Are drums ok as a rest from bass practice?

[BBJBG]

So briefly, I'm a really intense guy. I have a history of tackling complex things in short periods of time. I'm old enough now to know that's a poor formula for music. That being said I've been letting it happen with the bass in recent months (8+ hours per day) and my fingers/hands are starting to pay for it.

So I guess I have two questions

1. What is the maximum time I should spend playing / day on bass alone (I'm seeing 4 hours but that seems limiting)
   
2. Would playing the drums count as not playing bass

Given my history it's not out of the question that every single second of available time I have goes towards music over the course of several years. I need a way to break up the intensity and obviously something like guitar isn't going to be a real rest. I love the drums and feel almost the same urge to play them as I do the bass so it seems like it could be a natural fit. I don't think I'd be attempting drums at any serious level at all, but if I'm spending a few hours a day, I'd think I'd have passable "fill-in" skills after a few years.

Thoughts? (Yes. I'm crazy. It's called hyperfocus and it's not as great as it sounds )

 

[Dadum]

Drum foot skills can be worked on while resting the hands. This can also improve your overall sense of time. You could actually work your drumming feet while playing bass at the same time if you are extremely time efficient.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Would playing the drums count as not playing bass

Depends how literal you are.

The more important question to ask I think would be, "Would playing the drums help me as a bass player?" And the answer to that unequivocally is Yes! ...and for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it would give some parts of your body the rest that it sounds like they would benefit from. But it's because of all the other reasons that it would be so valuable.

 

[Killing Floor]

I would think so.
For as long as you’ve played bass who are the people who have given you the best coaching? Who are you locking with? Don’t you assume learning what they do will ultimately benefit you?

I play guitar too and my bass playing has benefited immensely learning what I need to do to help the guitar.

 

[Les Fret]

Be careful not to hurt yourself. 8 hours a day is asking for injury. Drumming is good, but your are still not giving your hands a rest.
I would bring your bass practice back to four hours a day max, with rest in between sessions. It’s too easy to overdo and that can work against you later on.
Do you have a teacher? He or she can guide you.

 

[BBJBG]

Depends how literal you are.

The more important question to ask I think would be, "Would playing the drums help me as a bass player?" And the answer to that unequivocally is Yes! ...and for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it would give some parts of your body the rest that it sounds like they would benefit from. But it's because of all the other reasons that it would be so valuable.

Absolutely! This only furthers me wanting to push it towards the drums. I started classical guitar when I was really little (didn't take far at all) so I have a decent theory and chord background from that which has helped tremendously. I really really want to bang on the drums but the inter-weaving with the bass knowledge is 100% a catalyst to awesome.

Be careful not to hurt yourself. 8 hours a day is asking for injury. Drumming is good, but your are still not giving your hands a rest.
I would bring your bass practice back to four hours a day max, with rest in between sessions. It’s too easy to overdo and that can work against you later on.
Do you have a teacher? He or she can guide you.

Is it really that dangerous if I'm practiced? Part of me wonders if I had fully bulging finger muscles and better technique (I'm a bit hard right now) I might be able to push it past 4 hours. I do not want to be prideful and find out I'm wrong. I'd rather just someone tell me I'm wrong. Easier that way.

I don't have a teacher at the moment, but I don't know that I'm going to really benefit from one at this stage. I have decent foundational knowledge and am catching back up to my old technique-skills. Once I can do triads in 4 scales in time up and down the fretboard at 120bpm (currently what I'm working on) I'll re-address.

Just these few replies though makes me feel good about adding the drums. If I'm serious about how much I'm playing with breaks and internet surfing it's probably more like 6-8 hours. If I make that timed bass with 4 hours max with spillover time into the drums, I think that might be a good basis to see if any non-muscle pain comes up.

Bottom line though I can't let myself obsess as I do on other things I guess. It's kind of disheartening, I always assumed if I had the time I'd master instruments lightning fast because of my "super power" (again, it's not) but, it's just not that because of max time per day for both injury and absorption

 

[Snarf]

Practicing another instrument and continuing to think musically will end up benefitting your bass skills anyway. I've never taken a step back when I put all my practicing focus into guitar or piano.

 

[IamGroot]

Drums are a great companion to bass guitar skills.

Injury? If it hurts, stop.

 

[BBJBG]

Honestly I'm finding 4-6 hours is max that my brain cares about and that's the real limiting factor. At 10PM my fingers are just like "f your triads and especially f 150 bpm" and it's not a pain or muscle thing. My music mind keeps going and I can't get the fingers to keep going heh.

Looks like music is a thing I'm just going to be limited to maximum 4-6 hours of learning per day. This seems like a human-wide thing, I've seen tons of studies that say people are only productive for 5 hours a day.

