motivation for quitting?

[fclefgeoff]

Read This Book! It deals with this issue and many more. Not sure who the author is (Kenny something) but I found it to be very motivational and it gave me a whole new outlook on being a musician. I didn't care for some of the meditative exercises but then again I am not a very spirtual person to begin with. This guy basically tells you how to check your ego at the door and play with no regard to your negative thought processes. While it focuses mainly on Jazz & Improvisation, I highly recommend it for any musician. Search for it on Amazon.com if you want to know more.

 

[Joe_Atlanta]

When I was in my 20's, I quit playing for 8 years because I wasn't as "talented" as some of the musicians I knew. You know those folks who have great ears and can play any instrument they pick up. How could I compete with that?

When I started playing again, I had it in my mind that it was just for fun, no way did I see it as a career (that was for those "talented" folks). I guess it's part of growing up to start seeing things more long term. Over the last 20 years I've finally come to believe it.

Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.

Everyone has varying degrees of talent. You can overcome your weak points with guided, consistant work. Find a good teacher, have the discipline to practice every day, you'll get there.

 

[Usul]

I tend to get discouraged at times also.Most people are harder and more critical than is practical or justified.Heck! I have downloaded mp3s from tbers that are nothing short of fantastic and they only speak of them to point out the mistakes or shortcomings!:O All relative I guess.

On another note:I was in a "blue bass mood" of late,a friend of mine brought her 3 teenage kids over for the holiday weekend thingy and....(get this!)They were going on and on how good i was lol
just because I could play a lot of songs they know from the radio. It was a much needed ego and confidence boost for me,even though I have no illusions about my skill level.
Hang in there brother!You are most likely much much better than you ever give yourself credit for.
If you do your best and put your heart into the music....well,that is a joy most average people on the street never expearience is it?

All the best
Usul

 

[Russy]

Take it from me I now how you feel, but here is a bit of good news.Just like you I have been playing bass for 3 years now. Still a baby player.

I started out not liking the bass guitar much and that meant that I rarely practised until I saw how a bass is supposed to be played. Oneday playing at a jam session a kid way younger than me rocked with the bass. I took the best of what worked and used it in my playing and learning more theory.Looked over the net for lessons I could find and started working on my technique and I started improving. I improved so much that I can firmly say that I am now better than him.Set small goals then work your way up.

Imagine that you are on a stage with thousands of fans just waiting for every note you play and loving it.Everyone just wants to who is the bassist from (your bands name). You are loved everywhere you go.That always motivates me to carry on.

 

[MatW]

Yeah I know what you mean. I don't like to admit it, but I too get a little downhearted when someone dazzles me with technique. However, I've been playing for quite a while now and I know my own strengths so it doesn't bother me like it used to.

What you've got to remember is:

a)Flea, Stu Hamm, etc. would almost certainly be gutted if they knew their playing was causing new bass players to quit.

b)These guys are pros. I play probably no more than 5-6 hours a week max. They don't have day jobs, they live and breathe bass. When Jaco was learning he used to play in clubs doing 8 hour sets, and still put in some quality practise time. Do that for a few years and then see how good you are.

c)I've heard Stu Hamm improve over time. Listen to his playing on Vai's Flexible. It's compotent but not amazing. So he wasn't born a virtuoso.

d)To me making music is about playing to people and stirring their emotions (happy, excited, etc.). Although I'm not in a band at the mo, I was for about four years played over 200 gigs and made a small difference to peoples lives. You don't need to be a wizard on bass to do that. Some of the best lines are the easiest to play.

Also, if it's fame you seek, being a virtuoso doesn't guarantee a recording contract. I'm sure there are many outstanding players, who probably don't get gigs because they overplay. It's all about the groove and you can play just one note and make it really swing.

Don't quit - keep plugging away.

