Struggling with bass burnout

[Fish63]

Hey guys, this is my first time back on this site in a long while because I’ve got a bit of a problem I don’t know how to overcome.

To give some context, in my final year of high school, bass was practically my entire life.
For one of my subjects, I spent most of the year designing and building my own five-string fretless bass entirely from scratch (build thread on my profile if you want to see how it turned out). I’d spend hours every day in the school workshop working on it, and even eight-hour days on weekends, alone, with just my teacher supervising my use of the machinery.

All my time at home was spent practicing my performance pieces for music class. At the end of the year, I performed The Awakening by Les Claypool, YYZ by Rush, Tommy the Cat by Primus, and Detroit by Marcus Miller for the HSC. I ended up scoring around 96% on my performances and even received a nomination for the Encore program for “outstanding performances” meaning I was somewhere on the list of the top 500 music students in New South Wales that year.

Fast forward about a year, I'm in university now and I can’t even bring myself to look at my basses anymore, let alone pick them up and play. I still play guitar almost every day, but when people ask if I play an instrument, I always default to saying I’m a bassist first, even though I haven’t slapped a string in months.

Has anyone else experienced bass burnout like this? Any advice on how to overcome it? I really miss playing the instrument I used to love so much...

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Yes, and not that long ago...

I'd ask yourself why you started in the first place, as in what inspired and pushed you to even pick up bass. A band you saw live? A certain song or album? Joined a band that needed one? Loved the feeling of performing? It's like a marriage relationship IMO, people get married for different reasons and form bonds/affection for different reasons. Some folks want two incomes and more stability in their life, but if that is what makes them care about and stay true to each other, then so be it. Some people are lovey dovey, some wanted to start a family, etc.

Re-explore what made you start playing in the first place, it's a different answer for everyone. Perhaps re-evaulating your end goals with music in general (maybe gigging isn't viable for you anymore) or reshaping them is in order for you to find your love of bass again. Lot of people shift to another instrument over time, it happens. I do enjoy playing guitar a lot, but bass just feels like home to me and is sorta part of my identity at this point. Bass technique is just far more interesting to me and that rumble is quite addictive

Gleaning from the wisdom on here, I'd say go buy a sunburst P-bass with tort and flatwounds!

 

[mixbus]

Good suggestions from Plucky The Bassist.

After experiencing this after 40 years of playing as a pro musician- I stepped away from the instrument for awhile.
I sold off what I didn't need, and kept one bass around "just in case."

Eventually I found a new bass that intrigued me (it found me) and started playing at home again occasionally just for fun.

I'm still getting reacquainted with the instrument, and what made me want to start in the first place.

How far it will go is to be determined, but I've been able to make peace with the instrument, and wan to pick it up again.

Best of luck with your journey.

 

[jTrolt]

Is this a sign of what could easily be deemed the "too much information age"?
You may have stumbled upon a new dilemma us older players could not have experienced. So much information and rapid advancement through the pursuit of a craft and all facets related to it, given the unprecedented information and instruction at our fingertips, you flashed through and mastered decades worth of evolution and worked your way into burnout in one year.

Over the years, I've never stopped playing completely, never experienced burnout, joined an original recording artist 3 years ago, am advancing at a rate I've never imagined before. 60+ shows a year and couldn't feel more at home than to pick up my instrument, every night I can, even if I'm not learning new material. I just can't help it. I'm still completely infatuated with the damned thing after 45 years of playing, with various levels of intensity, even at age 59.

I think you got slammed with too much ingested, and an unnatural level of achievement. You deserve all the credit you earned, and should be commended, but it saddens me that the end result is so disappointing for you. Sounds like you are primed to rocket to the stars, and hope you can find a way to continue such advancement. No, the information didn't make you successful, you did. But an over-accelerated rate of accomplishment will certainly challenge a human's sense of interest. Especially for a fast learner and hard-driving over achiever, such as yourself. Damned shame - the world needs more people like you, but disheartening that it so rapidly evolved into boredom.

Sorry - I come from a different time, and cannot fathom what to do with your quandary, as I cannot relate. Keep rolling. Something else will pop up to challenge and inspire you.

I wish you well and many more great achievements in endeavors yet to be discovered!

