Beginner Bassist at 47...

[JimmyM]

Hello! I finally made the leap and bought my first bass about 5 months ago. I started taking lessons shortly after I got it. I'm 47 years old and I've never played an instrument in my life but I've always wanted to play bass. I love a good groove. The pluses are that I'm in love with the sound and the instrument and I have great timing. The minuses are a longer list. My fingers just don't want to stretch, my fingers don't always want to behave the way that I want them to and learning to mute unused strings has me frustrated beyond belief. I had a great jam session with my instructor and another student last week but the more I progress, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and work on. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm like a dog chasing my tail at this point. I'm questioning everything that I do and my biggest fear is that my fingers just won't ever stay down or spread out. It's laughable but it's also far from funny currently. I'm hoping to hear that this is normal because the negative voices in my head are really filling me with a doubt that I'm too old and I'll never improve. Help...

Sorry Kimberly, but you're not going to start out being Tal Wilkenfeld overnight It takes work and that's all there is to it.

Yay for 47! Thanks for the welcome. I looked at the short scale basses and I'm like "that's not a bass". I know that it would probably would be easier but I reallllllly love my bass.

Well other than the silly notion that a small scale isn't a real bass (Stanley Clarke plays exclusively short scale and he's a legend), that's fine, but then you have to live with it.

 

[Kimberly Munn]

I also started late in life. Played my first gig on my 50th birthday. Like everyone has been saying "relax, it will come". It does take time for your fingers and ears to be in the same page all the time and your mind a couple of bars ahead.

My $0.02:
- Pick up the bass and make noise with it for at least 30 minutes a day. Keep it on a stand or hanging on the wall so it's easier to grab.
- Learn the Nashville Number System. It makes bass playing so much easier (a LOT songs are either 1,4,5 or 1,5,6,4).
- Play with other musicians as often as you can. It's ok to be the worst one in the room. One day you won't be.
- Learn to lock in with the drummer
- Learn to serve the song

And, most importantly:
- Enjoy the journey. It never ends...

Perfect advice! My bass is in my sewing room and in between orders I pick it up a lot. I have different blues tracks that I have on youtube that play along to and sometimes when a song that I know parts of comes on pandora I just pick up the bass and start playing! I really love playing and I REALLY love playing with a drummer! Right now it's mostly playing with my instructor but I hope to get the word out that I'm looking to play with people. It's a super small town but I know there are musicians so I just need to really be more proactive about it!

 

[Kimberly Munn]

Sorry Kimberly, but you're not going to start out being Tal Wilkenfeld overnight It takes work and that's all there is to it.


Well other than the silly notion that a small scale isn't a real bass (Stanley Clarke plays exclusively short scale and he's a legend), that's fine, but then you have to live with it.

So true!!! I soooo want to be like this prodigy though. LOL

 

[GKon]

Hello! I finally made the leap and bought my first bass about 5 months ago. I started taking lessons shortly after I got it. I'm 47 years old and I've never played an instrument in my life but I've always wanted to play bass. I love a good groove. The pluses are that I'm in love with the sound and the instrument and I have great timing. The minuses are a longer list. My fingers just don't want to stretch, my fingers don't always want to behave the way that I want them to and learning to mute unused strings has me frustrated beyond belief. I had a great jam session with my instructor and another student last week but the more I progress, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and work on. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm like a dog chasing my tail at this point. I'm questioning everything that I do and my biggest fear is that my fingers just won't ever stay down or spread out. It's laughable but it's also far from funny currently. I'm hoping to hear that this is normal because the negative voices in my head are really filling me with a doubt that I'm too old and I'll never improve. Help...

Just stick with it! It's wonderful that you started and that you are enjoying it. Those are the most important parts. The rest, like anything else, just takes times. That's it. There's no rushing it. Enjoy the ride and enjoy the successes because, really, that's all they are. Had you never started to play, you'd just be stuck in the same place, always. Now that you are playing, every time you do, you are getting better, whether you realize it or not. Don't be too hard on yourself, and don't impose arbitrary time limits.

Have fun, and welcome!

 

[Chad Michael]

In order to progress:
- you gotta want to do it
- you gotta believe you can
- you gotta practice

Don't lose sight of these very important 3 things.... ever. I assume you learned to walk, talk, and write. This was how you got there. And for your next trick, you become a bass player.

