Jazz summed up in 7 words
😂
Well yes but actually no...
@@emileguitar but actually yes if you just play
He's so right. If you play a "wrong" note, resolve it to a "right" note. The "wrong" notes are charged with tension, the "right" notes discharge that tension and bring you home. If you're lost, bend and make a face until you hit a pitch you like. Or slide until you hear a cool pitch.
Best statement Victor made was that "it is the context in which the notes are being played that matter. There are no wrong notes." That concept is what is "missing" in music education today.
Same in jam sessions. If everyone is on the same page with this mindset, magic happens
This whole video was a life lesson. I love what this guy stands for. He made tons of good points.
"This has been my favorite chord progression since high school."
Victor : "ya I use that one to tune my guitar."
Lol dude totally just had a lifelong dream of getting Wooten to play a bass line to that cheesy progression. Didn’t really work out unfortunately...
@@workhardplayharder2645 Yeah, it felt so forced lol
this made me laugh so hard thanks
Lmaoooo comment of the year?
@@workhardplayharder2645 it was a nice progression. Vic just felt like making a different point.
"Theory only comes in if there's a problem."
"Theory is a tool."
Interesting contrast with Adam Neely, or maybe not, I'd love to see them have a chat about that
Adam is thinking pretty much the same like Wooten in his reharm episodes.
pcb1962 Adam always talks about the importance of MUSCLE MEMORY and CONTEXT.
@@pcb1962 I think this statement is not contradict with Adam's view on music. He always says that theory is a wonderful opportunity of studying and analysis music, which is, by Victor's words, a problem. You want to understand how it works and why does it affect your perception of this specific piece then you should try theory. You want to groove/jam with some fella? You hardly think about what scale goes with that chord, since you have no time to do while you playing. You apply your experience and empirical knowledge to reach the sound you think is mostly fits in this moment.
At least I see it this way :)
@@DoubleAncient I don't disagree, my point is that every note that Adam plays he knows exactly why he's playing that note, theory, whereas Victor knows what notes to play without thinking about any theory. I'm wondering if Adam is saying that you need to know theory to play well, and Victor is saying that you don't.
Universally all bass player - "Music Theory is the law"
Victor Wooten - "I am the law...."
This bass player: you don't need theory for most genres if you have a good set of ears, a bit of imagination, and a good sense of groove. I know a fairly minimal amount of theory, based almost solely on things I've noticed while playing and watching others play. I can still make most players sound good while playing most things, just on merit of groove and my intuition. Hell, I don't always even know what key I'm playing in, haha!
@Me, Also Me You have to know the theory well in order to go beyond it.
He won't tell you that 😁
hell yeah
Anthrax
What he nonchalantly does to “reshape the groove” starting around 12:35 is one of the coolest and grooviest things I’ve ever heard. What a legend!
Yea I loved that...tyler had the stank face too
Had to rewatch that section a couple of times to fathom what the hell is going on there… magnificent
Mr. Wooten is a true talent.
The first half of it sounded good but that second half before he “brought it home” I didn’t like
for me this one at 11:35… such sex 😪🙀🥲
"I can play in the totally wrong key so well that it will make you sound wrong..." -Victor Wooten 2020
He wasn't wrong
Marko Polo but he was
@@brendantunkel1114 I love this thread even tho its 2 replies
Brendan Tunkel he wasn’t you clearly wasn’t watching and listening
@@kbswisha Wooosh
"Theory only comes in if there's a problem"
Possibly the most valuable line ever uttered in relation to Music theory!!!
"You keep the tools in the trunk!" YESSIR
@@RobFlaxMusic still gotta have your tools handy
well that is not an excuse to not learn theory, it means that after you have mastered it you should forgot about it and use your feel and emotion, Charlie Parker said simmiliar wisdom, something like learn the theory and then just forgot about it and play...
Music theory studs getting they little bubble burst lol
He then says “now here Is where theory can come in....you learn theory so much, so well, that you don’t have to think about it”
So again, it’s not don’t learn it, it’s not valuable. It’s learn it so you can be right and use the incorrect notes... correctly lol
“These are all the notes, you tell me which is wrong”.
That’s the funkiest shit ever spoken.
Dude totally I got second hand confidence from that
Just watched him on a Sweetwater and had no idea that he had been on Music is Win, he’s like a musician and philosopher.
Wow! That is one awesome quote.
It's right artist doesn't need notes only art and emotions,as training kills emotion
this kinda blow centuries of musical "pedagogy" into vapor. it's so freeing and so enthralling too .. gets your mind working deeper
Victor Wooten is so good that tuning his bass is the opening to a triple Plat album
😂😂 yup
What’s the album??
This question never got answered. Wtf?
