When you evaluate yourself, you are really taking stock of your strengths and weaknesses. Every musician — even the best and brightest — has weaknesses or flaws. For example, some musicians are master improvisers but they can't read music very well. Others can read just about anything but they can't improvise at all.

When it comes to strengths and weaknesses, you have an important choice to make. Do you accept who you are or do you work to overcome a weakness? If your musical vocabulary is limited you should strive to become more skilled and knowledgeable. However, if you're a proficient player, you might accept that there are some things you will just never excel at. You don't have to be brilliant at everything. Some musicians choose to be specialists in one style. As a bassist, you might want to focus on blues, funk, R & B, modern rock, or jazz fusion. It's all up to you.

Through self-evaluation you will gradually define your strengths and weaknesses. The better you understand your musical abilities, the better your playing will get. Make sure you always weigh your strengths and weaknesses against your goals. For example, if you realize that you're poor at reading music, think about how that will affect your goals. If you plan on playing in a funk band then reading music doesn't matter much. However, if you plan on playing bass in a big band, then you will need to get your chart reading together.

“Know thyself” is a quote attributed to the Greek philosopher Socrates. This maxim is not just philosophical flimflam. Self-awareness is important for musical success. The better you understand your strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes, the better your musical journey will be. If you don't take time to understand who you are musically, you will lead a directionless musical life.