Regards

 

[tyson]

just like you and Russy i've been playing for 3+ years... and i suck but i've NEVER thought of quitting. Flea, Les and Stu are awesome to listen too but since i'm not musically inclined and since i'm tone deaf i think it's a little unrealistic to make those peoples' abilities a current goal of mine when there are sooo many intermediate goals. ultimate goal, sure... but lots of steps in between.

i like to use another of my interests as a parallel to playing bass or any other instrument. when someone picks up golf it would be unrealistic of them to look at Tiger Woods or another top 5 golfer and expect to quickly move toward shooting 6 under par each round. the steps are usually intermediate: break 110, break 100, break 90, break 80, reach par.

obviously if you're doing other things besides playing bass or playing golf for a living those steps come at varied times...and, as someone mentioned earlier, since bass playing is not linear progress is measured differently... i don't remember all the details but i think i remember reading that Flea grew up a jazz and soul fan. and i think most of us have heard Stu play rock, country, classical, blues, and bi-bop in a single solo. that's pretty kick arse but it's a little overwhelming too... i haven't really done this but i would and should think about consulting with other musicians and an instructor to come up with a path or plan of intermediate bass playing goals to help you move towards your inspirations.

(more)
and the great thing about playing bass, at least in a quartet-type band, is that you're not the lead singer, your not the lead guitarist, and you're not the the drummer. if you're those people and you suck everyone knows it...on bass however, if you're not Flea on your bass you can still get by playing a lot of the standards in a band and noone will know that you're still rough with the song as long as you're on time. i love it...i think it's great if you don't usually like a lot of attention...you can play the root notes while the flamboyant types can beg for ego boosts. of course when you improve, they won't notice either...oh well.

 

[ConU]

" If you are a struggling musician-artist,there are only 3 reasons you don't quit:1)you're having alot of fun and you love the musicTHAT MUCH;2)you have a deep-seated need to express yourself through music;3)you are either too lazy,too scared,or too dysfunctional to retrain for another career."

 

[DonovanBankhead]

Something else that should be said, is that the guys you mentioned (Hamm, Flea, etc) are GIFTED VIRTUOSOS! Most of us could practice until the end of time, and you won't be as good as them. They have a gift for playing bass (that they've combined w/lots of hard work).

I know I could take golf lessons from the best teachers, buy the best equipment, and still not be anywhere near as good as Tiger Woods. The man is gifted!

I could study physics from now until the end of time, and still not be as intelligent as Einstein.

Just because I'm not a virtuoso on something doesn't mean it's not worth doing. Playing bass is such a cool thing. I also play trumpet. In fact, trumpet is my "main" instrument. But I have 10 times more fun playing bass. The trumpet is such a demanding instrument, and I have a reputation of a certain high-level of playing, that it stresses me out if I'm not playing at that high level. But on bass, as long as I can hit the root of the chords, I've always got a gig!

 

[DonovanBankhead]

BTW, this is a great thread.

 

[Wrong Robot]

Personally...whenever I hear people that are much better than me, I sit down and work harder. When I first heard jon reshard I thought "daaaamn, this kid has got some skillz...and he's my age?! I gotta get my butt into gear" so I started working on my chops some more.

when I hear jaco I think "daaaamn this cat could play, I could never do this, but might as well try" and then I work on fingerstyle 16th note syncopated grooves till the cows come home.

how I work as a bassist, I generally go through short obessesive streaks where I try and learn as much as I can in as long it takes me to feel comfortable with it, then I move on to something else. I've been playing for 5 years, I'm slowly getting to the point where I don't care who is better than me, a lot of people are. It's a slow process, and I don't expect to be there anytime soon, but it's an important step to finding where you want to be.

I get discouraged when people are ********, I don't mind criticism(I love it in fact) but, I can't stand people that just don't like my playing, for no reason. when I have to deal with ********, it just makes me feel like "what's the point? if there is always going to be such rash anti-kief sentiment from someone" but, I try not to let it bug me, I just try and do my own thing as well as I know how.
I think that's what we all should be doing.

