Final plateau?

[saltydude]

Short question on personal ability with respect payed mostly to technique.

Taking things like advanced lessons and the the obvious factors like age etc. out of the equation.

Is there such a thing as the end of the road for a players advancement? In other words are there any seasoned folks out there that feel they've reached their personal potential?

Not curious because I feel I've reached mine. I'd just like to know if it's possible to wake up one day and say "well I guess this is it" no matter how much I practice or study I'm not getting any better.

We all know the better we get, the longer it "takes" to reach the next level. How awesome is it when you realize you've done it though?

 

[Joe Nerve]

George Van Eps, one of the greatest guitarists of all time once said that his biggest disappointment with life was that it was so short, and that we only get to live one. He felt he was going to die just when he was starting to discover some of the things he might be able to do with a guitar.

If someone arrives at a point where they think "this is it. I've arrived" I think that person has a lot more work to do and things to learn than they could ever imagine. IMO, there are infinite possibilities for any instrumentalist.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

Short question on personal ability with respect payed mostly to technique.

Taking things like advanced lessons and the the obvious factors like age etc. out of the equation.

Is there such a thing as the end of the road for a players advancement? In other words are there any seasoned folks out there that feel they've reached their personal potential?

Not curious because I feel I've reached mine. I'd just like to know if it's possible to wake up one day and say "well I guess this is it" no matter how much I practice or study I'm not getting any better.

We all know the better we get, the longer it "takes" to reach the next level. How awesome is it when you realize you've done it though?

I have been playing for 47 years, i still practice and work on my playing, because i think one day i might be good at it.

 

[BassChuck]

I hope not. Personally, one of the great pleasures of music is improving and finding new abilities and possibilities. I can't imagine anything more depressing than not improving and playing the same music the same way over and over again.

 

[RustyAxe]

I've been playing bass and guitar for 49 years, piano about 54 years. There has never been a time where I thought "this is it". There's always something I can do better, a new genre to explore, new people to make music with, new techniques to learn. Granted, those wonderful "aha!" moments are fewer and farther between, but they still happen, and surprise me with what I don't know.

 

[skwee]

I do think there may be a focus shift, though--try looking at what you are saying with music (art), as opposed to how you are saying it (technique) for awhile. See where that gets you.

 

[Nev375]

Your limit is your imagination.

When you run out of things to learn, think of something that hasn't been done before. Then teach yourself how to do that.

 

[pacojas]

my relationship with my instruments never stops evolving. the visceral connection is like magic to me. its a way to communicate with everything in the universe without speaking. with so much to learn on every plateau it pays to revisit the old ones once in awhile! drool

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Been playing in the same Country band for about 17 years now. There are over 200 songs in the gig book, but, we usually play the same 50 songs over and over and over. I think I understand how you feel. So --- I do other things....

Rhythm guitar in the Country band and 4 string electric bass in our Praise band. Along the way I've learned how to play the banjo, electric lead guitar, fiddle, clarinet and a keyboard. The woodwind did not take, never could get my mouth to do what was necessary. Gave it away and it is now second chair at our high school. I only play the keyboard up stairs in my pout room. Probably never will take it public.

Point of my post. There is always something new to learn. And the great thing about that is music can keep me busy for the rest of my life. That is what keeps this old man going.

If you've gone stale bite the bullet and get a double bass; that'll keep you busy for several years..

Whatever you do - good luck.

 

[saltydude]

Love it guys. Very inspirational. It's true new sounds and techniques are getting harder to find but for now I'm still finding them. It really does seem as if a lifetime isn't enough as long as your willing and desire advancement..

Arthritis a curse on you and all your rheumatoidic family variants!!

 

[elgecko]

If you ever reach that day, it's time to hang up your bass!

 

[quickfix]

There's no end to the learning potential of a normal brain.

Always strive for perfection. You'll never reach it, but it's the effort that makes you, and your dreams worthwhile.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I've hit some plateau and it took some time to get over it. But I think that we all have our limit.

I wouldn't go that far in music if I didn't learn to read as my ears are quite bad.

