band burnout!!?

BillytheBassist · #1 11-02-2005, 11:08 AM

I feel like im getting sick of playing with other musicians... I've never felt like this before, I've always been very involved in my band and musical endeavors. I have always enjoyed the kinship of the musicians i've known and worked with.But here recently I feel like im getting burned out on working with other people. I guess if i could put it into a word it would be "impatience". I've never been the type to be negative or impatient when working on music. I think I would actually be happier just playing through my practice amp at home

....Isn't that bad!!? It bothers me anways. anyone else experience " band burnout"???

Pruitt · #2 11-02-2005, 11:39 AM

Take some time off from bands then, if you truly feel that way. IMHO, it'll only get worse if you don't.

Either that or find new people to play with that will eventually annoy you. Heh heh...

Good Luck and Have Fun!!

ThumbyAche · #3 11-02-2005, 02:04 PM

I go through that whenever I take on a project that has material I don't care for or when I'm playing a style that doesn't keep my interest. I would ALWAYS rather be practicing on my own than playing material that isn't fun or playing with people that annoy you. What you are going through seems normal and I'm sure most of us have gone through it. For me a bad or boring song (covers usually)....man that will kill my mood everytime..

**baba** · #4 11-02-2005, 02:11 PM

I'm the complete opposite. I have no interest playing the bass solo. If I'm alone I'll play acoustic guitar. Playing with other people is the only thing that keeps me playing bass.

No suggestions other than to make sure you are playing music you like with people you like.

The_Ryst · #5 11-02-2005, 08:25 PM

Then become a solo bassist...

(now if you're a gigging musician, nobody wants a soloist, they want you to sit around in the background doing nothing)
so
umm...
if you wanna eat and this is your income.
Suck it up.

PTBassMan · #6 11-03-2005, 01:09 PM

Got tired of playing with my band. Told them I was taking off a month to regroup and now have found that I am actually happier. I queue a lot of mp3's in winamp and just sit there and play at home. Got to be politics with me. We played together great and sounded awesome, but if you can't work together as well as you play, then it is just not gonna work.

msquared · #7 11-04-2005, 11:49 AM

I've been going through this for the last year. I got so sick of dealing with the personal dramas of the people I was playing with that I just pulled out of everything except for the occasional subbing.

BillytheBassist · #8 11-04-2005, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msquared

I've been going through this for the last year. I got so sick of dealing with the personal dramas of the people I was playing with that I just pulled out of everything except for the occasional subbing.

That's what i feel like doing.

DemoEtc · #9 11-04-2005, 01:19 PM

Get into home recording. For me it's sometimes a nice little retreat from everything else.

Boplicity · #10 11-04-2005, 07:02 PM

Sounds as if it is definitely time to take a break, but be warned that a break can become a vacation, a vacation can become an extended leave of absence, and that can become near-retirement.

Why? Because the longer you stay away from actually playing with other musicians, the more you lose touch and the harder it is to break back into the scene. And you begin to let your bass and equipment go and you don't keep up with the latest gear. And you begin to make excuses not to play your bass. Then you suddenly realize it has been weeks, months, years since you played. And you get rusty and forget songs you knew like the back of your hand. And your fingers move slower and you lose the fingertip callouses you had built up and you don't keep up with the latest music in your style.

So take that much-needed break, but do so with your eyes wide open. Hopefully, sooner or later you will discover that playing along to MP3s is not as satisfying as a band, even a garage jam band. That's when you have to go back to a band. That will be the critical moment. Because if you don't, then the time will come that you no longer play to the MP3s, etc, etc.

But...oh well, you can always try again later, except that it is much, much harder after a long absence. Just saying, watch out.

phatphillss · #11 11-05-2005, 07:58 AM

yup seen it.

BillytheBassist · #12 11-05-2005, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boplicity

Sounds as if it is definitely time to take a break, but be warned that a break can become a vacation, a vacation can become an extended leave of absence, and that can become near-retirement.

Why? Because the longer you stay away from actually playing with other musicians, the more you lose touch and the harder it is to break back into the scene. And you begin to let your bass and equipment go and you don't keep up with the latest gear. And you begin to make excuses not to play your bass. Then you suddenly realize it has been weeks, months, years since you played. And you get rusty and forget songs you knew like the back of your hand. And your fingers move slower and you lose the fingertip callouses you had built up and you don't keep up with the latest music in your style.

So take that much-needed break, but do so with your eyes wide open. Hopefully, sooner or later you will discover that playing along to MP3s is not as satisfying as a band, even a garage jam band. That's when you have to go back to a band. That will be the critical moment. Because if you don't, then the time will come tnat you no longer play to the MP3s, etc, etc.

But...oh well, you can always try again later, except that it is much, much harder after a long absence. Just saying, watch out.

I hear ya' sounds like good advice.
Thanks, & Peace.