 

[JazznFunk]

Classic burnout, or at least a major plateau. I've seen it happen to plenty of others before in my almost 30 years as a bassist, and as a competitive runner, especially when one's identity and self-worth becomes attached to that ONE THING. When one loses interest or drive, it takes their self worth down with them. A big spiral. Been there myself! People go all-in and expect that progress and interest level to continue on an upward trajectory without any interruptions, and there is often external pressure from others to push through that burnout when they aren't the ones dealing with it, ESPECIALLY if you have parents/teachers/coaches, etc pushing you and not listening to your concerns and true feelings about your mental health. The worst is when we don't listen to our OWN feelings. Progress is not ever a straight line, or an upward trajectory with zero plateaus. Life happens, and if you are in school now and are now feeling the pressure of doing music as a course of study and as a future career, that's a lot to balance on top of getting more responsibilities in general thrown at you as a college/university student.

I would caution you against thinking that all is lost. You need a break. And you need to be kind to yourself. I've gotten burnt out at various points in my life and career as a musician, and it often happened when I had a full slate of gigs and was making a decent portion of my income from music years ago - something a lot of people would think is the ideal situation. But I had no personal time, didn't have time to write or record my original stuff, barely saw my wife because I was gigging on top of working 2 different part-time day gigs at times, etc. etc. There always has to be a balance, and that balance will shift over the course of time. You will NOT forget how to play if you take a break and just stop looking at the instrument for a while. Shoot, the year after I started playing bass I barely played for an entire summer because I was working and racing mountain bikes... and I came back to it with a renewed sense of focus and a LOT of new and fresh ideas.

Sit back, breathe, and take stock of your ENTIRE situation, and talk to someone you trust about your concerns and maybe they can help you prioritize things and find that balance.. Remember that music is supposed to be fun, first and foremost.

 

[sdjfoh]

Claypool got me into bass back in the early 90’s and now I can’t listen to him at all - I haven’t been able to enjoy his playing for well over 15 years. I play lots of bass but haven’t cared to ‘slap’ it since 2001.

My tastes have changed and I’m more into synthesizers, wood flute, and jazz music now. Gamelan and North Indian classical music also got me thinking how to play my instrument in new ways.

You can always go back if nostalgia strikes, but keep evolving into new interests and the torch will stay lit.

 

[RGerhart]

Hey guys, this is my first time back on this site in a long while because I’ve got a bit of a problem I don’t know how to overcome.

To give some context, in my final year of high school, bass was practically my entire life.
For one of my subjects, I spent most of the year designing and building my own five-string fretless bass entirely from scratch (build thread on my profile if you want to see how it turned out). I’d spend hours every day in the school workshop working on it, and even eight-hour days on weekends, alone, with just my teacher supervising my use of the machinery.

All my time at home was spent practicing my performance pieces for music class. At the end of the year, I performed The Awakening by Les Claypool, YYZ by Rush, Tommy the Cat by Primus, and Detroit by Marcus Miller for the HSC. I ended up scoring around 96% on my performances and even received a nomination for the Encore program for “outstanding performances” meaning I was somewhere on the list of the top 500 music students in New South Wales that year.

Fast forward about a year, I'm in university now and I can’t even bring myself to look at my basses anymore, let alone pick them up and play. I still play guitar almost every day, but when people ask if I play an instrument, I always default to saying I’m a bassist first, even though I haven’t slapped a string in months.

Has anyone else experienced bass burnout like this? Any advice on how to overcome it? I really miss playing the instrument I used to love so much...

Most definitely. I feel your pain!

The things that have helped me with burnout are:

1) Don't be hard on yourself. Interest in the instrument can come and go, and you shouldn't assume that when you aren't interested in it that you'll never come back to it. Just take it in stride, and it'll come back.
2) Ask yourself: what made me interested in bass in the first place? Figure that out, and go back to that.
3) Learn a different style of music that you aren't familiar with. I spent about five to six months when I was out of college notating songs by some of my favorite artists/bass players. I discovered James Jamerson by way of John Paul Jones, and Robert Deleo.
4) Go see live performances. Jazz, rock, blues, country, you name it. Find inspiration in some really great players performing live.

 

[MCS4]

I played a ton of bass and guitar in high school and had a weekly gig with the praise band in a local church, then kept playing through college with mostly gigging with one locally successful hard rock band, while also freelancing for Bass Player Magazine after interning there one summer. However, after that I ended up moving across the country to go to grad school rather than chasing music as a career, and due to some combination of not bringing much gear with me, being busy with an intensive school environment, and probably just a lack of inspiration, I ended up barely playing anything at all for probably at least a year or so. It got to the point where I started to feel guilty for owning two basses and guitar and thinking I should probably start selling some stuff.

