Learning bass is really difficult!!

[TVC15]

Been "playing" just over a year now and can see improvement but progress is painfully slow! I've had countless moments where i feel i'm just wasting my time and feel like doing a Paul Simonon and smashing the bass off the floor.
Maybe i'm just too impatient but i'm determined to learn this instrument, i've given up once before.
Anyone have similar experiences?

[maxgrant]

It takes 2 years to get to a level of competence in any skill, I've discovered. Give yourself more time.

You should divide your practice time between things you like and you are good at, and things you are not good at. I always try to eat my Brussels sprouts first, so to speak. Take some time with the things you are having trouble with, and finish off your session with something you like, to leave a positive impression for next time.

Don't over practice, but take as many opportunities as you can to put in some time on it.

[TVC15]

Thanks for the wise words.

Seeing your avatar just reminded me why i'm learning, i want to own a Rickenbacker one day and be able to play the damn thing!

[Flabass]

Felt the same way when I started. I would struggle and then something would click. I called them "plateau's." And I would feel like I was getting somewhere.

It takes time. Been playing a looooong time and I see some great player and I feel like giving it up.

Just keep practicing, playing with others, going to jams. All will increase your ability.

[GeoffT]

Improvement is very difficult to recognize because it usually doesn't come in large chunks. It happens little by little, every day. Parents don't recognize how fast their children grow because they see them every day but people who only see them every 6 months or so, notice large changes. You can't see your lawn growing but sure enough every week or so you realize that it need to be mowed.

If you want to hear your progress more, I suggest recording yourself on a regular basis. You should hear the difference and the improvement much more that way. It also gives you a good opportunity to be more objective about your playing and will give you areas to focus on. Like Max mentioned, practice stuff that you don't do well.

[waleross]

+1 on recording yourself. I do it with a camcorder and I am playing with my guitar instructor in a studio and during our lessons. My case is a little different, I stopped music alltogether for over 25 years. Now, after 2 years of intense practice and jamming, I am just beginning to glimse some sort of progress.

[jonathanhughes]

Do you have a teacher? Although it's not impossible to learn completely on your own, you're going to get a lot better a lot faster if you have a teacher monitoring your progress.

[mcglyph]

Effortless mastery by Kenny Werner. You can download it for free, just google, and the CD tracks can be downloaded from his site as well. You owe it to yourself to at least check his words out. The things he says about practice, music, learning, patience, and expectations at least for me have been very accurate. Best of luck.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by TVC15

Been "playing" just over a year now...

How many actual hours have you put in over the past year? How many hours do you practice a day? 2 hours a day is 730/year.

I used to put in about 700 hours a year with band rehearsal and gigging 2 or 3 times on the weekends in addition to practicing on my own about 10 hours a week. Lots of people put in much more time.

What do you practice? How about learning some blues? Ear training? Theory?

Don't give up.

Be sure and read Practice Practice Practice

[kraigo]

My advice is almost always the same: Turn on the radio and play whatever comes your way. Take the "three minute challenge": You have three minutes to learn the song before it's gone and the next one is starting. Play through the commercial jingles, too.

Work that ear!

KO

[Russell L]

Maybe its time for you to stop thinking too much. Maybe you should just play for fun for awhile. Get with some buds and jam. I always told my students to go home and play with the instrument like it was a toy. Find stuff you like the sound of, no matter what it is. Find a simple groove and jam on for a long time, like a loop. Listen for ways to say it differently, not because you're trying to "conquer" it, but because it feels good, and because you're having a good time. If it helps you to develop a hunger for playing, then you're on your way!

To be honest, I never really practice anymore, not in the traditional sense. I learn things I need to learn, and correct some things, but the rest is playing along by myself (when I'm not gigging or rehearsing with folks) because I want to get into the groove and relish the way I articulate everything. I don't worry about scales anymore, although all my theory knowledge is there in my head. But, for me, it's all about enjoying the feel of playing. I've even been writing songs beginning with the bass part. It makes for music that has a groove from the get-go. Then, I rely on my theory training to create some interesting chord changes, and what not.

Have fun, pal. Stop analyzing how good or bad you are. If you're playing, it's all good. If you mess up, it's alright, too.

[SpecialBlender]

Originally Posted by Flabass

Felt the same way when I started. I would struggle and then something would click. I called them "plateau's." And I would feel like I was getting somewhere.

It takes time. Been playing a looooong time and I see some great player and I feel like giving it up.

