I always have a hard time with compliments for my videos because they are so full of errors in timing, resolving to the wrong note, and just plain mistakes. I do enjoy recording them, and seriously at peace with just being me. I just want to be an improving me.
Don't put yourself down. @38 I'm still learning new tricks myself, and while it's been less than a decade with bass, I had my first stringed instrument in my early teens. I also know playing music has a huge impact on my self-esteem and happiness. Personally, I'm often missing notes/timing if I don't have at least metronome, and even then I might need to repeat what I'm trying to play over and over again until I get comfortable with it.. But it's often surprising how much better I play with a solid beat. How often do you play to a click or a beat in your videos? Or in regular practice? And frankly.. the thing about music that drives me is the fact that it allows me to be creative. I'm not Jaco, I'm not Rocco, I'm not Victor Wooten, or Marcus Miller.. certainly not going to pull my hair out trying to learn their stuff, not to say I won't ever attempt it, but, still, I'd rather make my own.
These dudes started young... by the time they were my age they were going on 15-34 years of experience playing their instrument with real guidance and education that was not afforded to me. I can't read music like they can.. doubt I ever will. Given enough time I can learn something by ear. I know some scales, I know some chords.. I understand intervals and can for the most part hear them. I can hear when I'm out of tune or my intonation's way off. When i was a teen the first scale I learned was the blues scale, and I'm still to this day finding new ways to get creative within it, or shifting into pieces of the major scale, or harmonic minor. Add a fellow musician or two to that and they can influence new experiences as well.
A simple groove is still a groove.. and imo the most important aspect of music, is not how technical it is, how many notes, or how fast. It just has to sound good and be in time.
I'm not saying you should aspire to be anything more than what you're doing.. but you can still give it a shot if you want to. You can still pick up one of your many basses anytime you're watching TV and work on your chops. You've likely got more than enough gear, sure. You got a bass for each day of the week afaik.. but how much you play and what you do with it, your fingers still work and you ain't dead yet man.
Don't take this as me telling you what to do or anything... but your posts on TB demonstrate a passion for the instrument. IMO, no need to aim for being a shredder.. just do what works for you, pick the things up and play them whenever you aren't doing anything else and your health allows for it.. make some music.
Today I wrote my first slap line.. I have been trying to figure out how to slap for years and I'm finally making headway. I'm going to start incorporating some 8 finger tapping as well the way I know how. Mixing up scales and arpeggios to a beat, whether it's in my head, from a machine, or from my drummer.
Anyway.. if anything with this post I hope I've offered some encouragement to you or anybody who might look for it. You are right though. Relax.. have fun.. it's not a competition. It's personal growth imo.
