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How much should I focus on bass?

#61
Might even think about learning a little bit of another instrument(s), and it doesn't have to be anything extravagant. I have a little Clarke's penny whistle as sort of "palate cleanser" for
my musical brain, it seems to help me get another perspective musically. Even a mid-line classical guitar just to keep lying around the house, and pick it up when the mood strikes you..
...*and if all else fails, you could follow the lead of some other bassists that I've known in the past. Buy a drum set and become a drummer? 🤪
>(don't do that BTW, only joking).. Keep your options open, and do what you really WANT TO DO:thumbsup:
 
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#62
Docteur Fromage, I suggest spending as much time on bass as you will enjoy, not a moment more or less. That said, there are measures you can take to maximize your enjoyment from bass, such as the oft repeated suggestion to play with others outside your current church paradigm. I find that messing with a looper (I have a cheapo bought new for $49) can also make practicing a lot more fun, and allows me to get more creative on my own. When i started bass at 40, my only commitment was to get a bit better each month. I have never gotten caught up in the speed/ efficiency of my improvement.; I focus only on the direction. When I see a 12 year old shredding on youtube it doesn't bother me. I do me, and only me, and that is enough ;)
 
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#64
singlemalt said:
pulling the plug is kind of freaky. So take it slow.

Figure out healthcare, and then take care of your health. Exercise everyday. At least an hour brisk walking, and some flexibility and strength training.

With your busy head, yoga could be a huge help.
Yoga with Adriene

There’s a reason she has 13 million subscribers on YouTube. Free, at home, dress any way you want.

Get a nice routine going and just enjoy the days.

I took up guitar and I’m really enjoying it. It’s really cool to play an instrument with lots of harmonic flavors. And it’s a new challenge. It’s done wonders for my ears.

I’m starting to figure out GarageBand and recording stuff just for fun. Just about any multi fx unit will have a usb interface, a Mac or iPad, and headphones, and off ya go.

Remember, retirement can flow with the seasons. Have a routine for crappy weather and the nice weather.

Mostly, relax and enjoy. It’s harder than you think.
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Good input for you here from single malt, Dr. C. It squares with my 4 year experience of retirement. Establish the new routines for all of your life. It took me a full 18 months. You will figure it out.

Let me add a favorable note for church bands... as you know, I play in one too. There's a lot of good to be had there.

I feel like I know you! I'd love to have lunch or dinner sometime and discuss all this face to face and to jam!

Keep thinking and praying through this process!

.
 
#65
Dr. Cheese said:
I will be retired this time next year. For quite a while, I looked forward to retirement so I could focus on improving as a bassist. I am will continue to study and practice, but I am starting to think I should downgrade studying’s importance because I fear I will never be as good as I would like to be and I may not have enough life left to really do anything with increased skill.
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Do you have a terminal illness that forecasts your imminent demise? If not then your fear is mere fear.

I’m now retired just over a year. I’m managing to keep the house in good order, to be more social…. AND to practice multiple instruments. I’m improving on all of them. What has helped immensely is purpose. People who know me or have heard me are offering me paying gigs. And there’s nothing like gigging to make you make yourself a better musician. It forces you to practice, and to do so with the goal of making other players sound their best.

On that line, another thing that keeps you sharp is teaching. I’m teaching jazz theory to a couple folks, and it’s forcing me to make sure I know enough and know it well enough to convey it to others.

Or you can sink into your fears, and waste away in your retirement.
The choice is yours.
 
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#66
Cheese, I’m 67, and hope to retire around age 70. I recently started a micro business using skills I already have, and it’s slowly growing. So we’ll see on that front.

I play bass in church and in a cover band. The cover band does some pretty bass-intensive songs such as older R&B and Motown, as well as not-quite-current R&R. I’m a better bass player than I’ve ever been, and some of that bleeds over into the church band playing. Church BL likes it. In a previous church, 15+ years ago, the BL would complain if I got too “fancy”.

Playing in both bands has also been good for my emotional maturity. Dealing with that many personalities can be a real challenge.

Getting older is also a challenge. I have some arthritis difficulties, as well as not having the strength and energy I had even 10 years ago. So I’m figuring out what I really want to do, and how I’m going to do it.
 
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#67
I won't be able to retire until the mortgage is paid off when I'm 75, but with my youngest getting their drivers license and my career fully established I picked up the bass again last year after a multi-decade sabbatical. Took a while to shake off the rust, but my bass player brain didn't suffer much from the time off, and I gained some wisdom in those years. Stumbled into a project that's incredibly fulfilling (doing a Mike Mills deep-dive with an R.E.M. cover outfit focused on the band's IRS era, 82-87 with players ages ranging from 21 to 58 (me) that's actually getting some local traction), and still have enough time for a 2nd band playing 90s and 2000s covers and writing some originals. Getting much more involved in band management and learning about / collecting PA gear, and really enjoying having 6 new best friends. Keeps me as busy as I want to be, and there's so much to learn and do.
 
