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Feel really demotivated about playing bass

GiantsGiants

GiantsGiants

Guest
May 8, 2016
38
21
29
England
#1
Even though I play and write original songs where a lot of them are bass led and the guitar takes a much smaller and easier role in the playing I never seem to get any attention. Not once has anyone come up to me and said great show or nice playing but everyone else in my band gets swarms of people coming up to them saying how great they are, even though they play my ideas.

The only people who ever say anything to me after a gig are family or close friends but I imagine they are quite biased and wouldent give me critism even if I asked for it. My music teachers have seen me to and give me praise for my performances there the only people i can think who have ever said anything to me who are not really biased.

How do I at least get some recognition for all my thousands of hours of practicing, Im not playing wankery style playing but I try play a large variety of styles and I dont stick to root, I like to leave gaps in my playing to emphisise what I play but nothing I do ever seems to get me any recognition. Its gotten to the point where its hard to practice, whats the point if I do lots of the writing work, practice for hours a day to get no recogntion where other guys like the guitarist barely practice just show up to the gig and have people swarming over them.

Sorry for the rant just feeling low and wanted to vent to feel better again, anyone else every felt like this. If so how did you get over it?
 
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#2
If your band is getting compliments, then you're doing your job. Nothing wrong with that. It's just the role of the bass player. Unless you're the lead singer out front, you're not likely to get really noticed. Embrace your role and be happy.

If you really feel the need for recognition, then get in a band where you can be out front, whether that's singing and playing bass, guitar or whatever.
 
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#3
GiantsGiants said:
How do I at least get some recognition for all my thousands of hours of practicing
Click to expand...
By recognising the value of your own work. Embrace it and be proud of yourself. Besides, when people compliment the music you wrote, even if it's not directly to you, that still means something.
Playing with recognation as a goal won't lead you to be happy as a musician, whereas playing to achieve musical and technical goals, even small, will prove to be a lifelong joy.
 
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#4
Most people are visually motivated. Do you move around much on stage? If you stand still, non-musicians in the audience will tend to assume that the cool sounds they hear aren't coming from you. Even the camera operators for big concerts are fooled, so they show the guitarist's hands when the bass is soloing or whatever.

So, for a win-win, dance around, move your hands more than you need to, smile, make bass-face, act like a star. Then magically you will be a star, and the other win is that the audience will have more fun.
 
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#8
Maybe your scary good, I have a theory based on years of experience, it seems that on the evenings were everything goes wrong, when I can't get the percussion, guitar or whoever else is playing in the same groove or just generally feel bad about the sound I get the most complements. You gotta fly close to the ground for the masses to see you "o).

I got a compliment last Wed. the woman behind the bar said she was happily surprized, that she thought we would suck. Talking with the other two guys, guitar and mandolin, I mentioned the dive being so small a drummer would have driven the volume up way too far, we lost our drummer to a band working more than we are, we don't miss the drums, we're even haveing more fun with the music, being able to move it around a little more, letting the songs breath a bit. She breaks into the conversation and said you don't need a drummer when you got a bass player as good as you.

Ya think she's hitting on me "o) Naw, look at my picture, that ain't happening.
 
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#9
Checked your profile and see you are 19. I've got three times your experience on this planet and can assure you that virtually no one gives a crap about you. If you base your happiness on what other people say about you, you're destined for a lifetime of disappointment. Especially in music. Find fulfillment and joy from within. If you get compliments, it will be a bonus. For SURE, in return for spending thousands of hours perfecting your musical skills, your financial return is bound to be a fraction of minimum wage. Sorry to sound so negative. But learn this lesson early in life and you'll be on the right track.
 
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#10
Yeah, it's pretty much a thankless job, even when someone means to thank you.

I think I mentioned in another thread, I was playing this weekend, and the introduction to the song was me playing a solo introduction of the verse of the song.

After it was over, a guy came up to where I was standing with the guitar players and said, "That introduction part by the guitar was just fantastic." We all smiled and just said thank you.

The average person has no idea what the bass is and what it brings to the table. It's always hilarious when you're playing a gig and everyone is just dancing around flirting with the various members of the band, and there's one or two guys standing there staring at your hands for a whole set. Then he comes up during the break and says, "I'm a bass player too."

No kidding. It was either that or a stalker.
 
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#12
GiantsGiants said:
Even though I play and write original songs where a lot of them are bass led and the guitar takes a much smaller and easier role in the playing I never seem to get any attention. Not once has anyone come up to me and said great show or nice playing but everyone else in my band gets swarms of people coming up to them saying how great they are, even though they play my ideas.

The only people who ever say anything to me after a gig are family or close friends but I imagine they are quite biased and wouldent give me critism even if I asked for it. My music teachers have seen me to and give me praise for my performances there the only people i can think who have ever said anything to me who are not really biased.

How do I at least get some recognition for all my thousands of hours of practicing, Im not playing wankery style playing but I try play a large variety of styles and I dont stick to root, I like to leave gaps in my playing to emphisise what I play but nothing I do ever seems to get me any recognition. Its gotten to the point where its hard to practice, whats the point if I do lots of the writing work, practice for hours a day to get no recogntion where other guys like the guitarist barely practice just show up to the gig and have people swarming over them.

Sorry for the rant just feeling low and wanted to vent to feel better again, anyone else every felt like this. If so how did you get over it?
Click to expand...
I can only commiserate with you. I don't know how the black magic works, but you could be playing your heart out while the singer just stands there and the guitarist is strumming a bar chord, and the audiences eyes will be on them.
That's why so many "bass solos" happen with no one else playing, and why people don't like them.
Maybe its a frequency thing. Perhaps the bass doesn't make a noise that works on the conscious mind, just the subconscious.
I play what I play because I can. Because if I didn't I would know I'm slacking and not playing to my full potential. There's no money in this, so the entire thing is really about me expressing myself anyway. Why would I cheat myself of that?
 
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#14
iceberg-analogy.jpg
 
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#18
GiantsGiants said:
Even though I play and write original songs where a lot of them are bass led and the guitar takes a much smaller and easier role in the playing I never seem to get any attention. Not once has anyone come up to me and said great show or nice playing but everyone else in my band gets swarms of people coming up to them saying how great they are, even though they play my ideas.

The only people who ever say anything to me after a gig are family or close friends but I imagine they are quite biased and wouldent give me critism even if I asked for it. My music teachers have seen me to and give me praise for my performances there the only people i can think who have ever said anything to me who are not really biased.

How do I at least get some recognition for all my thousands of hours of practicing, Im not playing wankery style playing but I try play a large variety of styles and I dont stick to root, I like to leave gaps in my playing to emphisise what I play but nothing I do ever seems to get me any recognition. Its gotten to the point where its hard to practice, whats the point if I do lots of the writing work, practice for hours a day to get no recogntion where other guys like the guitarist barely practice just show up to the gig and have people swarming over them.

Sorry for the rant just feeling low and wanted to vent to feel better again, anyone else every felt like this. If so how did you get over it?
Click to expand...

so you are writing and playing to get praise and attention? that seems wrong to me.

I play for me. Don't really care if anyone notices or not. As long as the band has a good time and keeps getting booked - i couldnt care less for praise or attention.
 

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