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Why don't I feel like a musician?

WrapRough

WrapRough

Jan 26, 2021
760
1,239
London
#1
I've recently returned to bass after a good 6 year break. Life got in the way so I left my bass packed away. I'm back now and want to really master the instrument. Back in my day I had great chops, being able to play most songs considered advanced. But as I was self-taught, I had lots of gaps in my knowledge and I never felt like I was a musician...more just someone who played the bass. I understood music theory at a basic level but could never translate that to my instrument. My improvisation was pretty rubbish, and I never felt in full control of my instrument. I was really just a covers player I guess.

Now I'm back I want to change that, but I'm not really sure how. I'm working through Stu Hamm's Fretboard Fitness so I have a bit of structure while I'm getting my focus back, which is helping a lot. But I don't want to end up falling back into the same rut and end up just playing along to songs again. I want to feel like a musician who is in full command of their instrument, able to translate what's in my head to the bass.

Does or did anyone else feel like this? What did you do? What should I do?

Why don't I feel like a musician?
 
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#7
jallenbass said:
If I was in your position I would find a good teacher. For now, Skype/FaceTime of course.
Click to expand...

Thanks jallenbass. Yeah, did consider that but bit hesitant due to the remote nature of it. Maybe it's worth giving it a go and see how it works over Skype. When I was younger and learning the piano, I loved how structured it all was. I knew what I had to learn and know, and I think I need something like that for bass, which I guess a good teacher will provide me. I'll start looking, cheers man
 
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#8
You're probably doing fine, really, it just takes the confidence and enough passage of time to be able to look back and see your progress relative to where you are in the present, if that makes any sense. I think it's like that with any skilled craft. You won't notice the progress while you're working hard at improving what you do. However, you are getting there when working at progress is what you're doing.
 
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#9
PWRL said:
You're probably doing fine, really, it just takes the confidence and enough passage of time to be able to look back and see your progress relative to where you are in the present, if that makes any sense. I think it's like that with any skilled craft. You won't notice the progress while you're working hard at improving what you do. However, you are getting there when working at progress is what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply man

Yeah, i hear you. When it comes to chops, it's easy to see. You know you can play a song that you couldn't play before, or you know you can play some exercise smoothly, and double the speed you started etc. Easy to see and appreciate. I think I also compare myself to the wrong people, and then feel like I am so far behind where I wanna be that I think what I am doing is just wasting time. I think this is the danger of being self-taught - I am definitely not making the most out of my practice time. After jallenbass's suggestion of a teacher, I think I realise now that is what I am really in need of. I've managed to find one in NW London where I live, so hopefully that will set me on my right track.

I know we are our own worst critics and we'll probably never be as good as we want to be at anything in life :)
 
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#10
There are two things I've found that motivate you to improve.

1. An imminent live performance in front of a crowd.

2. A good teacher.

Based upon your comments, I think door #2 is where you want to go.

It's your money, you should get what you want. Start talking with some teachers, tell them what you told us.
 
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#14
WrapRough said:
I've recently returned to bass after a good 6 year break. Life got in the way so I left my bass packed away. I'm back now and want to really master the instrument. Back in my day I had great chops, being able to play most songs considered advanced. But as I was self-taught, I had lots of gaps in my knowledge and I never felt like I was a musician...more just someone who played the bass. I understood music theory at a basic level but could never translate that to my instrument. My improvisation was pretty rubbish, and I never felt in full control of my instrument. I was really just a covers player I guess.

Now I'm back I want to change that, but I'm not really sure how. I'm working through Stu Hamm's Fretboard Fitness so I have a bit of structure while I'm getting my focus back, which is helping a lot. But I don't want to end up falling back into the same rut and end up just playing along to songs again. I want to feel like a musician who is in full command of their instrument, able to translate what's in my head to the bass.

Does or did anyone else feel like this? What did you do? What should I do?

Why don't I feel like a musician?
Click to expand...

I started playing in 1969 I was in a successful gigging band or 3 or 4 ... I went to college, got a career and I took most of the 90s off to focus on a career ... about 2000 I get back into it ... I was a little rusty at first but now I am a lot better than I was back in the 70s. My problem now is finding people to play music with ... the 2 bands I was in a year ago both are gone.
 
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#15
Troy Eggen said:
Do you read bass clef? That’s a good start in my opinion. Listen to some of the masters, Duck Dunn comes to mind, and pay attention to what they do. I loved Duck’s style, very repetitious and really outlines the chords.
Click to expand...

I probably have the bass music reading age of a five year old...if that makes sense. I relied on tab for bass, which is a big regret. Id figure it out but it would take a while ;)
 
#17
Ric5 said:
I started playing in 1969 I was in a successful gigging band or 3 or 4 ... I went to college, got a career and I took most of the 90s off to focus on a career ... about 2000 I get back into it ... I was a little rusty at first but now I am a lot better than I was back in the 70s. My problem now is finding people to play music with ... the 2 bands I was in a year ago both are gone.
Click to expand...

I did play in a band and it was great fun. The rest of the band were very good and it did up my game massko. But I still never really understood why I was doing what I was doing. I just knew it sounded good. Then life got in the way and the band split and I've never played with anyone else. You're right, it's not easy finding people
 

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