LeftyBassist.com

just venting...wondering if its really worth keeping my basses or just selling off all music equipment I have and walking away from music playing or in my case attempting to play music.
I am a Texas commission on law enforcement firearms instructor, ASP certified expandable baton and handcuffing instructor, private security instructor and defensive tactics instructor. It seems I have no problem learning or at least learning hands on / combat type stuff.
with all that on my plate to keep up skills with I never seem to have time to devote to serious learning of guitar and get stuck at a beginner level.
while I really enjoy playing it kinda sux to learn easy songs and then have to go back and relearn them to get them back under my fingers. then there is the thing about being an old guy. 43 is not old but to others at my level of playing I am "the old guy", or to others at my age group no one wants to jam with me because its frustrating or not fun playing beginner stuff.
So like I said I am kinda venting but at the same time I am on the fence about if its worth the money I have invested in what seems a pipe dream.
I have a lefty Gibson SG, MTD bass I got from Pete here on this forum, 2 Ibanez basses one fretless righty flipped, one regular, roland cube amp for guitar, Ibanez promethean bass amp, head sunn spl speaker cab, Johnson acoustic guitar that others have played and said it stands up to much higher end stuff and roland v drums with all mesh heads.

if your still reading this vent/whine/cry for help lol any comments, opinions and/or advise is welcome.

Hi there Chopper,
For what it's worth, I am also in my early 40's and if truth be told I am still in the beginner realm. I travel a lot for work, and my home life is hectic. Playing the bass (not as often as I like) keeps me sane somehow. I bought a mixer and run my preamp to it with my phones, and my DVD player so I can practice lessons while everyone else is asleep. I probably spend more time tinkering with stuff than playing, but I like that part too. There are many folks here who are way more talented than I will ever be with the bass, but I still have fun with it. Just be honest with yourself.... I love loud distorted bass and just walloping it after a hard day of work makes me smile...if you are ever in Portland Oregon, let's grab a beer

chopper45hd wrote:worth.....selling off.....walking away......to keep up skills....time to devote.....serious learning.....beginner level......enjoy playing.....old guy. 43......frustrating......worth the money.......invested.....pipe dream......Gibson SG, MTD, ,2 Ibanez, roland cube amp for guitar, Ibanez bass amp, sunn cab, Johnson guitar and roland v drums

I've cherry picked words outta your post that I see as issues to deal with.

And as a bona fide Tennessean who has visited the Lone Star you can trust my opinion!

First, the easiest thing you can do is sell everything but one bass and one amp. Will that solve all your problems? Nope. Is it what everyone should do? Nope. But it would likely help you remove the "I have a lot of money tied up in bass playing stuff" thinking that can build up over time to become its own worst kind of distraction.

Next you should google (if you don't already know) the ages of bassists you honestly, truly admire. As in their playing, musicianship just to be clear. How old are they today? How old were they when they were making the music you admire? Are they still playing the bass today or did they stop? These are all important questions. What if one of your guys is 47 and his record you love was made 20 years ago and he's playing later this Summer in Dallas? What if it was the same guy but he OD'd in new orleans 15 years ago? What if your guy is 23, unknown and from Lubbock? What if he's 31 and you just read he quit bass and took up keytar?

Then specialize in focusing on you learning to play exactly what inspires you to play.

Chopper, I kinda know how you feel. Frustration is something I'm very familiar with. Having to learn easy level songs then re-learning them is a frequent thing for me.
Like some others here, I play as part of my physical therapy routine. My very first post here explained it all. Short version...I've broken my neck twice in my lifetime. I have neuro problems that worsen the longer I'm upright. It sounds bad but it's a liveable situation. I have no paralysis but do have motor skill problems. Basically my motor skills are 40% of normal in my left hand and 60% in the right. Sometimes it's better than that, other times not. Simply put, my brain isn't able to keep normal contact with my extremities. Playing basic scales or excercises are at times a no brainer, other times, it's like hitting a wall. It's, at times, very frustrating when you know what note comes next or which finger to use, but it's tough, phyiscally, to make it happen. Those are the bad times, the good times are when you can play with enough ease that you can do it with "feeling". Those times, make it worth putting up with the bad days.
LOL, it's taken me 2yrs to learn to play "Californication" by RHCP w/o any mistakes, on a good day. An hour or two later, it's likely I won't be able to play it much better than I played 18mos ago.
I'll never be able to play before an audience. I'll never make money playing. I play because I love it. If I were fine physically, I'd still play. I play twice a day, almost every day, even if I have other things going on, I find time to play. If nothing else just up and down the neck in front of the tv. I also use one of these when I don't have time to actually play a bass but have free use of my hands.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessor ... -exerciser

