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Dealing with burnout

#21
Go on a health kick. It will give you something new to concentrate on. After a while it becomes a hobby of sorts. And the benefits are endless.

I am not wagging a finger here. I am taking my own advice literally starting yesterday afternoon.

Mrs.Fingers and I did some shopping for healthier foods that don't taste like grass yesterday. I got on the elliptical machine last night. And we started "Piyo" last night as well. We just kind of learned the positions and that alone was a stretch....literally.

The adjustment to the new lifestyle is the hard part. But once you're into it, it just becomes your new life. I have done it several times. I should be kicked in the head for not sticking to it. I really do feel better both physically and emotionally when I do it.

I have been going back through the book @Joe Nerve .....:D

Also, one thing that we did back when I was in a wedding/corporate band was to throw in a few local bar gigs just for fun. We played more of the kinds of music we WANTED to play. Sometimes a few members laid out for those. We only took who wanted to come (as long as we had guitar, bass, drums and a singer). It was easy to work because we had all done a zillion gigs together anyway. Sure, the money was less. But it was more just for fun. It's a good way to just have fun with the same people you have been "working a job" with for a long time.
 
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#22
@two fingers all great advice. I used to be much more of a health nut and have been really lazy about that lately. Also my wedding band just called me and the rhythm section is doing a jazz trio gig on thursday at a local bar a friend owns. Now...these guys are hard core rockers so this might be more Spinal Tap Jazz Odyssey than Charlie Parker, but the goal is to have fun and throw some notes around.

Alright fine everyone! I guess I have to go work out and pack a lunch when I hit the road instead of fast food.

TB really is the best, i appreciate you guys offering your tips.
 
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#23
Stumbo said:
More water. Throughout the day. NOT soda, energy drinks, coffee, etc.

More, better sleep. Darker, Cooler room, sound machine, eye mask.

Add liquid Solgar B12 with B Complex to your supplement list. More focus,energy, calm. You need to keep using it to keep the benefits. Best supplement I've got on my list.

Also, vitamin D3, at least 2k units a day.

Hope you feel better.
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Dear Stumbo, Solgar is but one brand and an expensive brand. I bet Solgar is owned by someone else by now*. Po working musicians should stick half that price mail order like Swanson and Piping Rock, others I'm sure. Add vit. K2 and a gram of C (twice a day 500 & 500) to your order too. K2 is a miracle for the touring musician with a tooth problem. assuming everyday use of antibacterial mouthwash to that...
I always feered the possibility of music becoming associated with a crushing mundanity. You've got to have something creative to look forward too. I would bring a camera and record the odd things you see in other people's venues and lives. Black and white is best for that sort of thing.
* they were an original family owned company but were sold to Wyeth pharm. (who have Preparation H and Advil) in 1998 after the patriarch died and recently sold to NBTY who are more health food based they run Natures Bounty etc., so big business nutrition, not bad. Not the best.
 
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#24
Lately, I've had thoughts that I'm on a treadmill, mostly on the drive to the gig. But I still get a buzz from playing to a crowd. Just a ham, I guess. I tell myself that when the band stops drawing, I'll be done. Good advice here about eating right and getting exercise. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of maintaining the physical plant! :D
 
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#25
The thing that always got me through nights when I was feeling tired of myself and the things I was playing was to get outside myself. Sometimes focusing too much on just music (which you already know inside out since you play it so often) and not the larger goal of why you’re there can get tiring.

So whenever I started feeling burnout, I let the music take care of itself and refocused on making sure the audience was having a good time. Next time stop being just “in the band” and let yourself psychologically join the party so to speak. Look at the people having fun and enjoying themselves and let yourself get drawn into it a little without being a jerk about it. Keep your professional distance but let yourself celebrate with the crowd a bit. Don’t just play for them. It’s a happy occasion. And there a few enough of those.

I usually found playing weddings enjoyable despite playing what I considered pretty banal music most times. You’ve got a room full of people all dressed up and out to celebrate. Most times the pay is decent, you often get a meal out of it, maybe a date after the reception if you play your cards right - and you don’t need to worry about the physical safety of your gear (or your skull) in the course evening - or during load out. There are far worse gigs.
 
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#26
modbass said:
@two fingers all great advice. I used to be much more of a health nut and have been really lazy about that lately. Also my wedding band just called me and the rhythm section is doing a jazz trio gig on thursday at a local bar a friend owns. Now...these guys are hard core rockers so this might be more Spinal Tap Jazz Odyssey than Charlie Parker, but the goal is to have fun and throw some notes around.

Alright fine everyone! I guess I have to go work out and pack a lunch when I hit the road instead of fast food.

TB really is the best, i appreciate you guys offering your tips.
Click to expand...

Best of luck with it.

If you find some healthy food that actually tastes great, let me know.

I have searched the whole Googlesphere for beer and wings tofu or bacon flavored broccoli but would you believe I can't find a thing????
 
