Can a new/different bass re-ignite the "passion?"

[Nev375]

Oh yeah, another note on the subject of depression.

I've dealt with major depressive disorder for over 30 years. It doesn't get much worse than that. I've been prescribed most all of the medications and none of them did anything beneficial for me. If you talk to a doctor and the first thing he does is pull out a prescription pad, you should run away and find someone different to talk to. There's a lot of things you can do that don't involve chemicals and IME they are more effective anyway.

First is diet. Eating healthier helps a lot. I went vegetarian for a while and the biggest change was my mood, not my waistline. I ran into different medical troubles later on because of it and I had to return to having *some* meat in my diet but not too much.

Second is exercise... my own nemesis. But I do admit that after the pain of the workout subsides and I wash the sweat off, I feel a little more interested in stuff. I still don't do it enough though.

The big one for me is getting enough sleep at the right time. If you are on the night shift, find a way back to days and make sure you get plenty of hours of uninterrupted snooze time in. I also had sleep apnea trouble. Once I got that treated my sleep improved and my mood improved and I started playing a bit more.


You can look all this stuff up online. It's well documented and proven effective for many people. It's also free and can't hurt to try.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

One thing I've done to fight the boredom of one bass is that I have a second bass, LOL
First bass has Ernie's Balls cobalt flats on it & the second one has Ken Smith rounds.

I play my SRX with the flats until I'm bored with it & then switch over to the BTB with the rounds.

 

[JRA]

it will probably pass, this apathy/indifference stuff. whatever you do = don't worry about it, IMO. try something else for a while...or maybe nothing at all. i think the statute of limitations is 7 years for most things.

 

[Frank77]

IMO you need a new band, not a new bass. Getting into a new project usually works for me.

 

[Means2nEnd]

Playing with great musicians and creating the best music I can and to support the band ignites my passion. Basses are tools only. They inspire me to play my best if it's a good one and different basses make me play and look at approaching things differently but the "passion" comes from within for me. Listening to great music does more for me than the bass sitting on the stand in the corner.

 

[Basspirate69]

Some insightful responses so far. Idk if a new buy will light the fire, maybe. Or just put em away for a bit, till your jonesin for it. I had a lull in between bands. I wanted to, but couldn't bring myself to pick it up. Till i knew i needed some low end back in my life.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

It does for me.

 

[fhm555]

I guess this is at the heart of why I'm just a hobby player. I've had more than a few episodes where I didn't even own a single piece of gear, or the only thing I owned lived at my dad's house because that was the only place I felt like playing. If I'm in a band I like when the desire wanes I'll keep that up, but hardly touch it for anything else. Other times I can't get enough.

go figure.

 

[JimmyM]

The newness of a new bass can make you want to play more, but it's a temporary thing that eventually wears off, even if your new bass is miles above everything else you have. At the end of the day, the motivation to practice has to come from you and not from your basses.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Yes and No. Most times though, I just need to slow life down for a bit.

+1 play with other people.
+1 get your head clear & your heart reignited.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Meh. TB gives an impression that gear is all that. It isn't.
The bass is nothing but a damn tool. You may feel like it drives or feeds your "passion" but only you can do that.
The best hammer in the world will do no good if you don't have a house to build.
What you need a is a gig or at least a project. This and only this can fuel your playing.

 

[twinjet]

So I have 3 basses, all very good. Within the past few months I have been just "walking" by them at night when I usually play. The other day I strapped one on, played a song and put it back..I just don't seem to have that drive to play lately. I certainly have had my share of highs and lows in the past 20 years but this seems more different lately. Although I still peek at the classifieds and think I would like to have some of them, my brain goes right back to my lack of passion lately---and don't buy/trade anything. Anyone been in this situation and buy a totally different bass, and the passion starts up again? Hopefully this is completely normal...maybe there is no solution..

Sometimes a complete change reignites the passion. I sold three long time (3-8 year) basses that weren't doing it for me anymore. I finally found a bass to do it for me, and we're going on 2 years together. Tastes change, so maybe some live bass shopping wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[TheLowDown33]

Went through a phase not too long ago like this. I almost gave up playing entirely, but then I started taking my band and my sound more seriously and started to experiment with things I never really did before, such as ambient playing and chordal work as well as live sound techniques and how to put on a good show. All of those things got me out of my comfort zone and forced me to really learn how to do things I knew very little about. Maybe you just need to look at music from a different style or perspective.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I find that listening and learning music that is outside my comfort zone or abilities gets me back to playing when I seem to lose interest. For me it is usually boredom with what I'm playing that causes the loss of enthusiasm.

 

[mikewalker]

So I have 3 basses, all very good. Within the past few months I have been just "walking" by them at night when I usually play. The other day I strapped one on, played a song and put it back..I just don't seem to have that drive to play lately. I certainly have had my share of highs and lows in the past 20 years but this seems more different lately. Although I still peek at the classifieds and think I would like to have some of them, my brain goes right back to my lack of passion lately---and don't buy/trade anything. Anyone been in this situation and buy a totally different bass, and the passion starts up again? Hopefully this is completely normal...maybe there is no solution..

Maybe you just need a new drummer??? Find a drummer you really have to work to keep up with musically, it might just be what drives you back to the woodshed! Either that, or start playing music that actually moves you - means something to you... If your bass playing isn't part of something heroic, why do it at all?

 

[Element Zero]

Happens to me a couple times a year. 2-3 months of extremely intense focus and playing, then 2-3 months of intense video gaming, back and forth. Been like this for about a decade now. Nothing wrong with having varied interests.

 

[Spidey2112]

yes, but in my case that "passion" dies out again after 4 to 6 weeks

On average, most enjoy the 'high' of a win, new purchase, etc... for about 3 months. I think I had read it in ESPN mag, a few months ago and posted as much... I say, ensure that passion is indeed there, before making any purchase.

 

[Spidey2112]

I thought my Holy Grail bass was the cause of all my pain. I had seriously painful tennis elbow from playing.
I've since learned some exercises to minimize that, but the bass has been gone 9 months already!

So that is where all that racket was coming from...

 

[Roy Royerson]

A new bass will probably get things rolling a bit. Always a good idea to play with new people like people mentioned. Really it seems like you need to find a way to make playing bass new and exciting again. Sometimes it helps me to delve into playing a new style/genre of music, or further my knowledge of scales and theory. I like these two because they get me learning again and can open new and exciting doors. Effects pedals are also a fun way to make you want to play. Cheaper than a good bass and they will get you picking those basses up and playingagian. I find effects can help me evolve in my playing also. The different sounds seem to call for different techniques and playing styles and in many cases different bass playing.

 

[chris_b]

Are you gigging or playing with other musicians?

I probably wouldn't pick up my bass from one year to the next if it wasn't for the gigs.