Age-related Performance Accommodation

[bassliner50]

1. An excellent pit light on your music stand will help you read through those cataracts.
2. Class D and neodymium amplification only. No exceptions.
3. Fold up hand truck to assist with the schlepp
4. Wear super comfy black sneakers with adequate arch support (that look like dress shoes from off stage).
5. Pack Advil and Peptp-Bismol in your gig bag.
6. A high stool with foot rests if you plan to be seated.
7. Foley catheter and leg bag will get you through those long sets.
8. Never travel without medicare cards (part A and B). Good idea to have a prescription plan as well.
9.Drinking water within reach nearby, can help prevent dehyration and muscle spasms.
10. If you sing, be sure to lower all keys to accomodate your high milage larynx.
11. Try to get your children or grandchilren to load your vehicle with your gear before a performance.
12. Avoid driving after dark, when glare becomes a safety hazard.
13. Fresh batteries in your hearing assist devices.

 

[60bass]

Welcome me into the fold as well. 69 years old (70 next month). Diabetes type2, Spinal Fusion 2 years ago L4,L5, S1 back will never be the same anymore. Now having issues with L3, L2 so wash, rinse, repeat. Knees are also junk but I make do. No more heavy gear period. Memory ain't what she used to be. My BIGGEST ISSUE right now and the one that's killing my ability to play as much and at my previous skill level is the arthritis in both my thumbs and first fingers. VERY painful and my strength and grip are seriously affected. I'm on RX and shots for that but they really don't work as well as I'd hoped they would. Possibly CBD products like juamcaminos mentioned. I'm ready to try anything that helps.

if anyone else suffers from arthritis in their thumbs and fingers and has advice and/or suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[Ewo]

I'm 70, closing in on 71.

Both shoulder joints have been replaced due to osteoarthritis, first the right and a couple years later the left; cartilage was completely gone and the bones were wearing down. The recovery time for each was about six months, and once I got past the physical therapy for the second replacement I've been doing a pretty good dumbbell workout twice a week to strengthen the muscles. Actually, I've now got better shoulder, arm, and back muscles than before. Rheumatoid arthritis started to work on my finger joints a couple years ago; I take hydroxychloroquine every day--yep, _that_ hydroxychloroquine--and it's helped. (HCQ has long been a standard treatment for RA.)

I've moved to playing Sandberg Cali fivers because the bodies are compact and the reach to the first fret is comparatively short. Still using 34" scale.

Started using Mesa Subway amps and cabs because I like the tone, and the light weight makes my amp is easy to move.

Still standing and moving to the groove, onstage. No Bruno Mars moves for me, though...

 

[mdlewis]

Some of you mentioned late-night driving - something went awry with my vision about five years back. That's been my most serious obstacle to performing. I can't reliably drive at night for more than an hour. Coffee sometimes helps, but my luckily I'm able to share drives when they're longer.

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

This thread might not be of interest to everyone.

I enrolled in Medicare this year and was reflecting on how I was so completely unprepared for the effects of aging on my ability to perform. Given some recent threads, I thought it might be interesting to older players who are still performing to share some of their tricks in a single thread. Here are some areas that might be of interest that have been mentioned previously -

1. weight of instruments
2. instrument configurations - shorties, string types etc.
3. weight of amplifiers
4. physical accommodations
5. physical maintenance

I'll start by a personal entry on #4. I've always been in good health, exercised regularly, and been strong enough for my slight frame, but I was unprepared for joint deterioration. I now have to be very careful lifting heavy objects, because I can lift far more than my knees can withstand. This means that as much as I would enjoy owning big iron, it's out of the question. I couldn't move it without personal damage. Joint deterioration is something you hear old folks talk about but you just ignore until you start to feel the effects yourself. Luckily, amplifier technology has come to the rescue in the past decade - we are fortunate enough to have at our disposal, the lightest, loudest, and best sounding amplifiers and speakers, ever.

Look. I'm 36. And after two shoulder reconstructions, I'm starting to reconsider 5 string Jazzes. Significant pain after gigs, for sure. It dissipates, but I'm suffering up there.

 

[redwood]

I'll be 58 soon. Not totally decrepid (sp?) yet, but I'm getting there with back issues, bursitis in my shoulders and arthritis starting to rear it's ugly head everywhere, especially in my hands.
Besides going for crazy light equipment or cabs and cases with wheels I have a new pre-gig ritual: Extensive stretching of back, legs and especially my hands. Followed by a good slathering of hemp cream on my hands and knees. I used to use lidocaine but this stuff seems to work just as well. Then I top it all off with a couple of Bayer back and body. After returning home I again do extensive stretching.
It's keeping me in the game so far.

