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[GnarlyTone]

So here's the thing. I've been playing bass for a long time. The problem is I still don't feel like I'm any good. No matter how much I practice I don't play well consistently. I've tried metronomes. I've tried playing new and old material including scales. At this point for all my practicing I should be a well oiled machine. It's almost as if my muscle memory donesnt work. I never feel confident or comfortable playing something no matter how many times I play it. My fingers/hands just don't cooperate. I hate to give up on my passion but at this point it seems like I'm going nowhere. Sorry if this is in the wrong forum but thank you. 

[ambient]

Lessons?

[TheGreek]

To quote Pele:

 'Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do'...Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.

Give up now and you don't attain your dream, persevere and you might....

Hope you make the right decision.

[BassTractor]

Welcome to BC, GT! Have you even had a tutor during this long time, and how long is this long time?

 

[Lozz196]

Stick with it, it`s only in the last 8/9 years that I`ve been confident of my abilities, after playing for 37 years. Invariably even now whenever I see another bassist playing I think they`re better than me, and you know what, it doesn`t matter. I`m good enough for my band, that`s what counts. I`m - still - slowly realising it`s not what I can`t do that counts, it`s what I can do. Have you been in bands, I find that in a live environment is where I really learn.

[lemmywinks]

You're probably much better than you think you are.

[gs_triumph]

I used to feel like that. 

I'd turn the volume down when playing with my band so my mistakes didn't stand out.  I'd fucus on all my mistakes.  Let them get to me. By the time we got to the end of a jam session I could not hear myself play and nor could anyone else. 

Practicing at home, again, id focus on the mistakes - cos that how you can improve... Eliminate the mistakes. 

I'd play a lot but completely unstructured.  Mainly playing things that sounded good when  I played them.

After twenty years I had  a few lessons and we'll... What can I say... Erm... I'd been doing it wrong.

My tutor refocused my mind more than my playing directly.  She pointed out the good things about my playing and gave me direction for practice at home so I actually improved the things I wasn't quite so good at. 

I now play at the volume that's right for the band.  I still make mistakes but I don't waste my energy on worrying about them.  I have a confidence in my playing that means I relax more and hence I don't make as many mistakes.

My issues were fixed by fixing my head.

(I'm still not that great but hey ho! 😋) 

[CameronJ]

36 minutes ago, gs_triumph said:

I used to feel like that. 

I'd turn the volume down when playing with my band so my mistakes didn't stand out.  I'd fucus on all my mistakes.  Let them get to me. By the time we got to the end of a jam session I could not hear myself play and nor could anyone else. 

Practicing at home, again, id focus on the mistakes - cos that how you can improve... Eliminate the mistakes. 

I'd play a lot but completely unstructured.  Mainly playing things that sounded good when  I played them.

After twenty years I had  a few lessons and we'll... What can I say... Erm... I'd been doing it wrong.

My tutor refocused my mind more than my playing directly.  She pointed out the good things about my playing and gave me direction for practice at home so I actually improved the things I wasn't quite so good at. 

I now play at the volume that's right for the band.  I still make mistakes but I don't waste my energy on worrying about them.  I have a confidence in my playing that means I relax more and hence I don't make as many mistakes.

My issues were fixed by fixing my head.

(I'm still not that great but hey ho! 😋) 

Really well put.

47 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

You're probably much better than you think you are.

Also, this. We’re our own worst critics.

[CameronJ]

59 minutes ago, ambient said:

Lessons?

Ambient speaks sense. An outside eye will often see the things that are glaringly obvious but that we just haven’t noticed for ourselves yet.

[bubinga5]

Record yourself playing along to a track.

recording yourself gives you a hugely different perspective on what your playing, and how well you are playing.. 

 

But yeah like Ambient says. Depending where you are of course. Not a huge amount of good dedicated bass teachers in the shires, etc

 

 

Edited February 8, 2018 by bubinga5

[TheGreek]

58 minutes ago, gs_triumph said:

I'd fucus on all my mistakes

Fucus is a genus of brown algae found in the inter-tidal zones of rocky seashores almost throughout the world. Fucus, also called rockweed, genus of brown algae, common on rocky seacoasts and in salt marshes of northern temperate regions.

I do not advise taking or eating any Fucus or other seaweed without seeking professional advice, from someone such as a doctor.

Sorry..couldn't resist...

 

[GnarlyTone]

Thank you gents for taking the time out of your day to try and help me out. Looks like it's back to the metronome and trying to find a good tutor. 

[White Cloud]

1 hour ago, GnarlyTone said:

So here's the thing. I've been playing bass for a long time. The problem is I still don't feel like I'm any good. No matter how much I practice I don't play well consistently. I've tried metronomes. I've tried playing new and old material including scales. At this point for all my practicing I should be a well oiled machine. It's almost as if my muscle memory donesnt work. I never feel confident or comfortable playing something no matter how many times I play it. My fingers/hands just don't cooperate. I hate to give up on my passion but at this point it seems like I'm going nowhere. Sorry if this is in the wrong forum but thank you. 

If the only birds that sang were those that sang best...the woods would be very quiet.

Listen up my good man...I'm in touch with how you feel, and it can be very frustrating. The thing is, if you are passionate about playing bass and derive enjoyment from it, regardless of how good you are...then you MUST continue!

It's not really about being "good" at playing, it's about simply enjoying it.

If on the other hand you are genuinely not getting enjoyment from your playing, and are not passionate about it...then just quit. The thing is however, you are still passionate about it, and you definitely care - otherwise you wouldn't be posting here!

