Can you quit bass?

[tb-player]

This year, I resigned my church gig. I’m down to one more club gig with my jam band in 2 weeks, and that’s it. I’ve sold all but 2 basses, my Mike Lull M5V and my Elrick fretless 5. Buying/selling is getting more and more cost prohibitive a not nearly as fun as it used to be. And I think I’ve owned all the bass brands that ever interested me. This summer I’ll get calls for sub gigs at the beach and I’ll decline them all. The studio scene here is minimal and I don’t do at home recording.

So it would appear I no longer play bass. Sure, I’ll thump around at home, but it seems I am done.

My question is, can someone actually quit bass? I have guitars that rarely get played so I don’t call myself a guitarist. I own a beautiful grand piano that gets noodled on occasionally, but I’m not a pianist. If my basses become like my guitars and my piano, will I eventually no longer be a bassist? I dunno, but it sure feels like this last upcoming gig is a bit of a send off.

At the end of the day, I don’t need to define it. But it sure feels like I’m hanging it up.

 

[bassicmike]

If it's been covered already, I apologize, but what led you to this decision?

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

You'll still be a bassist, just not an active one.

I went the other way around, old full-time getting back to playing again. I'm in three bands at the moment. I decided that playing the bass is my "fix" so I won't quit unless I have to. I'm on my way to a gig right now.

 

[tb-player]

If it's been covered already, I apologize, but what led you to this decision?

I’m not sure it’s a decision. I think it has just kind of happened. I’m looking around and realizing that after this gig at the end of March, I don’t play bass anymore. My big-gig glory days are behind me. There’s nothing I’m interested in learning on bass. I’m just done, I think.

I got asked to play just this afternoon and I was like, “That’s okay. I’m good.” That reaction was an a’ha moment for me.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Jason Delaney on Instagram: "It’s an addiction and it’s not easy to put down once you start Photo credit: @kieselguitars - The Magma Metallic Aries . . . #girlcrushyyc #kieselguitars #guitarmemes #bandmemes #guitarlife #musicians #guitarist #bryancranston #dadlife"

 

[bass12]

Sure you can quit bass. But you can also start back up whenever you like.

 

[Eric Ryan]

No.

 

[onda'bass]

I don’t perform anymore, and enjoy playing as much as ever. I always have inspiration to get better or learn.

 

[J Wilson]

I've taken 'time away' several times.

When I was younger, hot-headed, and easily frustrated, I got mad enough I sold everything (I even threw my picks away). Of course, a year or so later, the itch came back, and bought a whole new everything, and started playing again. I was still young, hot-headed, and easily frustrated but I learned to get a handle on it and NOT SELL EVERYTHING AND THEN BUY EVERYTHING A YEAR LATER. . . . .

Since those flamethrower days, over these many years, I've taken spells where I just flat wasn't interested, and couldn't be bothered with the damn thing, so I'd walk away for a month or two, and, sure enough, the itch came back again, and I picked up where I left off. Ironically, a couple things I was playing with aggravating difficulty I could pickup and play perfectly over and over again. Funny, innit?

From my experience, I'd counsel to finish that last gig, pack everything under the bed or in the closet or out in the garage, and simply forget about it. Go fishing. Take up skeet shooting. Go play pickle ball. Binge watch Italian movies. Become a nuisance to family and friends !

There's a whole world out there that doesn't have a thing to do or care in the least about music, with many interesting new interests you missed strapped behind a bass, or whole new interests you didn't have time for when you played out all the time.

Then give it some months and see IF the itch comes back.

There is no hurry or timeline for this, no 'sell by' date. You'll know when.

 

[bassdude51]

Yeah, I think that we can quit bass. Sell all of our bass stuff and not play anymore.

But..........

Our love for music will always have a dominant ear for the low end. And our minds will be sensing the bass lines to songs.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I think the deeper question is: "Will you still be a musician?"

For me (no matter which instrument I'm playing), music is a panacea. It cheers me up, when I'm sad. It calms me down, when I'm angry. It helps me express myself at times when just speaking (or even the written word) just won't quite communicate what I'm really thinking/feeling.

If you're anything like me, music is so much a part of you that you can no more stop being a musician than you can stop being ... caring or honorable ... or conscientious ... or whatever your personal attributes are.

Just my 2¢, for what it's worth.

 

[Todd Hamby]

I didn’t touch one for almost 12 years. I thought about it daily in those years as well.

 

[JRA]

don't quit. never quit.


all i got.

 

[nonohmic]

For me, bass has become my retirement plan. Not in terms of music making money. But when the job ends, and the muscles are too weak to rock climb, then I'll play music and do my best to hold off dementia.

 

[tbz]

Yeah. Unless you’re making your primary income from it, it can be just another hobby at times. Which means you can put it down and walk away.

You’ll probably come back to it. Or you won’t and will move on.

So it goes.

 

[SunByrne]

Sure you can quit. And if you’re not enjoying it, that’s a completely reasonable thing to do.

And if being quit doesn’t suit you after a while, you can start up again. Nothing wrong with that, either.

 

[GodPlayedBass]

How come nobody wants to write solo bass music/classical compositions. I know it's challenging but you can do that all by yourself

 

[PrimitiveMan]

This life flies by, if playing music isn't bringing you joy, find something that does!

I rarely have played out in recent years but still love playing every day. Not having a gig doesn't mean you are not a musician.

But if playing no longer feels fun, take a break and come back to it.

Or just do something else creative. I love drawing, print making l, and painting as well

You can always write a memoir!

 

[ahbradot]

I played bass from the 1970s and walked away from playing altogether in 1996 shortly after recording with a band that we had mild success.
The reason I walked away was because friends were getting married and they were having careers. I felt I had a lot of catching up to do and I was getting too old to be chasing the rockstar dreams.
I moved down south and I sold everything except for one bass.
Five years later I got inspired after meeting some woman in Miami as she was here recording an album here in town.
I drove straight from that conversation to a music store and bought a guitar not a bass as I still didn't want to play the bass anymore. So for the next decade I strummed cowboy chords sitting by the pool.
Then around 2017 I wanted to play bass again and I found Talk Bass online.
You guys inspired me and I haven't put down my bass since.
I absolutely love playing bass.
Bass is medicine for my mind.
So yes, you can quit all you want but chances are you will always be a bass player in someway shape or form.....

 

[climber]

… when the job ends, and the muscles are too weak to rock climb, then I'll play music and do my best to hold off dementia.

man can I relate to this!!! My job has long ended, but I’m still climbing and definitely still playing bass. And at 76 I can tell you that it keeps me going mentally.