Just keep practicing, playing with others, going to jams. All will increase your ability.

These "plateau's" exist for anything that requires some sort of skill set to perform. I found that applies whether it's playing bass, sports, learning new computer skills or whatever. You reach a point where you struggle to "get it" and all of a sudden you breakthrough to the next level.

I've found using tape and video to be really helpful to find out what's working for me and what isn't. You need to be self critical, to push yourself to get better, but have a listen to some of your old tapes and then you'll realize the progress you're making.

Like Flabass, every time I see a hot player I think to myself what the h*ll do I think I'm doing, I'll never be that good. Reality is I don't think I'll ever impress someone with my chops but something must be working, I've been fortunate to play with some pretty good musicians over the years and have been able to be a constantly working weekend warrior.

Keep at it and you will have one of those "aha" moments, it'll make it all worthwhile.

[kr0n]

Learn to enjoy making perfect sounds. 1 note in a bar in the right place is wonderful and very powerful. Leave Jaco stuff for later.

Doing the same riff perfectly for 3-4 minutes, that's tough.

[Russell L]

Originally Posted by kr0n

Learn to enjoy making perfect sounds. 1 note in a bar in the right place is wonderful and very powerful. Leave Jaco stuff for later.

Doing the same riff perfectly for 3-4 minutes, that's tough.

+1.

When you learn to ride in the groove, you don't need many notes. It's a different ballgame at that point. It's the pulse of the music. No other instrument can come closer to giving you that feel than the bass (and drums). Instead of worrying about how good you are note-wise, search for the feel of the groove. You have to have it to be a bassist.

[JamiePalm3r]

For me it's best to separate myself from how well I play now and how well I want to play in the future. If I get too bogged down in why I don't sound like the pros it ruins the whole feel. It's a slow growing process, even though sometimes you wish you could go to sleep one night and wake up an expert.

Practice, patience and heartfelt commitment really pay off.

[ksandvik]

You always have progress when you experience limitations and act on that.

[Reigninblood]

Don't give up. I started playing in 1997, yep 15 years. I can go into a music store and watch 16 year old.kids kick my ass lol. We all learn at different paces. I never learned by books and education, I just play along with songs and make up my own stuff. Sometimes people get overly technical and that can take the fun out of it. Good luck n have fun with it!

[Mike 257]

I feel your pain, Im 7 months in now . I definitely learned a lot and sound a lot better than I did 7 months ago . Without taking lessons I sometimes wonder if Im wasting time or if Im even learning anything . I can say that everyday I feel a little more comfortable on my bass and a few times a month I notice Im a little better. Im at a point now that when I hear something in a song , I know where to find it on my bass . A friend of mine who is a bass player will tell me to play in A or E and I dont know where that is on the neck unless I look in my book to find the position but if I hear songs I know where to go , if that makes any sense .

TVC15 Im not sure how old you are but Im also impatient since Im gonna be 50 yrs old in a few months, I dont want to be 70 years old before I can play. I put a lot of pressure on myself to learn. in 5 more months I will be at it for 1 year and Im hoping to be twice as good as I am now. At the 3 year mark I want to be able to play pretty good.. Im gonna start lessons at some point soon.

I have smashed a lot of things in my life and have had a lot of hobbies but I have no desire to smash my bass. I really get great enjoyment out of listening to music and trying to play along , I write songs down on my ride home from work then I look them up on utube and play along as soon as I get home, sometimes I dont even eat dinner when I get home because I have something in my head I want to try on my bass.

[Already In Use]

I'm in the been away from music for decades and back at it crowd. I'm into 3 years back at it. Dont quit. Practice your azz off. Just when you figure its of no use you will notice marked progress. This site can teach you anything you're willing to learn. I gave up with mediocre teachers in my area(cant find a decent one) and strictly followed advice from here. Amazing results so far. If I can do this anybody can. I'm 52 years old. Get out and play music with others as often as you can. Just played an open mike event on Wednesday and had folks yelling out from the crowd praising my bass playing( I figure I still suck). That alone made all those wanting to smash the bass moments worth it. It will happen for you too. Practice...learn...practice! Good luck!

[JohnnyChatter]

First things first. A teacher isn't always the way to go. I teach bass to some kids around town. But no one ever showed me. I just took every chance i had to play bass. I read about it constantly and every chance i got i played with a band. My best advice is to always find other musicians and start a band. Playing in bands helped my timing, and made me learn songs and skills i wouldn't normally learn. It also just makes it more fun also hanging out with like minded people.