Ever put bass playing on the backburner?

NickInMesa · #1 01-25-2012, 07:01 PM

Yeah, that's me, right now.

Studying, learning new IT skills.

Current employer pays for any study I'd like to go, even back to college if I want. I am not going to let this go.

Middle aged guy wants to survive in the jungle.

Sorry, bass hobby... I will be back, promise

ksandvik · #2 01-25-2012, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

Yeah, that's me, right now.

Studying, learning new IT skills.

Current employer pays for any study I'd like to go, even back to college if I want. I am not going to let this go.

Middle aged guy wants to survive in the jungle.

Sorry, bass hobby... I will be back, promise

You'll be back when you kids are teenagers.

NickInMesa · #3 01-25-2012, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksandvik

You'll be back when you kids are teenagers.

The twins are 12.

You mean next year? I hope so!!!

NoFretsNoWorry · #4 01-25-2012, 07:06 PM

I can relate!

Just came out of a 10 year moth ball status, back to active bass status. My band had a recent reunion.; first time in nearly 20 years.

Took about a month of practicing every day to get the chops fully back to my satisfaction. Wow.....actually got callouses and blisters! LOL!

Sure I missed the fun, music, musicianship, audience, and friends.

But now that I am back, I have a fresh hunger for music again!

Having a fresh perspective is often an overlooked benefit from taking a significant break from music!

Good Luck and PEACE

joebar · #5 01-25-2012, 07:07 PM

i put it on the burner for a decade or more for the family. the only time i ever stayed with the playing i s when i first started. i tend to go through huge spells of inactivity. i am ardent about staying with it even in spite of some chronic tendonitis issues in my hands. the things we take for granted when we are young...

Depth_Charge · #6 01-25-2012, 07:46 PM

I've been having VERY frequent, sometimes extended breaks - lately due to a 4-5 week cycle of being stuffed around by prospective band members/bands only to have to keep starting over fresh.

It really drags you down and makes you wonder what's the point of woodshedding when nothings going anyway.

tplyons · #7 01-25-2012, 07:51 PM

Been on the back burner for years. I'm absolutely swamped with everything in my life, from a full time career, traveling for that career and starting my MBA.

I sold all my gear but one bass in hopes that I can find time for it one day.

Spectrum · #8 01-25-2012, 08:04 PM

I put bassplaying on the backburner for more than 20 years. Went to school, got a real job, etc. etc. Never got rid of my bass, though, and always had a notion of playing again "someday". So "someday" finally came last year. Once I plugged in and turned up loud with a guitarist and drummer for the first time all was right with the world again.

steve_rolfeca · #9 01-25-2012, 08:17 PM

I kept my gear and continued woodshedding, but stopped gigging for nearly 9 years while my children were young. I had a demanding day job at the time, and needed to lay off for a while in order to be the kind of father I wanted to be.

SoonerMatt · #10 01-25-2012, 08:21 PM

It's been on the back burner for a while now, what with the whole "find a full time job" thing taking up a majority of my time.

TomB · #11 01-25-2012, 08:27 PM

Only when the babies were little until jr. high school. Didn't exactly retire but dialed way back. I'm so glad I did... they're only that age once and I wouldn't have missed that fun for anything.

Ayce · #12 01-25-2012, 08:37 PM

I took my playing right off the stove for over 10 years. I kept my rig for 11, then sold it all. Kids are still young, but I had an opportunity to start playing a bit. Now bass is on the back burner, on low. Just need a practice amp. Running through the PC is a PITA.

chuck3 · #13 01-25-2012, 08:37 PM

played and gigged constantly from age 13 or so to about 34, at which point being a dad occupied my attention for about 20 years. The same week our youngest left for college, I was back in a band. Now, besides the band, I have a couple of jazz situations going and am playing and gigging constantly again. The circle of life ...

During the backburner period, I didn't even have a bass. But I played piano a lot for the kids and that helped me keep my fingers, ears and brain in shape. It wasn't that hard returning to bass when the time came. I did, however, get serious about upright for the first time in my life and that was and is a challenge, in a good way.

SolomonHelsing · #14 01-25-2012, 09:28 PM

Spent the last two/three years very much on and off playing, but now due to certain circumstances i am back playing more than ever and firing on all cylinders as you say for now till i hope the next few years before i meet someone to go into the next stage of life with. But for now its just me and Annabelle =]

ZoomBoy · #15 01-26-2012, 06:29 AM

Yep. My last band called it quits after 5+ great years together. That was about 15 months ago. Since then I've done one fill in gig and jammed with some guys twice. Job and family life got really crazy so playing took a back seat. I sold all my basses except one early on in my hiatus. Kids are getting bigger and job situation has stablized so I'm getting the itch to be in a band again so I'm working on putting a new project together and Fedex is delivering a new bass today. Yippee!

jgroh · #16 01-26-2012, 06:48 AM

Oh yeah. Im 40 now but I put bass on the backburner from around age 23 to age 36. I played every now and again at home but never with other people. I was busy in school, then establishing my career, got married, had kids, etc. Then I figured out that all I was doing was work (full time job and my own business on the side) and needed another outlet so I picked it back up. It can be a little challenging because my kids are still young (7 & 3) and I cant just spend all day practicing or get to gigs 5 hours ahead of time, but my wife has been very supportive.

You have to take advantage of your situation while you can. The bass will always be there.

rtslinger · #17 01-26-2012, 06:59 AM

I put live gigs on the back burner, but never stop playing bass. I did studio work while the kids were young once they were in their early teens I started playing live again. That was from 1992-2002 10 years as well. 10 seems to be the magic number to lay on the surface before going back to the bottom. Good Luck and we'll be here when you get back.

Bassics101 · #18 01-26-2012, 07:04 AM

Unfortunately, stopped playing in 1976. Flirted occasionally after that, but didn't pick up again until 2008. Does that long count as back burner or deep freeze? Since then it is one of my passions.

klejst · #19 01-26-2012, 09:51 AM

I have taken breaks from playing bass (school, girlfriend, family, etc), the longest being about a year, however I always come back to it and at it full steam right now. Life happens and you have to deal with it sometimes making sacrifices, but unless you have to sell all your stuff or have to quit all together for whatever reason then at least you know you can come back to playing later.

fish slapper · #20 01-26-2012, 09:58 AM

Yup. Also currently "back burnered."

Did the deep freeze from 22-38 to raise kids.

Now 52 and also going back to school (MBA for me) to keep myself employable.