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#27
40Hz said:
The thing that always got me through nights when I was feeling tired of myself and the things I was playing was to get outside myself. Sometimes focusing too much on just music (which you already know inside out since you play it so often) and not the larger goal of why you’re there can get tiring.

So whenever I started feeling burnout, I let the music take care of itself and refocused on making sure the audience was having a good time. Next time stop being just “in the band” and let yourself psychologically join the party so to speak. Look at the people having fun and enjoying themselves and let yourself get drawn into it a little without being a jerk about it. Keep your professional distance but let yourself celebrate with the crowd a bit. Don’t just play for them. It’s a happy occasion. And there a few enough of those.

I usually found playing weddings enjoyable despite playing what I considered pretty banal music most times. You’ve got a room full of people all dressed up and out to celebrate. Most times the pay is decent, you often get a meal out of it, maybe a date after the reception if you play your cards right - and you don’t need to worry about the physical safety of your gear (or your skull) in the course evening - or during load out. There are far worse gigs.
Click to expand...

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! :thumbsup:
 
#28
There’s already a lot of great advice here, plus it sounds like you’re already taking steps to combat the “boredom”.

Just to throw my 2 pennies into the jar, I’d say add some new material (that’s theme/genre appropriate of course), but try to make them a bit more challenging than what you have now — I don’t know what your current set is so I can’t be specific, but try pushing yourselves. Wether it’s musically challenging, working on more technical vocal harmonies / vocal parts, or even if any members don’t sing try getting them to start doing some backup vox.
Maybe even introduce slightly different instrumentation for a cpl songs (preferably w/o adding a bunch more gear to carry) - different members can play different percussion instruments, a keyboard, or do an acoustic song or two to break up the night.
Hopefully this isn’t completely irrelevant, as I’m just tossing out ideas.

Also, it’s hard to do if everyone is already just going thru the motions, but try doing little spontaneous changes - try to throw in hits w/ the drummer that are new, or find a spot in a song where you can all go off script briefly - enough to keep you all thinking, enough to draw the audience in with something they haven’t heard, but not so much that it detracts from the familiarity of the song for the audience (depending on how “album perfect” your band is expected to be).

I’m sure this isn’t anything revolutionary, but maybe reading it may inspire some ideas you hadn’t had previously.

Also, if you find yourself “going thru the motions” at a gig, remind yourself that PEOPLE ARE PAYING YOU TO MAKE MUSIC. You are one of a fortunate few who get to do what they truly love, and make money for doing it. Sometimes just remembering that you’re blessed to be on stage — instead of being at a job you really hate — is enough to get the spirits up.
(And, if you find that you just aren’t happy on stage, maybe it’s time for a change.)

Good luck getting the joy back in the music, or finding the right path to continued happiness, whatever that may be!
 
#29
I played in a cover/wedding, special event band for 20 years. Some songs you just can't do away with: Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, etc. Grin and bear it, especially if the money is good, and the gravy train is rolling. Other songs you can move in and out as time goes by. There are a ton of hit cover songs you can insert and still keep your clients happy, and keep yourself interested. But, yeah, burn out eventually rears its ugly head, like in any other job; just have to find a way to deal, or else its time to move on to something else.
 
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#30
BassBrass said:
Dear Stumbo, Solgar is but one brand and an expensive brand. I bet Solgar is owned by someone else by now*. Po working musicians should stick half that price mail order like Swanson and Piping Rock, others I'm sure. Add vit. K2 and a gram of C (twice a day 500 & 500) to your order too. K2 is a miracle for the touring musician with a tooth problem. assuming everyday use of antibacterial mouthwash to that...
I always feered the possibility of music becoming associated with a crushing mundanity. You've got to have something creative to look forward too. I would bring a camera and record the odd things you see in other people's venues and lives. Black and white is best for that sort of thing.
* they were an original family owned company but were sold to Wyeth pharm. (who have Preparation H and Advil) in 1998 after the patriarch died and recently sold to NBTY who are more health food based they run Natures Bounty etc., so big business nutrition, not bad. Not the best.
Click to expand...
You post your stuff and I'll post mine.
 
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#32
01_pearlfisherldn_jim_beam.jpg
 
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#34
You and maybe your guys need a break, while breaking try to find a hot smoking chic or two or three that you can back up in the rhythm section. Maybe a reduction in pay per person but man what a fresh start and usually easier too...but if you need the gig money to live on then you gotta do what ya gotta do.
 
#36
OK, I'm siting here, reading Talkbass, we're a couple dozen posts into this thread, and nobody has suggested buying anew bass to help cure the boredom. What happened? Have we all grown up suddenly or something?
 
#37
micguy said:
OK, I'm siting here, reading Talkbass, we're a couple dozen posts into this thread, and nobody has suggested buying anew bass to help cure the boredom. What happened? Have we all grown up suddenly or something?
Click to expand...

Buying a new bass wouldn’t apply. The OP is in an actual working band. To him, “playing bass” means getting up on a stage and playing it. To many others, “playing bass” means buying new basses, raving about them on TB, and then flipping them 3 weeks later.:laugh:
 
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