Caution - long post. As the thread title suggests, I have been playing the bass for over 12 years now. During this time, I've always considered it my main instrument and thus "identified as" a bassist. But I have never been happy with my tone - and I've lurked this place along with others to know that tone is in the fingers. And after over a decade of technique (along with gear) experimentation, I think I've reached the conclusion that my fingers just won't do it. So would it be better to cut my losses and call it quits?
I enjoy and have learned songs in a variety of genres. That said, rock and metal are an important part of my musical enjoyment. It was bassists like Steve Harris and Geddy Lee who inspired me to pick up bass in the first place and to practice. These players have bright, aggressive tones that cut through a mix and are clear even when playing quickly. As for me, I seem to have an unusually dull tone (and lower volume), which I initially attributed to beginner gear. But after a few years, when I started to hear other bassists play in person through the same gear, I heard a huge difference; me playing through a bass with the volume and tone knobs wide open sounds like pretty much anyone else playing with the tone almost all the way closed. Hell, I've even seen non-bassists / beginner bassists get sounds out of the instrument that are more pleasing to me than my own playing.
So I knew the problem was me. Determined to fix the problem that is me, I have tried varying my technique in pretty much every conceivable way. This included, but was not limited to: playing closer to the neck, playing closer to the bridge, playing more at an angle into the instrument, playing more at an angle across the instrument, playing hard, playing lightly, playing with fingers more bent, playing with fingers more straight, playing more relaxed, playing more stiff, playing with different fingers, and even playing left handed. I had a bassist (who produced a clearer tone than me) try to explain to me what he was doing. I had him explain right hand fingerstyle to me as if to a beginner. I also looked closely at what his hand was doing. Still no luck. People often like to say that if X player were to play through a different instrument or rig, they would still sound like X player. Well, turns out I have a signature tone, and I don't like it.
Over the years, I haven't just been practicing, of course. I played for my church for most of that time (until a few years ago), about every other week, often to fairly large audiences. I've also posted a video here or there on social media and shared with friends. I have always gotten compliments on my playing, from people with both musical and non-musical backgrounds (though never on my tone). I don't think the dull tone ever really impeded me on the context of church music, and some other genres. But I've always wanted to record my own rock and metal music. And over the years, I have always threw away any attempts I made in disgust after playing them back. If the type of song requires fast playing, it's mud.
Finally looking to remove my fingers from the equation, I started to try playing with a pick starting a month or two ago. I liked the sound I could get. Though I have felt like I had become a beginner again. Passages that would be easy for me fingerstyle are a struggle. The instrument no longer feels like an extension of me, but a bear I'm wrestling. But I've never been the type to be put off by practice, so this was a mountain I would have been willing to set out to conquer. However, more worryingly, still more recently (last couple weeks) I have been beginning to feel pain in my left arm. I am not a big person, and what I found that was causing it was trying to play with a proper thumb-on-the-back-of-the-neck left hand around frets 1-5. In order to position the bass to be comfortable for my picking hand, the neck is a bit further from me. I can alleviate the pain by playing with the thumb over the neck, like a guitarist would, but then I lose speed. I've been looking at how other pick bassists hold their bassist but haven't been able to settle into anything truly comfortable.
I don't know, man. I could try continuing to play with a pick, but get a short scale instrument (I have found the difference to be quite notable for me as a small person). Or some other solution that I'm not thinking of. But I'm getting tired of throwing money at my problems in vain. But I'm reluctant to quit because it just seems like a waste having spent years becoming proficient. I can always make music in other ways - I played piano for over a decade starting from when I was a kid, I've dabbled in guitar (but not super enjoyed it), and my drum rudiments are becoming...okay. But I like bass best.
Anyways, I'm just looking for honest advice and opinions from other musicians (and I fully admit that the vent was a little bit satisfying), if anybody here would be so inclined.
