2.10.2006

[Music] Busting my chops...aka learning the bass guitar, year 12

I've been interested in playing the bass guitar since 1993. I have had many false starts and even purchased an amp (which I later donated to a starving bassist I knew who lost his). I had a bass given to me by a friend who no longer wanted it, it needed a lot of work, so it sat in my closet for many years. Nerdwife for my 30th birthday surprised me with it, she had taken it and had it fixed. There are some things that cannot be completely fixed, but it is in playable and more importantly learnable condition.

I have taken the plunge finally and am starting to learn. It is hard, I have zero musical talent. I am learning everything from scratch. People say music is easy because its math, but I still haven't been able to wrap my mathematical mind about music. I understand the basic theory mind you, it all fractions and such. But I have always been analytical, not creative. Creation of things like stories, poetry and especially music was hard for me. I saw everything in terms of math and science. As I've aged I've started seeing things more philosophically, and artistically. I have an artist in me crying to get out, but that artist is an infant. I need to nurture him.

Learning music is hard.

2 comments:

AllThingsSpring said...

>Learning music is hard.

Try taking up the cello at 30, then we'll talk hard.

Bravo for making the musical jump. We'll have to jam a bit.

celesathene said...

If I may, I think the key element is that everyone except the musical geniuses require constant, repetitive, consistent practice. Give it time and stick with it. It will come. I remember all the hours I would put into a piece, but when I finally had it, inside and out, up and down, backwards and forwards, the release of playing something but not really thinking about it is a feeling unmatched. It's a high, a freedom, another plane.

Also, the band I'm starting in my dreams needs a bass player. Northstar Bar here we come!