The Surprising Truth About Bass Players Over 40

[@pastorgroove]

Week #1 update on learning to read music at 60 will be live this Tuesday! kzbin.infogPES7uDvm-I?si=CvaCnQOlgVNYRHyl

[@DaddyBooneDon]

I'm inspired. Thank you

[@pastorgroove]

I’m glad you’re inspired! Go for it!! Thanks for watching.

[@TensyCL]

This sounds super exiciting, I'll stick around to follow your progress, thanks for sharing!

[@pastorgroove]

I’m glad you like it! Be sure to click the bell for notifications.

[@jamessechman8560]

I love everything about your video. I turned 50 a few weeks back. I still love playing bass. My 9 year old son has been playing piano for almost 5 years. He playfully challenged me to learn his concert piece. That kid can practice about 20 minutes for 3 days a week and be ready to step up and perform. It’s taking me about 30 minutes for 6 days a week to just keep up with him. I’m enjoying the journey. I guess my old brain doesn’t work like it used to. I’m glad I’m more disciplined now. Now let’s see what I can learn on the bass. 😃

[@pastorgroove]

@@jamessechman8560 Awesome!! Keep going! Thanks for watching.

[@TheBlindingwhite]

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

[@pastorgroove]

Is that a “Days of Thunder” quote ;)? Thanks for watching.

[@seanblake3658]

this was a great video coming from a 21 year old bassist such a great outlook on music

[@pastorgroove]

Thanks for watching.

[@marionrollmage]

what a nice ideia, keep it up!

[@pastorgroove]

Thanks.

[@bassdood3383]

Good video. As a 70 year-old bass player and recovering drummer who is still gigging occasionally, I can relate. There are tons of videos by very talented monster players, but you speak for most of the rest of us. I've been working on Rocco's bass parts (What is Hip?, Soul Vaccination), and I can get through most of the notes, but I'll never have the speed, especially as arthritis takes hold in my hands. But I keep working at it. You're an inspiration. Please keep it up.

[@pastorgroove]

God bless you. Thank you for the kind words. Never give up.

[@bjogden]

You can defiantly double thumb! For me personally I drop down off the fretboard, it give more of a 'basement' to dig under the string. kick ass vid!

[@pastorgroove]

@@bjogden Thanks

[@JailDoctor1]

I've often dreamed of playing bass. I've been a drummer 67-12. I'm sevety-four.

[@pastorgroove]

Go for it! :)

[@daveweed2765]

Learning to play any instrument takes a lot of dedication. Bass is not as easy as it sounds. I will say one thing though. You shoulf know your perdidel.

[@pastorgroove]

I did downsize from 5 string to 4 for ergonomics. Haven’t tried anything short scale yet though.

[@daveweed2765]

@@pastorgroove I played guitar for a long time before bass. Always thought the bass player looked like the coolest dude in the band with that long guitar, especially playing with a pick and slung down low. Now I'm the coolest looking dude in the band. Personally I don't think there is anything ergonomic with a bass. After 10 years my fingers still hurt after a couple of hours.

[@AJMjazz]

Great video! From a professional guitarist/bassist for 42 years, (I'm almost 64), You are on the right track. But from the bass player side of me, I never got work playing fancy licks, pop 'n' slap, etc. All my work came from playing the right feel or the right tone/sound for the song. For example: playing a Jazz bass w/ flatwounds, foam under the strings near bridge, grab a pick and play along to "One Less Bell to Answer" by 5th Dimension. That's Joe Osborn on bass, Hal Blaine on Dr, and Tom Tedesco on Ac Gtr playing at about 56 or 58 BPM. And they are all a little "behind the beat". But feels so good! Or "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell - Carol Kaye on bass. Solid feel. Or some of the "straighter" and shuffle James Jamerson grooves from Motown - "My Girl", "My Guy", "I Can't Help Myself", etc. Note length is important on those tunes. Even old Beatles songs with simple lines are good to focus time and feel. If they feel good and you can make them feel good without thinking, that gets the work. I primarily play lead guitar in my church orchestra - we sight read notated charts - and occasionally fill in on bass after I "retired" from touring. It's great to serve on either instrument. Keep working it! You've been given the gift; use it for His glory!!

[@pastorgroove]

God bless you. Thank you for the comments and watching. I absolutely agree. The fancy stuff never got me a gig. Being solid, in time, on time, and not being a jerk gets the call backs. Thanks again.

[@christopherwashington7668]

Beautiful account, man. I played bass since the 80's. Got to play with great people and then had a stroke in my 50's. I didn't leave the bass, it left me (I'm lefty). Went back to drums 5 years later but it's not the same. I love drums as it's my 1st instrument (played along with Beatles records as a child in the 60's) but they are different colors on the same canvas.

[@swagnjazzy]

You're not alone my brother. I'm 60 also. We got to stick together LOL !!!

[@pastorgroove]

@@swagnjazzy amen to that!

[@JohnHancotte]

Good job on Teen Town. I am not an expert and cannot play it up to speed. I want to suggest that you really learn the notes and the rhythms, slowly, as you said. That first bar of the head is 15 16th notes, with a rest on beat 1. The first note starts on e of 1. It sounds like you're not articulating the D# to E (the next notes after the third low C). I don't want you starting it off shaky. That first line is perhaps the most critical. I apologize if I'm coming across as a know it all. I just want you to learn it as best you can.

[@pastorgroove]

@@JohnHancotte I appreciate the suggestions. I was definitely not attempting a clean version lol. It is the most challenging piece I’ve ever tried to learn. It makes most other songs that I’ve learned since as somewhat easy. Thank you very much for watching.

[@DanielMiclos]

Not only can you learn new things, but you should learn them to keep your brain sharp.

[@pastorgroove]

Yup. Use it or loose it.

[@garethde-witt6433]

I hate slap it just sounds awful

[@pastorgroove]

@@garethde-witt6433 definitely needs to be used in the right spots. Anything outside of that gets indulgent.

[@r0cket_penguin]

Yeah I agree and I’m a bass player.

[@m.hughes2521]

Pick up an upright dude. Play bass for a change.

[@pastorgroove]

lol. I would love to have an upright. I am looking at a fretless next. Thanks for watching.

[@m.hughes2521]

@ Fretless is not upright. Do you want to play bass or just diddle around? Tell the truth "preacher".

[@pastorgroove]

@@m.hughes2521 lol preacher can't lie. Guess I am gonna just diddle around since the fretless is more accessible financially at this time. Stick around and keep watching, maybe that could change one day.

[@m.hughes2521]

@ I'm a preacher's kid. I started bass in 1970 on a fretless Precision and my highschool upright, played my first club gigs at age fifteen. Fifty-five years later thru countless road gigs and recording, I've always played in some church somewhere. My take on your average gospel bass player (and I've seen thousands) is that very few have the chops to play a roadhouse and most of them would not know the Gospel of Christ if it bit them in the ass. There's your next sermon pastor.