@@efrainrobles3610 a few of his albums have a very short first track as an intro before the first song. I think this might be referring to the opening of _The Music Lesson Soundtrack._
A Show of Hands is the debut album by bassist Victor Wooten. It was recorded at Top of the Hill Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and was released in 1996 by Compass Records. The album features bass guitar with only the accompaniment of vocals, and showcases Wooten's slap bass and signature open-hammer-pluck techniques
12:31: “That’s cool. This is cooler. I’m gonna reshape his groove to make him sound better.”
Causally activates GOD MODE.
I don’t play bass. I don’t play guitar. I keep coming back to this video because it’s ridiculously impactful. Eyes, ears and heart wide open. This is beautiful.
Same man. As you can tell by my pfp I’m a drummer. So I love bass too. Victor is a mad man. But everything he days here I can take over to the drums and use that as inspiration
George Heasley I’m a trumpet player! I definitely understand how to play lead but also how to support the lead player. He just demonstrated it in a compelling way free of arrogance and self importance. Selfless. That’s beautiful.
Jam out brother! Be well.
little_puff_ball puffinshmirtz well, arrogance is part of the ingredients to even sticking with playing trumpet. Who in the right mind would even enjoy playing this blasted piece of devil brass????
You should be a bass player
Totally agree! Absolutely on another level
"We don't drive around with the tools in the passenger seat, they're in the trunk." - Just might be some of the best advice I've heard that goes for anything.
+9999
That's the second piece of great advice I've had today. The first was "If you want to excel at your job - learn to do the job of the guy that comes before you, and the job of the guy that comes after you." Now this:
"We don't drive around with the tools in the passenger's seat; they're in the trunk."
Totally agree! You must learn theory, in order not think about it
Rich Johnson Except for bank robbers...
I will write down his words about theory. He just nailed that!
I love how uncomfortable he looks when he's shitting on music theory XD
LOOOOL you can see it in his face 😂
Can't express how much I loved that. The tools in the trunk analogy really was perfect.
@4ever EndlessX I like this analogy better than the video one!!
Really clever.
@4ever EndlessX lets say you imagine a melody, u imagine the rhythm and all the parts and everything. at some point, without theoretical knowledge you will not know what notes and movements you need in order to achieve it.
Ive noticed this myself many times and as hard as i try to realize most of the work i would make, it simply does not arise without the knowledge, even though theory is so fucking complicated, i know it well but not enough
i have complete knowledge of rhythm yet i never use it to compose directly, sometimes it helps but withotu the knowledge of interchanges and harmony i cant realize melodies
victor was absolutely right though. this is always something I say to friends that ask about theory. they'll ask like "oh i really wanna learn theory so i can get better at writing" and my response is usually "the only reason you'd ever wanna use theory is if you need to communicate with other musicians" writing using theory almost always makes you sound terrible and boring.
"Because it's the wrongness that grabs your emotions." Well that's cool. I'm the most emotional player there is.
Lol
Hysterical. :D
Lmao
Oh my… lol
It's not a clam - it's just a feeling!
"If you can play wrongly , you can play rightly"
-My hero and a very friendly bass player Victor Wooten
DUUUDE I LOVE THIS MAN
Lingling can play it both ways
hahahaa twoset
"Theory only comes in if there's a problem" is some of the most sage shit I've ever heard with music honestly.
ngl that bit legit made me cry a bit
@@SamThredder 🤣
The guy did start playing bass when he was 2 years old !
My God that's exactly the way I've thought about it but I could never crystalize it into language until I heard that! Brilliant
@@thinkinyblinko6666 "crystallize it into language" is the most beautiful way I've heard anyone say "put into words"
It sounds fantastical
with 30 years of playing I think this is the best lesson Ive ever heard. Spectacular
Same here Nick, I've played for 32 yrs
exactly
Closing in on thirty years as well and I completely agree with you.
Cool story bros
12:30 gave me goosebumps with that harmonics man what a great player
Cool pfp man
@@gabriel-ox7qu Thanks man, yours looks cool too. 🤝 lmao
Wait a damn second…
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” - Pablo Picasso
Picasso said "pro" ?
- Albert Einstein
- Mark Rutte
I think it was “professional”. My art teacher has the same quote on a door in her classroom.
Nah I'm pretty sure that was Jaco Picasso. Or was his name Pablo Pastorius?
"I don't know the key. but I don't care."
-victor wooten 2020
That motto might work for bass players I guess
Dude, it works for everything
@@Adam_Pagan bro... bass and rythm playing diferent note.. and whos wrong ??
rythem or bass ??
Works for piano too. It doesn’t matter as long as you have a good ear
You can figure out the key after the first two notes.
When Wooten pointed to the audience member and said: "Look at you head now right?"