 

[MCF]

Hello! I finally made the leap and bought my first bass about 5 months ago. I started taking lessons shortly after I got it. I'm 47 years old and I've never played an instrument in my life but I've always wanted to play bass. I love a good groove. The pluses are that I'm in love with the sound and the instrument and I have great timing. The minuses are a longer list. My fingers just don't want to stretch, my fingers don't always want to behave the way that I want them to and learning to mute unused strings has me frustrated beyond belief. I had a great jam session with my instructor and another student last week but the more I progress, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and work on. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm like a dog chasing my tail at this point. I'm questioning everything that I do and my biggest fear is that my fingers just won't ever stay down or spread out. It's laughable but it's also far from funny currently. I'm hoping to hear that this is normal because the negative voices in my head are really filling me with a doubt that I'm too old and I'll never improve. Help...

Welcome! This is normal. Your fingers, especially your pinky, will not cooperate with your brain automatically. Heck. I’m 61. I have played on and off since I was 12, and still have days where my fretting hand is wonky. Ask your teacher to work with you on that and only that until you feel like you can do it.

As for muting, I assume you play finger style? Muting across strings will become automatic with practice. Do you use floating thumb? Or anchor the thumb in one place? My preference is floating thumb with the thumb muting across strings. Again, have your teacher work with you and develop exercises with that in mind. Simple songs, like Down On The Corner, with attention to muting should be part of the process.

I’m not going to knock your instructor, not knowing anything about them. But a good supplement to your learning is to purchase Roy Vogt’s Teach Me Bass Guitar program. Work through the lessons over the next year. Guaranteed you’ll be pleased with your progress.
Again, welcome! Stick with it and you’ll be very happy having chosen to be a bassist.

Let me know when you’re ready for a Thunderbird (greatest instrument on Earth) and we’ll welcome you over there in our club!

 

[Kimberly Munn]

Just stick with it! It's wonderful that you started and that you are enjoying it. Those are the most important parts. The rest, like anything else, just takes times. That's it. There's no rushing it. Enjoy the ride and enjoy the successes because, really, that's all they are. Had you never started to play, you'd just be stuck in the same place, always. Now that you are playing, every time you do, you are getting better, whether you realize it or not. Don't be too hard on yourself, and don't impose arbitrary time limits.

Have fun, and welcome!

This is really giving me the support that I so need right now. I'll try my best not to judge the process but to just truly do the best that I can and hope to someday lay down a groove like a master!

 

[MCF]

Awesome! Similar circumstances here... I was about 43-44 when I bought my first instrument which was a starter bass guitar on Craigslist that came with a tuner, cable, practice amp, and a book.

About a year later I made my one and only instrument upgrade (but have acquired 3 amps and 2 cabs in those past 6-7 years.)

By 2 years in I was scouring CL for an intermediate drummer to practice with but instead ended up nailing my very first startup band audition. We've since put out an EP and a full length, and are in process now of demo recording songs for another full length.

Band #2 started up a little over a year ago, and we're now in the mixing stage of our first album. Both bands try to play out once per month

It's funny that being in a band wasn't a goal when I first picked up an instrument. I'm 50yo now, and honestly don't know what I'd be doing in life for kicks if I didn't get to make music with these groups.

You're never too old to learn, and probably more disciplined about practicing than when we were young. Your fingers WILL be tamed and trained in time. Learning something like this comes in small steps of progress, and plateaus where you feel like you're not moving forward, but you are.

Enjoy you journey!

Wow. You’re one of my favorite posters on TB. I had no clue you were 50 ish. Just goes to show how we really don’t know each other on here unless we’re in a specific club thread. And you’re advice is spot on.

 

[Kimberly Munn]

Welcome! This is normal. Your fingers, especially your pinky, will not cooperate with your brain automatically. Heck. I’m 61. I have played on and off since I was 12, and still have days where my fretting hand is wonky. Ask your teacher to work with you on that and only that until you feel like you can do it.

As for muting, I assume you play finger style? Muting across strings will become automatic with practice. Do you use floating thumb? Or anchor the thumb in one place? My preference is floating thumb with the thumb muting across strings. Again, have your teacher work with you and develop exercises with that in mind. Simple songs, like Down On The Corner, with attention to muting should be part of the process.

I’m not going to knock your instructor, not knowing anything about them. But a good supplement to your learning is to purchase Roy Vogt’s Teach Me Bass Guitar program. Work through the lessons over the next year. Guaranteed you’ll be pleased with your progress.
Again, welcome! Stick with it and you’ll be very happy having chosen to be a bassist.

Let me know when you’re ready for a Thunderbird (greatest instrument on Earth) and we’ll welcome youbover there in our club!

