What to do when bored and frustrated with practice?

[fatback]

Hmm. No gigs for too long (band defunct), still practicing but getting fed up.

I'm sure it happens to everyone at some time, but it's the first for me in 4 years of db. Too much listening to genius players may not be helping much.

Any ideas? I'm worrying a wee bit that i'm on the road to quitting.

Oh dear, this is perilously close to a whinge.

[RhysP]

Just leave it alone for a while.

Do you play any other instruments or want to have a go at one? If so concentrate on that for a bit.

I'm just about to buy a pedal steel guitar & I'm incredibly excited about it - far more than I would be if I was just buying another bass.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1405974746' post='2507190']...I'm just about to buy a pedal steel guitar & I'm incredibly excited about it - far more than I would be if I was just buying another bass.
[/quote]

Now [i]that [/i]really [i]is [/i]devotion..! A lap steel is difficult enough; pedal steel several degrees more so, plus the high cost of an instrument even to learn on..! Good luck in that venture; keep us posted as to results..?
Back on topic... Yes, a change is as good as a rest, and there is, indeed, a whole world out there, beyond the db. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but it's so...

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1405975074' post='2507200']
Now [i]that [/i]really [i]is [/i]devotion..! A lap steel is difficult enough; pedal steel several degrees more so, plus the high cost of an instrument even to learn on..! Good luck in that venture; keep us posted as to results..?
Back on topic... Yes, a change is as good as a rest, a[u][b]nd there is, indeed, a whole world out there, beyond the db.[/b][/u] Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but it's so...
[/quote]

Unless it involves Nicole Sherzinger, Kelly Brook and a Desert Island I will stick with the DB

[zero9]

Take up cycling or long distance running. Something to take your mind off things until you find your mojo again

[TheRev]

Try working on right or left had technique?
I've been trying to focus on intonation recently, but little Rev isn't giving me much free time (and my brain is too fried to concentrate), so I've found that spending my free 20 min each day on just plucking with different parts of my finger or working on getting a nice tone from the left hand is enough to make me feel that I'm still getting some useful practice time without feeling fustrated that I haven't opened Rufus Reid's book in months...

[fatback]

Aha, seems I'm normal. Thanks for the sympathy.

Not sure I could cope with the guilt of not practicing or the inevitable pain when i pick up the thing again and blisters tell me i've not been practicing. So maybe the Rev's suggestion about simplifying will do the trick.

Further navel-gazing tells me I'm suffering from jazz-induced feelings of inferiority. The inevitable result of starting to do anything that should have been started twenty years ago.

Hell, i think I'll give Kelly a call.

[fatback]

@RhysP an interesting suggestion about another instrument. I don't play any other these days, but getting hold of an electric piano might be a good idea. It would be nice to play actual tunes. Solo bass practice isn't the most expressive thing you can do.

Hmm.

[Hector]

Music's a very psyhchological game, and there's a lot going on mentally that needs to be honed as much as the nuts and bolts of playing or theory. Sounds like you're feeling a bit burnt out (which happens to everyone).

Maybe try taking a break for a few days as people say? I took up running a few months ago, which has helped me no end with my phd and things in the shed. Maybe something physical might help you too.

Or you could try mixing up your practice routine? How about some tetrachords: http://cms.bassplayer.com/lessons/1176/jazz-concepts-dont-get-kicked-in-the-tetrachords/26856 If you know the composition of various scales in terms of their tetrachords, and know a few different fingerings all over the board for these different tetrachords then you'll be able to get a huge variety of fingerings, and see scales in new ways.

E.g. Look at the dorian mode over a minor7 chord. What are the tetrachords starting on each of the chord tones? And then each of the tensions? Breaks you out of usual ways of thinking about scales

You could try digging up some new music and getting into that? Sometimes I'll get inspired after being in the doldrums by hearing something new.

[Bilbo]

Listen to some Charlie Haden and remember the point of it all.

[Marc S]

I think The Rev and Hector have hit some good points here,
Though I wouldn't know anything about "tetrachords"

I've been in your situation before
So many bands seem to just fold, or someone else loses interest, and it fizzles out

The important thing, is for you to keep interested in music
Try some short exercises - they needn't take long, and shouldn't be a drag
But get hold of some new music, with interesting bass parts
and just learn / work out some new songs

I recently bought (shock, horror) a Sister Sledge / Chic Cd
Can't stand all that disco stuff really
but I really like some of those funk basslines....
So I wanted to work a few out
and you know what?

.... I really enjoyed it
Still hate the disco music - but some of those basslines are good

Someone recently told me that after a certain age,
life seems to go more quickly because we don't do enough things we aren't
comfortable with, or are already predicting an outcome for
The advice was, listen to some music you wouldn't normally listen to,
read a book you wouldn't normally read, go to a show you wouldn't normally go to
Perhaps this just makes life seem longer - but there could be something in it

Anything to get your mojo back mate

You know what?
I gave up bass for over 20 years
I'm so glad I started again, and I'm really glad I took up DB

Take a break, sure - But don't give up whatever you do

Cheers and good luck with everything

[paddy109]

Stick a advert out there for local musicians and get out for a jam, that will get your mojo going!