Well he might as well be pointing through the screen
word
Word x2 he’s better than those late night infomercial psychics.. it felt like he could see me 😂.
Zactly, me too!
Watch the lady sitting behind him on the right side of the screen.
Victor is such a gem in the music industry. Guy feels like that Dad you wish you had lol
When i hear the term " music industry" it imediately asociate me to business, money - mundane. Music is mistery per se and total art that shouldnt be lost in mundane world of money, sucess, fame etc.
Plot twist: he played the wrong note accidentally then made up the whole lesson to pass it off as intentional
Bruh
That's a pretty good lesson in and of itself. To quote Miles Davis, “It's not the note you play that's the wrong note, it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.”
it's actually a lesson in management
Genius.
Ngl that's pretty Victor wooten
Victor isn't just a talented bassist, he's a talented musician. Very fun to watch.
please, please, please, choose a different logo dude!
@@johnlannikk2701 oh yeah yeah
Lollllll
He’s a talented human being it seems
Yes, last I checked bass players are musicians lol
"So, as a rhythm section musician, my job is not to just play with him; it is to make him sound better"
This is GOLD
I love that!
Yeah!
This video is over a year old now, and it has been the only youtube video that has actually given me good advice. Victor teaches so well how to not focus on the technicality, and just feel it. I really appreciate this video, and remember it every time I play.
This reminds me of a quote from Herbie Hancock, where Herbie once asked Miles Davis about ways to improve soloing. Davis replied with "Don't play the bottom notes", meaning don't play the notes below the root, but Herbie misheard him and thought he said, "Don't play the butter notes", which Herbie interpreted as "Don't play the notes that are comforting or are what people expect to hear". Herbie said next live show he incorporated that idea into his solo and got a standing ovation, and now lives by "not playing the butter notes".
cool
True saw it at the explaining music video
Dont play better notes! It was
@@minmaj7837 No it was actually dont play the BUTTER notes
People/ musicians who think VS feel. Bots
Wootens tuning method is more beautiful than anything I’ve ever played 😂
My thoughts exactly. And nice profile picture, great album 👍
@@pzooka where's this picture from?
@@sadyakubovich Artist: Bueno Vista Social Club
Album: Bueno Vista Social Club
What's shapes is he playing?
love the profile picture buena vista social club
This guy just turned a technical video into a spiritual one. He's like a motivational speaker! VICTOR WOOTEN you're a legend! ❤️
You should watch his TED-Ed. Also his graduation speech.
just ua-cam.com/video/2zvjW9arAZ0/v-deo.html
exactly. loved it.
@@henryfinman6176 or read his book The Music Lesson, very good read imo
The motivational Speaker!
I can’t believe I’m only just seeing this! I don’t know if you realized what you did though. You didn’t just ask questions to get answers. You were tickling the passionate heartstrings of one of the greatest bassists to exist. When you started talking about teaching people, Victor’s face lit up and to hear his passion when he speaks….great video, man!
“Your job as the rhythm section is to make other people sound better.” Victor Wooten everybody.
Everything is said in that sentence ! What an inspirational human being
priceless lesson! truely!
100%
my hero wears a bass not a cape
Damn he good man
Victor: "My job is not to just play with him. My job is to make him sound better."
Tyler: "You're hired!"
Victor: "That's what ends up happening." 👌😂
that was the most enjoyable bit ngl
Oof when white mediocre guy tries to "hire" talented black guy... been happening in the music industry over the past 100 years
@@13AustinPrince I mean you heard what Victor did there.
@@13AustinPrince lmao bro pull the stick out of your ass, it was a joke
@@13AustinPrinceOof, when little white kid attempts to ruin a joke between two musicians by injecting woke progressive identity politics in order to sound like an adult. You almost did it champ, better luck next time.
Gandalf: "A bass player doesnt play wrong, nor does he play right. He plays precisely like he's meant to"
Wise words from Leland Sklar
Bro 😂😂😂😂
I’d like to add good. A good bass player
Victor is such an amazing guy. So talented and yet so humble and wise. He's really one of a kind, there will never be another like him. He's one of the greats.
This is seriously one of the dopest lessons ever. No joke.
🤯
Victor: Just groovin’
Tyler: Don’t fuck up, don’t fuck up, don’t fuck up
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂
Dude was strumming so stiff haha just trying not to mess up. I dont blame him though!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
13:17
"You're hired"
"That's what ends up happening"
Haha, smooth and savage. ^^
Playing the wrong notes is dangerous and that’s why using them right requires mastery. In the hands of a gifted surgeon, wrong notes create classic moments in music
Victor “ No body hired you to play the right key”
me: got kicked out of band for not playing with the right key 😂
You should play with your fingers or a pick then...
