When is it time to hang it up?

[Samatza]

I always told myself that I would hang it up when it isn't fun anymore or I can no longer hold up a bass.

Luckily I'm still at it, still enjoy it and can still do it albeit with a bit of lower back pain after very long sets.

I don't know when the time will come but my father played into his mid eighties, I think towards the end he just got tired and gave up on a lot of things. He passed away at 89 so he was playing for a large proportion of his life. I still have his instrument and amps, they remind me of the great times we had gigging together, travelling and just doing something we both love.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

A serious question that I'm pondering...when is it time to hang it up.

I've been playing bass for 25 years, and for 20 of those years, I've been playing in bands on stages and in clubs. In the last band I was in, we came screeching to a halt as COVID shutdowns cancelled our last show mid-March of last year.

Since then, I've simply found other activities that I enjoy as much as playing bass. But, the past year has also basically laid the band I was in to rest, with some members being too freaked out to play out (especially in our state where mandates got relaxed, even before vaccines were taking off and across the board, many folks don't follow any sort of protocol once alcohol is involved).

I've gone through droughts before, but this somehow feels different. The pool of folks who I know to team up with keeps getting smaller and smaller and at this point, I'm not sure who I'd start a new project with. I'm also not sure what the end goal would be. I've really enjoyed entertaining crowds and music has been front and center of many of my friendships. It was never about making any money at it, and Lord knows we didn't. But, I'm hitting an age where I reflect a lot more and I think about what a show or set might look like and I'm just not feeling the balance in enthusiasm versus what you generally put up with in taking on live gigs.

I've witnessed a number of my friends that still perform, share surveys among their audiences about comfort levels of going out to see live music soon, and none of the findings seem re-assuring.

I suppose I'm answering my own question, but I really am asking for some additional perspective. Am I the only one feeling this? I have really enjoyed playing and it's sort of defined me throughout my late teens and most of my adult life. I'll still sit and strum a little acoustic guitar for my wife and dog every now and then, but throughout the past year, we've been more likely to find enjoyment in other stuff.

Well, I’m in my mid 60’s and have been gigging for over 50 until last year. I played two gigs last year one each with 2 bands. I felt very fortunate to have played all these years, but have found that in my peer group, very few have the ability to perform today. I’ve also found that the gigs are not as important as the getting together with the guys and working on musical projects. I tend to form deep musical relationships and some of mine go back almost 60 years, since grade school.

On the docket, I have one gig scheduled on the 1st of May, a concert in a nice sized theater about 9 hours away. I expect to have 4-5 more by year end with this band ( 12 piece, not a big market for bands that takes over $3,000+ to get us out the door). We also are writing, arranging, and recording more LPs and hope to get out two this year. Activity on I-Tunes,while not making us rich, is encouraging. Last report was 19 pages long.

I’m also in the process of relocating west and may join the local musician’s union there and bid on jobs if there is no other opportunity to play. We will have to see.

In a nut shell, music is so much apart of my identity not participating, giving it up, would be almost impossible.

 

[jeffb28451]

Everything OP said resonated with me. I just found some guys who are NEVER gonna get “out of the garage”, but they’re fun and the drummer makes sure we have “guest artists” from time to time to augment our core 3 or 4. I also have collected some really basses I would NEVER take to a bar gig or play on a flatbed truck at 98 degrees with 100% humidity. They do just fine in a practice studio, though.

I do miss playing out, but the hassles are outweighing any fun and, at 65, I’m happy (not totally pleased) to just play for fun with a couple of other survivors.

“We few, we happy few...”

 

[40Hz]

I envy those who don’t need to be in a band to play, but for me it’s vital.

Hey! No shame or cause for envy in that. Each of us got into music for our own reasons. Your’s are every bit as valid as the next persons.

 

[QORC]

When is it time?

1. When its no longer fun. When I no longer enjoy it, I will hang it up. Sell all my stuff and move on, as I have with other hobbies/activities in my life. Life changes. Priorities change. I only play music because I still have fun doing it.
2. When you physically are having a hard time playing (arthritis, etc)
3. When nobody wants you in a band any longer, for whatever reason.

pick any of the 3

 

[Raman]

A serious question that I'm pondering...when is it time to hang it up.

I've been playing bass for 25 years, and for 20 of those years, I've been playing in bands on stages and in clubs. In the last band I was in, we came screeching to a halt as COVID shutdowns cancelled our last show mid-March of last year.

Since then, I've simply found other activities that I enjoy as much as playing bass. But, the past year has also basically laid the band I was in to rest, with some members being too freaked out to play out (especially in our state where mandates got relaxed, even before vaccines were taking off and across the board, many folks don't follow any sort of protocol once alcohol is involved).

I've gone through droughts before, but this somehow feels different. The pool of folks who I know to team up with keeps getting smaller and smaller and at this point, I'm not sure who I'd start a new project with. I'm also not sure what the end goal would be. I've really enjoyed entertaining crowds and music has been front and center of many of my friendships. It was never about making any money at it, and Lord knows we didn't. But, I'm hitting an age where I reflect a lot more and I think about what a show or set might look like and I'm just not feeling the balance in enthusiasm versus what you generally put up with in taking on live gigs.