I didn't realize it till I started logging actual time playing but 5-6 hours per day is really all day with breaks and junk.

 

[tshapiro]

I’ve played professionally bass, drums, guitar and piano my whole life. Drums will help your feel. Guitar is fun. But, Piano is a total game changer for expanding your musical knowledge. Get a weighted keyboard - not a synth style keyboard. While piano ‘can’ be physical, it’s a lot more of a mental exercise. To put things in perspective, I played drums in a Rush tribute band. I’m serviceable on piano. But, piano has, by far, helped my bass playing more than anything else bc if forces you to learn music theory. The more theory you know, the more the fretboard makes sense and your music vocabulary expands.

 

[Polfuste]

A rest is... a rest. If you want your hands take rest, and you want absolutely spend a lot of hours in music, what about learning theory, reading, and stuff that doesn't involve your hands at a strong physical level ?

 

[Wannabebass]

I’ve played professionally bass, drums, guitar and piano my whole life. Drums will help your feel. Guitar is fun. But, Piano is a total game changer for expanding your musical knowledge. Get a weighted keyboard - not a synth style keyboard. While piano ‘can’ be physical, it’s a lot more of a mental exercise. To put things in perspective, I played drums in a Rush tribute band. I’m serviceable on piano. But, piano has, by far, helped my bass playing more than anything else bc if forces you to learn music theory. The more theory you know, the more the fretboard makes sense and your music vocabulary expands.

I was thinking keyboards as well - a physical rest ( or change at least) for your fingers, but a huge theory blast and since bass isn’t easy as a solo instrument, keys might give you a chance to look at music differently, I.e playing chords and melodies

 

[Dadum]

Visualization can be done while physically resting. Count and carry out the movements in your head of what you were previously working on. Slow it down and experience/imprint each step.

 

[SaucyJackBass]

I am probably the minority here, but practicing bass 4 hours per day seems extreme. Its like a marathon runner taking a daily 26 mile jog.
What are you possibly learning during those 20 hours per week? Are you by yourself or practicing with others?
Bass is art, not science.

 

[BrassedOn]

Absolutely! This only furthers me wanting to push it towards the drums. I started classical guitar when I was really little (didn't take far at all) so I have a decent theory and chord background from that which has helped tremendously. I really really want to bang on the drums but the inter-weaving with the bass knowledge is 100% a catalyst to awesome.



Is it really that dangerous if I'm practiced? Part of me wonders if I had fully bulging finger muscles and better technique (I'm a bit hard right now) I might be able to push it past 4 hours. I do not want to be prideful and find out I'm wrong. I'd rather just someone tell me I'm wrong. Easier that way.

I don't have a teacher at the moment, but I don't know that I'm going to really benefit from one at this stage. I have decent foundational knowledge and am catching back up to my old technique-skills. Once I can do triads in 4 scales in time up and down the fretboard at 120bpm (currently what I'm working on) I'll re-address.

Just these few replies though makes me feel good about adding the drums. If I'm serious about how much I'm playing with breaks and internet surfing it's probably more like 6-8 hours. If I make that timed bass with 4 hours max with spillover time into the drums, I think that might be a good basis to see if any non-muscle pain comes up.

Bottom line though I can't let myself obsess as I do on other things I guess. It's kind of disheartening, I always assumed if I had the time I'd master instruments lightning fast because of my "super power" (again, it's not) but, it's just not that because of max time per day for both injury and absorption

For me, 8 hours would be too much. Whereas a great violinist or pianists would easily play that much time. But not to the point of pain or discomfort.

If you ever read “the inner game” you might find it’s not the amount of time on task but rather ONLY playing the times where one is focused on the task. 30 minute of focused, musical shedding is better than an hour of mindless or relentless activity on the bass. That saves my hands and gets me progress. I tend to shed for shorter intervals, but always have enough strength for gigs.

there are lots of things that can help you musically while hands off the bass. 8 hours on your music seems realistic.

More time stretching or other flexibility and strength training, before, during, after

drumming, and I’m new to drumming but loving it as an enhancement to bass playing but drumming is also a gas in its own right. And a lot of different muscles.

listening, which is something I wish I did more in my youth, passive and active listening

learning changes (and heads) away from the bass, relying more on memory, ear, theory knowledge. Take time to analyze changes and
transcribe changes off recordings rather than going straight to charts.

Transcribe bass lines. Some people like to transcribe whole solos or tunes, I tend to transcribe short segments like a great turnaround line, fill, or figure in a solo and learn in a couple positions.

Visualize play before playing

maybe a plan where you bass for an hour and break for other music tasks, kind of interval training.