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HELP! I lost all motivation to be a better bass player

#41
Rocksmith 2014 is a lot of fun - seriously! There are a also some good learning tools and a band to jam with. It's great when you don't want to "study".

Community made songs can be found here: Invalid Link Removed in addition to the downloadable songs they release every month.

I won't say that it is a substitute for traditional study and learning but it is a nice augmentation and a well done software tool.
 
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#42
Bassamatic said:
Not everyone is made to be a bass player.

It takes certain abilities to play the bass - you may not have all of them, or perhaps you have some other abilities that are not being used by the bass so it doesn't hold your interest.The required aptitudes for bass include Rhythm, Rhythm Memory, Tonal Memory, Pitch Discrimination and Finger Dexterity. How are you at these?
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wuh oh... hardly started & yet I feel the need to quit...
 
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#43
Chill out @Christian12
Keep working. Doubts help keep you humble and working, but you.can waste a lot of time indulging them on the internet. I've been playing just 7 years now, and I still have doubts, but instead of starting threads I chill out, put the axe down, and think about things realistically. Not everyone is a YouTube bass god and I can't compare myself to them cause they aren't me. And yeah, I had a bad gig or no gigs but that's not because I suck at bass.
Go have whatever beverage helps you calm down, think about things realistically, and then come back and practice.
 
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#44
Muddslide said:
I agree with this, though I think often there are SERIES of "humps."

I call them "plateaus" where it seems like you have acquired some skills and knowledge but then hit a brick wall and can't proceed beyond them for a while, regardless of how much woodshedding you do. Then it magically opens up and you can advance to another level.
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^^ This ^^

Its like smoking a brisket or pork butt, it starts out cold then slowly warms. It finally reaches a stage where the temp of the meat no longer rises, this is the point to be patient. After a while the temp starts coming up again. So my bad analogy is simply, don't quit keep playing.

Take a break then run through the basics again. I highly recommend Bass guitar for Dummies, 3rd edition for this. The books steps you through the important basics you need and it has online video and audio support of the chapters. I guarantee you even an experienced player can learn something from this book.
 
#46
when i feel like im hitting a wall..i put my bass down and listen to all styles of music (except new country because personally think it blows) for a week or so and then pick up bass again and start having aha moments again
 
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#49
Like has been already said, jam with other people, and do some original material with them. My playing has always advanced when I was in a situation where I was doing original music. I have been playing for over 25 years and am about two months into a new original project. I can already notice another improvement in my playing. More than anything keep it fun. If you are not having fun, it is that much harder to learn. If it is not fun, what is the point?
Good luck!
 
#52
Bodhammer said:
Rocksmith 2014 is a lot of fun - seriously! There are a also some good learning tools and a band to jam with. It's great when you don't want to "study".

Community made songs can be found here: Invalid Link Removed in addition to the downloadable songs they release every month.

I won't say that it is a substitute for traditional study and learning but it is a nice augmentation and a well done software tool.
Click to expand...

two thumbs up for ROCKSMITH! you can become pretty poopie-hot pretty fast if you spend a lot of time
playing all aspects of that game! the 2014 version has the session mode that lets you play with a band
and not worry about getting tossed out! it teaches you music theory in a pretty covert and usable way.
 
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#53
All I can say is do not go to school for it as a main focus. I'd go as a minor. I'm finishing my junior year as a music major and retreat it because the music school has sucked my love and drive out of me. That my personal story but I thought I should throw that into the mix. I'd also say to get more motivated try listening to different music.
 
#54
I've been playing almost two years. I think it's about this time where you are just starting to really realize all that you don't know but you know enough to be serviceable but realize that any good bassist will see how basic you are. This is my view anyway. I've decided to dig in. I am taking Skype lessons with becoming a jazz bassist in mind. It's difficult, repetitious work. But you need a plan and the drive. Work, work, work. You can do it!
 
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#55
i respectfully disagree with all these replies. he didn't say he's frustrated by slow progress, he said he has no motivation. you have to love it. if you don't love it, why do it? if you have to force yourself to do it, it if seems like work, it's not for you. my advice is to follow a different path - i would hate to think we're losing the world's greatest painter because he spent all his time trying to play bass!

my $0.02.
 
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#58
BazzTard said:
Hey, Adam Clayton is in the same boat,and HE has a Fender Signature bass !
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Fear not. I started playing bass in 1967 (after starting out as a rhythm guitarist in a band for 7 years previous). I continued playing with my younger brother's band from 1972 to 1980 and then joined my "last band" and played with
them for the next 25 years. Then progressive nerve damage ended my musical career. My point? If you REALLY love playing bass you will stick with it and in so doing, you will get better ... even good enough to sit own with the Pros and jam without reservation. In the end ... it's really up to you, but don't make the mistake of looking over your own shoulder and constantly analyzing your playing ... just do it. Work at it every day, listen and play as many kinds of music as you can and you will, in time be pleasantly surprised.
 
#60
Muddslide said:
I agree with this, though I think often there are SERIES of "humps."

I call them "plateaus" where it seems like you have acquired some skills and knowledge but then hit a brick wall and can't proceed beyond them for a while, regardless of how much woodshedding you do. Then it magically opens up and you can advance to another level.
Click to expand...
Exactly... I find this in everything I have learned and often the biggest leaps came precisely after I said 'screw this' and quit caring.

The trick to breaking through to a higher plateau after being stuck for awhile is a serious disruption to your routine. Usually it is a stagnant routine that sticks you to a plateau, a fresh change of pace wakes the brain up.
 

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