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#69
basted said:
Retirement is a big grey area for us all. No one knows how they are going to cope with it/embrace it. I thought I was going to have so much time on my hands and started to think of other hobbies/activities to occupy that time beside playing bass. Turns out its not that way at all. That line about where did I used to find the time for work is true. Roll with it and you will be fine. Start a band if you really want to.
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I have talked to retired co-workers that have said similar things: that they have been so busy since retiring.

I am still a ways off, but I anticipate it will be a busy time too. When you're young, you're just keeping up with work, family, day-to-day chores and kids. I always think of retirement as finally having the time to do all the things that I wanted to do. But that is a lifetime accumulation of things and being older, not having as much energy to do it all.

I think the important thing is to keep busy. I find the people that do well in retirement are active both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, I have witnessed a few people deteriorate quickly or pass away soon after retirement. In those cases, it was like work was keeping them alive.
 
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#71
Smallmouth_Bass said:
I have talked to retired co-workers that have said similar things: that they have been so busy since retiring.

I am still a ways off, but I anticipate it will be a busy time too. When you're young, you're just keeping up with work, family, day-to-day chores and kids. I always think of retirement as finally having the time to do all the things that I wanted to do. But that is a lifetime accumulation of things and being older, not having as much energy to do it all.

I think the important thing is to keep busy. I find the people that do well in retirement are active both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, I have witnessed a few people deteriorate quickly or pass away soon after retirement. In those cases, it was like work was keeping them alive.
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Some people don't know how to relax, or the job was their whole life, and they had no separate identity. Those people should never fully retire.

When I used to fly, for fun, I knew several pilots who had flown jets or helicopters for the military, who never had any interest in flying afterwards. they considered it a job, and when it was done, they were done with it. I wonder if those of use who played professionally experience the same once the money is no longer coming in? Is it just a job? I never made money from playing, though people would probably have paid me to stop playing?
 
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#72
Dr. Cheese said:
I will be retired this time next year. For quite a while, I looked forward to retirement so I could focus on improving as a bassist. I am will continue to study and practice, but I am starting to think I should downgrade studying’s importance because I fear I will never be as good as I would like to be and I may not have enough life left to really do anything with increased skill.
Click to expand...
As much or as little as you want, just enjoy your retirement!
 
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#73
There are a lot of things we do in life that we don't do for the things themselves, but merely as means to an end. Like showering, for example. You may enjoy taking a shower, but you actually do it because you want to achieve something: clean yourself and smell nice for others.
Music is (or can be) one of those things that we actually do for the sake of doing it. When we sing in the shower, we are not chasing a specific goal. It serves no function, accomplishes nothing, we don't care how it sounds - we are just enjoying the singing. But, as we as a society have largely forgotten to measure worth in anything else than dollars, music has fallen victim to this as well: if you play an instrument, you are expected to perform for other people - otherwise what is the point, right? And musicians have internalized that and developed those ridiculous ideas that you have to be skilled and you have to make some money out of it and so on...
Well, let playing bass be like singing in the shower for you. Don't try to fulfill someone else's standards (and worse: be discouraged if you don't), don't try to achieve any goals - just do it because you want to do it, for the sake of it. Enjoy it.
 
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#74
My mom would say, "Don't 'should' on yourself." Do what you love, what gives you joy, not what you or (worse yet) somebody else thinks you "should." As @JimmyM says, you've earned the right to do exactly what makes you happy, no justifications required. Finding out what that is might take some trial and error. If the study part of playing bass is killing the joy or turning it into a chore, then it might be time for a break from that. If you miss it, you might start up again but realign it with what gives you the most joy. Or you might just appreciate it in a way you didn't before the break. Try things and see what you like. But go for the joy. I am 65 and making plans for retirement in the next few years, and I understand the uncertainty of where exactly to turn one's attention, but I believe you have to try some things before you can know what you ultimately will want to do, and even then your goals and interests will evolve. Best of luck on the next phase. I'll be right behind you:)
 
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#75
I can only speak for myself. If/when I retire, I will finally have enough time to be in a band (assuming I find one that's a fit). I love playing at church, but there's a lot more I want to do. I might study here or there as a refresher or to learn something specific, but mainly it'll be practice, rehearsals, and playing out. That's the goal, anyway.
 
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#78
Everyone is different. I suggest getting to your bass efforts now and don't wait for a retirement date first - if that's a possibility for you and your employment situation. I overlapped my guitar, then bass, work about 5 years ahead of retirement as well as my electronics repair/building etc of guitar amps. Once you attain your retirement date and any celebrations, the rest is likely going to be an anti-climax, so don't ask yourself "why did I wait to do this?"
 
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