@@vetlerradio u should play with ur nose and eblows
@@SirPraiseSun I could If you can film it!
Victor would get the rest of the band kicked for not playing in the right key.
You could use theory to play with the wrong key and sound spot on !!!!
“Theory only comes in if there’s a problem; is a tool. Like riding in a car, the tools are in the trunk, not in the passenger seat. I hope I don’t have to use it”
As a music producer and music student I spent a lot of time focusing on theory and trying to get very technical. I started actually finishing tracks when I let things flow and started using my ears. Very wise musician.
Exactly the same experience for me. Focusing on theory and technique has ruined my early years, as a musician. Today, it's as if I were freed from all that stuff. Django knew no theory. He WAS music. Does nature need theory? Theory is a tool, as he says, mainly when you're learning, when you're young. But, as P. Boulez said, musical studies must be as short as can be.
@@pascalsolal That's a really narrow-minded perspective. A musician that stops learning and growing is not a good example of a musician in my eyes. There are many genres where a lack of musical understanding will just hinder your progress or slow it down immensly.
If I hadn't devoted myself to technique and theory training I would be stuck right where I was 2 years ago. Not everyone plays 1-4-5 blues all the time.
@@swaggerchegger98
You misunderstood my point (or I didn't make myself clear). I didn't mean you stopped learning. But you learn by practicing, by making music, by listening. Not in books. Debussy, Schoenberg, had the same point of view. Bartok said that composing can't be learnt.
he knows the theory so well that he naturally plays the 'right' notes. he said something in those regards in the interview. he wanted to connect to the interviewer, who's at a lower level, so that's why he explained it that way. he teaches new students all the time so he wants his students to stay interested and creative, especially if they're young. but you'd be a fool if you thought that he can't talk shop about theory on a very high level. i've heard alot of high level musicians say something along the lines of what vic said because they've achieved full creativity with their music/art. hell if even joe pass says it it's good enough for me lol
@@swaggerchegger98 "A musician that stops learning and growing" Jeez ! So by that statement are u saying that learning theory the only way to learn and grow for a Musician? Looks like u don't want to accept that the many years you've "devoted" to learning theory may have all been for nothing .... Dude, if you can't understand the emphasis on FEELING You've lost the point of Vic message. You can talk to a scholar with unquenchable vocabulary ...but the problem is after couple of seconds , it feels like bullshiting each other ...Because I as a general audience, dont wanna know or talk big words man or how they are constructed or what's their importance ....I am here to feel your music and THAT realisation liberates you from being this Self Important, Knowledgeable theory dude who can point at the wrong note but when it matters can't play a good interesting groove ....Tyler is a great example lol ... You theory whores are all about pointing at things coz that's all u know ... Pointing at things and giving it a name , the music simply flew off the window, the feeling of the long drive broke like a bitch coz all this while you were hooked on the tools at the back of the truck ....
"tired of learning music from random youtube videos?" - no Fender Play ad... i'm not
Touché!
😂
Right?!
lmao
It's funny because that's pretty much what Fender Play is isn't it? Random people from Fender teaching lessons on a UA-cam style video player.
He asked “anything else you want to add to this groove for the outro?” and Victor dropped a demonstration of the bass’s roll in a band so impactful that I’ll never forget it
Victor Wooten is on a whole different level. When you think he’s teaching you how to be a better musician he actually teaching you how to be a better human being.
Definitely feeling the same way!
It's like listening to Buddha+Mandela+God of Funk all rolled into one...
the 2 are intimately connected, your musical progress is limited by your progress as a person.
@@axeman2638 YEAH
No, he's not. Lay off the weed.
@@UmVtCg who hurt you ?
Had a chance several years ago to meet and visit with Victor Wooten, I’m really bad at bass but He was so nice and made me feel like we had been friends for a long time. He has great philosophy and yes he made me feel comfortable missing a note and showed how everyone has been a bass player just listening to music, he also said the most influential people in the world make music, think about it, a musician can ask 100k people to quiet down and they will. Not even your favorite political figure has that influence over people. A year later I met him in a crowd again and he remembered me, I didn’t ask he just said your that guy from.... made a nobody like me feel pretty special if only for a moment.
I remember jazz band when telling us to do a solo he always said “ There are no wrong notes, just wrong choices.”
I remember a similar mantra from a teacher. Still never made me feel better about my botched solos, though.
There are bad notes. We all know them when we heard them. It takes a mill musical miles experience to not hit them. By theory or by ear. Theory guys are correct. By ear is a much longer road to getting there. I just won't play any other way but by ear or feel. Never been fired from a gig in 30 yrs. But it was a hard road indeed.
Love this... Thank you
when he “brings it home” at 12:59 is absolute magic. Victor is the definition of 1 of a kind. nobody sounds like Victor.
