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Bassplaying and Babies

#41
Well since I started this thread I still haven't played. We had another baby though. My last post I said m daughter was 1, well now my youngest is 13 months.

Bassplaying is something I won't stop doing. With work and young kids, it's just impossible right now, but when the time is right like a lot of you it will happen. I'm just enjoying this while they are young, I know they grow up so fast.
 
#43
I think any baby who plays bass will probably need a short scale. I think once one of them learns to talk, the vocals will be more coherent, and that's when you can start booking your band of babies. This will be a real big deal, and when you make a lot of money, send a few bucks my way for the great ideas.

Don't let the songwriters get all their inspiration from the typical stuff babies are all about. "Mommy I'm Hungry" isn't the kind of song most people want to hear. Remember, babies are humans at their most primeval. "I Want to Kill You by Beating in Your Head so I can Take Your Toy" is a lot more prevalent among this crowd than you might think.
 
#45
FunkMetalBass said:
Just try to work out an agreement. You can leave her with the baby for 2 hours, twice a week for the band and grant her the same opportunities to go take some PT. Babies are tough, and she probably wont want to be away from the baby, but if she forces herself to take some PT as well, she'll be less stressed. A happy wife = a happy life.
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Aye! My wife and are going to try soon and we already laid out the plans of me getting two 2 hour practices a week and she gets the same for whatever she wants :)
 
#46
Congrats! I just had my little dude last year in May.

Here are my best tips:

1) Invest in a quality headphone amp; otherwise wife will throw frying pans at you if you wake either her or the baby, especially if he's an active little dude like mine and tough to get to sleep.

2) Find time when both the baby and the wife are asleep to practice, that' usually very early in the morning or late at night, this should be your most productive time because there are minimal distractions. I get up early at around 5 ish to practice and then do another session at night, it's tough to get in a big chunk of time in all at once, it's much easier to split it up. For one your wife won't get pissed that your spending all your spare time practicing and it's more quality time with your kid.

When my kid was born I was still on the old routine 4-5 hours of practice after work, wife was complaining, splitting up my time helped minimize the complaints from her somewhat.

3) Minimize distractions while practicing i.e. no T.V and really focus on what you want to accomplish.

Whenever I play my son crawls up and starts whacking on my fretboard, lol i bought him his own tiny bass, lol didn't work, he still smacks my bass.
 
#48
ill be a first time dad in september. my fiance already has two boys that im raising. they want to play guitar like me, and they get really interested in my project builds. the oldest boy anticipates the fed ex truck just as much as i do when we know my new parts are coming in. if you involve your family, make it fun, and remember to that everyone needs to be happy, have their hobbies, and their free time as much as you do, things will work fine. my fiance has never once considered me not playing music. she wouldnt have it anyway, because then we wouldnt get our one free night every month to get in a bar for free, drink for cheap or free, and have a bunch of fun with our friends. of course she isnt drinking for now, but it all still applies. this weekend shes bringing her boys to a big afternoon gig we are playing at a fundraiser. im pretty excited that my little family unit will be there to cheer me on.
 
#49
My son is going on 7 months and I am a full-time parent. My wife and I have a cool arrangement and she encourages me to schedule time for the bands. She also picked out these bass pj's!

image-3837379228.png
 
#50
We have a little guy at home now (just over six months old). I'm usually lucky if I can get in one practice at home a week, usually for no longer than an hour. We do have band rehearsal on Saturdays for 3-4 hours, and my wife is fine with that. I guess it works for me only practicing once a week on my own, because we're a cover band and usually the songs aren't too tough to learn.

It helps to have a supportive spouse that is willing to look after the baby on their own for a while.
 
#51
I'm going back a few years...but we just split it up so I worked days and he could teach/gig afternoon and weekends. We recruited family to help fill the gaps and then had her in daycare by the time she was 2 and 1/2. She was surprisingly portable, so we would just throw her in the car and took her to all the gigs we could...lots of outdoor festivals/concerts...so many great memories!! Now she's 15 and sits in on the gigs and they throw me in the car and take me everywhere :) It works out with a little creativity and it goes by very quickly...so enjoy!!!
 