Thanks for the suggestion on the Roy Vogt program! I'll check it out! I haven't tried floating my thumb yet. I'm sure I'll give it a whirl though. Being such a beginner to music, it's all sooo much to take in!

 

[stringthrough]

You might be trying to run before you can walk. Try playing along with slower, easier to play tunes. Master the basic techniques then try more demanding tunes.

 

[Kimberly Munn]

You might be trying to run before you can walk. Try playing along with slower, easier to play tunes. Master the basic techniques then try more demanding tunes.

I definitely did go to some of the harder stuff and my instructor reeled me in and I'm doing very slow blues grooves right now. This world of playing an instrument is all so new! Exciting and frustrating and awesome and scary! It's a ride for sure! But I don't plan on getting off of the ride any time soon.

 

[SunByrne]

I looked at the short scale basses and I'm like "that's not a bass". I know that it would probably would be easier but I reallllllly love my bass.

Looks like a Fender P bass, yes? So far that seems to be the TB-approved choice.

Personally, one of the upsides of this hobby is that it's an excuse for me to try new things—I love gear in all forms. I'm already up to 3 basses, but one was just my uncle clearing stuff out of his basement and I volunteered to give it a home—I'm generous that way.

I'll try my best not to judge the process but to just truly do the best that I can and hope to someday lay down a groove like a master!

That's the spirit!

I'm not really going for master status, but if I can play a whole bunch of songs I like and then maybe write a few of my own, well, that'd be amazing.

 

[bass12]

Good for you for picking up the instrument and don't let yourself get discouraged. I've been playing electric for 32 years and started playing upright three years ago. I've been studying upright from a jazz perspective and lately I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by how much there is I don't know. Anyone who still pushes him or herself, no matter how many years they've been playing, can feel discouraged by how much is left to learn. And that's part of the magic of music - you can always go deeper. So instead of getting down on yourself, congratulate yourself for diving in. You will get better - it's inevitable - but a lot of the improvement will be invisible to you until after the fact. That's just how it tends to be. You'll be fine!

 

[MCF]

Perfect advice! My bass is in my sewing room and in between orders I pick it up a lot. I have different blues tracks that I have on youtube that play along to and sometimes when a song that I know parts of comes on pandora I just pick up the bass and start playing! I really love playing and I REALLY love playing with a drummer! Right now it's mostly playing with my instructor but I hope to get the word out that I'm looking to play with people. It's a super small town but I know there are musicians so I just need to really be more proactive about it!

So cool. I learned pretty much by playing along to the early Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac. Of course that involved constantly picking up the record player needle and moving it back constantly. Blues. Blues rock. Creedence Clearwater. Booker T and The MGs. Start by grooving with that. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[SunByrne]

You might be trying to run before you can walk. Try playing along with slower, easier to play tunes. Master the basic techniques then try more demanding tunes.

Yep, super advice. When I first started my teacher asked me to put together a list of songs I wanted to be able to play (I came back with a list of like 120—no, my OCD is just fine, thanks) and we pick which one I'm going to do next based on what he thinks is appropriate for my skill level. He's been really clever about it because each one has had something in particular that's new and as I've worked on each one I've been like "oh, that's a curveball, have to spend time learning how to handle that thing..."

First song was Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer." I still remember practicing it at like 80 bpm and struggling, thinking it would be completely impossible to ever play it at the full 120. Of course it isn't. I still play it once or twice a week just to remind myself that I really am making progress, and because it's just a great song.

 

[BOOG]

Hello! I finally made the leap and bought my first bass about 5 months ago. I started taking lessons shortly after I got it. I'm 47 years old and I've never played an instrument in my life but I've always wanted to play bass. I love a good groove. The pluses are that I'm in love with the sound and the instrument and I have great timing. The minuses are a longer list. My fingers just don't want to stretch, my fingers don't always want to behave the way that I want them to and learning to mute unused strings has me frustrated beyond belief. I had a great jam session with my instructor and another student last week but the more I progress, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and work on. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm like a dog chasing my tail at this point. I'm questioning everything that I do and my biggest fear is that my fingers just won't ever stay down or spread out. It's laughable but it's also far from funny currently. I'm hoping to hear that this is normal because the negative voices in my head are really filling me with a doubt that I'm too old and I'll never improve. Help...

Firstly, to answer your plea of mercy, you don’t need “help”.