I get the feeling that Tyler can barely contain his fanboyism and is just thinking "OMG I'M PLAYING GUITAR WITH VICTOR WOOTEN OMG I'M PLAYING GUITAR WITH VICTOR WOOTEN" during this entire video lol
I thought his lack of fanboyism was odd at first but realized that likely if he let even a little glee out, there’s no way he could reel it back. Meanwhile I’m smiling at the screen like a pure fool lol
@@DeadBeatDeeBo Instead of fanboying, I think he's really trying to cherish the moment and absorbing everything he has to say
You could tell he's trying to contain his excitement
Yeeee.... Look at him getting overdressed , jk
He's clearly not fanboying at all and in fact, if anything, looks slightly uncomfortable at how arrogant, rude and contrary Victor is being.
"I can play in the total wrong key so well...that I can make *you* sound wrong." 😂😂😂😂
Lol I played guitar in a band that had a lead singer that would sometimes sing sharp.
Then he'd come over to me and look at my guitar and me like I was playing the wrong chord!!
And the thing that sucked is people watching believed him!
So it looked like I was playing off.
that's where so many jokes about bass players come from )))
I kno man, that comment floored me! lolol
And Victor proceeded to do exactly that. Mighty fine.
I would just love to have these guys get together with a drummer and play " The wrongest song ".
Victor breaks it down in a relatable way that doesn’t stress me out.
I wasn't stressed out either but it has blown me away.
I’ve seen this video like 10 times and still, every time I see it recommended, I watch it again. I don’t even play bass but Victor is just such a master and his insight is second to none. There’s few people who I can say have as much musical knowledge as he does. Put simply, he has the feel and also has the intelligence to explain it. You rarely see people with both those traits.
13:07 As a drummer, finding bandmates that think this way is so satisfying.
I need to find some Haha
As a guitar player, I absolutely hate when the rhythm section just follows me. It takes away tremendously from creativity. With every instrument doing its own thing, my band and I can incorporate cool things like polymeters, sick bass lines and countermelodies into our songs to keep them unique and invigorating.
xxxtentioncable it all depends on the style of music bro, if that’s good for your band, then great, but for funk, jazz, etc. sometimes it’s better to just let the music do the talking-sometimes less is more
@@fuggledugglegaming I'm a bassist and I used to be in a band with this guitarist who never stuck to a key signature or anything when he played, which is fine, but he also couldn't relay what he was doing to me so I could make up basslines to go with it. Guy knew nothing about music theory or notes on his guitar or anything. Since he played in weird tunings, following his fretting was worthless and even though he was creative and his playing was good, it was too much of a headache to be constantly trying to keep up with him.
Sadly, Thats rare to find
From conversation:
- I can tell you even before we start, that I will not be thinking about music theory. I’m tell you that right away
This people don’t want to hear my theory come out of here(means guitar), they want to hear my passion(my emotion, my feel), they don’t care about how much theory I know
- We learn theory in order to be right, but what gets your attention is the wrongness. As soon as I play note not in a key, you say woooo (point finger to the guitar), right.
So we need to learn theory well enough that we could be wrong with it.
- Nobody hires me to play the right key, they hire me to make groove.
- Check it out, I don’t know what key, I don’t have perfect pitch, but I don’t care, because you’re not gonna dance to the key, you dance to the groove.
- The contex make it right, not the pitch. We teach you pitch, but we should teach you context. You can put any note into that groove context and it will work.
- A lot of the time I see is the instrument in a tune by playin chords. That much more fun than this(play melodycs). I like to make music.
- Main thing is if I groove hard enough I can play any notes and you will like it.
- I can play in a total wrong key so well, that I can make you sound wrong.
- Sometimes to make him sound better I play in a different place.
- My job is not just play with him, my job is to make him sound better.
- We don’t teach that, we teach musician how to sound better, when you job on the guitar as rythm section … your job is to make other people sound better. And zero people teach you that.
Dude i remember learning theory in College and by the 4th semester they were just making shit up it seems like.
davie504 would not be pleased
@@shreksthongg Hahaha
For aux players that dont know what to do
🤘♥️
12:26 Anybody else catch Victor flicking a drop D switch after the start of that groove once he realised he needed to go lower than the E lmao
Good eyes, I'd never notice that
had to watch that flick like 10 times to understand where he did it. Dude's smooth af.
That was amazing.
Sorry. You guys are correct.
how the fuck does he do that, that's next level
Victor Wooten never ceases to amaze me. His music philosophy is so liberating, groovy and fun ❤
“The tools are in the trunk” if you have to pull out the tools you broke something. God that’s great.
Victor is a true genius.
The interview felt like a kid asking questions about space to NASA.
