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I've lost interest in music.

#121
Yeah, it happened to me. I grew up playing sports, in my teens music suddenly came into my life. I went full bore on music and put sports on the backburner. Made it through college and through working all the time, chasing girls and partying too much, and preferring to spend the weekends hanging out with my sports friends rather than get together playing stale covers or tge same old originals, I lost interest in playing.

I think Ive learned my thing with music is the passion is always there. I try to find something new to listen to that makes me go "DAMN" every day. Im mid 30s now. I began picking up various other instruments and teaching myself those as well. Im driven by challenges and goals and the personal satisfaction that comes with being good at something. I know being competitive is shunned upon in th e music community but Im definitely one of those guys. Youve got to have that internal drive that keeps you pushing forward, whatever that motivation may be. I personally dont get much pleasure from playing in meh bands. But I do have several friends who are meh who I do enjoy playing with. Its all relative to the individual. My motivation hasnt been "be a big famous rock star" since I was probably 16 or 17. I just play music for me and thats all I ever want out of it. Find out what motivates you OP. Mine is constant personal improvement.
 
#122
I lost interest with COVID because I played every Saturday morning in a "pick up jam"
that played for our Farmers Market and then for a local restaurant when it got cold(of course all the same people showed up most Saturdays) but between village restrictions and all of us worrying about our health and that of our fellow band members. I was one of the least talented members in the group but got real better real fast with such outstanding musicians. At least we ZOOM every Saturday morning and I get to see and talk to people who are like a second family. But life brightened up when the son of a deceased friend of mine called me and we started plAYING EVERY WEEK. Life got better FAST.
 
#123
Axtman said:
Within the past couple of months I have lost interest in music. I used to be in a band playing every other weekend and taking lessons. COVID stopped all that. I also used to jam along to songs on YouTube especially the ones where the bass was removed. I also used to listen to music while I work (at home).

Well my desire has really decreased. I hadn't picked up a bass in while and when I did the spark was gone. I played along to a few songs but wasn't really into it. I also have stopped listening to music altogether.

Has this ever happened to you?
Click to expand...

The reality is that changes leave you at times in uncharted territory.

There is a whole lot of things going on, there are areas with nothing going on, and there are other areas that have receded and sometimes your just in a funk for awhile. Then things change again, a little at a time like seeking different music that you haven't listened to before. Enjoy the break from a busy performance schedule and find something like trying a set of strings you have had on your mind.

Go back to basics...listen to your technique and make your sound better rather than pushing yourself in directions that have been familiar.

Good luck!
 
#124
Me too.
Miss playing with my buddies in both bands because of this whole pandemic thing.

But getting up there in age at 64 1/2 living in a very isolated locale. Tired of hauling stuff. Feel kind of silly in my original hard rock band playing and singing boistrous songs about youth angst. Only get together once in a long while.

More comfortable playing in my good time rock n roll band oldies band 50s-2000 songs. But the muscianship is not the best.

Had a good jazz trio going, but the piano and drummer passed away.

Have been playing professionally and A LOT semi pro since I was 15 and just kind of tired. Pop Rock Dance music seems at kind of a standstill since about 1990/2000. The record labels have found their tight style markets that seem to be guaranteed to bring the most profit. But alot of what I'm hearing at it's core bass - rap, hip hop, R&B, Industrial, Shread metal, etc - hasn't changed from the mid 90s.

In isolation still like playing out in the garage loud in the afternoon to the Roland drum machine or just settin the I-Pod to shuffle. Firing up the big amps and going over original rock band toons, and practicing slap and funk - even tho there's nobody (especially around here) playing those styles - just like 'em and they're fun to play.

In the mornings thru headphones work on Bach cello things on fretless, stream jazz classics and play to whatever comes up, stream oldie rock - ditto, and learn toons on U Tube for the classic rock band.

Have read almost every bass lesson book, many several times, still do somewhat. Don't run scales and such anymore. Have studied and read a lot of theory - love and enjoy it - even went to college to study it for 2 years -- but yeah. Pretty much just concentrate on playing any more to whatever comes up by ear as fast as I can hear it. That's pretty much my end goal - playing/hearing instantly.
 
#125
Learn a new instrument..when you feel inspired. I started out on piano, moved through guitar, onto bass, now practising double bass, drums, djembe & banjo. Not enough days in the week. I still play all of those when the mood hits & have had long breaks. I’m no master, just an explorer. Maybe listen to something totally left of field ?
 
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#126
Axtman said:
Within the past couple of months I have lost interest in music. I used to be in a band playing every other weekend and taking lessons. COVID stopped all that. I also used to jam along to songs on YouTube especially the ones where the bass was removed. I also used to listen to music while I work (at home).

