Doc, it seems you've hit a glass roof.
You certainly won't be the next Pastorius or Marcus Miller or even anyone who went to Berkelee. Nor will I or anybody else in this thread (presumably, though maybe some went to Berklee). That is no reason to let go. You have to think about :
-Your goals. What you'd be happy with, like type of songs to play confidently, like being able to improvise over a loop you recorded, solo, etc. Be realistic yet a bit ambitious
-Criticize yourself. Strong points, weak points. Be objective. And I'm not talking about the gear !
-Trying to play songs after songs is not enough IMO to progress. It can even be a source of stagnation. To oversimplify : playing songs doesn't teach you music it teaches you to play songs (ok it's a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea).
-Ideally, get a teacher. One that points out your weak points but also gives you the key to overcome them. So no feel good teacher but a constructive one nonetheless. Criticising your timing is one thing, showing how you can improve is what's important.
-Find a band/ensemble that broadly fits your goals and above all fuels your motivation.
-Last but not least have fun.
Otherwise you have one feet in the grave, IMO (talking about bass playing of course).
You certainly won't be the next Pastorius or Marcus Miller or even anyone who went to Berkelee. Nor will I or anybody else in this thread (presumably, though maybe some went to Berklee). That is no reason to let go. You have to think about :
-Your goals. What you'd be happy with, like type of songs to play confidently, like being able to improvise over a loop you recorded, solo, etc. Be realistic yet a bit ambitious
-Criticize yourself. Strong points, weak points. Be objective. And I'm not talking about the gear !
-Trying to play songs after songs is not enough IMO to progress. It can even be a source of stagnation. To oversimplify : playing songs doesn't teach you music it teaches you to play songs (ok it's a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea).
-Ideally, get a teacher. One that points out your weak points but also gives you the key to overcome them. So no feel good teacher but a constructive one nonetheless. Criticising your timing is one thing, showing how you can improve is what's important.
-Find a band/ensemble that broadly fits your goals and above all fuels your motivation.
-Last but not least have fun.
Otherwise you have one feet in the grave, IMO (talking about bass playing of course).
