Please Help Make Bass Fun Again For Me

[radioface]

Purchase a fancy keyboard instrument that does it all.

 

[bdplaid]

What works for me is to step out of my comfort zone. Listen to a lot of music until you find a new genre that interests you. Pandora, Amazon Music, et al are great tools .

This past year I went through a somewhat similar thing, and realized that I want to be spending my time playing nothing but funk. Not songs that are funk-like, or other things with me playing a funky bassline to them. No, the real thing, all the time. I am putting together a new band to do just that. Having a great time doing it, too.

Fresh people, new approaches, different sounds all wake up the music in me.

And here's something else that came across my interweb the other day:
I am a big Level 42 fan, and how I missed this album, I don't know. I think it's spectacular, because it's different:
https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Alb...albums-bar-strip-0&keywords=level+42+acoustic

Lastly, play the fretless. It's so much fun, there ought to be a law...

 

[BrewsterRooster]

This will probably be the most useful post in this whole thread.

My work is the source of a lot of stress right now (plus a lot of stuff going on at home that's bringing my wife and I down). Once the home stuff is settled, and maybe I find a new job, then maybe I'll be excited to play bass again. My current job just eliminates any motivation to do anything that requires any mental effort once I get home.

I looked for some new work a few days ago, but I'm going to head off and try the search again. I think this is more important than probably anything else. Thanks.

I understand the concept of soul-sucking jobs very well, and yes, they have a way of making folks feel like throwing in the towel. It's your life to live. Don't let a job take away your will to do just that.

Although I don't know you. I feel pretty confident saying that the love of playing bass is probably still in you somewhere. It's just been obscured by whatever other life-clutter got piled on top of it. Once that's been sorted out, you'll "find it" again.

 

[crucislancer]

I've been in similar situations in the past. I definitely have my down periods where I don't feel like playing at all, and other things occupy my time, and try not to feel guilty about it. I figure if it's not fun right now, put it away until the desire returns. Right now is a bit of a down time for me, I quit my band at the end of August, and for right now playing my bass is a low priority. I think I just needed a break from it. I do play still, maybe once a week. That drive to play is really low right now, and I don't really mind. When I am ready, I will play more, maybe join another band. I did play a reunion gig of sorts over the weekend, with the band I used to play with 2 years ago, just 7 songs at a party. It was fun, nostalgic, but a reminder why I quit in the first place. It's enough for me right now.

 

[Tectonic]

You have to find your own reasons to want to pick up your bass and play.
Nobody can give you that passion to play.
There is nothing wrong with only playing once in a blue moon.

 

[Felken]

Make Bass Great Again!

 

[SteveC]

I think everyone goes thru these times. I think for some people it signals that it's time to quit. A friend of mine played in bands forever. He quit about 7 years ago. He got back into painting/air brush/models and other stuff. He doesn't miss it at all. He was done. This may or may not e the case for you.

I quit playing gout (except of church) for the last 7 years or so. I am looking to get back into it. Nothing yet. In the mean time, I bought my 6 string back and plan to try and do some "solo/looping" stuff, trying to come up with some grooves, maybe a jazz tune, something like that.

Everyone is different. I have no motivation right now, but thats a different and not allowed discussion. Hopefully music will get me pumped up again.

 

[Matthew_84]

OP here...

Thanks everyone for your replies. I haven't read every reply yet, but I'd like to touch on a few things that have been mentioned...

Why I picked up bass in the first place:
I first picked up bass because I wanted to learn to play an instrument (to express myself creatively, but maybe also to get chicks by seeming more interesting). I started learning guitar but I didn't like the tone it made. I realized a bass guitar made the sound I wanted to hear, and I liked that I didn't need to learn chords, so I picked up a bass.

I think I did initially want to join a band, but quickly realized how much fun it was to play along to my favourite songs... However, I desperately relied on tabs and notation. I couldn't pick out a song by ear to save my life, which made me feel inadequate and made me anxious about playing with others, so I just kind of stuck to playing and learning songs I know and loved.

I picked up the bass again today for the first time in months, and had a blast playing the songs I used to play.

However, I quickly realized that this would get old fast. I could learn some new songs, but then I thought about what would be my biggest regret if I stopped playing bass right now, and realized that I always wanted to be good at jamming with others and have a good ear, so that when my kids grow up (if I have any), I can play with them and help inspire them to be better musicians (if that's what they want to do).

I also realized that if I work on these things and get good at it, I can play along to any song, any genre, and never have to worry about playing the same old basslines.

