"Prime" age for Bassists

stephenrheard · #1 01-18-2010, 04:38 PM

Hi everybody,

For NFL quarterbacks it's around 30, for golfers it's closer to 40, for NBA players it's seems to be mid to late 20s... You guys see what I'm getting at. What do you consider the "prime" or peak performance age for bassists?

Phalex · #2 01-18-2010, 06:04 PM

I'll let you know.......

The older you get, the more experiance you should have. That should equate to making you a better player. So as long as the mechanical stuff (Fingers ears etc) stays in good shape, I'd say a bass player has a shelf life of 80 years give or take.

LaklandBass · #3 01-18-2010, 06:09 PM

probably really really old since age doesnt have that much of a physical impact on our playing but the experience stacks up

willgroove2 · #4 01-18-2010, 08:29 PM

I was just having this conversation with a friend a week ago, IMO 30-50 yrs old is the prime for most player's. By 30 the combination of skill's, practice and experiences blend together but your still young enough to maintain your enthusiasm which is once again IMO the main benefit of being young

rjreynoldsbass · #5 01-19-2010, 08:40 AM

I'm only 20 and I like to think my prime is ahead of me as a player. I'm still learning in a lot of ways and feel like there's so much out there (in terms of style, technique, what have you), that I will pick up on before then.

It's funny, cause I recently read a book that says after a certain point in life, you gain a certain "knowledge of the world" that lets you observe the world in a perspective wise enough to genuinely learn from the world. That likely takes time.

scottbass · #6 01-19-2010, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

I'd say a bass player has a shelf life of 80 years give or take.

Exactly my thoughts. I'm 55. I have been playing for 40 years. I am still getting better. As long as I can avoid arthritis...

- definitely a scary prospect for those of us who are closer to death than birth.

**jmattbassplaya** · #7 01-19-2010, 10:45 PM

Although I`m still quite young it`s nice to constantly see myself getting better in every way possible: playing ability, my ear, my composition skills, my ability to create grooves on the spot, etc...

I`d like to think you just keep getting better until your body just can`t do it anymore.

T-MOST · #8 01-21-2010, 10:34 AM

bass players (as most musicians) have a indeffinate shelf life. If JJ was alive today he would still kick a$$!

Richland123 · #9 01-21-2010, 10:49 AM

I have been playing bass for 40 years having started at age 13. Back then, not only did I have a band and practice a lot on my own and together, we also had paying gigs in the early 70s to hone our teenage skills often and that helped with the laerning and experience curve for me. What I noticed is when I hit my late teens, I had a big skill improvement jump and was already well known regionally from having several very successful bands.

When I was 21, I joined a regional all-star band with some seasoned recording and touring musicians a few years older than I was but with more talent and experience and viewed that as a great opportunity to learn from some of the best in the area. The level of expectation and pushing each other as well as their additional skills and difficulty of the songs we played helped me to get much better over the next few years. We even had a hit regional record on the radio six months after the band was formed.

I can't say I reached a peak and still have not as I have always been striving and working to be a better bass player and learning new things. A peak would be when you reach a certain point and then your talent begins to diminish but as long as you never think you are as good as you can be and always seeking to improve, there is no peak until you quit playing for good.

Largedon · #10 01-21-2010, 10:57 AM

I've always heard for musicians that the 50s are the best times, because that's when you have the most experience and knowledge and still have the physical ability to do everything. Of course this could vary for individuals.

WalterBush · #11 01-21-2010, 11:04 AM

Les Paul (I know, not a bassist, but the electric bass is a much younger instrument) kept playing until the day he died. I understand he didn't really slow down until he hit 80. Some of the stuff he recorded with younger cats a couple of years before he died sounded great, too.

Double-dog dare you to go to the DB side and ask this question

5string5fingers · #12 01-21-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalterBush

Les Paul (I know, not a bassist, but the electric bass is a much younger instrument) kept playing until the day he died. I understand he didn't really slow down until he hit 80. Some of the stuff he recorded with younger cats a couple of years before he died sounded great, too.

Double-dog dare you to go to the DB side and ask this question

Beat me to it. I was going to mention les paul as well. Another example would be stanley clarke. He's almost 60 and still kicking ass on bass.

The answer in the DB section would be as long as you can move your instrument without throwing your back out,or have played long enough to make enough money to pay someone to carry it for you.

cbrophy · #13 01-21-2010, 01:45 PM

I don't think it's an Age thing....It's a number of years experience thing... I could be 50, but only been plaing for 5 years...the only way age comes into the equation is when you may be slowed by physical limitations, i.e arthritis etc.

Barkless Dog · #14 01-21-2010, 03:07 PM

Quote:

So as long as the mechanical stuff (Fingers ears etc) stays in good shape,

Industry wise, till you get over 40, fat, grey, bald or toothless.

Rudreax · #15 01-21-2010, 03:40 PM

Years of experience, along with the genre of music you're focused in. I would imagine that being in a pop group would bring the prime age to 30 or younger, while other genres such a jazz would have you going until you're six feet under.

If you're a pro doing all sorts of playing in several kinds of situations (recordings, live shows, musicals cruise ships, etc.) it's all just experience.