 

[edbass1]

You will definitely get to a point where your skill will stagnate if you do not make a reasonably significant effort to break through to a new level, but you won't get to a point where you can't do that (it may get harder). Also, depending on what your musical goals are, you might get to a point where your skills are more than enough. I think this is very common in rock. I don't think any classic rock bassist is losing sleep about improving their chops, and to be honest they don't need to. Anyone who goes through Jazz school learns how to shred all up and down the neck, play with complicated upper structure harmony, read tough big band charts, transcribe ridiculous solos, and ear out complex chord progressions. If you are then just going to play a popular genre like top 40 pop, classic rock, blues... You are already severely overqualified and will most likely severely regress after long enough "use it or lose it". So to answer the OP it all depends on where you want to get to and what you are willing to put in to get there. It's why you get people that have been playing for 30 years (and will make sure to tell you about it) and they are average at best, and will give you a blank stare if you ask them to play a diminished chord or a major 6

 

[Growlmonkee]

There's always room to improve, learn something new, get much better at something simple, we all hit a wall, now and then, ...walls come down. In my present band situation, I sometimes have to convince myself that I can play 4 chord pop songs much better than I play them..truth is...I can!, I regress, (get worse) when I am content with my playing, that leads to ...a wall., then I hear something new, that I really want to play, something that will require effort,.... dig in, and the walls come down, it's not only learning the new piece, other avenues open up too, you pickup things that you add to your arsenal, and the picture changes.

 

[Lia_G]

I do think there may be a focus shift, though--try looking at what you are saying with music (art), as opposed to how you are saying it (technique) for awhile. See where that gets you.

This resonates with me. I was very concerned with chops my first few years. Part of that was playing prog rock and fusion. How fast I could play, could I double the lead guitar tapping solo, etc, consumed me. As I aged, while I still cared about technique, my focus shifted, as @skwee relates.

Not that I don't still care about technique, and honestly, no I don't think there's necessarily a final plateau. But what consumes me today is that I want to say things, sing songs, write poetry with and through my instrument. That is what drives any ongoing technical advances now: when I run into something I can't say, a song I can't sing, or poetry that eludes me on the bass. Then I woodshed.

 

[123321]

^^^
Nice!

 

[hintz]

This resonates with me. I was very concerned with chops my first few years. Part of that was playing prog rock and fusion. How fast I could play, could I double the lead guitar tapping solo, etc, consumed me. As I aged, while I still cared about technique, my focus shifted, as @skwee relates.

Not that I don't still care about technique, and honestly, no I don't think there's necessarily a final plateau. But what consumes me today is that I want to say things, sing songs, write poetry with and through my instrument. That is what drives any ongoing technical advances now: when I run into something I can't say, a song I can't sing, or poetry that eludes me on the bass. Then I woodshed.

For the 1st 10 years of my playing I did exactly this, I mostly focused on my chops above all else! Around 2004 I finally went to music school and I actually did very well as my strong suite is memorization(even got a scholarship my 2nd semester),but throughout the 4 years I still prioritized my chops so things like sight reading and learning improv suffered while my peers who I could play circles around were becoming masters of improv and melody...

For me growing as a *musician* it was a case of "too little, too late" as they say!! Since 2007 I've been focused on all the things I lacked the discipline to focus on while a student, and I've seen some progress ,just not quick enough!!

I've been playing for 22 years now and I haven't really moved much past my last plateau or had any epiphanies in awhile, and I truly *hate* it...dont mean to be a downer, maybe I need lessons again?? I haven't been able to write *anything* original since *before* music school, its hard feeling complete when you stagnate...just venting I guess!

But either way I'm gonna keep plugging away no matter what!! I don't feel like I reached my potential yet *at all*, I might never get there, but I'm not giving up!!

 

[thebassguy86]

With all the different genres of music, all the different techniques for playing, the mass of different basses to play on, pedals, pups, etc., I don't think it's possible to do in one lifetime. Even if you're a professional musician, RNR HOFer, or a tinker-er. There's so much to learn and keep learning.

 

[pacojas]

This resonates with me. I was very concerned with chops my first few years. Part of that was playing prog rock and fusion. How fast I could play, could I double the lead guitar tapping solo, etc, consumed me. As I aged, while I still cared about technique, my focus shifted, as @skwee relates.

Not that I don't still care about technique, and honestly, no I don't think there's necessarily a final plateau. But what consumes me today is that I want to say things, sing songs, write poetry with and through my instrument. That is what drives any ongoing technical advances now: when I run into something I can't say, a song I can't sing, or poetry that eludes me on the bass. Then I woodshed.

that's what i'm trying to say! i play with a different mindset these days. it doesn't matter what kind of music it is. i try to speak to a higher entity with my instrument,.. i'm actually trying to call the Mother Ship, if you know what i mean! i'm also obsessed with enveloping every note with rich creamy tone, so the Wood Shed is where i'll be, lol.