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Really struggling...

#23
I quit for like 6-7 years after 25 years of semi-pro playing, and started again about a year ago.

Not sure if this goes for you-but maybe it helps to look why you stopped playing in the first place.

I stopped was b/c of growing unhappiness/discontent with my own playing. My insights, the musicians I wanted to play with, the scene I am living in, all that had changed, and my playing just wasn't cutting it for me anymore, and in retrospect, never really had.

What made me start again (besides missing playing and gigs etc) was my decision to to rebuild myself as a player from the ground up instead of build up to where I was when I left off.- I literally sold all the basses I still had (some nice vintage ones brought in more dough than I expected...) and started from scratch, forcing myself to rethink every 'accepted truth' that I had held onto for 25 years. Sofar it has been going great-I have more fun practicing than I ever had.

I guess my advice is: to start over again is a great opportunity to weed out the weaknesses in your past style you were never aware of. I'd recommend to find a teacher who is not necessarily a bassist and look for a musician (doesn't matter what instrument) whose music you really respect, who acts more like a coach-providing musical insights, who listens to what you do from a musical pov rather than bass-technical-after all we all know by now where to put our fingers..hope this helps.
 
#24
CTC564 said:
Coordination, and speed
Click to expand...

Those are, at the base, kind of the same issue. When you say "coordination",you really need to start breaking down the problem to its smallest parts. Is it right hand or left hand? Is it fingering or string crossing? Is it a problem with right hand defaulting to one finger? Is it position shifts? Is it unfamiliarity with where the notes are on the fingerboard? Etc. When you've isolated the root of the issue (or issues) you can start working on it from the foundation, up.

There are a few exercises I've posted; one uses scale work to deal with right hand issues as well as left hand (fingerings, position shifts etc.), another is an exercise to play through arpeggios for triads and then 4 part chords that gets you all over the fingerboard as well.
 
#26
theretheyare said:
I quit for like 6-7 years after 25 years of semi-pro playing, and started again about a year ago.

Not sure if this goes for you-but maybe it helps to look why you stopped playing in the first place.

I stopped was b/c of growing unhappiness/discontent with my own playing. My insights, the musicians I wanted to play with, the scene I am living in, all that had changed, and my playing just wasn't cutting it for me anymore, and in retrospect, never really had.

What made me start again (besides missing playing and gigs etc) was my decision to to rebuild myself as a player from the ground up instead of build up to where I was when I left off.- I literally sold all the basses I still had (some nice vintage ones brought in more dough than I expected...) and started from scratch, forcing myself to rethink every 'accepted truth' that I had held onto for 25 years. Sofar it has been going great-I have more fun practicing than I ever had.

I guess my advice is: to start over again is a great opportunity to weed out the weaknesses in your past style. I'd recommend to find a teacher who is not necessarily a bassist and instead look for a musician (doesn't matter what instrument) whose music you really respect, who acts more like a coach-providing musical insights, who listens to what you do from a musical pov rather than bass-technical-after all we all know by now where to put our fingers..hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Great points...and exactly what my intentions are

Thanks
 
#27
#30
Hey. This seems simple but I think it is important. Keep the bass in your hands as much as possible. It is worth it to get a 50$ beater bass that you may never gig or plug in to keep at work or around the house that you can pick up at any given moment and run scales, exercises, chords whatever. Even just for 10 minutes. The beauty of the electric bass is that it is almost silent acoustic so take advantage of that. Good luck!
 
#31
I put down guitar to get married at 23 and only plucked around on an accoustic here and there till i was almost 40.I never thought to think of trying music again.
I then went thru a divorce and said its time to do it. I picked bass this time, threw myself into recordings, working on scales for about 6 months before I had the nerve to audition for a band. I did it and have been in a few bands and have giged now for going on 10 years.
Practice all you can and jam when you can with others. This will get you back to where you want to be.
 
#32
Been there, done that also. Started playing in 1970 and due to family and work I took two breaks. Once for 10 years and another at 12 years. Started back up in 2008. Talk about rusty!! But I practiced when time allowed and since late 2009 I've been playing at church on occasion.

I'm not an amazing player, but the players at church sure seem to like what I offer. Just keep at it and you'll find it again.

Above all, have fun with it again!
 

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