Walking basslines/jamming with others/backing tracks:
So, I don't really like walking basslines. I don't like Blues at all, and I can tolerate Jazz, but I wouldn't call myself a big fan.. I have a few walking bassline books, and I think I'll get hip hop, funk, or rock backing tracks and try to learn walking basslines to them (or at least similar melodic approaches but maybe with different rhythms). Thank you to the few people who posted backing track links.

I'll also try to jam along to random songs.

After I get a bit more comfortable, I'll seek out people to jam with.

Memory Issues:
At least one person suggested that I get my memory looked at if I can't remember songs the next day. After playing some songs today, I realized my memory is fine... I think the issue is that I have so many things on my mind regarding work, that when I sleep, my brain compartmentalizes the work info and not so much the new song, so I have a hard time recalling it the next day.

Video Games:
I'm going to slow down the video games. I may not drop them completely, but I'm going to focus on bass playing again in my spare time. I have already removed myself from some of the online teams I was on, which had a lot gravitational pull to bring me back. Hopefully, I can keep myself from getting consumed by the games again.

Work:
My work is hectic and stressful, but I think I need to keep this job for now. My wife has a health condition that has prevented her from working for the last year or two and she has a monitoring device that my insurance company has fully covered, which is incredibly rare, and if we weren't getting this coverage, this device would be costing us about $1k a month.

I'm just going to offset the work stress by going to the gym regularly, and playing bass more... I also need to learn to not take this job so seriously, which has been something I've struggled with for the last few years.

Depression:
I was certainly depressed, and I think that had a lot to do with it. I worked out hard the last three nights and I feel a little happier today. Playing bass may have also helped.

There are a lot of issues my wife and I are dealing with that are a bit out of my control, and they were getting me down, but I think I just need to relax and take my lumps as they come.

I would see a therapist, but I've used up my coverage for the year and I cannot afford it at this time... I know it's incredibly important, but at this point, I either go see a therapist or eat, so I don't have much of a choice until the new year.

Anyways, thanks everyone for your help. I'll read the rest of the relies later.

 

[Kragnorak]

I'm just saying...yeah...if you don't plan to gig, or write music.....you probably have better ways to spend your time.

Music is a fine use of time. I personally find that skilling up in almost anything is useful in ways you might not see at first.

 

[Kragnorak]

OP here...

Walking basslines/jamming with others/backing tracks:
So, I don't really like walking basslines. I don't like Blues at all, and I can tolerate Jazz, but I wouldn't call myself a big fan.. I have a few walking bassline books, and I think I'll get hip hop, funk, or rock backing tracks and try to learn walking basslines to them (or at least similar melodic approaches but maybe with different rhythms). Thank you to the few people who posted backing track links.

Thanks for sharing, and best of luck to you and your wife!

I'm chiming in on this part, because I agree. I play jazz sometimes, but I'm rarely in the mood to play straight walking basslines. I think playing steady quarter notes is an older rhythm that is harder for us to relate to now. I much prefer playing jazz-rock fusion or latin jazz exactly because the rhythms are much better. I think the important part is creating basslines that bounce around between chord tones, so your idea of playing along with funk and hip-hop is a great one...

 

[tbz]

I personally find that skilling up in almost anything is useful in ways you might not see at first.

If that's the case then why not spend the same time skilling up in something you enjoy?

If the OP doesn't enjoy playing, and doesn't plan to gig, then a scheduled walk with his wife is a substantially more constructive use of time. Reading a book daily would be a more constructive use of time. Learning a new skill in place of bass would be a more constructive use of time.

If you personally (so, the OP in this case) don't enjoy it, at all, and have never gigged, recorded, or written, and don't plan to do those things....then music would define "waste of time" to you personally, factually.

 

[Matthew_84]

You didn't really state what your routine was before you "lost interest." Were you playing in a band or playing by yourself? Had the grind of being a working musician just burnt you out?

What are your music listening habits like? My desire to play stems from my listening habits. When I was old enough to start discovering music for myself and started really listening to music, it made me want to be a musician. Do you actively peruse new or new-to-you music? Sometimes being in a playing rut is because you are in a listening rut.

My bass routine varied. I was not playing in a band (well I did a year or two ago), but I usually just played songs I already knew, learned new songs, or did scale/arpeggio exercises.

My listening habits also got very stale. I was listening to the same old stuff and sick of it as well. I have changed that up a bit and am a bit more interested in playing, but haven't completely thought of ways to go about it...

