Wooten tells fans to find their own musical voice
"As long as you're playing bass, you're not playing music." Victor Wooten's statement may have surprised his audience at a recent free bass workshop in the CSU, Chico Performing Arts Center. Wooten, bassist of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and renowned solo artist, didn't teach any bass guitar at all -- no techniques or tricks whatsoever. Instead, he covered several points that he said were valuable to any musician, regardless of their instrument. He played a bass solo rich with variety and rhythm at the beginning of his presentation. Wooten's playing was passionate and dynamic. Starting softly, he established a simple motive, then expanded upon it, pouring more and more notes into the mix. Every flick of his wrist or tap of his finger made a different sound. The gestures looked accidental but the sound was flawless. Wooten encouraged musicians to focus on emotional expression instead of technicality for its own sake. He contrasted BB King with Eddie Van Halen, saying that while Van Halen is famous with one generation of listeners for his technicality, King's legendary emotive ability makes his music timelessly memorable. "If I said 'dance to this,' are you going to ask me what key it's in?" Wooten asked. The right notes comprise only one-tenth of music, yet receive nine-tenths of the attention, he said. "I make a living playing the wrong notes" and the audience pays to hear it, he said. Wooten conducted several musical experiments with volunteers from the audience, allowing each to play his custom yin-yang bass. He gave them challenges, such as imagining accompanying percussion and forgetting about the bass guitar. Rather than playing a bass, focus on playing the music, he said. He stressed the similarity of music and the English language, a theme also discussed on his Bass Day '98 DVD. "Any time you have a music question try turning it into an English language question," Wooten advised, "and most of the time it will answer itself." He criticized excessive focus on theory, comparing it to speaking a language using only 12 words. Rather than "fighting the instrument," he encouraged musicians to use their own voice. Wooten said that each musician didn't need to search for their own sound, since they already had it. Anthony Wellington, a bassist touring with Wooten, also briefly remarked on the importance of developing an individual voice. Even if a bassist learns every Victor Wooten song, he said, people will always line up to hear the original instead. Regi Wooten, Victor's oldest brother and musical mentor, stood in the back, smiling and tapping his feet to his little brother's music. Despite his veteran status as a musician and teacher, he remained silent. "I was a little kid trying to be like my big brothers," Wooten said, acknowledging his humble beginnings. He told the audience that they were setting their sights a bit low by trying to achieve his caliber, and that each person in the room had the potential to surpass him. Wooten also commented on the importance of teaching children music, questioning why the language of music is taught so slowly in comparison to English. His own introduction to music began when he was 3, with his brother Regi teaching him bass. By the time he was 5 years old, Victor was playing professionally with the Wooten Brothers Band. Responding to a question about performances that intimidate him, Wooten cited occasions playing in front of children. The audience at the workshop had shown up to like him, so his job was half-done, Wooten said. Second-graders don't know or care who he is, so he must interact with them on their level. Don't play fireworks the whole time, Wooten advised. Rather than playing loudly, play softly to get the audience's attention. A musician should know the value of silence in a performance as well as sound, Wooten said. He thanked the audience and university, and played a stunning rendition of "Norwegian Wood," finishing his workshop to a standing ovation. Victor Wooten may have shocked and challenged some musicians with his speech, particularly fans of technique and theory, but he certainly raised some points worthy of consideration. (Learn more about Wooten at www.victorwooten.com) Mike Kieran is a local musician, a Chico State University journalism student, and a music writer. |