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

I'll be 58 soon. Not totally decrepid (sp?) yet, but I'm getting there with back issues, bursitis in my shoulders and arthritis starting to rear it's ugly head everywhere, especially in my hands.
Besides going for crazy light equipment or cabs and cases with wheels I have a new pre-gig ritual: Extensive stretching of back, legs and especially my hands. Followed by a good slathering of hemp cream on my hands and knees. I used to use lidocaine but this stuff seems to work just as well. Then I top it all off with a couple of Bayer back and body. After returning home I again do extensive stretching.
It's keeping me in the game so far.

Great advice. I usually smoke the "hemp" when I get home from the gig, and that puts me right. We're both proponents

 

[BtaylorTheRogue]

...or the skin will crack and bleed over my bass when I play

Did you just unironically find the best 'getting old' for metal?

 

[mark roberts]

68, retired from the day gig since February 2020…just in time for the COVID pandemic issues to change everything.

Though more of a serious hobby from the late 60's on brought to me many opportunities to make a bit of extra money from time to time.

I was always a "sports participation" guy and still am. For the last 4 decades, I have been a cyclist. With amateur competition at the local/regional level from my mid-30's to mid-40's. Still ride nearly daily. I see my health and stamina as exceptional. There are some physical issues that age and repetitive actions have alerted me to tend to. Some are from youth sports injuries, that somehow manage to remind us of the damage later in life.

However, the issues I face are less about personal physical limitations.

And many of the responses on this thread have come from currently gigging bassists.

My concerns are those that have been hashed about in other threads here on TB concerning personal musical preferences for personal fulfillment (yes, some of us play for our benefit as a personal motivation than for any audience…and I have learned that such a mindset has limitations).

The latter has more to do with ending up in a place that does not embrace, nor provide nurturing opportunities, for the music and presentation you may prefer and use as a filter for ongoing choices. Further, costs for presenting a venue for live music, the ongoing issue of music patrons (live or recorded) only responding to "free" offerings and changes in venue live performances to acoustic singles, duos, trios which may not match personal preferences in the locale, tend to dictate opportunity.

I have alternatives with extended-range bass. I compose, record and post on certain platforms. And even those alternatives have become devoid of meaningful financial reward and opportunities for the amateur artist. Few to no opportunities, few to no interested like experienced and thinking local artists.

It is not about being the "next best thing to whatever tickles a fancy" thing for artists, musician performers. It is about surviving physically, economically and socio-psychologically.

 

[OogieWaWa]

Geez, this thread has made me so thankful. 65 and only a few issues. I probably ought to start doing all that stuff that's supposed to be good for you some day. Maybe.

The biggest things for me are: stretching, and proper lifting. Stretch before, after setup a little, before teardown a little, and after taking everything inside. Keep ALL loads close to the body and use the knees, not the back.

I'm playing a heavy bass, which is fine, I actually like it a lot better that way, and I'm also hauling around a keyboard and all the crap that goes with it, plus mic and personal monitor, etc. We take way too much stuff. The lower back is starting to get a little sore at times, but those two things certainly help. Heck, I still help the drummer (70!) and help with the PA when I'm done. He's still in pretty good shape, too. Heh, our guitarist is 57, just a young buck!

I'm still sore for a day after, but not enough to take anything for it. I have much better things to kill my liver with than Tylenol, thank you.

Going to a 600W Class D amp and still using two very good, older but not super light 112s, that I always move with a cart, helped a lot; that easily covers 95% of our gigs at the volumes we play at, with plenty of headroom. And we're not that quiet!!! The 210 and 115 are for the music room now.

Let's see, what else. A good thick floor pad, snug black Newbies with comfort inserts and heavy socks, plus remembering to shift my weight around certainly help. I have to force myself to not stand still. And HYDRATE!!! Oh, I use one of those back support belts when loading/unloading. It's great! I sit for a few bass songs and most keyboard songs, with ergonomically well placed and padded footrests I added to the folding chair. I also made the seat pad a lot thicker (boneyassitis.) Despite the adrenaline, I force myself to sit for a few minutes on breaks now.

I think the biggest thing is attitude. As long as it's still the most fun I can imagine having, whatever it takes is fine, now and for the foreseeable future, hopefully.

 

[zubrycky]

I'm not old (yet) but I know that I won't get younger. That said, one of the better things I did for myself was to buy a Danelectro DC Bass in 2000. It weights nothing and my back and shoulder are grateful for that.

