How long until you "get rusty?"

::::BASSIST:::: · #1 02-18-2006, 06:00 PM

I find that if I dont pickup the bass and practice the songs my band plays... well after 5 days or so I get rusty and make lots of stupid mistakes.

I am no super star bass player that's for sure, but I am pretty solid in the pocket... as long as I keep practicing, that is.

Is this because I am a mediocre bass player or is this something most of you experience?

All_¥our_Bass · #2 02-18-2006, 08:37 PM

It's not bad, it's just a natural thing your brain does.-The 'use it or lose' it scheme. Like if I go a few days withour playing I get the same problem, but after a nice warmup and a few trys at playing songs or pieces of songs I start to remeber and play just fine.

Now If I went say a month or more without playing THAT would really take a toll, not just on the mind, but also my body-callouses getting soft, hands not strong enough to play confortably cause they haven't been pushing on strings.

::::BASSIST:::: · #3 02-19-2006, 12:08 AM

hmmm... I guess that makes sense. I just thought I should know the songs well enough by now that I shouldnt be making simple errors. Its not that bad really. Its like you say... I definitely need to warm-up.

But then again lots of people play 4 hour gigs. I cant imagine they practice all those songs often as that would take so much time.

Certain easy songs like Purple Haze I can play no problem even without practicing. Others like Suffergette City certainly require practicing often to stay sharp on.

lump · #4 02-19-2006, 12:27 AM

Not long. My long-term musical memory is terrible, so I have to go over songs constantly. The only thing I listen to on my mp3 player is our set list. I have played so many songs on various instruments that it is all mush at this point. Plus, I'm a visual learner, so unless I can see something written down, it falls out of my brain. If I go more than a few weeks without having played something, I pretty much have to start from scratch. I envy the guys who can just bust something out they learned 20 years ago. If it has been more than a week and the song has a loose structure, I'm gonna get lost.

::::BASSIST:::: · #5 02-19-2006, 01:28 AM

sorry to hear that.

my guitar player is one of those guys you are speaking of. He knows an incredible amount of songs by heart. He knows about 75% of the Beatles catalogue alone. Seriously.

I think I might know 50 songs total and some of those I would have to have tab in front of me or I would forget parts.

Sippy · #6 02-19-2006, 02:20 AM

LOL no lie.. I get "rusty" in about 2 days.but after about 20 minutes I get in the swing of things.

**Vorago** · #7 02-19-2006, 03:36 AM

5 days, I had flu, didn't touch a bass for 5 days, and all the newly gained speed I practiced on the weeks before were far away. They where still there, but it required some time to find them.