I failed as a musician..

[Infidelity]

It's been almost three months that I've been trying to play jazz..

Tried walking, I can't,
Tried reading, I barely can,
Tried soloing and it wasn't fun.

I couldn't even focus for even an hour because I know I won't be able to do it..

I thought I hit a hard wall.. Then last week I was thinking really hard on what's wrong with me..

It was the "Joy" of playing the instrument that I was missing.. It was no fun because I'm trying so hard to be a great player, over thinking, I feel inadequate, unconfident, notes doesn't come from heart and pretty much I'm making everything complicated.

Since last week I can now practice 4hrs straight w/o being annoyed or distracted, wake up in the morning making up good bass lines and pretty much having a great time. I now can walk basslines and not having a hard time, can read quite good and keeping in time is not a problem just like before..

Music is hard if you're making it hard and if you enjoy it it would be much easier. Play from your heart and love what you do. Just like babies we will all start to crawl(walking at a slow tempo), and then from there we would start to walk.. I might not be able to get into the point that I'm gonna fly but I'm sure I will try it at one point..

I give it my life
I give it my all
I think that a person should really make up his mind what he wants to do and when it is made up, he cannot fail at it
A basic rule to success, I think, is when the going get tough, that is a positive signal to keep charging

~Victor Wooten

Just sharing my experience..

[Rockmusician]

The only time you fail is when you give up.

[jamescalvin]

I know exactly what you mean but you know how it is, when you do something expecting results, they seem like they take forever to come. Ask any athlete who was told he/she needed muscle to play or ask anyone learning a second language. I say that reluctantly because i really do struggle with that too. When I'm playing by myself or around someone who knows absolutely nothing about music, it feels like I get off. I'm super happy with what i do. The minute I get around someone who knows what they're doing, I realize just how far back I am and I think "damn, i wish i was better, i wish i was better". Like you said though, you have to do it because you love it. My friend told me, if all you know is the G scale, work the hell out of that G scale until you learn another one.

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by Infidelity

It's been almost three months that I've been trying to play jazz..

Tried walking, I can't,
Tried reading, I barely can,
Tried soloing and it wasn't fun.

I couldn't even focus for even an hour because I know I won't be able to do it..

I thought I hit a hard wall.. Then last week I was thinking really hard on what's wrong with me..

It was the "Joy" of playing the instrument that I was missing.. It was no fun because I'm trying so hard to be a great player, over thinking, I feel inadequate, unconfident, notes doesn't come from heart and pretty much I'm making everything complicated.

Since last week I can now practice 4hrs straight w/o being annoyed or distracted, wake up in the morning making up good bass lines and pretty much having a great time. I now can walk basslines and not having a hard time, can read quite good and keeping in time is not a problem just like before..

Music is hard if you're making it hard and if you enjoy it it would be much easier. Play from your heart and love what you do. Just like babies we will all start to crawl(walking at a slow tempo), and then from there we would start to walk.. I might not be able to get into the point that I'm gonna fly but I'm sure I will try it at one point..

I give it my life
I give it my all
I think that a person should really make up his mind what he wants to do and when it is made up, he cannot fail at it
A basic rule to success, I think, is when the going get tough, that is a positive signal to keep charging

~Victor Wooten

Just sharing my experience..

There will always be plateaus and brick walls. Take a break from Jazz and play anything else for a while, then go back to it when you feel like going back. Don't force it- that doesn't work.

[Infidelity]

Originally Posted by 1958Bassman

There will always be plateaus and brick walls. Take a break from Jazz and play anything else for a while, then go back to it when you feel like going back. Don't force it- that doesn't work.

I actually did this before the realizitation.. Works like wonder!

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by Infidelity

It's been almost three months that I've been trying to play jazz..

you won't master jazz in 3 months ... or 3 years ...

[4003]

I wish I was good at reading music after just three months. It took me about two years before I was somewhat proficient.

[Kwesi]

I've hit a bit of a plateau myself. I'm thinking that for me, it might be time to get a teacher .

[Infidelity]

Originally Posted by Ric5

you won't master jazz in 3 months ... or 3 years ...

I know it won't. The only thing is through that months.. From day 1 to last week I didn't improve even a bit.

Originally Posted by 4003

I wish I was good at reading music after just three months. It took me about two years before I was somewhat proficient.

I think I do have a different criteria on whats good. I'm in no way profficient but can definitely still read.

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I've hit a bit of a plateau myself. I'm thinking that for me, it might be time to get a teacher .

My teacher is my only inspiration and motivation.. He pushed me through this and pretty much I won't stop until I attain my goal..

[Stumbo]

It's not about the days, months, years....it's about the total hours you put in. Try a thousand hours a year for about 5 years. Make some recordings as you go.

You'll get it.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I've hit a bit of a plateau myself. I'm thinking that for me, it might be time to get a teacher .

That's what I'm doing

[Evil Undead]

I "love" that there are so many people posting replies without reading the full story!

[LM Bass]

I think you've got a lot of good responses here. I will add that there's a lot of wisdom in your post -one needs to keep their enthusiasm when studying music, otherwise you can burn out. Do the hard stuff first, but then make sure you end each practise session doing the thing you enjoy the most.

[Saxn]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

It's not about the days, months, years....it's about the total hours you put in. Try a thousand hours a year for about 5 years. Make some recordings as you go.

You'll get it.

Stumbo NAILS it! There was a study or two that I read a while back that ballparked acquiring "mastery" of any given activity at about 10,000 hours of doing it. That's over eleven months of doing whatever the hard thing is 24/7 - that's a LOT of time to put in!

So yeah, patience is going to be key here.

[Saxn]

Originally Posted by Evil Undead

I "love" that there are so many people posting replies without reading the full story!

You know, you are absolutely right. I did read the whole story and then got sucked into the main thrust of the replies anyway!

Never mind my last bit of useless trivia... even though it's a real cool study. Good job on finding your happy, OP!

[Icey101]

divert a bit and look for some jazz rock instead....like Summer Time

[redname]

maybe you are trying too many things at one time?

i'm sure you are very excited about doing all those amazing stuff on the bass but give yourself some breathing space and just concentrate one thing at a time.

it took me 5 months to finally be able to read the chord charts of a song and walk. i wouldn't say i play well but at least i won't keep repeating my lines (well once in a while).

my next target is to speed things up and walk using a faster tempo

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by Infidelity

I know it won't. The only thing is through that months.. From day 1 to last week I didn't improve even a bit.

I go through this every once in a while, and it's important to remember that even if you don't notice it, every time you practice you get better. Maybe only a minute amount, but it's cumulative. Look back a year from now, after practicing the same way, and you'll see how far you've come.

[Ukiah Bass]

People who are not musicians have no idea what personal angst we bassists battle.

[Infidelity]

Thanks for your comment guys! I appreciate it and I wasn't expecting I wasn't alone!