 

[ole Jason]

Don't feel bad about sitting for gigs! I'm 38 and always sit for anything that goes over an hour, I've never had any complaints.

 

[braud357]

Thank you for this post !!! I will be 68 y/o in February, and decided this year that enough is enough, and started to sit while playing. The weight of my beloved Jazz and P-bass were doing a number on my shoulder and lower back; so much so that I have almost completely gone over to using a Ibanez SR300 bass. Light as a feather in comparison. I pull the band trailer for one of my groups, and I have installed a ramp on the trailer, and everything has casters installed. This has really made the process easier. I have also downsized my bass rigs, but can combine components in case I need something bigger. Dark stages have begun to be a problem, and I have to be very careful when stepping down from one. The only "plus" is that I feel that my playing is at its best level of my entire life, and playing with a bunch of same-aged individuals has eliminated a lot of the usual "band drama" issues - with age comes wisdom" - sometimes ! Everyone in my 5-piece group sits, and someone asked the question - "why do you all sit down?" The lead vocalist won the comment contest - he said "we sit down while you get down !!"

 

[57pbass]

I'm 63.
Thankfully in good shape and health.
I am still using my 50lb cabinets but with lightweight heads. I try to stay in the 9 lb range with my basses. I always keep an anti fatigue type mat in my truck.. 3' x 4' - it's heavily padded to absorb my weight on those hardwood / concrete or metal stages and long shows. Sitting on stage not permitted in my band.
Also wear super comfortable shoes with padded soles. This makes a huge difference for me.
Always have a dolly for hauling gear.
Keep rocking folks.. until the wheels fall off!

 

[GretschWretch]

Seventy-two and check off nearly every at-risk box, but the only real worries are knees and, lately, hips. Living alone, I really cannot consider knee replacement surgery because I have no one to look in on me during convalescence.

It looks like I am going to have to abandon even my "small" A/B amps (Polytone Mini-Brute and Yorkville BLOC80B) and go with lighter, more contemporary stuff; I will not grumble about a Rumble v3. Thankfully, my mind still is good, but the number of keystroke errors I make in typing has become appalling. I now make more errors than the 1962 New York Mets.

 

[pingvuiini]

My main problem has been pain in my fretting ring and pinky fingers, which has led me to cast off all my wonderful extra long scale, long scale, medium scale and short scale basses. My primary bass is a 23" scale custom made 5 string fretless uke bass, and I have recently acquired a Mikro. With the 34+" scale basses I could play for about 30 minutes before pain, 32-30" scale about 45-60 minutes, with the Mikro (28.6" scale) about 90 minutes and with uke basses I can play indefinitely.

It has also been a lifelong journey to find the lightest amp setup possible and in this day and age it is quite possible. Right now I have a Mesa TT-800 with two 1x15 Subway cabinets and a Quilter BB-800 going into a GR Bass 212 Slim cabinet which I can carry by hand to rehearsal and gigs as long as its not too far.

 

[lbbc]

I'm 63. I'm 5'6" and 250 lbs (been that for the past 15 years). I sit at rehearsal but not the gigs. My bass is an Alembic Persuader (9.5 lbs) and my Genz Benz Shuttle Combo is about 32 lbs. I watch what I eat and drink, get moderate exercise, more water intake and have cut way back on red meat and eating out.

My right knee is weak, but a knee brace under the jeans works just great. We have light gear, play early gigs (usually home by 10 pm 2-4 times per month) and a Bose L1 Model 2 PA system (with a Yamaha StagePas 1 as a backup in the car), 1 rack of LED lights if needed.

It's all about being able to continue to play... whatever that means as we get older!!

 

[Holdsg]

58 and feeling the "it's all going downhill from here" on a pretty regular basis.
I can still play just fine. Keys and bass. I never have had to sit for a gig on either instrument.
But let's face it, I get the feeling that my days of gigging nearly every weekend are kinda numbered.
I've always said "I'll play as long as I can". But need to be honest with myself when that "day" comes.

 

[Pings Bass]

We used to joke in the 80s about rocking out in the nursing homes. Welp, the last rock band I played in rehearsed at the BL's senior living apartment, and at the last rock concert I attended, the BL (Brian Wilson) was escorted to his piano with a walker.

Class D amps and neodymium speakers came along at just the right time.

Mick and Keef and Ronnie seem to be doing alright, must be that deal they made down at the crossroads.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Probably a silly question but what does it mean to "enroll in Medicare"? Is that American for "retirement" or something? We have the OAP (Old Age Pension) for Canadians over a certain age, not sure if similar...

And keep the advice coming gentleman. I will need it in a few years.