Double Bass Inspirational...

[bkberwanger]

I've been in a slump as of late. I have been playing upright for 3 1/2 years. I made good progress. I was gigging around town with several groups. I even attended a university to study music ed and jazz. Life had its way this year and hammered my family. I'm finally starting to see the light, but having trouble getting back on the practice horse. Just want to hear what others have done to get back in the game. Recordings, artists, etc... That have picked you up when playing felt like a chore, or when you needed some inspiration to really figure out why you play music.

 

[Groove Doctor]

- Go see some live shows.
- Play along to all-time favourite songs or songs you played many years ago.
- Jam with a music buddy & get them to show you something you didn't know.
- Try a new genre... I'm mucking around with some rockabilly/ early R&R stuff on DB. Fun!!
- take the time to work out what you really love to do, why you got into music.


After a tough patch, give yourself enough time to recover & nurture your soul (resting, time outside in nature, exercise, friends, travel, etc). I find camping/ hiking with mates really refreshes me.
Your passion for music will return once your "cup is full".

 

[BazzTard]

play songs you love and either haven't learnt before or haven't played for a long time.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

When my interest in music wanes and I fall off the horse a little bit, I often find that what I think I should be doing in terms of music and what actually interests me musically are two different things. Especially as regards "jazz", which I both love and hate for many reasons. So during those times I allow myself to listen to and play whatever style of music makes me happy - classical, funk, pop, roots, indie, blues, whatever - and try to use something about that music to challenge me technically as a bassist in the practice room. This usually reconnects me to the joy of music making and keeps me playing the bass until some new project in my main field gets me back on the horse again.

 

[Sam Dingle]

I'm finding that I'm in that slump right now so I started playing electric bass again. I've been learning a bunch of Motown/Pop tunes and even joined a wedding band. I have found that this has helped my upright playing because I practice more focused stuff instead of messing around. I'll get in, practice intonation, technique, transcribe something, practice tunes and leave. I don't practice as long but I think I practice better.

 

[bkberwanger]

Thanks for the help guys. It is much appreciated.

 

[isolated]

....[w]hen you needed some inspiration to really figure out why you play music.

I need this a lot more than I ever thought I would. Often it comes from non-musical things. As I am fortunate to live immediately outside of a major US city, I can go to a museum or an art gallery, or just take a walk among 8 million other people and see what surprises that might bring. Heading an hour or so outside of town and communing with nature is another good way to clear my head and make the bass look like something I want to spend time with upon my return. All this to say that I get inspired to play music by realizing that there are so many other things more important than music.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Ah, this is where I meant to put this link:
Invalid Link Removed

IMO, the act of creation and the endeavour of imagining and inventing new things is what keeps me going. Going solely through drills, practice routines, and memorization of tunes for the sake of memorization is a surefire path to disillusionment. Stoke that inner fire and the momentum will carry you.

 

[Lee Moses]

Ah, this is where I meant to put this link:
Invalid Link Removed

From the same source, here is an article that directly addresses the O.P.'s dilemma: Invalid Link Removed