Jim it sounds like you might want to break up the study with some fun. Learn some songs you like. Try writing some simple bass lines, or songs if you feel up to it. I wrote my first song after I had only been playing a few months. It was simple but at the time it was the coolest thing in the world. Song writing also teaches you a GREAT deal! If you are not ready for that there are many funk and R&B songs with easy enough bass lines for a beginner. It can't be all work, you have to have some fun with it too. If it's not fun what's the point?

Dave

Dave, thanks for the advise. I must say that what you say is very interesting. By writing my own music, I can incorporate some fun into learning my instrument. I will try this new approach to learning. I hope you are out there to answer my many questions later on. God Bless.

I'm 47. Started about 10 years ago, & stuck with it. Similarly, I wanted to play forever.

+1 on "fun". A "task of learning" can sometimes feel a bit of a heavy weight.

Find a simple little groove you can play to one of the drum or band tracks &, well, groove!

(One trick that might help keep you regular is to promise us (& yourself) to play at least one note every day. Just one. If you feel like more that day, cool. If you don't, that's cool too.)

It's called playing for a reason ; )

hey man, this is the kind of brotherhood I thought would be out there. I will do what you say and be a BASS PLAYER. Thank you for being out there and responding.

My teacher recommended to me to always try to play, every day, at least 15 minutes.

Also, playing with other people is a great way to improve. I started slightly earlier than you... 31st October 2007.

Recently I've joined a band, the musicians are very experienced, and although I can't play half the songs they play (too fast for me), with hard work I've improved my speed and ability to play songs.

This forced me to learn to use a pick, I had only used fingers. But in 3 weeks I've managed to get greater speed with pick than fingers. (Although my intention in the future is to only use fingers, but that will take a longer time)

So, friend, just try to make it fun. And, play for a reason, too. Be it one note or 15 minutes at least.

You can play scales, some simple songs (Pink Panther and Fur Elize are great ones), or even if you just play all the combinations with your fingers:

1-2-3-4, 1-2-4-3, 1-3-2-4, 1-3-4-2, 1-4-2-3, 1-4-3-2

and then all the combinations starting with the other 3 fingers.
2-1-3-4, 2-1-4-3, ...
3-1-2-4, 3-1-4-2, ...
4-1-2-3, 4-1-3-2, ...

I started the same way....5 years ago. Then I decided I was going to join a band regardless. My first band was terrible. We'de get together in the guitarists basement and butcher the same 20 songs every week....but after a year, those 20 songs were tight, and I got comfortable with other musicians.

Start learning a basic POPULAR songs. For example- Rock songs like:
Crazy Train
Man in the Box
Paranoid
Slither
You shook me all night long

Find some drum loops or a drum machine and just play along with what you hear. Just play whateveryou want; no rules.

As you play, you'll begin to see little patterns emerge and you'll start picking up on new things to play. You will find cool little lines that you just can't get out of your head and you'll enjoy yourself a lot, I think.

Good luck.

Bo

+1

A cheap used multi-effect usually has some drum patterns. Lousy, but they do give something to play with/against. And you can use the pedal to play around with different effects (set it for Auto-Wah & THEN tell me you are bored ; )

As my fellow ABers said before. you can motivate yourself with
having some fun with it. I think this is one of the biggest points
that music is all about.communication and sharing feelings with
other musicians. you'd feel it when you play bass in a band that
there's a chemistry between the people.this was how i started to
learn bass and motivated myself.
Get yourself a band. you'd learn more than you can imagine.

Agreed. And try to learn something new everytime you practice. Be it improving your technique or playing around with a new sound.