The dreaded slump...

ELITE55 · #1 10-22-2011, 09:32 PM

"The dreaded slump" is probably one of the most frustrating things about being a bass player. You go 3-4 weeks on a tear and everything seems to be soaking in like a starving tree. And then BAM!!!! With 2-3 weeks of heavy rain you can't hold anymore water and you start to drown in sorrow. You know this moment will come and when it does you just have to fight through it. And while annoying to say the least-I will give it credit as it separates the really good bass players from the average. I'm writing this because i'm obviously on another one of many slumps. But when it goes away, which it will with
perseverance, I will be one happy tree and the cycle will continue again! lol

So after discussing my dreaded slump story, I'd like to hear what you guys do during your slump. Do you find solutions to quickly get pass your slump, or do you just simply weather the storm knowing that the only solution is to just keep playing as normal. If you do try to find a quick exit then what are some good strategies that has worked for you?
Personally- I try to find an exit strategy such as watching youtube videos and reading these forums but most of the time just playing through it is the only solution:/

skychief · #2 10-22-2011, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELITE55

just playing through it is the only solution:/

+1 ^^^^^^

Righteous Thunderer · #3 10-22-2011, 09:42 PM

A lot of times I either put the music aside completely and chase other hobbies, or I grab my acoustic guitar and play around with it for a few weeks.

ELITE55 · #4 10-22-2011, 09:55 PM

I actually did put music aside this past week due to a bad stomach bug..And when I picked it up again today I was a little rusty at first but I do notice that what seemed stale when I get into that slump now seems fresh which allows me to build off that fresh feeling. So while I do prefer to keep playing no matter what, I do see the advantage in taking a breather.

toberoo · #5 10-22-2011, 10:03 PM

It sucks a lot. I almost gave up many times, seeing as no one supported my playing when I was young. Luckily, I was able to learn guitar when I slumped hard. Now I switch back and forth depending on which one I'm tired of.

MalcolmAmos · #6 10-23-2011, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Righteous Thunderer

A lot of times I either put the music aside completely and chase other hobbies, or I grab my acoustic guitar and play around with it for a few weeks.

+1,

I also play rhythm guitar in another band so I've always got that. My keyboard can always use some work and the clarinet is under my desk gathering dust. I should give that some more attention.

The boat needs new bottom paint, always something with that boat. If you are like me all those things are toys; when my interest lags with one I grab another toy......

Saxn · #7 10-23-2011, 12:34 AM

This is not unique to bass - it happens no matter what you play. If you have the option, I can second the other guys here that say put it aside. In my case if I have been steadily "leveling up" for a while and then plateau, the frustration eventually forces me to stop anyway. I go to another instrument and practice that for a while, or in some cases pick up another hobby for a while. I find that when the urge to play hits me again, I can pick up the instrument that had previously been giving me the "brick wall" treatment and - lo and behold - within minutes I am playing better than I ever did before!

It's just your brain taking a break. You'll know when it's time to get back to it.

Fergie Fulton · #8 10-23-2011, 02:01 AM

Slumps are just the brains way of telling you it wants something new to learn. As a rule a slump is because a player is doing the same old same old in their playing..or even life. So a new focus, be it to learn more challenging music or a new technique will move a player along as the brain has stimulation to learn rather than revise.
In a practice routine many young players just play and ingrain what they already have learnt, the do the same things over and over to the point that it become un-satisfying....almost pointless because you already know it, so its a "why do we keep going over this stuff" sort of question from the brain.

We see examples of this in children when they learn, they like to repeat over and over certain aspects of what they learn, then they stop for no reason other than they look for something new to stimulate them...they call bored what we are calling a slump. So when you see a child reciting the alphabet they are learning, when that child runs up to you or your friends and says " i know the alphabet" and recites it to you, it is learning.
But you know there will come a day when this will stop, the child has moved on to better and exciting things because the alphabet has been learned and to continue to keep going over it is boring, what the child looks for is stimulation to use the information, so spelling may become the new challange...and they are back to learning again....or it may be reading, again back to learning again.

I will always say to any player in a slump, "think your way out of it, then play yourself away from it". In short, learn new ideas, and stop revising the old ones you already know.

gloomyglamour6 · #9 10-24-2011, 10:19 PM

I am curious if anyone else has felt a slump in this paticular way, Like the bass(Or your instrument of choice) doesnt feel like it belongs there (your lap/strapped onto you) :/

Like when your in a good musical mood the instrument feels like a part of you and sometimes it just feels distant or detached. Is this paticular slump feeling just me or can anyone else here vouch for that?

**pacojas** · #10 10-24-2011, 10:38 PM

buy a left handed bass and play it as though it were RH'd.

last slump i suffered, i borrowed a lefty and playing scale positions on an up-side-down bass was enlightening to say the least. it opened my mind and sounded pretty cool.

Righteous Thunderer · #11 10-24-2011, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloomyglamour6

I am curious if anyone else has felt a slump in this paticular way, Like the bass(Or your instrument of choice) doesnt feel like it belongs there (your lap/strapped onto you) :/

Like when your in a good musical mood the instrument feels like a part of you and sometimes it just feels distant or detached. Is this paticular slump feeling just me or can anyone else here vouch for that?

I've been there, but it usually only lasts the day. I just put it back on the stand and do something else. It sucks, big time, and usually when that happens I feel the same way towards anything I try to do, just discontent over all. It's almost like temporary depression, I suppose.

FretlessMainly · #12 10-24-2011, 11:04 PM

After 30+ years, I've had slumps last a few days, a few weeks, and a few months. You can't just play through summa those. If it really bothers you, just hang it up for a week and see if it becomes 2 or 12. But stay occupied in the arts or things that interest you and the bug will bite you again. I guaran-damn-tee it.

Even when I was more engrossed in writing (poetry) or sports, I constantly heard the rhythm of the world around me (the clack of a pebble wedged in your radial tire; the tap of a branch against the side of the house in a windstorm; the wheeze of an asthmatic on the subway; the clothes in the washer and dryer (two different rhythms) - it's everywhere). When I eventually came back to bass and guitar, those rhythms were still echoing in my head. In my mind, just listening to the world is rehearsing.

Righteous Thunderer · #13 10-24-2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FretlessMainly

After 30+ years, I've had slumps last a few days, a few weeks, and a few months. You can't just play through summa those. If it really bothers you, just hang it up for a week and see if it becomes 2 or 12. But stay occupied in the arts or things that interest you and the bug will bite you again. I guaran-damn-tee it.

Even when I was more engrossed in writing (poetry) or sports, I constantly heard the rhythm of the world around me (the clack of a pebble wedged in your radial tire; the tap of a branch against the side of the house in a windstorm; the wheeze of an asthmatic on the subway; the clothes in the washer and dryer (two different rhythms) - it's everywhere). When I eventually came back to bass and guitar, those rhythms were still echoing in my head. In my mind, just listening to the world is rehearsing.

+1, absolutely agree.