I actually do think it is possible if you apply your mind to it, if you are discplined set some goals and if you have a lot of free time to practice 1 to 2 hours every day.
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Reading, theory, ear training, and shedding will give you a solid foundation (and what I could stand to do more of). For expanding your vocabulary, I suggest finding artists you like on YouTube and playing along. There's also a piece of software called Transcribe I use with MP3 files.
Seventh String Software - the home of Transcribe!
IMHO, putting your skills into practice with other musicians is the target, and jamming with other like-minded players is a good outlet. Attend some local bar jams and make note of the tunes the regulars cover. Network a bit. Learn the songs and use your newly-honed skills to put your own DNA on the bass lines. When things click, it's a wonderful thing.
BTW, next year will be my 50th playing bass avocationally. I'm 63 and the learning has never stopped.
Seventh String Software - the home of Transcribe!
IMHO, putting your skills into practice with other musicians is the target, and jamming with other like-minded players is a good outlet. Attend some local bar jams and make note of the tunes the regulars cover. Network a bit. Learn the songs and use your newly-honed skills to put your own DNA on the bass lines. When things click, it's a wonderful thing.
BTW, next year will be my 50th playing bass avocationally. I'm 63 and the learning has never stopped.
"Mind blowing"?
Pretty high standard. The best goals are the most reasonable goals.
How about "competent" or "tasteful"? I've lost count how many times I wished for fellow musicians who were simply tasteful and competent. You can get a long way down the road in one year with those goals in mind.
Pretty high standard. The best goals are the most reasonable goals.
How about "competent" or "tasteful"? I've lost count how many times I wished for fellow musicians who were simply tasteful and competent. You can get a long way down the road in one year with those goals in mind.
Unless you're a prodigy, it probably won't happen in a year. Even Jaco took a few years.Ok, tomorrow I'm going to start a one year experiment..
Can an 50 year old player that always skated by on the basics break through a lifetime of accepting mediocracy and achieve excellence?
Back story; on a whim a few months ago I bought several sight reading books, the James Jameson book, the James Brown Rhythm section book and a few others and have made HUGE strides in learning to read and raising the bar with my playing.
Wondering if I can go all the way and achieve what has always eluded me caused me to brainstorm. What I really need is a "Rabbi" to help me. I hit up the most insperational LA bass player this morning asking if he was taking any private students.
So I'm starting lessons with Sean Hurley tomorrow... Pretty stoked!
My tip: buy an acoustic metronome! It has inspired me to pickup practicing again... Even got me reading. As Ed Friedland put it, nothing else matters if you don't have good timekeeping.
Good luck.
Ooohh, I'm watching this thread!
Personally, I'm fairly happy with my level of mediocrity, but I did have a goal of getting a working covers band playing out within a year from last October (when I hit 50).
So far, various roadblocks on that road (injuries, crazy unreliable musicians, work), and I've lost some hope and focus several times, but still plugging away.
I won't make it within my time frame, but I've decided not to let that bug me.
I can't see why you won't improve greatly within a year, but I do think you might want to set a more definite goal than just 'mind-blowing'.
There's already some great advice in this thread - probably the best being to get off TB and practice (I know this place gets a bit addictive and I know for sure I've spent far too much time on here that I could use better playing)
Anyway, best of luck with the project - and please do come back in that year's time and blow our minds - it'll give the rest of us hope !
Personally, I'm fairly happy with my level of mediocrity, but I did have a goal of getting a working covers band playing out within a year from last October (when I hit 50).
So far, various roadblocks on that road (injuries, crazy unreliable musicians, work), and I've lost some hope and focus several times, but still plugging away.
I won't make it within my time frame, but I've decided not to let that bug me.
I can't see why you won't improve greatly within a year, but I do think you might want to set a more definite goal than just 'mind-blowing'.
There's already some great advice in this thread - probably the best being to get off TB and practice (I know this place gets a bit addictive and I know for sure I've spent far too much time on here that I could use better playing)
Anyway, best of luck with the project - and please do come back in that year's time and blow our minds - it'll give the rest of us hope !
I wish i'd started on bass too. I've learned so much more theory, and understand music so much better, after taking up bass than I learnt from 30 years of guitar. Most of that is my own slackness but the way bass is played forces you to learn theory more so than guitar.
Good luck to you! I'm 52 and just started playing in April. I'm hoping to achieve mediocrity in a year.
Funny you should mention that!
I'm almost about to turn 50 and I've just joined my first band a few months ago, we're call 'Midlife Crisis'!
You've already blown my mind that you want to give it a shot at your age.
I'm younger than you and already consider myself over the hill and can't see the point in learning anything new at this stage.
I'm envious of your point of view and gumption.
I'm younger than you and already consider myself over the hill and can't see the point in learning anything new at this stage.
I'm envious of your point of view and gumption.
Ok, tomorrow I'm going to start a one year experiment..
Can an 50 year old player that always skated by on the basics break through a lifetime of accepting mediocracy and achieve excellence?
Back story; on a whim a few months ago I bought several sight reading books, the James Jameson book, the James Brown Rhythm section book and a few others and have made HUGE strides in learning to read and raising the bar with my playing.
Wondering if I can go all the way and achieve what has always eluded me caused me to brainstorm. What I really need is a "Rabbi" to help me. I hit up the most insperational LA bass player this morning asking if he was taking any private students.
So I'm starting lessons with Sean Hurley tomorrow... Pretty stoked!
You can gain a lot of ground in the space of a year.
I put the bass down for a bit in my 20's after college while I was working on getting my career established. Picked it back up and was rusty as hell..
In a nutshell, I started taking private lessons, took jazz improv classes at a local community college, worked with a variety of different books, and literally spent hours a day practicing. I'd wake up early before work and practice, come home and practice more, and in addition got involved in several different bands. After a year of that my playing improved significantly.
