Why did you start playing less than a year ago

[Kgveteran]

Hello,

Im 60yrs old and picked up the bass 9ish months ago, never played an instrument ever, kind of a retirement thing. Whats your story ? Why did you start ? How old are ya ? Did someone put you up to it Lol, only kidding

I guess i wanna hear from noobs, ur struggles, ur success, whatever you wanna talk about.

 

[OllieVT]

Hi Kgveteran. I'm newer than you at the hobby, coming up to one month in. I had piano lessons as a kid, but nothing serious (although I'm surprised at how many little bits of theory stuck and are coming in useful). I mostly jumped in so that I'd have a shared hobby with my kid, who's learning drums.

Good fun so far. No major struggles to report. First success: yesterday I played Where is My Mind along to the recorded track with all the right notes (and none of the wrong ones) without consulting the music. (Yes, there's still a gap from this to playing it /well/, I know.) It's not a complex song, either to play or remember, but it's good to know that if the Pixies need a new bassist (again) and there's some phone number error that means they call me up to audition then I have one song under my belt already.

How about you? What are your struggles and successes nine months in? It'd be good to hear from someone who's a bit further along than me.

 

[Kgveteran]

Hi Kgveteran. I'm newer than you at the hobby, coming up to one month in. I had piano lessons as a kid, but nothing serious (although I'm surprised at how many little bits of theory stuck and are coming in useful). I mostly jumped in so that I'd have a shared hobby with my kid, who's learning drums.

Good fun so far. No major struggles to report. First success: yesterday I played Where is My Mind along to the recorded track with all the right notes (and none of the wrong ones) without consulting the music. (Yes, there's still a gap from this to playing it /well/, I know.) It's not a complex song, either to play or remember, but it's good to know that if the Pixies need a new bassist (again) and there's some phone number error that means they call me up to audition then I have one song under my belt already.

How about you? What are your struggles and successes nine months in? It'd be good to hear from someone who's a bit further along than me.

Sadly enough i struggle with every aspect of learning Lol. From my hand position, to finger position, i dont know where the notes are on the frets, OMG the list is endless…. But im not stopping

I go to lessons once a week, i started with a bunch of 12bar blues backing tracks which are fun, im about 85% done with GerryRafferty’s RightDownTheLine, the bridge is killing me. I started SmokeyRobinsons Tracks of my Tears, and when i say started, im on the intro which is only a handful of bars.

My success is not stopping, keep going to my lessons, keep learning a little more each time about reading music so i can read it and not rely on the tabs, speaking of tabs, thank god theres tabs!!!!

I understand tabs are a cheat, but at 60yrs old, i need a cheat

 

[KohanMike]

I'm 73. I played rhythm guitar for almost 50 years starting in 1965 when I was 15. Over the years I was often told I should play bass because I had good feel and tempo, but I didn't want to be encumbered by a big electric bass, forget a standup double bass.

Then in mid 2013 I bought a cheap ukulele just to be a wall hanger because it looked like my Fender Telecaster electric guitar. A couple weeks later I received a postcard from the Los Angeles Music Center summer play-along series, which I had done for guitar in the past, but this time it was ukulele. Hey, I thought, I have one, so I signed up. When I got there the first of the 3 days, there were 400 people participating.

I took it on very well with my guitar experience, then joined a local ukulele group and I never touched my guitars again, gave them to my nephew. A year later the leader of the uke group asked if anyone would like to take up the bass to fill in our sound. I got online and discovered all the bass ukes and mini bass guitars and went for it. Bass uke is now my main instrument, with tenor uke and harmonica close behind.

I won't get into my gear acquisition syndrome, but these are my current collection of RondoMusic Hadean 21" scale bass ukes that I have modified by Eric's Guitar Shop and painted by Pat Wilkins, both in Van Nuys, CA.