#52
I am bringing this thread back to life. I have not posted in years in TB. So to answer my own question having kids did affect my bass playing...lol

My girls are now 7 and 8 years old and I am happy to report I stated jamming on the bass with my old band again. I kept playing drums in church so that kept the music alive in me. It is great raising kids with music in the house. Art and music is fantastic for childhood development and I am happy to say both my kids love music and have musical abilities.

Things sure change having children. With me I had to stop playing for a number of years. Between work and being a dad, that took up all my time. But I still made sure music is a part of my life and always made sure my girls listened to great music. I still have some of my bass chops and they will only improve in time. I look forward to continuing my musical journey!

How have things been for your guys here on TB, I hope most of you are still around?
 
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#53
It depends on how define yourself
If playing bass is a hobby then you will play in spurts with varying gaps in between, but if you are a musician, well then my friend you will continue to play and at times your family will be without you.
Being a musician is not what we do it’s who we are.
Not right not wrong it just is
I am hoping you are as lucky as I am for my wife knew I was a musician before she married me
Best of luck to you
Duke
 
#54
If you’re really there as a team player, just be prepared to not do much playing for at least the first few months. Once a pattern establishes itself, see where your downtime (if there’s any to be had) fits in, and go from there. You might find you actually have more time to play than you will when they reach toddler age. That’s where the rubber really hits the road. Good luck.
 
#55
I turned down a couple of touring possibilities and several larger projects when my kids were young. Gotta keep your priorities straight. One thing I did learn along the way was how to quiet a colicky kid. Lay on your back or recline in a chair. Hold the baby on your tummy/chest and as you gently pat their back, hum a bass line. Works on the grandkids too. A nice walking 12 bar blues line... :thumbsup::bassist:
 
#56
RicPlaya said:
I am bringing this thread back to life. I have not posted in years in TB. So to answer my own question having kids did affect my bass playing...lol

My girls are now 7 and 8 years old and I am happy to report I stated jamming on the bass with my old band again. I kept playing drums in church so that kept the music alive in me. It is great raising kids with music in the house. Art and music is fantastic for childhood development and I am happy to say both my kids love music and have musical abilities.

Things sure change having children. With me I had to stop playing for a number of years. Between work and being a dad, that took up all my time. But I still made sure music is a part of my life and always made sure my girls listened to great music. I still have some of my bass chops and they will only improve in time. I look forward to continuing my musical journey!

How have things been for your guys here on TB, I hope most of you are still around?
Click to expand...
I have a one year old girl now. Music is too ingrained in my life, bass especially, to not ever be. It's what I do to blow off steam, to entertain myself and to make cash. It's not going anywhere. Obviously, family first, but my wife understands that music is much more than just beer money.
theduke1 said:
It depends on how define yourself
If playing bass is a hobby then you will play in spurts with varying gaps in between, but if you are a musician, well then my friend you will continue to play and at times your family will be without you.
Being a musician is not what we do it’s who we are.
Not right not wrong it just is
I am hoping you are as lucky as I am for my wife knew I was a musician before she married me
Best of luck to you
Duke
Click to expand...
Well said. Agree on all points.
 
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#57
Awesome. I love these kinds of threads where people come back to give an update 10 years later!
It's like we've just traveled into the future!

In my case I did take a several year hiatus during my kids younger years but it really had more to do with the career than the kids age i think, though they did have some impact i'm sure. Kids are 14 and 10 now and I am back playing in a new rock trio with 2 great musicians. Life is good, I just hope I can keep up!
 
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#59
I had twins, and took about 2 years off from bands, but still managed to play a bit each week. Honestly, I just got them used to hearing bass or guitar and sleeping through it. I will say that after the hiatus I went back to originals bands vs covers, as I find I need less solo "practice" with them and we play less often, so time management win/win there.

They're 8, almost 9 now, and starting to pick up music and expressing an interest in learning an instrument. We have a daily ritual where I pick them up from school or camp or whatever and they get to pick the music off my phone for the ride home. Recently thanks to Marvel movies they have gotten into Zep and the RAmones. Life is good :)
 

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