What can you teach me in one post?

[kbit]

Stop wanking.
Rests are really fucking important in music.
Play a counter-melody every now and then.
Contrary to what was said above, a key change or time signature change can be an awesomely jarring experience to hear/watch.
Fuck your words, try to convey a fucking mood or an emotion already without telling me about it.

Nailed it.

[Bassboar]

Strike true, not often.
Speed doesn't count for shit.
You are the vessel of a riff in the air, let it flow through you into reality.

[dubkitty]

the most important part of playing with other musicians is to pay absolute attention to what you and they are doing, and to respond in some way(s), however subtle, to what they do. if you aren't communicating, you're just masturbating.

[Achtane]

Don't ever make a capella music.

[snipelfritz]

Also, learn how to keep tempo. I hate writing slow heavy grooves only to have them slowly speed up throughout the first half of the song. I KNOW IT FEELS ABNORMAL THAT'S THE POINT.

And I hate it when someone counts off only to have the rest of the band coke in at their own tempo.

[d3thron3d]

In a band situation, learn to make noise before making music.

See QOTSA Misfit Love. And don't take anything seriously. Soon as someone's like I think we should do the G over the CBA to minor 5th... Fucking shoot that guy.

Oh, and soon as the recording switch is on, everyone's an asshole. That's the asshole switch. Keeping the asshole switch off is a really great idea most always, or... turn it on but don't let no one see you turn it on... cause you don't need that.

[Fuzz Aldrin]

if you aren't communicating, you're just masturbating.

Haha, beautifully stated.

[Chankgeez]

Ask a silly question, get lots of silly answers.

[Ghost Hip]

Soon as someone's like I think we should do the G over the CBA to minor 5th... Fucking shoot that guy.

I guess I'd be dead.

Don't get me wrong, I get what you're saying. If you're writing/jamming a song just go with it, let it flow, don't think about it. But in order to remember what you just played and to play it again, you have to apply language to it afterwards. Be that language music theory like you mentioned or just "that cool thing you did on the 4th fret with the bendy motion." You are not going to remember much without language. And that is all music theory is, a verbal language for music. It's not to complicate things, it is a tool to help you communicate verbally what you are hearing so you can identify it and/or play it again.

However, if some guy without even playing a note waltzes in to practice and is like "HEY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY IS PLAY IN THE KEY OF C#HARMONIC MINOR, AND WE'RE GONNA DO SOME SHIFTY SWITCHING BETWEEN THE MAJOR/MINOR SEVENTHS, AND WE GOTTA DO ONE KEY CHANGE TO B MINOR THEN BACK TO C#, GOT IT? HIT IT DUDES."

Fuck that guy. Play music, apply the language later so you can play that music again. Starting with language is not a good idea when making interesting music.

[mathias]

Holy cow, I just watched this and I think it's gonna help me a ton:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bovmfJ--Ed8[/youtube]

Just get over the way the guitar is distorted and watch until the end. See if you don't get something worthwhile out of it?

[andtheLiquidmen]

-Try writing/playing something just above your skill set, then practice your ass off to be able to nail it.
-Never stop looking for new music to listen to.

AAAND MOST IMPORTANTLY

-Go outside of your comfort zone as much as possible. Try things you hate- find out why you hate them. Try making them awesome.

[IEatCats]

Trying to rip a sweet solo and you have problems with strings ringing out? Fold up a piece of paper and shove it under the fretboard around the first fret to deaden the strings.

Or ask Yngwie Malmsteen for advice.

I've also seen people use a hair band/scrunchie up near the 3rd fret

Personally, I tie a bandanna around the neck and just slide it up over the nut when I want to use it. But I also do some fun noisey tapping shit as rhythms, so it's actually good to be able to mute the open strings, not just laziness.

[jfrey]

https://www.coursera.org/

[John]

Before beginning your performance, flex your asshole/taint muscle 33 times. It will relax you and put you in Game.

[John]

Putting a Scrunchie on your bass neck brings shame upon your family for 4 generations. Check the I Ching, it's in there.