So, should you quit, sell your stuff, and move on? I suppose it depends on how much you enjoy playing vs how much you don't. How determined you are to improve/succeed and what goals you've set, if any.
Perhaps taking a break would be beneficial or play just to play for a while. I totally relate to you being good with your hands. I used to be as well. As a hobby I used to repair antique clocks and could build or repair just about anything. If what I was working on was missing a part, I could make one. Like so many old guys, that stuff is in the past, as it will be one day for us all. Two things I've learned about motor skills or lack of...Use it or lose it, and there is ALWAYS someone who is worse off than you and better off than you. I plan to be playing my bass til check out time.
So you're the old guy? I'm 59. Started playing @ 57. I hate to say it man, but in a few years, "old guy" is gonna take on a whole new meaning for you. If you don't let that label bother you now, it won't later when it's actually true.
If you're concerned about the amount of money you have invested, perhaps it time to sell some stuff. Keep what you like, what is the most enjoyable/rewarding, for you, to use and play.
I really hope some of this post is of use to you. I've spent way more time on this than I intended and likely said too much.If so, my apologies Sir. Time to take some "messed up old guy" meds, sit down with my bass, and work on my current easy level song....Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen.
Lastly, to me, it sounds like perhaps you may want to make yourself a "playing niche", sell some stuff if need be, find some time to practice and improve if that's what you desire, and remind yourself often, that dreams, even pipe dreams, can make all the difference later on. Well worth most any investment I think.
Regardless of what you decide, I wish you well and hope you continue to play as long you enjoy it.

Hey, check it out...

I'm 40... I play bass... AND I'm also into defensive pistol shooting!

Yep, I do both too. Small world, eh?

Here's some videos of me shooting pistol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeOtpqyu3yM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp-JE7uFJAk

It's fun to do both things... I'm probably better at playing bass than I am at shooting, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun shooting.

I guess what I'm saying is that learning ANY instrument is frustrating... but as long as you're having fun with it, who cares if you're Victor Wooten or not?

thank you to NoXX, KingofAmps, Milo and Addison for replying and letting me know I am not alone. one of the reasons I started to learn music long ago was as much social as anything. it is always more fun to do things in a group than by yourself.
getting an outside view is helpful, I think I am getting to hung up in the acquire more gear side of things and forget that its fun to play the instrument you already have.
I think I will put most of what I have up for sell... I really don't have a need for drums and don't foresee any drummers coming over to be my backing track, think I will keep the Gibson SG and just put it in the case and forget its there for a while. maybe get a smaller cab to go with the bass amp head so I take up less room in my house with what I sell the drums for.

Thanks to everyone for reminding me I don't have to play music well to enjoy playing.

Chris good shooting, great music!
guess I need to remember I do shooting and teaching for a living and music for fun.

chopper45hd wrote:Chris good shooting, great music!
guess I need to remember I do shooting and teaching for a living and music for fun.

check out my thread in the "sights and sound" topic.
Im 43 , all though i play in afew small duos and bar bands for money, i cant be bothered much with bands these days
I write and record all my songs by myself

I feel ya man! That's the issue with bass playing, it is mostly a band instrument. Then you get into a busy life with a crazy work schedule, family, kids...Tough to keep this passion alive. As far as I am concerned it is one of the reasons I have been more and more invested in my acoustic guitar playing although bass is my primary instrument.
Now, from my experience I know there are a lot of 40-50yrs blues rock dudes who are looking for a bass player to play simple bass lines.