 Lower your expectations, ditch the pressure that you are applying to yourself, simplify things and relax. Just enjoy it.

Catch my drift?

Edited February 8, 2018 by White Cloud

[Cato]

We all hit plateaus.

Times when we feel we're stuck in a rut, just playing the same old stuff without ever improving.

I got out of my last one, a few years ago, by expanding my repertoire, I learned to slap and started playing genres I'd never considered before. Youtube tutorials were a huge help.

As others have said,  most of us have a tendency to play down our ability, especially to ourselves. 

Don't get despondent, cliched as it sounds, sometimes it's more useful to focus on the positives.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Cato

[mcnach]

2 hours ago, GnarlyTone said:

So here's the thing. I've been playing bass for a long time. The problem is I still don't feel like I'm any good. No matter how much I practice I don't play well consistently. I've tried metronomes. I've tried playing new and old material including scales. At this point for all my practicing I should be a well oiled machine. It's almost as if my muscle memory donesnt work. I never feel confident or comfortable playing something no matter how many times I play it. My fingers/hands just don't cooperate. I hate to give up on my passion but at this point it seems like I'm going nowhere. Sorry if this is in the wrong forum but thank you. 

 

I'm afraid that it's probably just a matter of sticking with it... and practice. When you practice, do you allow for at least a chunk of it to be "fun" or do you approach it as a chore? The more fun it is, the more likely you are to keep doing it and getting better. I'd seriously consider finding other people to play with, especially if they ARE better than you. It's amazing how much more quickly you progress once you are with a few other individuals and feel the pressure... and it is fun too.

[lurksalot]

1 hour ago, bubinga5 said:

Record yourself playing along to a track.

recording yourself gives you a hugely different perspective on what your playing, and how well you are playing.. 

 

 

I'm not so sure about that , when I record myself , I always feel like I underperform, I just don't get with the click it doesn't feel natural . 

When I am stood standing beside my drummer who is doing his stuff I just seem to gel a million times better . The recording of gigs we've done are not great sound wise , but where I can be heard we are quite tight , and we have had positive feedback on that basis . 

Note fuckups are occasionally still there, but I forgive myself those 

if I am listening for a tempo I am struggling , if I feel the tempo I am grooving 

[pbasspecial]

Be the best you. Not somebody else. Making comparisons is poison.

Be good enough, look the part and fun to be around and you'll never be short of work.

[dmccombe7]

Not every bassist needs to be a Victor Wooten. 

If you can hold a decent solid bass line then you can be classed as a good bassist. Maybe not flash and possibly coming across as a bit shy and lacking confidence. Maybe you are just setting your own bar too high. 

For me i play the best i can and that's good enough for me.

Out of curiosity what does your band think about your playing ?

If no complaints from them then you must be doing something right and you are better than you think.

Dave

Edited February 8, 2018 by dmccombe7

[charic]

If you find playing to a metronome a bit dull have a look at guitarpro or similar

 

[BigRedX]

Are you in a band?

If not join one now. IME you learn more and at at a faster rate playing with other musicians than you ever can no matter how motivated you are sitting on your own at home.

[uk_lefty]

I was rubbish for the first two years of playing. Didn't even have a tuner, just had one "learn bass" book but the cd was missing. I got a tuner, downloaded tabs for my favourite songs (on dial up internet, what a ball ache!) And tried to learn songs I liked. After two years I went to play with a band who were far and away miles better players than me and I was so embarrassed! I turned up with a 10w practice amp and they had pro kit, I had a list of songs I could play... Well! Playing with the band just released me. Making mistakes is fine, it's a symptom of enjoying yourself and getting lost and experimenting. I've been gigging fifteen years now, on and off, and I make mistakes time and time again! But when you play with others, that raises your level, if you listen and try to play with them instead of play your part independently. They will cover your mistakes naturally, they will compliment what you're doing and vice versa without a word ever being said and often without anyone consciously knowing. That's the magic of it. 

Keep going! Enjoy it. Take lessons, but if you don't like the teacher change them. Play with others, ideally people with more experience but a good attitude. Listen to good bass music. Keep challenging yourself and come back to the stuff that you just don't quite get yet.... I'm still waiting for my week to dedicate to learning portrait of Tracy! 

Keep going. Nobody was a bass genius on day 1. Or even day 700.

[LeftyJ]

11 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

Nobody was a bass genius on day 1.

[Barking Spiders]

Check out my thread here on online bass tutors. I've listed several I really rate as being excellent . Top players, a methodical approach, clear explanations, good delivery with a lightness of touch and some humour. Tune into their lessons on YT or via their websites and you'll get back on track

[dontregartha]

On 08/02/2018 at 23:34, pbasspecial said:

Be the best you. Not somebody else. Making comparisons is poison.

Be good enough, look the part and fun to be around and you'll never be short of work.

This is the best advice...

 

but do make a habit of playing along to tracks, clicks, drum machines, live drums - you'll start to 'lock' and that will transform your playing. Bass isn't a solo noodling instrument - its a rhythm section instrument - how can you practice without the rest of your section?

[T-Bay]

Do you enjoy it when you play? If you do you are good enough. It’s a good thing to want to improve but it is also important to enjoy what you do.

I have an almost religious practice regime of 15 mins warm up (noodling fun bits), 15 mins technique (various online apps and YouTube) and at least 30 mins of going over our sets. I do that every day and it has made a massive difference to me.