I'm in high school and I've been playing bass for around eight months or so. I've covered around 35 songs. I've stepped up to the plate for each song i've been assigned and i've covered every song that has interested me up until now. (Bombtrack by Rage Against The Machine being the last, yeah the intro was hard to get down at first).

I feel tired of just covering songs, but i don't really have a full band to start composing songs. What do i do now?
Are long breaks good for a growing bassist? i havent taken one up till now.

If you're being assigned songs, i'm assuming you have a coverband?

if so; ask them about originals

if not; is this the way you're attempting to 'learn' bass?

If you're being assigned songs, i'm assuming you have a coverband?

if so; ask them about originals

if not; is this the way you're attempting to 'learn' bass?

haha the guitarist is the only one assigning me the songs. (half are the songs he likes, half are the ones i like). i like the same music he does, so it's all the same to me. We don't have a drummer or vocalist, which causes a problem about making a full song.

and yes, covering has been the way i'm attempting to learn bass. have any methods of learning that you could share? this is all i've been exposed to.

You can get a beat machine, or some kind of sequencing program like Reason. Then you could make your own drum loops, bounce them down to a CD or load them onto an mp3 player and have drums in practice until you find a real drummer. Also in Reason or other programs like it you can write parts for tons of instruments. Don't wait on other people to get into songwriting. Start as soon as possible!