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Thinking of hanging it up.

#21
Been there done that I had been playing 200-350 gigs a year for 20 yrs in the Bay Area when I moved back to Oregon. I was burnt out so I decided to take some time off. I took 6 mos. off from playing just going out to jam occasionaly. I finally got motivated to play more ......and so it goes SO

#1 GIVE ME ALL YOUR GIGS !!

#2 I'LL LOAN YOU MY HANG GLIDER....THAT'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING ELSE TO THINK ABOUT AND GET YOUR ATTENTION !!! LOL


Peace Capt Kirk
 
#23
I got burned out on my band. What started out being varied music and personel through lineup changes got very stale musicly and all of us around the same age. So I started a new band focusing on uptempo stuff from 1980+. I am also auditioning for a band that does a lot of the older, slower stuff. And I'm talking to an originals band. And I'm in my church's rotation. That keeps it varied enough for me.
 
#28
Twobass said:
I've tried doing a search on this subject but I haven't found anything yet. The problem I have is I'm just not having any fun anymore, the cover band I'm in now thinks that 90's grunge is fun. Don't get me wrong I love listening that kind of music at home, but I hate playing it. I'm 40 and at this point in my life I want to enjoy playing, and I haven't enjoyed playing in years. It's getting to the point where I don't want to play anymore.

I just wanted to know if anyone else has gone through something like this, if so what did you do?
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not enjoy playing,or what you're playing.........the latter is easy to fix,find another band,the former not so easy....but a short break and you would probably miss it enough to want it back
 
#29
im in the same boat as the op. all the bands i really have a hard time playing in a band when the lead singer isnt something special. ive wasted so much time backing up a singer who just isnt interesting enough (most importantly) or with a good enough voice (not as important). so i quit playing in bands and am enjoying playing bass on my own terms. i am really getting a chance to further develop my own style without needing to fit in the confines of someone else's music. and ill continue to do this until i find a group or individual who i think is worth my time to play with.

so my advise is to quit the band youre with and go home, put on some records to play along to and dont look for another band. let one find you. but please, dont sell any good gear. as said before, you will regret it.
 
#32
brekfustuvluzer said:
im in the same boat as the op. all the bands i really have a hard time playing in a band when the lead singer isnt something special. ive wasted so much time backing up a singer who just isnt interesting enough (most importantly) or with a good enough voice (not as important). so i quit playing in bands and am enjoying playing bass on my own terms. i am really getting a chance to further develop my own style without needing to fit in the confines of someone else's music. and ill continue to do this until i find a group or individual who i think is worth my time to play with.

so my advise is to quit the band you're with and go home, put on some records to play along to and dont look for another band. let one find you. but please, don't sell any good gear. as said before, you will regret it.
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Amen to all that!

I took a similar trajectory, after a band that I LOVED being in dissolved, I took some time away from band involvement and explored music on my own terms for several years. Only just recently did I get involved in a band, this time one of my own. Those long pauses can be VERY helpful. This late 40-something is now having more fun than ever playing.
 
#34
This has happened to a lot of us.
After leaving the last band I was in I took a much,much,needed break.
I didn't play until I felt like playing again.
I studied my technique and added to it.
Took another break.
Then slowly got myself back into the groove and started learning theory.
And now i'm on what I like to call "light" jamming.
Just jamming around once or twice a week but not fully committed to anything yet.


Tell the band how you feel and take some time off.
Then go from their.
 
#35
Twobass said:
I don't dislike playing with these guys, I guess I just don't like that music anymore and would like to try something different I guess.
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Feel out whether they feel the same way. My main band has been together for 15+ years. We take six month long breaks sometimes. Not necessarily planned, but we roll with it when everyone has other priorities.

There was a time when I thought about quitting the band because I just wasn't feeling it. Since this is the best band I've ever been in, I held off. I'm glad I did. It sorted itself out, perhaps over a long break.

I've also got a side band to keep me occupied during band hiatuses. We do things intentionally different from our other bands to keep ourselves stimulated.

Good luck. Don't do anything rash and you'll be fine.

KO
 
#36
BlizzardBass said:
I'm in that same boat. Being on second shift has killed any chance of me being in a band again. I'm seriously think of selling everything and bagging it.
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Greetings from Minneapolis! Perhaps a church band or a semi-acoustic coffee-shop band to keep the muse alive? Try writing songs? Tell me what you're selling so I can get a killer deal off of your misfortune? Just kidding on that last one.

Seriously, find an acoustic guitarist and step back a bit. There's lots of good music to be made without a full amplified band.

KO
 
#37
I'm about to tap 45 and i can't think of "giving it up". I think if you've played this long, it's "in there" - find some other style/gigs and maybe try writing and recording with a small home setup. These all helped me keep fresh. Good luck dude!
 
#39
Twobass said:
I've tried doing a search on this subject but I haven't found anything yet. The problem I have is I'm just not having any fun anymore, the cover band I'm in now thinks that 90's grunge is fun. Don't get me wrong I love listening that kind of music at home, but I hate playing it. I'm 40 and at this point in my life I want to enjoy playing, and I haven't enjoyed playing in years. It's getting to the point where I don't want to play anymore.

I just wanted to know if anyone else has gone through something like this, if so what did you do?
Click to expand...



I was in a cover band that played 3-4 nights a week playing music I didn't like at all(hated actually). It was about 3 years into it when I felt like you do now. It just wasn't fun, not at practice, shows and not even at home when I played whatever I wanted. I told my bandmates I was totally burnt out and I quit the band. I still didn't want to or enjoy playing for about a month or two after I quit but then one day I got that feeling back. I wanted to play :hyper: and I played whatever I wanted and had a blast just like I used to do. Funny thing was that when I told a good friend of mine about the coverband(when I was just getting in the band) she asked me "Aren't you afraid that playing songs you hate will make you not want to play at all?" my response was simply "No way! Why would that change anything?" :rollno: live and learn I guess.
 
#40
BlizzardBass said:
I'm in that same boat. Being on second shift has killed any chance of me being in a band again. I'm seriously think of selling everything and bagging it.
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Naw you need a different job, my new job told me I was going to be on call, I told 'em not if I have a gig.
 

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