[Marc S]

[quote name='paddy109' timestamp='1406048894' post='2507869']
Stick a advert out there for local musicians and get out for a jam, that will get your mojo going!
[/quote]

+1

[fatback]

What a lot to think about. And thanks for the support. It's strangely disturbing to fall out of love with your db. Do you think she knows?

Thinking about all the angles above, I reckon the problem is not playing with other people. Practicing ends up being mostly about failure, and you never spend time playing the stuff you [i]can[/i] play. If anything can kill your mojo stone dead I reckon it's floundering at the bottom of the technical mountain for no particular reason.

So an ad for jamming it is then.

Mind you, I'm not holding my breath. For reasons that seemed good at the time I ended up living in a musical dead zone (for a couple of hours around). Now made worse by the fact that huge numbers of people have left since our economic meltdown.

Still, well worth a try. Easy to forget that music is about playing not practicing.

Thanks again. Much appreciated. (I do love my db)

Edited July 23, 2014 by fatback

[TheRev]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1406112695' post='2508386']

Thinking about all the angles above, I reckon the problem is not playing with other people.

[/quote]

Very likely. My band are taking it a bit easy this year due to everyone having babies, so we have around 50 gigs this year compared with 89 last year. This has meant that there have been a couple of points where I've had a two week break between gigs. Any sensible muso would be using this time to practice or write songs,but I generally find I just can't be arsed and end up standing holding my bass and staring at the wall wondering why I can't think of anything to play.

[fatback]

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1406120128' post='2508497']
Very likely. My band are taking it a bit easy this year due to everyone having babies, so we have around 50 gigs this year compared with 89 last year. This has meant that there have been a couple of points where I've had a two week break between gigs. Any sensible muso would be using this time to practice or write songs,but I generally find I just can't be arsed and end up standing holding my bass and staring at the wall wondering why I can't think of anything to play.
[/quote]

Bass needs company, I guess.

[fatgoogle]

I sit for about four hours everyday with my bass on my own and always find interesting things to practice. I do plan it all outs though before i do it. Find area's you want to improve and really get into ways to improve it. I find it addictive.

[sarah thomas]

I found having a teacher gave focus to my practice and motivation too because he keeps coming back. Since I started having monthly lessons (only 3 so far) I've been asked to join two bands.

[chris_b]

A change is as good as a rest.... etc

I'd start to learn another instrument. Piano and singing would be my choice.

Get a different slant on your playing, start lessons.

I'd also get back into gigging. Gives the whole thing a point, in my opinion.

[SevenSeas]

Normally there is a reason for frustration, I've been hitting the practice shed pretty hard. Today I got pretty burned out, due to frustration.

Now it goes all fine until..., Today for example;

- Sight Reading (Using Stuart Claytons fantastic sight reading book, you get some great results if you spend time with his books!) All fine.
- Double Bass Intonation Exercises (all fine)
- Piano (Scales, common jazz progessions 2, 5, 1's in different keys. Working on playing standards on the piano, at the moment Autumn Leaves.
- Ear Training. Work out jazz chords by ear. (hard work....)

Now anyway I get to practice jazz improvisation... it isn't going well. So I get fed up pretty quick and decide to put the bass down. I think most of the time it's a [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]psychological thing. When you work hard on something but can't get results its so frustrating. (I'm sure everyone here has been there) so I've decided to give the bass a break. (Only for a couple of hours)[/color][/font]

Hopefully after a cycle or whatever I'll be able to pick it up and not feel burned out.

'fatgoogle' is pretty right that planning it out is a good idea, definitely the best way to avoid frustration.

Also finding something that inspires you is a good idea, makes all the hours you put in seem worth it. (even if your still at the beginning or where you aim to be)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqCBFC1Jr0w

[bassace]

I opened the Bill Evans broadcast in YouTube mode and copped this amusing(?) comment; well, I was amused.

'God I hate the double bass. If you care at all about the articulation of the notes being played, it's painful to hear them smudged and that god awful buzzing at higher notes using an instrument never intended for this purpose. Imagine how much better this would sound with a fretless electric bass'.

Anyone on BC? Surely not Bilbo.

[fatgoogle]

Another this is if/when you get back to gigging/concerts make sure to notice area's that need improvement or mistakes that need to be rectified.

I've done about 130 hours of playing over the past 13 days. Rehearsals/concerts and practice. I've a notebook scribbled with area's that i need to improve on. I also need to sleep.

[SevenSeas]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1406650163' post='2513448']
I opened the Bill Evans broadcast in YouTube mode and copped this amusing(?) comment; well, I was amused.

'God I hate the double bass. If you care at all about the articulation of the notes being played, it's painful to hear them smudged and that god awful buzzing at higher notes using an instrument never intended for this purpose. Imagine how much better this would sound with a fretless electric bass'.

Anyone on BC? Surely not Bilbo.
[/quote]

Yeah clearly has no idea... Chucks playing is out of this world! One of my favourite players! I think he's like 25 in this video as well!

[bassace]

[quote name='SevenSeas' timestamp='1406661736' post='2513554']

Chucks playing is out of this world! One of my favourite players! I think he's like 25 in this video as well!
[/quote]

A worthy successor to Scotty.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1406650163' post='2513448']
Surely not Bilbo.
[/quote]

Damn right it's not me. I love Chuck Israel's playing.