Well my desire has really decreased. I hadn't picked up a bass in while and when I did the spark was gone. I played along to a few songs but wasn't really into it. I also have stopped listening to music altogether.

Has this ever happened to you?
Click to expand...
Axtman said:
Within the past couple of months I have lost interest in music. I used to be in a band playing every other weekend and taking lessons. COVID stopped all that. I also used to jam along to songs on YouTube especially the ones where the bass was removed. I also used to listen to music while I work (at home).

Well my desire has really decreased. I hadn't picked up a bass in while and when I did the spark was gone. I played along to a few songs but wasn't really into it. I also have stopped listening to music altogether.

Has this ever happened to you?
Click to expand...
Hey Axtman. I get how you feel. When NZ was in lockdown for weeks I worked from home, which was more difficult in many ways than I imagined, & never once picked up my bass. I just could not find the motivation with all our gigs & even our busking cancelled. All my energy went into the " new " way of working. I had nothing left. This music weariness passed however when a couple of gigs were permitted but it was the busking that bought back the joy. A couple of sunny Winter afternoons out in the fresh air playing just what you want to a receptive freshly released from lockdown audience bought it back. There is something wonderfully refreshing about playing during the day outside, especially when you can play just what you want to. For me it is so much better than super late nights in a Pub or Club. We only use an AER amp for two vocals & acoustic & I use my Peavey combo. It's simple, quiet & way more musical than the rock band. You can hear every note played & sung so well. This worked for me. You will find a way to fall in love with music & your bass again, it will be when you want to. Take care out there
 
#127
Axtman said:
Within the past couple of months I have lost interest in music. I used to be in a band playing every other weekend and taking lessons. COVID stopped all that. I also used to jam along to songs on YouTube especially the ones where the bass was removed. I also used to listen to music while I work (at home).

Well my desire has really decreased. I hadn't picked up a bass in while and when I did the spark was gone. I played along to a few songs but wasn't really into it. I also have stopped listening to music altogether.

Has this ever happened to you?
Click to expand...
No. May I suggest your general enthusiasm has diminished?
 
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#128
I have picked up my bass twice during this Covid fake pandemic. I’m going to have to start practicing though because I do have a acoustic streaming gig coming up. You know in November I’m going to be 70 years old and I’ve had some great times playing music during my life. But my career was winding down even before Covid came along. And you know it doesn’t really bother me that much. I’ll probably play once in a while. I’ll tell you what I’m not going to miss. Hard ass load ins and load outs and late hours for a lousy hundred bucks.
 
#129
Hi Axtman, Thanks for sharing your problem with us here. I see some folks have given very wise advice and it speaks well of the quality of minds that grace these august hallways of music here at TalkBass. May I tell you a little story about someone I know well (myself!)? I'm 72 now. No idea how I got these many years behind me. I feel like I'm still 25 with a slower body... When I was in my 20s, I was working and going to night school to get my first degree. I got a violin at a pawn shop and started playing around with it although I couldn't really play much at all. But I kept on picking it up except when I went grad school and had to sell it and some other things to finish my degrees. A couple of years later, I got an old one from a friend but she took it back several years later when she started learning to play herself. At that time, a Swiss buddy of mine at our gliding club made jet engine parts during the day and violins on the weekends when he wasn't flying. I bought one of his violins and continued playing around on it. Now some 50 years later I can pick it up and play it fairly well! No formal training. No intense periods of practice. Sometimes I would go for several months without playing when I was overwhelmed by other things that preoccupied me and took away my "interest in music" for a while. Then when I picked it up again, it seemed like I could just pick up where I left off, sometimes better! Go figure. That's life I guess. Now I'm trying to learn "the bass": both the Electric Upright Bass I made and the bass guitar I bought after joining this forum. I don't play every day. Some days I just don't want to. Then other days, I get to plucking and singing up a (quiet) storm! I hope you will, too. All the best to you, friend.
 
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#131
I would like to second Neill's comment about the quality of caring and fellowship that I have found on this site. I have gained incredible information from each one of the forums, as often knowledge about life as much as bass knowledge. I don't give this praise lightly as I am a Board Certified Clinical social worker with my MSW in 1975 from Saint Louis University and a 44 year full time career as a therapist and now two years of parttime workl after retirement. I didn't add suggestions because the advice given to our fellow bassist was consistent with my professional training and experience. One of the keys to coping in hard times is to have strong support network and our talkbase group is very much that. Frank Vozak MSW, ACSW, LCSW (IL), BCD
 
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#132
MD-BassPlayer said:
No shame in changing interests. Life is too short to waste time doing something you don't enjoy - especially as a hobby.
Click to expand...

Yup but i heard a nice caveat to this one once from Mike Johston re specifically quitting drums. You should quit if you don't want to do it anymore, but make sure you quit on a good day, when you are playing well. This avoids quitting just because something you are trying hasn't clicked yet.
 