 

[OllieVT]

@Kgveteran, I'm still in the first flush of enthusiasm, but I hope I'll have the drive to keep going in the patches where it feels tougher or less fun, which I'm sure are coming. I think tabs are great. They don't stop you learning other stuff as well, and especially with the hybrid tab/score that Songsterr and (presumably) other places use, it seems like a good way to notate. It conveys different info faster, and I think it's often the info beginners need.

@KohanMike, they're lovely. I'm already feeling the itch to get more basses, even though they'd be completely unnecessary. Something smaller would give me at least some partial justification. I've been looking longingly at electric/acoustic ukulele basses, but maybe I should go electric.

 

[Kgveteran]

It wouldn’t be fair to say i stink Lol, im just super new to musical instruments and ya…..

 

[J Wilson]

I started in my 20's, had no choice. I'm simply wired for bass and drums. Like Gaga said, I was born that way.

Strangely enough, the two hardest things was I completely underestimated how my fingers would sting until I got my callouses. This is in the mid 70's when you just had to play RotoSound roundwounds, or you just were missing the boat. After several months, the fingers healed up and I was fine.

The second? I was CLUELESS tuning up with new strings, broke several winding too sharp way past where I was supposed to be. I was green as new money. Finally, I bought a Korg tuner that had a little speaker and a pitch generator, so I could match pitch. With some experience and that tuner, I finally grew past that, and quit having to buy two sets at a time 'just in case'.

And remember as a rookie: EVERYONE of the great bassists you listen to at one time were right where you are now, we all started from nothing.

Best of Luck,

JW

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

I've found it's really important at the beginning to make a realistic practice routine that doesn't feel like a chore or one more obligation.

I started at about 20 minutes an evening, and about an hour a day on the weekends. That was about five years ago. Over time I built up to about 2 hours an evening and gosh - all day all weekend.

Sorta like working out: people who think they're all of a sudden gonna be a US Marine and run 5 miles at 5 am every morning tend to burn out fast and quit.

But people who start with walks in the evening and some basic calisthenics for a few minutes every day tend to stick with it and add time, rather than quit.

 

[AnotherChance]

Hello,

Im 60yrs old and picked up the bass 9ish months ago, never played an instrument ever, kind of a retirement thing. Whats your story ? Why did you start ? How old are ya ? Did someone put you up to it Lol, only kidding

I guess i wanna hear from noobs, ur struggles, ur success, whatever you wanna talk about.

I'm a brand new player myself. 52 YO.

I've always had an interest in Guitar and Bass but felt I could not learn.

This was especially true when I was young seeing my brothers and friends pick up guitar and naturally just take to it.

I played drums as a kid and later Clawhammer style Banjo but always marveled at the skill of Guitar and Bass players.

I was gifted a nice Guitar recently and have decided to finally learn.

I guess a frustration for me would be I feel I am not a natural at it, at all. I am slowly learning the basics though and loving every minute.

Big respect to all who have stuck to it and learned how to play, you're the ones we get to hear.

 

[Jeff Gambone]

Hello,

Im 60yrs old and picked up the bass 9ish months ago, never played an instrument ever, kind of a retirement thing. Whats your story ? Why did you start ? How old are ya ? Did someone put you up to it Lol, only kidding

I guess i wanna hear from noobs, ur struggles, ur success, whatever you wanna talk about.

Same story. I've always was drawn to the bass, even when I was in my teens, but life got in the way. I picked it back up in my late fifties and started taking lessons at the local music store. Then I got my daughter to start showing me things. It all started to click once I found a friend that played guitar. We started a duo and started to play open mics. I mainly just played the root notes, but a had a blast, since then I have started to add more complex bass runs and I'm still having a blast. Now whenever I get a chance, I'll sit it with other people (who are really good). This has allowed me to get better, because I'm working so hard to keep up with them. Still having a blast. I have even written a few originals (with the help from my daughter). I sit back now and wonder, why I took so long to admit to my musical passion. Still learning a lot and i have a long way to go, but.... I'M HAVING A BLAST.