Cut to a little while later, I ended up getting the bug again, convinced my parents to ship my amp up to my school, auditioned for some bands in the area, and while that didn't pan out I ended up writing a bunch of stuff on guitar and being psyched to play out more once I was done with school. Once I graduated and started a job, I started playing in a series of bands and have played more or less seriously throughout the 15+ years since. Not always actively in bands, but at least doing something, with the level of activity varying from playing in multiple projects and spending entire (weekend) days rehearsing and writing with one or more bands, down to just plucking around for some writing and jamming at home and keeping my chops up.

 

[klokker]

The initial excitement of just about anything doesn last. You don't have a problem in my book, you're just changing. There is more to life than playing bass or being in a band.

The burn out comes from getting stuck in something you can't get out of I think.

 

[mambo4]

I really miss playing the instrument I used to love so much...

It is possible there is more going on than simply losing some affinity for the instrument.
Lack of motivation can be a sign of clinical depression, that may be worthy of seeking help.

Maybe examine carefully why you aren't playing bass.
How much have you explored, scrutinized, and introspected your mental state when you reach for (or fail to reach for) your bass?
What goes through your mind? How does it feel? what inner dialog do you go through?
can you force yourself to kick out some arpeggios around the circle of 5ths, even when unmotivated?

I'll also say, as someone who has a day job doing what I love:
I do not always feel like doing it. But I have to do it, an do it with a good attitude,
because it's my job and I am a professional.
doing the work, regardless of how you feel in the moment, is a critical professional skill to build.
You have to practice practicing when you don't feel like it. You can get better at it.

exercising my capacity to do unpleasant but necessary things has improved my life tremendously.

So check in on the depression possibility,
and practice practicing

 

[DuluthDank]

If you still play guitar most days, you are still working on music. Just do what you enjoy and what you have a drive to do, and don't fell bad about it. Anything you learn on guitar will help inform your bass playing down the road, should you choose to pick it up again.

Many of my favorite "bass players" aren't even bass players, not really. They are multi instrumentalists and songwriters who often write and record their own bass parts. If you are a musician first and an instrumentalist second, it almost doesn't matter which specific tool you are using.

 

[buldog5151bass]

For me, bass is not a solo instrument. I absolutely abhor practice on my own. Put me next to a good drummer, and everything changes.


If you need some time off, not an issue. Find some other musicians with similar interests, and I bet it will start coming back.

 

[Lammchop93]

I stopped playing bass for 4-5 years during college and then picked it back up and fell in love. It's OK to take breaks. and if you don't come back, that's all good too. Just do what makes you happy

 

[Pocket Dave]

Maybe time to mix things up or take a break.

Hey guys, this is my first time back on this site in a long while because I’ve got a bit of a problem I don’t know how to overcome.

To give some context, in my final year of high school, bass was practically my entire life.
For one of my subjects, I spent most of the year designing and building my own five-string fretless bass entirely from scratch (build thread on my profile if you want to see how it turned out). I’d spend hours every day in the school workshop working on it, and even eight-hour days on weekends, alone, with just my teacher supervising my use of the machinery.

All my time at home was spent practicing my performance pieces for music class. At the end of the year, I performed The Awakening by Les Claypool, YYZ by Rush, Tommy the Cat by Primus, and Detroit by Marcus Miller for the HSC. I ended up scoring around 96% on my performances and even received a nomination for the Encore program for “outstanding performances” meaning I was somewhere on the list of the top 500 music students in New South Wales that year.

Fast forward about a year, I'm in university now and I can’t even bring myself to look at my basses anymore, let alone pick them up and play. I still play guitar almost every day, but when people ask if I play an instrument, I always default to saying I’m a bassist first, even though I haven’t slapped a string in months.

Has anyone else experienced bass burnout like this? Any advice on how to overcome it? I really miss playing the instrument I used to love so much...

Maybe time to mix things up or take a break?

What are you studying at your university?

For me, bass has always been about context and application. IOW, gigging/playing with others has been my primary driving force. I played bass in a band 46 years ago, then joined another band with more calendar dates on guitar, which remained my primary gigging instrument for the next 40 years. Years would go by when I didn't pull out my bass, with the exception of occasional sub gigs where I'd spend late nights preparing.

Then 13 years ago, I had a weekly host band gig where the bass player would ask for a break on busy nights where lots of jammers showed up, but no relief bass players; I started bringing my bass out to help cover for him.

The Covid shutdown hit at the same time as another major life change; Coming out of that, I changed my gigging approach to strictly sideman work. Since bass players are in higher demand, I started getting more calls on bass. These days my improvement isn't centered around virtuosity, more like the stuff that allows me to keep gigging, playing with others. Turns out I'm enjoying the ride.

 

[SJan3]

Hey guys, this is my first time back on this site in a long while because I’ve got a bit of a problem I don’t know how to overcome.

