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Bass player mental health?

#41
I figured this would get a rise, but not quite this fast! Thanks to all the responses: the helpful, the funny, and even the unhelpful/mildly insulting. A few points:

  1. I meant troll more in the fishing sense than the online forum sense. I should have said "long time reader, first time poster."
  2. I'm 35, started guitar at 14. First touched a bass around 18, first played bass in a band around 24.
  3. I'm actually an introvert in most situations. I don't play for the adoring crowds; that's hard to find as a small-city jazz player, no matter what instrument! I'm sometimes perfectly fine with my introvert self, but this might be me wishing I was more extroverted/attention-getting in general, regardless of anything I'm doing musically. If I was comfortable who I am in that respect, I'd probably be fine.
  4. Therapy= probably the best answer, unfortunately for my money and free time. This issue is probably much more about underlying *real* mental health issues than any BS thing I would say about playing bass. If I'm feeling good in general, I can just love grooving on the bass in the background. If I'm not feeling so good, then playing bass often makes me feel worse. My own positive self-talk only solves so much of my problem, although I really wouldn't mind getting the level of applause/love (or solos!!) as other instruments.
 
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#44
I'm probably the wrong person to ask. Because virtually everything I do, I do for my own reasons. And when it comes to playing bass, I play it because I like the low notes and the role the bass has in the larger context of a musical arrangement.

I don't care about the "image," the money, peer approval, gear bragging rights, or who gets the most attention from their preffered gender. I just want to play the damn thing.
 
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#45
Unfortunately, your guitar playing days have probably established an ego and need to be liked syndrome. It comes with the instrument. Just take deep breaths. Eventually, it will shift to quiet confidence and strength, and a consummate self-sufficiency and your need to be accepted by others will be replaced by the knowledge that you, the band's most important piece, though unacknowledged by the masses, are the real reason those hind ends are moving and they are feeling it. Your IQ will steadily go up and your emotional maturity will improve.

To keep this trend of self and emotional improvement going, please adjust your technique and relax, so you don't hurt yourself and sustain this personal growth.
 
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#46
I thought this was going to be about how bass players are the most sane in the group, lol

To be honest, my band is all about our fantastic singer. I do it because I like to perform, and bass is my natural instrument. I do get called out occasionally for my bass playing and that is enough. I never got any chicks from it though. The closest I ever got was when this one chick came up to me and said she wanted me to play her like I did that bass...but that never happened, lol.
 
#48
settedollar said:
If I'm feeling good in general, I can just love grooving on the bass in the background. If I'm not feeling so good, then playing bass often makes me feel worse. My own positive self-talk only solves so much of my problem, although I really wouldn't mind getting the level of applause/love (or solos!!) as other instruments.
Click to expand...

Not sure if this helps, but have you taken an Enneagram test at all? Learning what your Enneagram type is really helpful because it helps you understand your motivations, good and bad. Based on what you said in the quote above, it sounds like you might be the same type as my wife (not gonna say which type because that can skew the test if you decide to take one), and you could learn a lot about why you feel bad when you do if you take an Enneagram test.

If you want to do that, just google it and find a free test. Like I said, it might be helpful.
 
#49
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#50
basscapes said:
I have to say that I AM addicted to playing bass guitar.

That being said, I concur with whoever first made the statement, "bass is the bacon of music."

Unless you are Vegan, you can understand that. Try to listen to a song while imagining there IS NO BASS GUITAR IN IT! Once you can master that skill (kinda like ear training at the utmost sound engineer level), you will/can realize just how important our contributions to the bass guitar AND the overall song really are.

Truly KNOWING what the bass line/part (and YOU, as a bass guitarist) can do in a song is almost like a secret fraternity or brother/sisterhood- those of us that understand this power/ability can, when we see it in action (watching another band/friend/fellow bass guitarist at a club, for example) simply smile and nod in the crowd. Those players that know how to "make bass the bacon" almost always seem to be able to pick us out of the audience BECAUSE we notice this!
Click to expand...