I've witnessed a number of my friends that still perform, share surveys among their audiences about comfort levels of going out to see live music soon, and none of the findings seem re-assuring.

I suppose I'm answering my own question, but I really am asking for some additional perspective. Am I the only one feeling this? I have really enjoyed playing and it's sort of defined me throughout my late teens and most of my adult life. I'll still sit and strum a little acoustic guitar for my wife and dog every now and then, but throughout the past year, we've been more likely to find enjoyment in other stuff.

I'm in a similar situation. Except you've had a much better run at it than I have! Altogether, I'd say I've been active in bands for maybe 15 years, and played live for less than 10, not all continuous. A couple cover bands and a couple original projects. Only one original project that I think had any chances of making it. It was a partnership between a very talented composer/singer and me, to which we added other musicians over time. But a lack of seriousness and personal problems from different members flunked us very rapidly. It's almost always the same: the drama (romantic especially), the depressions, the medication, the booze, the drugs... I've had to deal with it all.

But for the last decade or so, except for little short-lived spurs jamming with other musicians, I've been on my own.
The phrase that you wrote that really rings with me is: "The pool of folks who I know to team up with keeps getting smaller and smaller". Amen. Life sure does that to you, doesn't it!

All this comes up in my mind these days because of closet space. My concert amp has been in a wardrobe for nearly 10 years now. I always wonder at what point I will finally think that I need the space more than there being chances I'll ever play live again...

Then I think to myself: "Nah!" Once the Covid restrictions lift, why not find a couple more old geezers like me and just start a weekend garage band? We can play for the neighbours in the back alley on holiday weekends!
And then, just as I'm thinking that, my old musical partner, with whom we created so much --who has now sobered up, has kids and steadied her life--, sends me a message: "Hey, do you wanna play music?"...

So I say no: don't hang up. Maybe just adjust your expectations and learn to search music in new places.

 

[lfmn16]

A serious question that I'm pondering...when is it time to hang it up.

When you have to make yourself do it.

I've been playing for 50 years now and although I play more guitar than bass these days, I still spend 2-3 hours every day practicing, because I love doing it. If you aren't feeling it, put it away for a bit and see how you feel in a year.

 

[glocke1]

A serious question that I'm pondering...when is it time to hang it up.

I've been playing bass for 25 years, and for 20 of those years, I've been playing in bands on stages and in clubs. In the last band I was in, we came screeching to a halt as COVID shutdowns cancelled our last show mid-March of last year.

Since then, I've simply found other activities that I enjoy as much as playing bass. But, the past year has also basically laid the band I was in to rest, with some members being too freaked out to play out (especially in our state where mandates got relaxed, even before vaccines were taking off and across the board, many folks don't follow any sort of protocol once alcohol is involved).

I've gone through droughts before, but this somehow feels different. The pool of folks who I know to team up with keeps getting smaller and smaller and at this point, I'm not sure who I'd start a new project with. I'm also not sure what the end goal would be. I've really enjoyed entertaining crowds and music has been front and center of many of my friendships. It was never about making any money at it, and Lord knows we didn't. But, I'm hitting an age where I reflect a lot more and I think about what a show or set might look like and I'm just not feeling the balance in enthusiasm versus what you generally put up with in taking on live gigs.

I've witnessed a number of my friends that still perform, share surveys among their audiences about comfort levels of going out to see live music soon, and none of the findings seem re-assuring.

I suppose I'm answering my own question, but I really am asking for some additional perspective. Am I the only one feeling this? I have really enjoyed playing and it's sort of defined me throughout my late teens and most of my adult life. I'll still sit and strum a little acoustic guitar for my wife and dog every now and then, but throughout the past year, we've been more likely to find enjoyment in other stuff.

I've reached a stage where I've realized I can still enjoy playing bass and not deal with the hassle of gigs or dealing with other musicians.

The past 4-5 years I've spent a lot of time in what are basically pickup bands, no rehearsal, just a setlist that if you are lucky gets sent out a week before the gig. Reflecting back on many of those gigs, while fun at the time most were nothing more than sloppy jam sessions in front of an audience where the goal was to basically get to the jammy part of the tune and hope that you get the verses and choruses somewhat correct.

When I think about those gigs, it becomes more and more difficult to find them rewarding because so little attention is paid to getting the overall song structure more refined, all the focus is just on the jam/solo sections and for me it's gotten to a stage where it's almost pointless to do these things as often as I was. To the audience, Im sure everything sounded awesome, but to my ears and in my mind these bands would be capable of so much more with focused effort but it won't happen because people are just too focused on playing gigs.

I've actually been finding it far more rewarding to sit and play along to various albums and try to do a better job of picking out what some of these bass lines are, or in some cases trying to play horn solos on my bass.

Hopefully some day I'll find like-minded musicians who want to meetup and get some of these songs down in a more refined manner, but it seems unlikely.

 

[Geri O]

About to be 63 and I still feel the urge to play as much as ever.

