Late re-starter

[wambamalubop]

I'm a born again bass player,  currently heading towards the big 6-0 but not there just yet.  

I wasn't a very good player at uni, but because in those days I was only one or two people who played the bass, I got to play a fair bit, mostly jazzy jamming, some of the people I jammed with were really great and one at least went on to play with a well known band of the era.  Before Uni I was in 'practice bands' and did not gig much.   

Over the last 20 or so years I've occasionally given in to the bass desires, but its just been bedroom stuff, career or the rest of life just got in the way. 

Two years ago I picked up the bass again as I've always wanted to read music and wanted to give the online training a go,  I did Yousician for about a year, then a year ago dropped that and started learning Bach pieces from the sheet music books.  I learned a few pieces that continue to challenge me and at least now have a party piece or two that impresses non-musicians. 

More recently I was at an event outside and there was a folk band and a DB player,  I asked him some questions about it with the result that he asked me if I wanted to 'have a go'  as he wanted a rest. Although I was pretty bad, I had a go and he didn't come back for half an hour, so I couldn't have been *that* bad (I was though).  At least I could more or less keep the rhythm even though the music was alien to me. 

I've always fancied a go at the DB so decided I'd have a go.  Initially I tried to hire a DB, but it turned out that locally all the basses were hired out.  So I decided to treat myself as a birthday present, and got a double bass which I'm currently trying to get sorted out, I think it will work out, and it looks nice in the main living room if it doesn't. 

Before I could start learning it properly I got an email from someone as a result of an ad I put out on joinmyband so now I've joined a rock band,  well, its still not quite a full band as it has no singer.  So there is a chance I may at some point go out and play somewhere locally.  It's all very high energy stuff, punky rock and indy,  musically simple but good for me to get me back into playing with others for the first time in several decades.  

I'm finding that I'm enjoying music more than ever.  The Internet forums like this and resources such as studybass.com and videos on YouTube make a wealth of knowledge open to me that was impossible to access when I was a youngster,  and I'm just loving learning so much more. 

Musically although I have a liking for classic rock and lots else, I was 'converted' to Jazz in my late teens and met my partner at a Jazz club,  back in those days she was one of a very tiny number of women I'd see in such places. So music and Jazz have always been important to me. 

I'm not sure I'll ever be good enough to play in a jazz setting, but if it doesn't happen that's no problem.  I may end up playing folk, not my favourite, but there's a lot of it about.  If you call Danny Thompson folk, then I like that,  and the whole psych-folk thing. 

Whatever,  its all music and lovely, so thats what its about. 

I find these forums really fantastic, apart from occasional threads, there seems to be a friendliness that comes from sharing a love of music (or gear) to the point where these forums are a lot more fun than many other places on the internet these days.   

[Dad3353]

Good evening, wambmu... wombatal... Wambombalo... Big W... , and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

[ped]

Welcome back to the fold. I’m glad you like our little forum, I hope you enjoy it here and let me know if you have any questions about using the site. 

Cheers

ped

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Wambamalubop.

[josie]

Welcome! It's so important to just "go for it", as you are. Let us know how it goes :-) 

[Frank Blank]

*waves*

[TheGreek]

What's the quote about the Lost Sheep??

Welcome back to the fold..

[Grangur]

Hi there @wambamalubop, 

It sounds like you're doing well. The internet makes learning so much more accessible than it was "back in the day". Though it sounds like you did better tsnh I did in the 70s/80s. 

See you around.