Bass is heavily processed and inferior to the original cut of meat. It is also overused and put places it doesn't fit or belong? Bacon sounds more like a guitar to me.
 
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#51
A lot of bass players seem to be in poor mental health. As a group, they are almost as bad as drummers, singers, guitarists and keyboard players. Singers tend to have ego-related mental health issues, and sex addiction. Guitarists tend to have ego-related mental health issues, and drug addiction. Drummers tend to be dangerous, and keyboard players tend to be overall schizo. Bass players just have this tendency to be rather dull, and OCD about following various rules, but not others. Odd bunch. I only play bass so I never need to hire one of these weirdos.
 
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#52
I do my best to contribute to the song and honor it's original recording as best I can.

I have no desire for personal glory or individual acknowledgement.

The best compliment I ever had was "You guys are tight. It sounded awesome."

Good Luck!
 
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#56
Timmy-Watts said:
Unfortunately, your guitar playing days have probably established an ego and need to be liked syndrome. It comes with the instrument. Just take deep breaths. Eventually, it will shift to quiet confidence and strength, and a consummate self-sufficiency and your need to be accepted by others will be replaced by the knowledge that you, the band's most important piece, though unacknowledged by the masses, are the real reason those hind ends are moving and they are feeling it. Your IQ will steadily go up and your emotional maturity will improve.

To keep this trend of self and emotional improvement going, please adjust your technique and relax, so you don't hurt yourself and sustain this personal growth.
Click to expand...

Awesome. I will endeavor not to hurt myself, or others. :)
 
#57
Mark_70 said:
I'm an introvert - standing in the back suits me just fine.
Click to expand...

settedollar said:
I'm actually an introvert in most situations. I don't play for the adoring crowds; that's hard to find as a small-city jazz player, no matter what instrument! I'm sometimes perfectly fine with my introvert self, but this might be me wishing I was more extroverted/attention-getting in general, regardless of anything I'm doing musically. If I was comfortable who I am in that respect, I'd probably be fine.
Click to expand...

As a certified introvert, I am content to stand back in the trenches with the drummer and do the heavy lifting. I'm fine supporting our singer and kisk-ass guitar player. Sometimes I'm amazed that I can even get on stage and play in front of people. The OP does need to come to terms with who he is and realize there is nothing wrong or better with either role in the band. Do what makes you happy.
 
#58
settedollar said:
Sooooo, odd question from a troll who never really posts: I've played guitar longer than bass (please no hate), but I've since discovered that I'm totally a natural at bass and often like playing it more. I can't hit my guitar hard enough to work out my aggression, after all. :)

HOWEVER, all bass player jokes aside, let's be honest: few people go to gigs to see any bass player, except maybe if your Victor Wooten calibre. Honestly, it's messing with my mental health. If I let myself think about it too much, I think of myself as just being the "extra guy" that nobody pays much attention to or cares about. Couple that with chronic pain issues that worse on bass than guitar, I think often about stopping the whole bass thing. Of course, over 75% of my gigs are on bass, so it's a Catch-22.

Anybody else have similar issues? How do you get over it? Should I go all Stuart Smalley & tell myself "I'm good enough, I'm slappy enough, and goshdarnit, people like me."
Click to expand...

You need to buy this T shirt

bass t shirt.jpg
 
#60
Frank Tuesday said:
Bass is heavily processed and inferior to the original cut of meat. It is also overused and put places it doesn't fit or belong? Bacon sounds more like a guitar to me.
Click to expand...
To me, guitar reminds me of anything tomato-based (Katsup/Ketchup, Marinara, etc...), or better yet, seafood (lobster, crab). Pick any player and you will instantly think, "he reminds me of x food".).

Drums to me are like a great steak- ranging from Blue Rare (Ringo/60's surf?) to Medium/rare (Todd Trainer, and my favorite, John Bonham) to well done (Local Home Boy Neil Peart- yes I was born and raised in the same town, or Carl Palmer).

Keyboardists? Don't get me started on them. Some days I wish they only had one hand that wasn't their left one! Maybe they could be the salt and pepper (spices, perhaps?) LOL!
 

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