“I don’t have perfect pitch but I don’t care”
You really shouldn't, you're better off without it
Several genres are completely unlistenable with perfect pitch like black metal and lo-fi. These use bad pitching as standard.
hayp what time stamp did he say that at? This video is cool but I didn't catch that part by the way I totally agree with you.
Then proceeds to correct the guitarist on what key he's playing in. Epic.
@@jakerakestraw5751 ear training
It’s freaking intimidating to play through with Victor Wooten! Well done!
"I don't know the key, I don't have perfect pitch... but I don't care". As a musician, this brings me a lot of relief. I have read Victor's book "A music lesson" a few times and it has truly changed my life. If you are a musician reading this, I can't recommend it enough! It is the best book on being a musician and understanding music I have ever read.
13:09 Victor just basically explained what Cliff did for Metallica before his death. He did play what James or Kirk was playing he changed it just a little bit so he could drive their riffs to the fullest and make them sound better.
finally another metallica fan
@@daveclark9233 omg I’ve finally found one other soul who’s heard of the underground metal act, Metallica
@@Goatboii best underground band in the entire world bro.. Metallica 🤘🤣
Cliff did it just like any other bassist
@@ater508 Most bassists just think about/are told to just play root note, when in reality, they should make the whole band sound better.
VW is one of the most humblest music legends. Apart from the musical advices he gives, he always slips in a moral lesson which is so uplifting. Just like his music!
This dude makes so much sense. “Theory only comes in if something is wrong”. Big chunk to analyze there.
Yeah, and the metaphor of the car: "you're riding in the car and the tools are in the trunk, they're not on the passenger's seat, I hope I'll never need the tools" :-)
A better analogy imo would be “you are the mechanic, and your car is the music, you can only build a fast car if you have the right parts (ideas) and the right tools (skills)”
The fewer parts and tools you have, the slower and less reliable your car will be.
The fewer ideas and skills you have the less interesting and dynamic your music will be.
You can’t build your car without having both of those things, a load of tools isn’t much use without something to build.
If you haven't yet, you should read "The Music Lesson" by Victor Wooten. The way he talks in this phenomenal interview directly relates to his incredible book.
And also his track "The Lesson"!
I loved that book. Listened to it as an audiobook which I would recommend as Victor lays down some grooves in between things that makes it even nicer. Victor reads his parts too which is awesome. In fact, I extracted the audiobook and made it into an MP3 then put it on a thumb drive and handed it to the great Tommy Emmanuel at one of his guitar camps!
@@AndrewDeFaria for real!? I need to check it out!
@@joegallo1 You can download it from defaria.com/tmp/The%20Music%20Lesson%20-%20Victor%20Wooten.mp3. Note this mp3 file will self-destruct in 7 days.
Joe Gallo I agree, Victor’s book is amazing and takes you into a journey of learning unlike anything else. Highly recommend it.
His analogy of Music theory to talking really clicked with me. We know the rules of language (hopefully) well enough to manipulate to our needs and achieve our goal. Music theory is like the rules of music, once mastered, can be manipulated to achieve something new/ different.
if you liked his analogy of music theory and talking then you MUST listen to his ted talk. It's a whole speech about how learning to speak and learning to talk are similar, in particular about how we don't scold a toddler when they use improper grammar and we shouldn't scold musicians when they are imperfect either.
Yesyay
Man, the level of Wooten's knowledge and talent is just extraordinary. Tyler, thank-you so much.
What I ultimately got from this lesson is:
Playing cool music is like being on a tour or road trip or whatever. You try to go and visit as many places as you want, but in the end, when you go home after a long tiring trip, it's one of the best feelings in the world.
It's really nothing short of amazing how victor wooten can elevate the sound of any musician he's playing with by playing the "wrong" notes before playing the right ones.
This video is so amazing and has totally changed how I think about playing both bass and guitar. Thank you Tyler and thank you Victor.
I feel like the real difference between a good and bad musician is the... confidence. It doesn't matter how complex the stuff you play is, or how precise you are, what matters is how confidently you do it. This especially applies to bass, the reason why a lot of guitarists sound like shit when they pick up bass is how timidly they play it. Bass sets the key, the rhythm, and it is the real lead instrument, because when played properly, it LEADS the whole band. Lead guitar doesn't lead anything, it just stands on top. In fact, it works best when following the other instuments.
LRed13 Well said!