Ok, tomorrow I'm going to start a one year experiment..
Can an 50 year old player that always skated by on the basics break through a lifetime of accepting mediocracy and achieve excellence?
Back story; on a whim a few months ago I bought several sight reading books, the James Jameson book, the James Brown Rhythm section book and a few others and have made HUGE strides in learning to read and raising the bar with my playing.
Wondering if I can go all the way and achieve what has always eluded me caused me to brainstorm. What I really need is a "Rabbi" to help me. I hit up the most insperational LA bass player this morning asking if he was taking any private students.
So I'm starting lessons with Sean Hurley tomorrow... Pretty stoked!
Rock on! I'm much older than you and have the same aspirations to move my playing to a higher degree BUT, I don't live in LA and I don't have access to anyone on Hurley's level*. You won't just learn about playing better you'll get a real education in what it takes to be a big dog in a large pond. Seriously. There are some great podcast interviews with him outlining his career from playing with Arlo Guthrie to getting the gig with John Mayer. Major respect for his work ethic and drive and his overall perspective. Kudos to you for making the effort!
*Yes, that shouldn't matter but, believe me, there are NO players here that I would waste the time & $ on to study with.
Sorry but I doubt you could do that in one year even if you practice every day for the whole day and also do solfege, theory class etc. On the other hand you can vastly improve.
I started playing at 11 or 12 years old. At 40, I finally started taking it seriously.
Bought a lifetime membership to Scott's Bass Lessons and started getting into theory. His approach, which focuses on chord tones rather than scales/modes, really resonated with me. For the first time, things are starting to make sense.
At the same time, I've started really dissecting classic baselines like What's Goin On, Bernadette, I Want You Back, and Peg. I'm now ready to start tackling lines that have always eluded me.
Soon I'll be ready to join my first orthodontist dad-band.
Bought a lifetime membership to Scott's Bass Lessons and started getting into theory. His approach, which focuses on chord tones rather than scales/modes, really resonated with me. For the first time, things are starting to make sense.
At the same time, I've started really dissecting classic baselines like What's Goin On, Bernadette, I Want You Back, and Peg. I'm now ready to start tackling lines that have always eluded me.
Soon I'll be ready to join my first orthodontist dad-band.
at 66: there's really only one "time frame" i'm ever thinking about: the rest is pi$$ and vinegar: go for it OP! sounds to me like you won't be disappointed...no matter what!
Depends on whose mind you intend to blow. As a goal "mind blowing" isn't a very concrete measurable. You could post your best video of yourself playing today and then again next year for all on TB to judge. What could go wrong with that.
Mind blowing to whom? What makes you mediocre?
Keep it fun man. Playing music is fun, it's an escape from "normal" life.
Challenge yourself and not others. There will always be naysayers and whatnot, people that will put you down and/or judge you. You want to get better? Do it for your sake, for your own pleasure, have fun while doing it.
It ain't a homework or a task. Pressure comes from all parts of our lives, why taking that same pressure with you when playing your instrument, doing what you love?
Have fun man!!
Keep it fun man. Playing music is fun, it's an escape from "normal" life.
Challenge yourself and not others. There will always be naysayers and whatnot, people that will put you down and/or judge you. You want to get better? Do it for your sake, for your own pleasure, have fun while doing it.
It ain't a homework or a task. Pressure comes from all parts of our lives, why taking that same pressure with you when playing your instrument, doing what you love?
Have fun man!!
I guess "mind blowing" is a bit vague!
Where I am today:
>Currently playing in two LA bands, one of them has a independent record deal and a somewhat famous singer. We did a Canadian tour this summer
>My neighbor runs a studio and I have periodic opportunities to play on sessions
>The "thing I do" is rock solid (Playing rock and soul music in a band setting with lots of rehearsal). It was good enough that I have really not progressed much in 25 years
>Getting tossed in the deep end with a new song/band is my weak spot (unless I have a chance to work on it at home first)
>Cant chart songs or write standard notation
>Cant play Jazz by just opening the real book
>I just learned to read (barely) after several tries over the last 30 years
>Have a hard time with ear training..I struggle when someone sings or plays what they want me to play and I have to play it back on the fly
Where I want to be:
>Want to develop a more complete Duck Dunn/Jameson vibe
>Want to sight read competently
>Want to learn to chart songs and my parts
>Want to be able to do jazz jams with the real book and be able to read/play the melody
>Want the ability to play anytime with anybody
>Basically want to have a skill set as close to Sean Hurley as possible. That guy can play anything with anyone anytime with no prep other than his pre-existing talents
Here's me currently:
Agree with the playing with others. The books you got, stellar plan. Couple of things that really helped me, and I learned the hard way:
Don't try to practice a whole variety of things i.e. Don't try to take on everything all at once. If you do it will burn you out because no measurable progress will be perceived.
KEY - Hook up with some people to play with. If the book you are working in comes with a CD that has a guide track, do the lesson with it. Also, for timing, add a drum machine and play the lesson with that at different tempos. Slow ones will be harder than fast ones.
KEY KEY - When playing with others, don't play some fancy new lick you invented over the guitar players solo. It may feel like you are proving your worth and skill, but trust me, it will not be received well.
Don't try to practice a whole variety of things i.e. Don't try to take on everything all at once. If you do it will burn you out because no measurable progress will be perceived.
KEY - Hook up with some people to play with. If the book you are working in comes with a CD that has a guide track, do the lesson with it. Also, for timing, add a drum machine and play the lesson with that at different tempos. Slow ones will be harder than fast ones.
KEY KEY - When playing with others, don't play some fancy new lick you invented over the guitar players solo. It may feel like you are proving your worth and skill, but trust me, it will not be received well.