#133
Frank Vozak said:
I would like to second Neill's comment about the quality of caring and fellowship that I have found on this site. I have gained incredible information from each one of the forums, as often knowledge about life as much as bass knowledge. I don't give this praise lightly as I am a Board Certified Clinical social worker with my MSW in 1975 from Saint Louis University and a 44 year full time career as a therapist and now two years of parttime workl after retirement. I didn't add suggestions because the advice given to our fellow bassist was consistent with my professional training and experience. One of the keys to coping in hard times is to have strong support network and our talkbase group is very much that. Frank Vozak MSW, ACSW, LCSW (IL), BCD
Click to expand...
The role of the “BassPlayer” is one of Support. Talk bass is great for that!
 
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#135
redwood said:
I have definately had a loss of interest in playing. I picked up my bass the other night and realized I had completely lost my callouses on my finger tips.
I have been listening to music while working, so that part of my interest is still there. But I think the Covid Blues is real, and you are suffering from it.
This too shall be pass. Allow yourself to enjoy other things for a bit. Then all of a sudden you'll realize how much you miss it. Or you won't, and then move on to other interesting endeavors.
I had a fifteen year break from music. It happens.
Click to expand...
I have kept my callouses up by playing a mandolin around the house. I can't play much, but it's kept me interested in music and playing bass.
 
#136
My playing bounces between a weekly roots pickup group with about 80% regulars (sometimes up to 30 people), a two person bass/acoustic guitar playing all originals written and sung by the guitar player and soon adding pedal steel(pedal steel player has recordings of most of our songs and and chords/words and still looking for a drummer which practices weekly and daily practice on bass patterns, runs, arpeggios and scales from several bass lesson books, Fender Play and from Bass Player magazine. I find that each of these exercises forces me to practice different bass skills and I continue to try and awaken my former bass clef sight reading skills from music that became proficient in with high school and college. I really like to play bass and am hoping to regain the level I once had. I am a retired clinical social worker and ended my VA career of 44 years working as the clinic social worker for a VA outpatient geriatric clinic. One of the lessons that I learned was that at retirement you should take up some new kind of skill building hobby in order to keep your mind nimble, able to access new information, and build new neural pathways. That is what bass guitar and TALK BASS is form me.
 
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#137
After months of not touching a bass I suddenly got the urge to play today and have reinstated the one at the side of my computer (that I put away few months ago because I wasn't playing it).

One thing I have noticed is that with having a break I am now playing some songs a little differently, better in my opinion (as if my brain has had time to review how I played them and apply a few corrections/improvements).

I'm now going to have to be careful to avoid getting blisters.
 
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#138
delta7fred said:
After months of not touching a bass I suddenly got the urge to play today and have reinstated the one at the side of my computer (that I put away few months ago because I wasn't playing it).

One thing I have noticed is that with having a break I am now playing some songs a little differently, better in my opinion (as if my brain has had time to review how I played them and apply a few corrections/improvements).

I'm now going to have to be careful to avoid getting blisters.
Click to expand...
I find this happens for me, as well. Sometimes if I walk away for a few days, when I come back things have settled in and I can play better. Glad to hear you're getting your mojo back.

For me it's a mixed bag. I have still been participating in outdoor, distanced rehearsals with the blues band, but I had not been practicing much bass between them. I noticed a couple of weeks ago in rehearsal that my walking chops had really deteriorated so I made a decision to start practicing again, and after a week of daily practicing things had gotten much better again.

But mainly I've been focused on songwriting and production, and since I use a piano to compose I've started focusing on relearning how to play piano well enough to do some performance with it- I haven't really played at a decent level like that since I was in my teens. So I am working with chord charts and trying to become more fluid with the piano changes on a lot of the same songs I'm using to practice my walking chops.

As many have pointed out, bass is a lonely instrument to play alone. Since I'm concentrating on my walking chops, I have been using files and charts from the iReal book for accompaniment, but loaded into Logic Pro to get them sounding good. I'm also working on getting my vocals back up to par. So I do have a lot to do, I just have to discipline myself to actually do it each day. Some days are better than others, for that. It's not easy to stay motivated.
 
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#139
LBS-bass said:
As many have pointed out, bass is a lonely instrument to play alone.
Click to expand...
This is so true.

Good to hear that you are staying focused on music, it's never a mistake to play another instrument as it gives you a whole new outlook on playing bass.

The only thing that normally keeps me practising is having an end goal (gig) in sight and since the next gig with my main band is 23rd December 2021 (non for the acoustic band) so I'm amazed that I now feel compelled to pick up my bass several times a day.

The duo I am in (that did a weekly live Facebook stream) is on hiatus until I can legally go into the guitarist's house again (predicted to be not before April 2021).
 
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