Do professional bassists still play at home for fun

[iconic]

My brother is an award winning chef...go to his house for dinner you get egg and chips if ya lucky...very nice ones though!

I sell cars for a living....my Corvette Stingray has had a set of badges sitting in the passenger footwell for well, must be 6 months and haven't been fitted yet...

My painter has BMW with a ding in the rear 1/4 for must be 3 months...

My mechanic has a 4x4 Truck with 2nd gear syncro' out of it for must be 3 years...

My friend who manages the best loans and fianance for car's is always skint...

....do bass players who earn their living from bass playing, still mess about at home?


I'm hoping bass breaks the norm...

Edited March 31, 2010 by iconic

[bluesparky]

[quote name='iconic' post='792508' date='Mar 31 2010, 09:28 PM']My brother is an award winning chef...go to his house for dinner you get egg and chips if ya lucky...very nice ones though!

I sell cars for a living....my Corvette Stingray has had a set of badges sitting in the passenger footwell for well, must be 6 months and haven't been fitted yet...

My painter has BMW with a ding in the rear 1/4 for must be 3 months...

My mechanic has a 4x4 Truck with 2nd gear syncro' out of it for must be 3 years...

My friend who manages the best loans and fianance for car's is always skint...

....do bass players who earn their living from bass playing, still mess about at home?


I'm hoping bass breaks the norm...[/quote]

I'm a lighting tech by trade, our porch light bulb blew ages ago and the missus is still giving me grief for not replacing it....
Not sure about the bass player side of your question though!

[Sarah5string]

I'm a debt advisor.... and I'm as much as a nerd at work as much as I am at home and I recently paid off all my debt..

[bubinga5]

Im an electrician but i can just about be bothered to sort out a dodgy ring main problem.im not a pro....but electric bass and piano..no prob...its the difference, (for me) between a job and a passion..

if a pro or anyone find's bass playing a chore to practice,(depending on your practice technique) they should cease to do it....music IMHO...touches your soul more than a job...depending on the job of course

Edited March 31, 2010 by bubinga5

[Linus27]

I'm a buyer and talk to suppliers and vendors all day on the phone. Yet I hate talking to people at home on the phone for private matters like car insurance, shops, etc.

[phil.i.stein]

I'm a gardener with the longest grass in the county..

[waynepunkdude]

I'm a hit man and the missus is still alive.

[The inglourious bass turd]

I'm a casualty nurse and I smoke, ride a motorcycle and I'm fat!

[The inglourious bass turd]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='792548' date='Mar 31 2010, 10:00 PM']I'm a hit man and the missus is still alive.[/quote]

[Marvin]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='792548' date='Mar 31 2010, 10:00 PM']I'm a hit man and the missus is still alive.[/quote]

I knew you'd let slip about what you did one day.

[Gust0o]

I'm a Programme Manager. At work I know everything and bark the orders. At home I know nothing and do what the wife tells me.

Who'd have thought, eh?!

I've always wondered how many pros practice. Flicking through Bassist mag it would seem that many interviewees profess not to.

[Huw Foster]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='792548' date='Mar 31 2010, 10:00 PM']I'm a hit man and the missus is still alive.[/quote]


Regarding the topic, I think any serious pro is still going to enjoy noodling about at home. I echo the sentiments of bubinga5 - if I didn't enjoy playing bass, or music for that matter, there would be no point in continuing.

[The_D]

My big bro loves drawing, cartoons mostly and actually had a call back from Marvel many moons ago.

Did his first 4 years at uni doing art but went back and is now a primary school teacher as he loved drawing so much he didnt want it to become a chore.

Its a good job I aint good enough to go pro as I love trying to play my basses haha!

[dudewheresmybass]

in short - yes i do

[chris_b]

Why should a professional musician not have fun playing, at home or anywhere else?

[TheButler]

I'm a student, and haven't read a book at home in ever.

[jakenewmanbass]

I have made a living from bass playing since I was about 21, I still play anything from 20 mins to 5 hrs in a day at home, I play nearly every day. I try to read a bit every day and I play along to albums and I improvise.

[TheButler]

[quote name='jakesbass' post='792720' date='Mar 31 2010, 11:31 PM']I have made a living from bass playing since I was about 21, I still play anything from 20 mins to 5 hrs in a day at home, I play nearly every day. I try to read a bit every day and I play along to albums and I improvise.[/quote]

Ah, so thats how you're so darn good, eh?

I'm not making a living from bass exactly, but i guess i should really get better rather than just stay in a mediocre comfort zone.

[Doddy]

I still pick up the bass everyday. For fun I play things that I'm not
regularly playing.At the minute I'm doing quite a few funk and jazz gigs,so
for fun I'm enjoying playing some rock and pop.

Got to keep the chops up

[funkypenguin]

I'm not a pro in the sense you're talking about, but i play a lot at uni (i.e. rehearsals every day, at least a gig a week) and its never a chore, i love just messing around on bass (and trumpet too) in my spare time. I asked my tutor Ollie Collins the same question, and he never sees it as a chore either

FWIW i think once it becomes a chore its time to take a break from playing, short or long (unless of course you earn your living from it)

[hagguy]

im a plasterer, just finished skimming my kitchen after putting it
off for about a year, if i had to play bass everyday, in a work like way
it would probably take the shine off it, so glad i'm mediocre at best.
got big respect for full time musicians, that's a level of dedication and ability
to aspire to, i used to play small gigs with my uncle and he always complained
that playing the same covers took the fun out of singing them, but he always had a smile
on his face when he got the money at the end of the night

[thumperbob 2002]

I am a wealth manager and hate dealing with my own investments- but love managing clients monies.

When I was pro I wouldnt dream of practicing unless it was to learn new numbers etc- I considered 28 gigs per month enough!!

Bob

[OutToPlayJazz]

I play whenever I get the chance. Even if it's just a chance to plug in and noodle for a few mins. It's one of the few things you can do for a living that you never get sick of. I suppose in my case, being a multi instrumentalist it's different, as there's always something else to learn or work for, whether it be learning a new piano part to accompany a pupil, work on a violin piece, etc, etc. It's great. I'll be working on a new unaccompanied American Folk Etude with a cello pupil towards her grade 8 tomorrow morning. There're always new challenges and that's why it doesn't get boring.

[geoffbassist]

I'm a full time freelance bassist and the playing is almost always fun, paid or unpaid. It's the rest of the job that's not not fun, loads of driving,low pay, bad conditions, no social life, crazy hours etc...
I still play for fun but try not to get distracted whilst practising.

[ahpook]

i'm a librarian and read maybe 3 books a year...

BUT i'd rather play bass than read, to my credit.