Luey Sixty-six
Bass and guitar constantly interact the job of the bassist is to make the guitar or groove of the song sound better. So they need to interacr
"Theory only comes in when there's a problem" - genius words from a genius artist. #GeniusWooten
6mins he says the exact opposite. Truth is theory is behind everything he’s doing. There’s thought and consideration behind the grooves and the harmonic content of his playing. He purposely plays a #11 over I (Lydian) at the end of that little jam and then has to admit that theory came into the forefront of his process at that point because that was a considered choice - based on his knowledge of what playing #4 over I conveys emotionally. He’s not explaining it clearly imo. What he should be saying is that understanding of music theory gives you a wider vocabulary with which you can express yourself, but you can know all the theory under the sun and it won’t make a difference unless you have something to say on your instrument. The goal is human expression, theory and chops etc are just tools you use along the way.
I need more Victor Wooten in my life. The ultimate vibe master and music teacher. CLASS IS IN SESSION. Some serious one liner bangers raining down on us. Great video and thank you for sharing!
"All the notes are right!" I love that. I usually feel that way. You can throw in any note and if it's wrong it just adds tension. You just need to resolve it at the right time. So in the end timing is more important that the notes themselves.
Hell yeah it's all about the rhythm
YES LANCELOT!! YES!
Yep, this is the biggest takeaway. It's true from both a temporal and harmonic standpoint. You can diverge and start playing in an alternate time signature from the rest of the band even, but after several measures if it re-aligns with the rest of the band, and you rejoin the timing/groove, it all pays off. For harmonic content, playing all the complex frequency ratios of the tonic (in scale), and even playing passing notes out of scale can just add to tension... and then if you resolve it back to the tonic, it all pays off. Those payoffs are the real head bobbing moments, and the moments that we love in music.
Bruh! If Victor Wooten was sitting in front of me I would fully forget how to play! Good on you for keeping your composure with such a legend🤘🏻
🤗 VICTOR!!! WE LOVE YOU!! 💕
I used to use his 'Amazing grace' as a lullaby for my baby son. That music, that interpretation and some more like that was into my son's brain. 15 years later, he is a drum set drummer 🤘😁 and he's very good. Thanks SO MUCH, for giving to all of us that great energy, knowledge and kind way to go. You are one of the best examples the majority of mothers want for our kids. God bless you 🙌💖✨
Great job both of YOU guys!!!
I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Mr. Wooten several years ago. He is a gracious, humble, and generous man. Truly a masterful artist.
This 15 minutes long video will surely broaden my view on music. All the things he say is priceless. This video has been very beneficial tyler thanx.
Any Victor Wooten talk will do that for me, he's like a master or something..
I'm 36 and his "Show of Hands" album was one of the first CD's I bought in my teens. Very inspiring for a kid to hear that much emotion thru a 4 string.
Thank you Mr. Wooten for motivating me to practice more too.
i swear... this man just KNOW'S music. he could write thousand page books on theory, as deep and experimental as john coltrane... but understands that music is a journey, and he's the conductor. feeling!!! feeling!!! that's the key... i love this guy.
Victor is clearly a guy that breathes music. It's him. He's not thinking of anything but feel... that is so admirable.
"Theory only comes in if there's a problem."
"Theory is a tool."
This does not mean don't learn your theory btw
"Learn theory well enough that we can be wrong with it"
you still have to learn your theory
He never said “don’t learn theory”, I think his main message is just to remember the listeners role in the music.
You don't have to. I only learned it because my ear was shit. Now it's better and I rarely think about theory.
Dinosaur if you don’t learn it, things will be a lot harder in the long run. Also you kinda disproved your point in your own comment 😂 you may not actively be thinking it, but that basic understanding is there
Learn theory so you can break out of it
It's like what Comedians do with the English language. You have to know it so well that you can intentionally use it wrong, which is where slang and comedy ultimately comes from.
This was mindblowing to me. I m
A theory guy who always is looking for those other notes and chords that make a song pop. This is truly a great lesson in how to think about it.. or ... how "not to think" about it !
If aliens ever landed and told us “teach us what is music”, I’d nominate Victor Wooten to represent our species.
ill send Steve Vai with him...
@@allsic and Eric Johnson
William Conway and Queen
@@Joseph-et3jc queen?
And Rick Beato!
Met Victor two years ago when he came to my highschool in Buffalo, New York. I dropped the bass from discouragement before I met him. Watching him play and hearing him say “just pick up a bass” changed my life now. What an amazing soul, I would love to meet him again.
Yeah what a wise man Victor is... his very knowledgeable words is enough for any musician, bass player or not to pick up an instrument. Also I am from buffalo too dude! That must have been a great experience to meet him.
Oh shit no way your from Buffalo but yeah keep going man
"Wrong is right." Thelonious Monk
"I played the wrong wrong notes." Thelonious Monk
INTERVIEWER: "What do you do when you play a wrong note?"
MILES DAVIS: "I play it again."
