Thinkin' about bailing out...

[chef wong]

At 38, I don't know why I play anymore. There isn't a whole lot of enthusiasm, and I feel the music these days is whack. I'm not interested much in the local music scene, either.

I spend a good deal of time with this little music hobby of mine, for what? Big deal...I can play a little bass.

Times up, I guess.

I'm kinda stuck with payments on my bass. I'll see if I can return the thing. It was a handshake deal. You'll be seein' a really nice Alembic on ebay soon, more than likely.

[Exploiter8]

Just find some mates to jam with a few times a year. Play for your enjoyment, not necessarily to an audience. That's enough to keep me from getting rusty, plus it 's also a reason to pick up the Bass once in awhile to practice.

X8

[Kmonk]

I went through something similar a few years ago. I was tired of the band drama so I decided to take some time off. I spent a couple of years playing by myself and working on technique and learning different styles. It was the best thing I've ever done. I learned a lot, became a much better player and it renewed my enthusiasm.

[matante]

I'm about your age and I agree most of the music these days is terrible, but that inspires me to make my own music, rather than to quit. If you want to quit, quit, but don't blame it on the music scene.

[StayinTime]

Chef,

Now is not the time to bail out. Just hang in there and keep playing. Trust me, once you get bitten by the bass bug you are in for life.

Hang in there buddy. Dont quit.

[Itzayana]

I know exactly how you feel. I am 60 years old and started playing when I was 13.
There have been a few times in my life where I actually lost interest to the point of looking at my gear gather dust and turning down opportunities to play gigs. I sold all my gear and took time off. The longest was three years!
But I always seemed to come back with a great new enthusiasm. Jumped back into it. Learned all about the new gear and started fresh.
Funny thing is that it always had the effect of springboarding me way ahead.
You see that I firmly believe that the mind will continue to grow and process even if you aren't actively doing it.
Muscle memory fades, slows, and grows clumbsy. But that is relatively easy to get back.

So I say. If it feels like you need a break, you should do it.
The music is in your blood, You'll be back.

[pacojas]

i was kinda hoping for more rage in your quit!

[Gtripdub]

put your bass in the closet for awhile.take a break. listen to music you love.and then see/hear how you feel...

[klokker]

You don't have to play anymore, but everybody goes throught those kind of times.......with everything.

It's no big deal to take some time off. But don't sell your stuff.....the mojo can come back in an instant.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by chef wong

At 38, I don't know why I play anymore. There isn't a whole lot of enthusiasm, and I feel the music these days is whack. I'm not interested much in the local music scene, either.

I spend a good deal of time with this little music hobby of mine, for what? Big deal...I can play a little bass.

Times up, I guess.

I'm kinda stuck with payments on my bass. I'll see if I can return the thing. It was a handshake deal. You'll be seein' a really nice Alembic on ebay soon, more than likely.

Maybe this is just not for you.

I would bet you have other things going on in life to keep you busy.

I'll be 60 in February still gigging every weekend and have the same enthusiasm for music and playing as I did when I started playing at age 12.

I like some new music, but admittedly am not familiar with all the new genres and bands.

The local music scene is tough and sometimes not pretty. However , I'm engaged in it , I study it and analyze the trends from a booking perspective. As a band were surviving.

Blue

[Munjibunga]

Take a little time to think about what you'd really love to do musically. When you figure it out, make it happen. I wanted to do something kind of mellow and laid-back, but still tight for performance. I managed to hook up with a buddy who played in a country western band with me years ago, and we started an acoustic duo. Then we brought in my brother on guitar and vocals and ended up with a trio. We do easy listening pop. Now our old drummer from the CW band plays with us. Everything goes very smooth, no hassles, and great vocal harmonies.

I also play in a 5-piece classic rock band, and it's a lot of fun, but more work.

[Coltrane21]

If i had a dollar for each time I bailed out of music, I'd have, like, 5 bucks by now. Take a break, don't force anything, take a walk, paint something, do something else for a minute. Our mistress will be waiting for you when you get back.

[two fingers]

Do some fill-in gigs. Once word gets around (in most any market) that you will play whatever if the pay and conditions are right, the phone will ring. I have had more fun playing shows with guys from 3 states over who emailed me a set list and I never met them until an hour before showtime. Talk about keeping you on your toes! But it is a BLAST. There's no band drama. And the one time the band was not so fun I simply told them to lose my number at the end of the night. But that was only one out of dozens of gigs. Every single experience other than that one has been GREAT!

The best part? No band drama! They get all dramatic with me and I can walk out a quickly as I walked in. But like I said, just about every musician I have played with is very appreciative of my bailing them out and letting them keep their date. It works out for all involved. And I have played every kind of music you can think of. There's no rut for a fill-in guy.

Best of luck either way.

[Dr. Cheese]

There is nothing wrong with not playing for a while. See how you feel after a break.

[joebar]

i walked away for 15 or more years.
a year ago i couldn`t tell you the difference between any nuances of basses.
i was bored with music.
and then i studied jazz
problem solved
and here i am with a vengeance

[mjac28]

I agree take some time and leave it alone for awhile that Alembic might be harder to get a second time around.

[Stumbo]

I've always had an acoustic 6 string around whether I'm playing bass or not. It's great therapy and a good way to keep your fingers in shape. I picked up a couple of song/chord books and expanded my horizons. Easy to take with you and also helps keep your ear in shape.

Good luck.

Try not to sell all your equipment if you can. I did that once and when time came to get back into it.....well, you know.

[sizzle]

am going thru them same thing now...had it a few years ago too...ive decided to not think about it too much, just play it as it comes. the band i was/am in has one gig left then its done, might start something else, might not for awhile. either way i learned from last time that sweating it doesnt help, pick a route, play in band or dont...you can always change you mind about that later

[Ivan M]

As others have said, Don't quit, just put the bass away for a little while..Heck a few months if you want, find another hobby for now, you will come back to the bass eventually.

[4001]

If I didn't play bass I'd have a LOT more money. I'm broke and I stay out of trouble by playing bass.