I have realized I need a purpose to keep me motivated - being a good bassist/musician isn't good enough. I need to either join a band or start recording my own music.

Sorry to hear that you're having a tough time, Matthew. I wondered where you went because you're usually quite active here on TB. Judging by the information you gave, it sounds like you need to take a long walk by yourself and sort out your thoughts. Figure out what the underlying cause of your funk is, or if you know what it is, devise a plan to defeat it. Jobs, money problems, marital strife, etc. can all suck the joy right out of life. Remember that you're still alive and tomorrow is still going to arrive. How you greet it is up to you. If these hopefully encouraging words aren't practical enough for you, try playing a fretless (if you don't already) or try making it sound fretted (if you do play one.) Listen to music and try to think of what you would have played if you were the one in the studio recording it instead of whoever was. Try tapping out 3/4 time with your left hand and 4/4 with your right hand simultaneously. Also, if you find you're not enjoying things as you once did, try watching some slapstick comedy. Laurel and Hardy or Buster Keaton. No matter how down you may feel, that type of humor has the ability to make you laugh. Take care, friend, and I really hope this helps you out.

Thanks for the kind words Jamro.

...
As another suggestion : Try buying some recording software/hardware and just writing music for the sake of it. Write crappy music for all anyone cares, all that matters is it fulfills you.
...
One more, and final, idea : Maybe you don't have the right bass? Sometimes an instrument speaks to you, and sometimes it doesn't. You could try a 5-string bass tuned E-C and work on some solo melodies, or try a Fender Jazz bass or Stingray and motivate yourself to learn slap bass or something. Just try out a few basses and see if you find one that speaks to you more than what you have. It can be done in a weekend by visiting a couple music shops.

I'm going to try my hand at composing and recording my own stuff. It will suck, lol, but may keep me motivated and give me a purpose.

I am not happy with my current bass right now, but it was a gift from my wife and I can't sell it. I also can't afford a new one. I'd love to get a fretless. Hopefully I'll be able to get one soon.

Thanks everyone.

 

[jamro217]

You can always make a killer mutt. Decide on a style (P, J, mutant...) and start buying the parts. You don't have to spend a bundle, just check out EBay, TB classifieds, StewMac, etc for closeouts and bargains. A cool one of a kind fretless can be a great conversation piece as well as a great bass. When it's a DIY, it's even better, because you made it happen. As far as writing goes, that's one area that can literally change your life, from a musical standpoint as well as how you think. Writing involves perception, imagination, and translation. How you see the subject matter, come up with scenarios for a plot, and relate those to the listener make you exercise your brain in ways that other activities don't. Even if the first attempts don't pass muster, keep at it. Best to you, and I hope this helps.

 

[Matthew_84]

You can always make a killer mutt. Decide on a style (P, J, mutant...) and start buying the parts. You don't have to spend a bundle, just check out EBay, TB classifieds, StewMac, etc for closeouts and bargains. A cool one of a kind fretless can be a great conversation piece as well as a great bass. When it's a DIY, it's even better, because you made it happen. As far as writing goes, that's one area that can literally change your life, from a musical standpoint as well as how you think. Writing involves perception, imagination, and translation. How you see the subject matter, come up with scenarios for a plot, and relate those to the listener make you exercise your brain in ways that other activities don't. Even if the first attempts don't pass muster, keep at it. Best to you, and I hope this helps.

Thanks again... Actually, I think I may be okay. I wanted to compose music but I was having a hard time deciding what type of music I wanted compose...

Well just a few minutes ago, it hit me. It will be instrumental, but it will be a mixture of a lot of different styles I like... I don't really think it's been done before (at least the way I'm imagining it), so that's exciting to me as well.

Having nothing but a bass and a laptop won't make this easy though - particularly for what I'm going for, but maybe it will be enough to get the juices flowing and determine if this is something I want to invest in (buy a decent quality keyboard, etc).

 

[jamro217]

Thanks again... Actually, I think I may be okay. I wanted to compose music but I was having a hard time deciding what type of music I wanted compose...

Well just a few minutes ago, it hit me. It will be instrumental, but it will be a mixture of a lot of different styles I like... I don't really think it's been done before (at least the way I'm imagining it), so that's exciting to me as well.

Having nothing but a bass and a laptop won't make this easy though - particularly for what I'm going for, but maybe it will be enough to get the juices flowing and determine if this is something I want to invest in (buy a decent quality keyboard, etc).

Keep us posted.

 

[JonathanAlvarez]

Please Help Make Bass Fun Again For Me..
Ok, some fun for you :