 

[bpm2000]

Unless it really is the only thing you have going on, playing bass is a hobby, for fun and enjoyment. It seems to me if you arn't getting that sort of enjoyment out of it maybe you should take a look at why you're playing the thing in the first place? (although I've only been playing for a year, talk to me in 2 more and maybe you can kick me in the head and make me eat them words).

 

[m2k2p]

You have to be the best you that you can be. I think comparing yourself or musicians to each other is a waste of time usually although easier said then done. Some people are quick learners and others are not. That does'nt make you dumb or worse just diffrent. I have been playing at least about 10 or 11 years and I think I have a lot to learn with my ear and theory. People love my playing for some reason though but I am not happy with it. I am good at being creative, feel, and technique though. I am awful at learning other peoples music though for the most part or practicing much. Hard time concentrating. I have problems that make it difficult to do, not to use that as a total excuse. Sometimes it makes me want to just quit and sell all my gear. Don't get discouraged if your not as good as some big name bassist, hang in there. Maybe find a good teacher or someone to show you things you might want to learn would help.

 

[moley]

Originally posted by Joe_Atlanta
Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.

Then, again, true mastery is, by definition, effortless...

But, I know what you're saying.

Talking of which...

Originally posted by Geoff Rusch
Read This Book! It deals with this issue and many more. Not sure who the author is (Kenny something) but I found it to be very motivational and it gave me a whole new outlook on being a musician. I didn't care for some of the meditative exercises but then again I am not a very spirtual person to begin with. This guy basically tells you how to check your ego at the door and play with no regard to your negative thought processes. While it focuses mainly on Jazz & Improvisation, I highly recommend it for any musician. Search for it on Amazon.com if you want to know more.

Yes! Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner, a Jazz pianist. And it is a wonderful book.

As for the meditative exercises, you don't have to consider yourself to be a "spiritual person", the aim of the meditation is to get out of your mind. And I don't mean that in any kind of drug-related way. I mean getting out of your mind, and into "The Space" as he calls it, where you are able to tap into your true creativity, unhindered by your mind, and your thoughts.

 

[GrooveSlave]

Great thread.

I agree with the concept of focus in your development. I've been playing about 4.5 years since I started back. I quit for 15 years before that. Don't do it. I really wish I would have just kept a bass around and picked it up occasionally.

The key to improvement is to use your mind. Think about the weak points in your playing and RUTHLESSLY attack your weaknesses. Don't waste precious time playing in your comfort zone. Try to break out a bit every day.

I also have a rule that no matter what happens during a day, I WILL touch the bass and work on something every day no matter what.

Do you watch TV? If so, do you have a bass in your hands while doing it? You can work on all kinds of repetetive excercises while watching TV.

Granted, it's not as good as just focused practice, but it is time with a bass in your hands. I got this from Brian Bromberg. He was a bit sheepish when he admitted that he spent tons of time with a bass in his hands watching TV.

Maybe you just need to change your focus a bit?

Focus on small goals. E.g., instead of saying "I'm not successful as a player until I can play like Flea", why not say something a bit more empowering to yourself like "I will practice slap excercises for 30 focused minutes everyday".

This is clearly a goal that you can reach without killing yourself. Remember that the accumulation of small achievments adds up to MASSIVE results when practiced consistently over time.

My other advice is to work on your groove with the metronome. You can get by without massive chops if you can groove. This will give you time to develop chops and still find some people to play with which will improve your playing as well. Remember too that no matter how well you can groove, you can always groove better.

Finally, I would offer this. Just recognize that there is no substitute for TIME. It took me forever to realize this.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I felt very close the the way you did when I hit the 3 year mark. I almost took up the drums again. You should power through it and remember that it is not a linear curve. I made huge progress from year 3 to year 4. I'm in a band and getting ready to gig soon.

No matter what, don't give up. Usually the prize goes to the last one standing. Persistence pays!

Good luck and stick with it.

GS.