To give some context, in my final year of high school, bass was practically my entire life.
For one of my subjects, I spent most of the year designing and building my own five-string fretless bass entirely from scratch (build thread on my profile if you want to see how it turned out). I’d spend hours every day in the school workshop working on it, and even eight-hour days on weekends, alone, with just my teacher supervising my use of the machinery.

All my time at home was spent practicing my performance pieces for music class. At the end of the year, I performed The Awakening by Les Claypool, YYZ by Rush, Tommy the Cat by Primus, and Detroit by Marcus Miller for the HSC. I ended up scoring around 96% on my performances and even received a nomination for the Encore program for “outstanding performances” meaning I was somewhere on the list of the top 500 music students in New South Wales that year.

Fast forward about a year, I'm in university now and I can’t even bring myself to look at my basses anymore, let alone pick them up and play. I still play guitar almost every day, but when people ask if I play an instrument, I always default to saying I’m a bassist first, even though I haven’t slapped a string in months.

Has anyone else experienced bass burnout like this? Any advice on how to overcome it? I really miss playing the instrument I used to love so much...

You miss it but you don't love it anymore. Then why do you miss it?
Just leave it alone for a while. Either the urge will return or it won't. Time will tell..

 

[DrBnz]

I'm guessing that before your life was a lot simpler and you had carved a place out in your life for practice. It was the carrot you chased. You may have even used the bass to overcome boredom. And now your life is different. Your interests have shifted in other directions. Thats all fine. Don't worry about it. Its a lot like riding a bike. You may have to dust off the bike before trying anything crazy, but the point is "you can still play". You'll come back to it someday when you wanna. I played in H.S. / college frat parties. Then took 40 years off for a couple of careers and never touched one. Now I play everyday and I'm embarrassed to say how many I have. Heck, I used to play Sax. I went to state competitions and did well. Haven't touched one in 50 years. I have no desire to. But I still remember "how".

 

[JazznFunk]

It is possible there is more going on than simply losing some affinity for the instrument.
Lack of motivation can be a sign of clinical depression, that may be worthy of seeking help.

It's something that should be looked at for sure, especially if it's bleeding into other areas of life as well. I went through a rough depressive patch in my first year or 2 of college but didn't know how to recognize or deal with it. I grew up in a household where talking about feelings wasn't a thing, and talk of 'depression' was never brought up. It recurred at other points in my life. Alcohol exacerbated it. Which is part of why I don't drink anymore. And once I had the tools to identify what I was feeling, I recognized that I was dealing with depression even as far back as a teenager.

That said, burnout can happen independently of clinical depression.... but depression can facilitate/worsen burnout for sure, especially if other areas of life are being affected as well.

To the OP again... be kind to yourself. Rule No. 1 in 'Effortless Mastery.'

 

[Wasnex]

Hey guys, this is my first time back on this site in a long while because I’ve got a bit of a problem I don’t know how to overcome.

What you are experiencing is natural, and it's not something you have to overcome. It may not be even be something you can or should try to overcome. IMHO follow your heart and interest. If you would rather play guitar, then play guitar. You might hold on to your bass gear if it suits you. Perhaps it will be enjoyable to use it infrequently.

I really miss playing the instrument I used to love so much...

I think it's probably more accurate to say you miss the love you once had for playing bass. If you actually missed playing bass, your perceived dilemma would not exist.

Based on what you write, part of the problem may be that you over did it. However, it could be that your journey on bass has simply come to its natural end and the pat took you to your next passion (guitar).

If you want to explore why you are burned out, consider reading/studying motivation theory. I am by no means and expert, but I suggest looking at Herzberg's work. Some things we think of as motivators actually work somewhat ironically. For example getting paid to do something you love, can weaken your intrinsic motivation (in this case the love of playing bass).

Here's a relevant quote from Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer":

"There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse passenger-coaches... because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work, and then they would resign".

From Google AI:
This quote explains how a task perceived as a privilege or hobby can become a chore when it's turned into work by being compensated with wages.

 

[ahbradot]

I quit in the 80's and went to college because my friends were getting careers and making money.
After college I played again and recorded an album in the 90's.
Gave it a couple of years gigging.
Quit again but just played by the poolside.
Now since 2019 I'm playing all the time and loving where I'm at in my life.
If it's not fun, then just take as much time as you need until you're ready again.

 

[Pep]

From Google AI:
This quote explains how a task perceived as a privilege or hobby can become a chore when it's turned into work by being compensated with wages.

If I read this part correctly AI is saying “play for free”.