Members Tlaloc Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 Does anyone else feel really down about music when they're not in a band? That's what usually happens to me when I'm not in a band or getting regular gigs. Playing bass seems to be like such a futile waste of effort, seeing how it's usually the backbone of a song, but a lot of times, it just doesn't have much substance on its own. I guess it's kind of like a "why bother playing if nobody is going to listen?" Then again, why should any of that matter? Luckily, I've got a band, so now I'm in a phase of being really obsessive about music and whatnot. Especially since my band right now consists of a singer, drummer, and me switching between bass, guitar, or keyboard/piano. It's quite a task! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members poomwah Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 Tlaloc, Oh my god, have I been there, I'm there right now. I go through stages where I have to force myself to play. Its like, playing along with a cd, or mp3, its going to be the same every time, no tempo change, no improv, unless I improvise, then if its good theres no one to hear it, and transversely, if it sucks, theres no one to hear it. I often ask myself whats the point. I miss performing more than I can put into words Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gruntollio Bass Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 I'm in 2 bands at present, but I do get frustrated when either band has extended periods of downtime. In one of my bands the drummer is taking alot of time off lately which is frustrating everyone because we have had gigs lined up, but the drummer can't do it so we have had to cancel gigs and rehearsals as a result. I'd hate to be completely bandless again though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members i_wanna_les_paul Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 I've accepted that music for me is a hobby. I'll play in church occasionally, but for the most part I just enjoy the music I make. I haven't made any real progress as far as technical skill goes in several years, but I have fun making the noise that I make and the flow of creativity from improvisation. It's kind of like my photography hobby. A very small number of people ever see my photos and 75 or so years from now, they'll all be in some box in someone's basement or in a landfill. For now, however, they provide a substance to life that I don't get elsewhere. $.02 Dustin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tlaloc Posted January 21, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 sometimes when I have phases like that, I think that it would be funny to go into a major city and be one of those music bums at subway stations why just sit with an instrument and amplifier and just play random stuff. I think I might try that one day. At least someone will be listening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Aussie Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 Yes.often.bass is rarely the focal point for a song, too, and unless you are playing along to stuff on bass, I often just get bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 When I'm in a band, I'm focused on music. When I'm not in a band, I'm focused on finding a band.C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rocknrumble Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 That's the story of my life. I've just found a band that wants to play a lot of the stuff that I'm into, so I've been uber-motivated to play lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members el_duderino676 Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 I've accepted that music for me is a hobby. I'll play in church occasionally, but for the most part I just enjoy the music I make. I haven't made any real progress as far as technical skill goes in several years, but I have fun making the noise that I make and the flow of creativity from improvisation. It's kind of like my photography hobby. A very small number of people ever see my photos and 75 or so years from now, they'll all be in some box in someone's basement or in a landfill. For now, however, they provide a substance to life that I don't get elsewhere. $.02 Dustin That pretty much sums up my outlook. I haven't really been in a band since I've started playing, but I jam with people that I've played with since I began who have similar goals to mine at least a few times a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roger in the sky Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 playing music is more fun in a band but i find listening to music is more fun when im not in a band going to a show as a musician for me always ends up being about judging the players, looking for new tricks, checking out gear, and generally looking for ways to improve my own work. etc. all that thinking gets in the way of dancing with pretty girls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t3ch Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 I just got there recently. It's not even that I've become all that great of a player, but I've become bored by myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scary Bill Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 Nope. I like to jam with friends. I don't have time to commit to a band. It wouldn't be worth the money, and anything I enjoy as a hobby gets ruined quick when money(AKA work, job, ect) comes into the picture. Music is fun for me but not as a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members basste Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 I would say, before playing for people, i play for me. Music helped me to grow as a person, and is always my best medecine. So, when i didn't have band, i played hours and hours with cds, with drumbox, just with the bass, just to feel this hapiness of music in my body and mind. When i play only bass, without nothing else, i play melodies, chords, harmonics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Martinez Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 I play bass and sing in a band, but I also write songs, and play solo, singer/songwriter stuff on acoustic guitar. So, I always have something going on besides a band. In short, I never let NOT being in a band get me down. But being in a band is REAL cool if you have chemistry with the other band members and everyone is cool. So far, I have all that! Frankly, I am not too into just sitting around playing bass by myself. I do it to practice, or run through songs for the band, but alone I much prefer guitar. It is MUCH better if I am alone and playing 12 string bass!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted January 21, 2008 CMS Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 Yup, it feels like a complete waste of time to work on songs for no particular reason than "getting better at it". I need a more defined goal...a gig coming in x-days, etc.... in order to get motivated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rpsands Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I'm even in a kind-of band and I still get annoyed playing by myself (because all we do pretty much is jam around random riffs and {censored}). I've got nothing really to learn, and if I spend time learning a random cover song we occasionally play, we stop playing it by the time I know it. Basically, I find it tough even to force myself to practice enough to keep my current pathetic chops, what with the Masters program and my job. I oughta start taking lessons again. I think that'd be good motivation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Martinez Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I'm even in a kind-of band and I still get annoyed playing by myself (because all we do pretty much is jam around random riffs and {censored}). I've got nothing really to learn, and if I spend time learning a random cover song we occasionally play, we stop playing it by the time I know it. Basically, I find it tough even to force myself to practice enough to keep my current pathetic chops, what with the Masters program and my job. I oughta start taking lessons again. I think that'd be good motivation. I am sorry to hear that, I HATE to just jam. Boy, what a monumental waste of time! Just playing bass a day for even a half hour can help keep your chops, but I really have to have a reason, like learning songs for a band, or coming up with bass lines for an original song of mine I am recording, otherwise, I may not pick up a bass for weeks or even months. When I got my Master's I didn't play bass for years!! Still, it all came back really fast when I did return to the instrument. Granted, I play straight ahead rock and pop, so it wasn't like I had to get back to my Stanley Clarke-style of bassplaying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frunobulax Posted January 21, 2008 Members Share Posted January 21, 2008 When I'm in a band, I'm focused on music.When I'm not in a band, I'm focused on finding a band.C7 yup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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