"I never wanted to learn how to paint the right way, but I was always interested in learning how to paint the wrong way." Picasso
"Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of genius." William Blake
"Most of those melodies are me trying to find out what notes fit, and then hitting ones that don't fit in a very interesting way." Brian Eno
“Do not fear mistakes - there are none. ” Miles Davis
"There is no such thing as a wrong note." Art Tatum
"I'm gonna do my best to play the wrong notes." Victor Wooten
"Its the wrongness that grabs your emotion." Victor Wooten
What kind of music do I make? Wrong music. Who am I to argue with the greats? Doren Garcia
"Wronger is better." Doren Garcia
"Engineers create music software so that mediocre composers can get their music right. I use software to get music wrong. I'm not saying I'm better, I may be worse, I'm just not mediocre." Doren Garcia
Who's Doren García? I find interesting what he said
@@SrKwhite literally op was quoting himself
@@alanbarnett328 Now I see, thanks
Oh you’re good!
who tf is Doren Garcia? name is not even on google search
That outro jam got my whole body boppin. That man can sure play the bass
Victor is just jamming and Tyler is freaking out hoping he doesn't mess up in front of Victor "Wrong Notes" Wooten
He just opened a whole new mindset for me when he said "what would I sing to that"
I can't explain it but that one sentence was extremely helpful
11:36 *stank face activated*
>proceeds to groove into the etheral realm
That face is the definition of " *when that groove is fonky chonk* "
That’s a Horrified and Repulsive face ;)
I'm watching this for the second time and 5:28 further cements it in my mind that bass and guitar have their own roles and feed into and off of each other.
Everytime I rewatch them I learn something new. Everything Victor says sounds like a friendly chat but is actually really profound for learning how to play musically.
Victor used to write me back when I was a kid and just starting out as a session and touring bassist - he has always been a sweet, patient, and amazing guy.
Really??? Do you still play bass? I mean I only glanced at your channel briefly. Agriculture is awesome too. Just wondering ☺️
@@albertplaysguitar I stopped professionally playing years ago to take better care of my wife, a multiple time cancer survivor, and my kids through all that, BUT my eldest son recorded last month with a grammy award winning artist with my old producer from 10 years ago!! I'm actually playing bass daily with him again, and he's SO MUCH BETTER than any musician I've ever played with: he's fluent in music - he's been playing since he was only a few months old. His thinking is like a Beatles or Tommy Dowd... it's like my entire life of creating music was really prepping to be the dad of the real legendary deal lol. I'm sure in time you'll hear the name James Powers ;) I've been building guitars and pedals with him this year and helping him prepare to reveal his work. I know it sounds like proud papa exaggeration but I'll just say this: We're listening to Jeff Buckley and I mention the chord extensions and he listens then picks up the guitar and plays the SAME EXTENSION on a DIFFERENT CHORD... and he goes "Like this?" with my mouth open I just said YUP... lol. It's thrilling to see him grow in leaps and bounds! Unschooling is ultima!! Esp if you can get the talent encoded before age 7 or 8.
@@MattPowersSoil Badass!! Thanks for sharing!
I've probably watched this over a hundred times. The harmonics Victor plays at 12:37 is probably the best I've ever heard on bass
You should watch more videos then.....
@@AntoinMhicArtain why? wooten is objectively a top musician of today, it certainly is of the best. you should broaden your horizons and stop listening to the same 3 dudes
@@flipf615 Well, I'm clearly listening to Wooten too......but please, educate me Mr Musical Master.
@@AntoinMhicArtain "you should watch more videos" implying there are much more and better examples out there. of course you are wrong. study some music, you have no problem telling people to "watch more videos" so you should have no problem with me telling you to actually pick an instrument up
@@flipf615 I play guitar, ok Beethoven?
I keep coming back to this video over the years. This was so brilliantly demonstrated; natural and easy. I’m definitely “one foot in the door, one foot out” when it comes to utilizing music theory. The more you understand and have ingrained within you, the further you can get away from it while improvising or writing.
I don't even play guitar and know nothing about it. I'm learning the piano. And yet I learnt so much from this. This gentleman is articulate and his analogies are dead on.Incredible!
Bonus lesson learnt: respect the background accompaniment, not just the solo artist!
Honestly, the part around 11:41 where they’re both playing in totally different keys still sounds fantastic to me, reminds me a lot of the album “birds of fire” by the mahavishnu orchestra, that album is very heavy on polytonality
This video should be mandatory in music schools. Everywhere.
Tyler, you said "maybe go back and watch it a second time". i think i first watched this video about a year ago. i watch it every few weeks. every time it comes back up on my feed. every time i watch it i not only learn something new, but it gets me in the right mindset to not be afraid to learn to "speak" with my instruments. i really hope to run into you and Victor next year at NAMM.
7:43
“They hire me to make ya Djent-...grove”
I am done.