I’ve been so blessed to steer my career toward opportunities that fit my psyche as I’ve aged. I’m fortunate to have some studio work at 2 studios in town (one of them has hired me as chief engineer, so that helped!). I play for a country music artist writing her own material. Really blessed that she’ll have me (I do help with gig things like logistics, production, etc). And I play with a 14-pc Blues Brothers-style band that I love (really hard to book that band, but it happens). I really don’t like playing in cover band situations, but I’m playing in one that I really like the players and they allow me the flexibility to come and go.
So as long as my health holds up and I feel the drive to play, I’m gonna keep at it. I had a mild heart attack 2 1/2 years ago, didn’t slow me down much. Now at the moment, I’m in the hospital dealing with pancreatitis and it’s getting much better, maybe released tomorrow. All the while wishing I could have brought my bass with me. Missed 2 gigs last weekend, missing 2 this weekend, hoping to make the Sunday gig. It’s all good, I’ll do what my body and my doc sez I’m up for.

(referring to another thread, no alcohol, ever. Ever)

 

[Eilif]

A serious question that I'm pondering...when is it time to hang it up.

I've been playing bass for 25 years...

I've gone through droughts before, but this somehow feels different. The pool of folks who I know to team up with keeps getting smaller and smaller and at this point, I'm not sure who I'd start a new project with. I'm also not sure what the end goal would be. I've really enjoyed entertaining crowds and music has been front and center of many of my friendships. It was never about making any money at it, and Lord knows we didn't. But, I'm hitting an age where I reflect a lot more and I think about what a show or set might look like and I'm just not feeling the balance in enthusiasm versus what you generally put up with in taking on live gigs...

I suppose I'm answering my own question, but I really am asking for some additional perspective...

... but throughout the past year, we've been more likely to find enjoyment in other stuff.

I think your last sentence sums it up. When it comes to hobbies, if you're not enjoying it, don't do it. If you've been playing for 25 years you're not going to loose your chops quickly so there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break. You're still strumming your acoustic so take some time off and see if you miss it. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but you don't have to decide now and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[godofthunder59]

That's a purely personal choice. I can see how the allure can fade. From time to time I wonder why I do it myself. I don't see myself packing it in till forced I I supose. I'm soon to be 62 and still digging it. https://youtube.com/shorts/27EmELJ0jfM?feature=share

 

[Jaycephas]

I still love to play my basses, and noodle with pedals and gear, but I’ve not gigged in over a year and ask myself - do I miss it? I am not only the bass player and backup singer, but the sound man. And I set up the lights. I DON’T miss the set up and break down. Period.

So maybe COVID-19 has exposed the fact that I’m done with gigging for now. I like my band mates as friends, and have been with them for 16 years, but I am not “chomping at the bits” to gig out.

i think I could be just as happy jamming with them as gigging. We’ll see.

 

[ezra1]

When it is no longer fun, that is the time to hang it up temporarily or permanently.

 

[JRA]

when is it time to hang it up.

"hang it up" =


YMMV.

 

[Resonance129]

Definitely feeling this as well. It began pre-COVID, but intensified once the COVID era began. It's tough, as music has been a source of joy for so long.

I WILL say, the embers are still there, and I still like playing most of the time. I've recently begun playing rock covers/jamming with a group of guys I met from BandMix.

*begin rant*

The problem is that it's only kinda fun (and I'm stretching that a bit...). The drummer has timing issues and struggles with almost every transition we come across, the guitarist keeps recommending R&B songs and seems to think adding distortion or OD makes it rock (face palm ), and the singer has never sang rock before (gospel and R&B chops, only) so I guess he's working things out... I don't mean to sound diva-esque as I'm no incredible bassist, but all the differences we have kinda sucks the fun out of most of the time we spend jamming.

As we all know, it's incredibly tough to find like-minded people who want to play similar stuff, and who are on the same general musical skill level. For the time being, I'll stay positive and stick with them, but uh... If I'm not feeling it anymore in 1-2 more meets, I'll have to gracefully back out, cut my losses, and just start doing YT covers again lol...

*end rant*

Apologies for my complaining. Just had to get that out.

 

[friskinator]

I told my wife recently that I'd be just as happy going out to dinner and having a couple beers with my bandmates as I would doing a gig with them. Not sure what that says about me, but it's where I'm at these days.

 

[rickwebb]

You'll know when. I did...

 

[lfmn16]

 

[EddiePlaysBass]

I wouldn't mind if my band didn't get back together, to be honest. It's morphed from something I really believed in and stood behind, to a repertoire filled with boring covers and really lame originals.

I am in contact with someone to start a Beatles cover band. While I kind of look forward to doing something else, and meeting new musicians, it's yet another startup band.

These days I get way more joy out of practicing the ukulele, to be honest. Don't know if i will ever play for anyone, but I definitely play for myself.

 

[jdthebassman]

I have noticed the scene here starting to come back. My wedding/ GB band is booked every weekend from may to october with more booked for next year. I guess it depends on what you are doing. I cant imagin ever giving up, there is nothing else I would rather do.