Hey Hacks! What keeps you playing?

I was speaking with a singer about this just this week. ‘Imposter syndrome’ is much more common than you think.

Stay away from hyper-critical people who make you doubt yourself. You are clearly good enough to play those songs with your band, and that’s all that matters. Give yourself some credit.

 

You're being "exposed before your peers" every time you play with a band, and yet people still want to play with you. Success. What exactly is the problem again?

 

He wears the bass very low...

 

What keeps me playing? I had 5 mins, I'm still trying to get the other 10!

 

Find people who are slightly better than you to play with. Not hugely better — that will be frustrating, and ultimately limiting. There is built-in improvement in this scenario.

Slightly better is preferable to slightly worse.

 

Why did I play the same 45 songs with the same band for 20 years?

I enjoyed being with the guys and it got me out of the house for some "me time". Simple as that. As their skill level increased I was forced to keep up.

 

Does playing make you happy? Does it give you peace and tranquillity? As you stated before, your level of playing makes you desired by others to be in their bands. Besides, everyone learns at their own pace. Not to worry.Heck , there are 14 year olds that pick up things far faster than me. Whenever you to feeling down again. I want you to think of this!

 

I sometimes share the feeling of inadequacy.

However, a couple of weeks ago I went to a local blues jam and played for the first time in about 20 months. My practice habits suck, and I had probably played a total of two hours during that entire 20 months, so I got in about 30 minutes of practive before thejam.

I played a half-dozen numbers. On two of them, I really struggled and knew I was marginal at best. One of those was Stormy Monday, which made me feel pretty frustrated because it's a blues standard, but I've never been able to "hear" a good bass line in that tune. I felt like I should have known that one well enough to grab a line and play it. (And I'm working on it.)

Two tunes, I felt OK although I kept it really simple. And on the other two of them I felt really good, found a pattern that fit and got a solid groove going.

And you know what? People danced. More danced when we had the better groove going toward the end of the set, but they danced.

So it reminded me of a couple of things:

1. We are all our own most harsh critics. (And we should be.)

2. People like music. Even music that isn't perfect moves people, and they enjoy it.

And I think #2 is why we play.

 

I play music for me. It makes me feel good. Even if I never play out again, or even with other people, just noodling on my bass, making noises is good for my soul.

 

If simple is all you can do.. do simple.. but make it sound good. Bands have found fame with less. Playing with other people only serves to help you improve. Wear some sunglasses for your first gig if you have to. I did..at night.. after that it was easy. And hey.. you're a musician performing on stage, you're allowed to look goofy. See the below for examples.

 

I set out to learn bass -- my first-ever musical instrument -- in my early 40s (about 20 years ago). My only goal was to get good enough to be in a hobby band in which I was welcome and could hold my own. I succeeded at that and am now in two such bands. I couldn't be happier. I'm probably not "good enough" to be in a lot of bands, but I don't care: I'm good enough to do what I'm doing, and honestly couldn't care less about what I might or might not be able to do otherwise.

 

I thought I was mediocre until I recorded myself a could weeks ago - turns out I'm a total hack! But I'm still playing because it's always been fun and it's still fun and it'll probably keep on being fun. Plus maybe someday I'll rise to an acceptable mediocrity for real

 

I've been a hack for over 3 decades and don't suck because I've learned to stay in my lane and make the most out of what I can control; tone, time, & taste.

But there other considerations necessary for success; being on time, having a good attitude, making sure your equipment is trouble free, and willingness to work as a team to achieve the intended goal.

 

Damian Erskine has great words for us hacks:

 

That's what matters.

 

Funny how that works. I recorded myself with a couple of play-alongs that I thought I was doing well with as I played. It sounded so awful on replay that I spent an hour trying to figure out what was wrong with my recording equipment.

 

For as long as i have owned a bass i probably suck one of the worst on this site. However i do have to say raising a young family and working 6 days a week does not leave much time for practice. But i just play for my own enjoyment just holding the bass puts me in a good mood. And it gives me a reason to be on this site to hang with you cool guys.