Bass player or band member

[fretmeister]

I play out for about 3 hours per week.

The rest of the time I play at home. I love getting new music to try for my own advancement.

I think I would be very wary of turning my love of the bass into a job. Bass is my stress relief and it is something I do for me and not other people. Turning my stress release into a job that might cause stress would be err, distressing.

[Norris]

It's all about the band for me, and the bass rarely comes out of the case otherwise - unless I have stuff to learn

[sunburstjazz1967]

Trying to get the balance right is the hard bit for me, I only practice if I've got gigs coming up but at the same time I'd hate a four hour bar gig every night!

[KevB]

I tend to go off doing other stuff more when I'm between bands and can get horribly rusty as a result, the odd jam session here and there to keep my hand in but very little serious playing time at home until I'm learning a new set.

Edited May 31, 2016 by KevB

[Paul S]

For me it is also being in a band. Gigging. Also deciding between us what we want to play, learning it then, at next rehearsal, hearing it all fit together. The physical process of making music and, as a bass player, being involved at a fundamental level of this - holding it all together. If I couldn't be in a band for any reason I would probably not play bass at all and stick to guitar.

[keefbaker]

While I don't share this view, I understand it. Bass is an ensemble instrument and unlike piano or guitar, it works less well as a solo instrument. But I have always been a a creator of music first and instrumentalist second. So as long as I still want to make music I'll still play bass.

[FinnDave]

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1464643171' post='3061135']
I love playing bass. I have constant GAS, enjoy looking at bass related pictures and always listen out for the bass in music.
However all of this is topped off with the enjoyment of being in a working band.
I was thinking the other day that God forbid my band was to end, would I still continue to play bass at home without being in a band? The simple answer is no I probably wouldn't unless I joined another band. To me, all of the enjoyment of playing bass comes from doing it live in a band.
Anyone else only enjoy playing as part of a band?
[/quote]

Definitely, I rarely take a bass out of a case unless I'm playing with a band. Playing alone just doesn't do anything for me. Then again, I muck about with synths when I've nothing better to do.

[JTUK]

I like to play live... so motivation drops off a tad ..or rather practice, if I'm less busy.
If I never gigged, Iwouldn't see the point

[4stringslow]

[quote name='smaz' timestamp='1464648319' post='3061190']
I only play if I'm at band practice / gigging / jam night. I very rarely pick up the bass at home. I used to, before I started jamming with others / gigging.
[/quote]

Ditto.

[paul_5]

I'd still play. I love music, and my chosen outlet for that is the bass guitar. That said, it's loads more fun if you can find like-minded idiots to do it with; that's when it's at its best.
I'd consider myself as secret option 'c' - musician.

[tauzero]

If I wasn't with a gigging band, I'd play guitar at home (or duetting with Mrs Zero) rather than bass.

[blue]

[quote name='Asambique' timestamp='1464680272' post='3061286']

I do miss playing gigs but have no desire right now to pursue that aspect of my playing.[/quote]

I'm 63 with 10 more good years of gigging left. I still have the same enthusiasm and desire to gig as I had when I was 14.

Weird 😀

Blue

[lojo]

I rarely do much at home unless I've new cover songs to work on , or old ones to be ready with. It's not that I'm not motivated , just I have limited time to devote to things. Like many of us I've a job and family , and other interests.

At the moment my gigs and material churn is about the right balance

On another stage of life I hope it might be different

[Leonard Smalls]

I like to play live, but then I also like to play with myself at home - either just noodles or recording new stuff (often for the Basschat CompoCompo!).
Luckily I rarely have any bass lines to learn as we don't usually do any covers and I make up basslines to suit (or not!).
I've found that recording does more for my playing as I can pick over what I've done, like in one of those German toilets.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1464680657' post='3061288']
All about being in a band for me too. I'm going to be contentious here but if I wasn't in a band I would turn my hand to a different instrument, either guitar or piano most likely. I see the bass as a supporting instrument and love it for this very reason. Solo or lead bass just doesn't do it for me.
[/quote]

Same here. If we have long breaks between gigs i rarely touch the bass until the week before a gig. I enjoy playing it, but unless i have a purpose other than sitting at home i lose interest. When we were doing a lo of weddings and learning songs them ill play each day, but these days for social clubs the set is all sorted and pretty boring to keep playing at home.
As we do have long gaps ive brought a guitar and plan on clearing that. We also have an electronic drum kit (my sons) and like to have a mess around on that as well. In fact ill more likely play any of these rather than bass, even keyboards.
For me playing the bass goes hand in hand with plaything live, the other instruments are recreational.

[julietgreen]

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1464686117' post='3061348']
I play in a rock band but I love all types of music. I love the gigging but can never find anybody who wants to play funk, latin, fusion, ska etc. etc, so I play along to that stuff at home. I find the rock stuff generally undemanding compared to other genres.
[/quote]

Couldn't find a latin bass player for love nor money when I was in a latin jazz band!

[julietgreen]

Always thought of music as a mainly collective thing. Even as a 'front line' musician (sax), though soloing is fun, I like the rhythm/harmony aspects more. I didn't play much bass when I wasn't in a band - which is why I nagged to get back into one. I find the stuff I learn at home on my own fades quickly if I don't play it out.

[FinnDave]

[quote name='julietgreen' timestamp='1464790039' post='3062565']
Couldn't find a latin bass player for love nor money when I was in a latin jazz band!
[/quote]

I went right off Latin when it was a compulsory subject at school!

[Sammers]

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1464710196' post='3061693']
it works less well as a solo instrument.
[/quote]

I think that's entirely dependant on who's playing IMO, though a Duff McKagan solo bass album would be pretty crap!

OT: I don't think being in a band bothers me really, I just enjoy making music!

[xgsjx]

I'm a musician. Bass just happens to be my fave instrument to play.

I play more at home than I do in a band these days & enjoy writing songs, though I do play keys more than any other instrument nowadays. So much so, I'm thinking about becoming the keys player in the band.

If I wasn't in the band, I'd still play bass.

[martin8708]

I rarely play bass at home , only to learn new songs or practice difficult bass lines which need a bit of homework.

I do pick up an acoustic guitar every day , be it steel or nylon string , much easier on the ears , and great for trying out new song for either my own enjoyment or for the band.

[AustinArto]

I only ever really play double bass at home, but I don't have a gig on it at the moment so all my band stuff is on bass guitar and synth bass.

So yes I probably would still play bass at home, but not like I do in the band. With the band I also enjoy arranging and recording and producing and stuff too, I'd miss that, but not so much the bass guitar probably. In fact the recent recordings we've done I've sequenced most of the bass!

[Telebass]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1464643594' post='3061141']
No, being in a band is the most important bit for me, or rather being in a gigging band is, but I still love playing bass. If I weren`t in a band I`d still learn new songs, play along to my faves on youtube etc.
[/quote]
This.