All you need is desire, patience and then, a bit more patience. You’re right where you outta be and there is no standard accept the one you set for yourself. Five years into this and almost daily I remind myself that this is a journey and not a race. Remember, the bassists we listen to and try to sound like have years on top of years of playing.

I started playing bass when I turned 45 and it is the first string instrument I learned after a 30 year hiatus from saxophone and piano. It has been my healthy obsession ever since. You’re going to find a lot of us late bloomers here on TB. You’re not alone. The real challenge for us compared to young’ns is the muscle memory and motor skills are slower (more repetitions and more time is required) to set in.

1)There are no rules.
2) Take lessons as long as you WANT and not as long as someone tells you to.
3) Pick up the bass everyday even if to sit it on your lap while you watch tv.
4) Learn what it is that you want to learn and go for THAT.
5) Always find something new to learn and practice what you know.

Finally, welcome to TalkBass

 

[Bruiser Stone]

I started a little over two years ago at 39. Here are a few of my humble observations:

1. Stretching comes with practice, but I think properly shifting your fretting hand is even better. There are a few videos of Carol Kaye out there, and even though she doesn’t have large hands, she can fluidly and efficiently negotiate the neck of a P Bass.

2. Do you have an Alexa? My household has one, and I wear the poor girl out with songs that come to mind so I can listen, try to figure out the chords and play along. This has helped tremendously developing my ear when playing with other musicians.

3. Find someone who will play with you. For me, I took up an invitation to play at a small church in town. I’m no longer a religious person, but its a rather progressive congregation, and they have welcomed me with open arms no matter my beliefs. Nothing inspires more confidence than to lock in with others, even if it’s just root notes to start, then mix in some fifths, then chord tones, fills, and before you know it, it becomes less thinking and apprehension and more feeling and reacting. This emerging realization makes the early tedium of practice and lessons worth all the money and time. And in this realization, no other church or any social group has afforded me a greater gift than the feeling of belonging by doing something I both truly love and that contributes something creative to something beyond myself. And now I’m getting invited to play beyond Sundays as the result of my willingness to start somewhere.

4. Decide if you never play with other musicians, or even if you hit a plateau in progress or ceiling in ability, would you still play just for the pleasure of doing so? I can honestly say that if I were rejected by every other musician I encounter, I think I would still noodle/practice just as much because of the joy and peace the instrument and making music provides. It’s never drudgery if I’ve got a bass in my hands.

I hope you experience these milestones and are encouraged to continue learning and perfecting. I myself have a long way yet to go, but I’m happy to take my time enjoying it.

 

[red_rhino]

the more I progress, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and work on.

That part will always be true. It doesn't matter how good you get, you can always get better. After 50 years of this, and more gigs and recording sessions than I can count, I'm still pushing myself to improve.

Lots of good advice in this thread, so I'll just leave it at Welcome to the Dark Side. Have fun.

 

[Kimberly Munn]

Firstly, to answer your plea of mercy, you don’t need “help”.

All you need is desire, patience and then, a bit more patience. You’re right where you outta be and there is no standard accept the one you set for yourself. Five years into this and almost daily I remind myself that this is a journey and not a race. Remember, the bassists we listen to and try to sound like have years on top of years of playing.

I started playing bass when I turned 45 and it is the first string instrument I learned after a 30 year hiatus from saxophone and piano. It has been my healthy obsession ever since. You’re going to find a lot of us late bloomers here on TB. You’re not alone. The real challenge for us compared to young’ns is the muscle memory and motor skills are slower (more repetitions and more time is required) to set in.

1)There are no rules.
2) Take lessons as long as you WANT and not as long as someone tells you to.
3) Pick up the bass everyday even if to sit it on your lap while you watch tv.
4) Learn what it is that you want to learn and go for THAT.
5) Always find something new to learn and practice what you know.

Finally, welcome to TalkBass

Thank you so much for your input! It is all great advice and I really appreciate it! I'm guessing I'm not alone is thinking that possibly I would catch on immediately and be awesome... it is a terrible let down to realize that it's not the case for me. LOL

 

[Sonicfrog]

"The pluses are that I'm in love with the sound and the instrument and I have great timing."

REMEMBER THAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Learning any instrument is difficult. I remember when first learning this beast trying to play bass lines that sounded SOOOOO easy, but I just couldn't get it. Then, one night, probably five months in, I threw on Sultans Of Swing, picked up the bass, and...

WOW! I CAN SORT OF PLAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you have those moments as you get better. After 30 year, I recently realized i can play Roundabout by Yes!!!!

I had NO IDEA!!!!