Orion is a good example. I've always loved this instrumental, but even since I started learning to play it, listening to it on youtube etc. just feels robotic. It's like I'm not hearing the song I used to love so much before. It's been like that with all the songs I tried to learn. They all seem really dull now, but I've always thought that playing bass would do the opposite; that knowing how it works would make me appreciate them even more.
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It's a mindset thing - your brain is breaking things down at this stage. It's another skill to put things back together again.
triple quoted for emphasis. Change the rhythm. Cut the tempo in half. Double the tempo. Do master of puppets with a reggae feel. Do back in black with a third wave ska feel. Sing Joni Mitchell lyrics over Orion. Sing the Orion melody with Joni Mitchell lyrics over a Django chord progression over a dubstep drumloop. And/Or simply solo over the recording a few times. Per month. Assuming that you've only learned the performances, put in the time to really learn the bones of the song.
I think the OP means listening to them, not playing them, has become dull. He feels like he's looked behind the curtain and knows how the wizard pulls off his tricks.
For one thing, I'd say there's lots of music out there, so go listen to something else for a while. For another, I'd suggest setting aside your "musician" brain and especially your "bassist" brain and listen for the totality of the music rather than pick apart a bass part and marvel at just that. I find that a lot of the music I enjoy is not particularly complicated or challenging to play, but what moves me is the total effect of it, the power of the songwriting to convey an idea or emotion.
For one thing, I'd say there's lots of music out there, so go listen to something else for a while. For another, I'd suggest setting aside your "musician" brain and especially your "bassist" brain and listen for the totality of the music rather than pick apart a bass part and marvel at just that. I find that a lot of the music I enjoy is not particularly complicated or challenging to play, but what moves me is the total effect of it, the power of the songwriting to convey an idea or emotion.
That is why so many musicians tend to listen to the far out jazz / prog rock / metal stuff that is first and foremost insanely hard to grasp and play.
When you gain the ability to look behind the curtain, some stuff becomes dull. When you look behind the curtain and see a huge chaotic mess, your interest is still there.
But this will progress further as the understandings of the workings of music deepen (YMMV, though).
I know quite a few guitarists, that were good. They progressed on and on. They learned all the scales. Their appregios became lightning fast and 4 finger tappings became 6, then 8 finger tappings. A few years later they realized what people like Clapton were doing. Instead of squeezing 64 notes into a single bar, they started playing that one note that belonged there and learned that leaving more room will make the notes more important.
It takes someone truly gifted to compose and play a song with a myriad of difficult licks and different, exotic time signatures. But it takes a genius to compose a 4 chord song that will still be played on the radio five decades later.
When you gain the ability to look behind the curtain, some stuff becomes dull. When you look behind the curtain and see a huge chaotic mess, your interest is still there.
But this will progress further as the understandings of the workings of music deepen (YMMV, though).
I know quite a few guitarists, that were good. They progressed on and on. They learned all the scales. Their appregios became lightning fast and 4 finger tappings became 6, then 8 finger tappings. A few years later they realized what people like Clapton were doing. Instead of squeezing 64 notes into a single bar, they started playing that one note that belonged there and learned that leaving more room will make the notes more important.
It takes someone truly gifted to compose and play a song with a myriad of difficult licks and different, exotic time signatures. But it takes a genius to compose a 4 chord song that will still be played on the radio five decades later.
It depends on how much it inspires you. Some people can listen to the same artist and songs for 1/2 a century. I know a few Bettles fans and fans of the British 70s music, and that's where life stopped for them. They still wear Pink Floyd shirts, and hang rock & roll posters in their bedrooms. Much like the way Jeff Beck wears the same style attire from the 60s. AT 60+ years old. Talk about man child...
And there are others who evolve with music, who get into all types of music and are true music lovers. And for most of them, they seem to go from artist to artist, and are not a loyal fan of any band or artist. But they are always on the look out for new and exciting music.
So, in this case, you may be one of the later, who's inspirations do get old, and you seek new inspiration and variation in music. Nothing wrong with that. And if, you are truly a music lover, you'll find that song or artist that inspires you... Kind of like tone search, it's a never ending venture, that sometimes comes around full circle.
And there are others who evolve with music, who get into all types of music and are true music lovers. And for most of them, they seem to go from artist to artist, and are not a loyal fan of any band or artist. But they are always on the look out for new and exciting music.
So, in this case, you may be one of the later, who's inspirations do get old, and you seek new inspiration and variation in music. Nothing wrong with that. And if, you are truly a music lover, you'll find that song or artist that inspires you... Kind of like tone search, it's a never ending venture, that sometimes comes around full circle.
