Discourage while playing!!!

[cogicguy]

I was just wondering has everyone or has anyone got discourage while playing? I ask that question because this sunday at church I got very discourage..(I know its the devil playing tricks on me, but he got the best of me on sunday). I'm coming up on a year playing bass and I notice I only know how to play certain choir songs, and I'm not able to groove and play along to other songs. So this sunday I was not able to play any praise and worship songs and the choir did 2 selections I didnt know. SO I just felt so useless with a bass in my hands and not being able to play anything. I attend classes but I usually just bring my cd and he teaches me the songs. I didnt want to give up but I felt real down, but I tell u one thing this website is very helpful and thanks to brothas like bullitt and mikegee, they got me refocus. But the question is, is discouragment a part of the learning process, or its a personal thing?

[djgroovin]

I've been there too.  I used it as motivation not to be in that position again.  Go back to practice shed and refocus.  You've got a few days till next Sunday.  Try to be a little better this week then you were last week.  I feel that discouragement is always there to smack you in the face, just to keep you humble.  Learn to use it as a tool to measure yourself and continue to improve.

The moment I realized that learning music is a life long process, I stopped being so hard on myself.

[ApostolicBassPlaya]

I've just recently gotten out of a slump and the discouragement that comes with it.  I know for myself I get so focused on the music we are preparing for church and some of it has some pretty complicated bass lines.  I have found however that if I stop working on that music for a day or two, and learn something else, something simple it really brings me back around. 
For example just right now we are working on "Good" or "God has been good to me" by D. Haddon.  The bass line is kinda slap / pop with popped ghost notes in an akward rythym.  I got pretty frustrated trying to get it "perfect" and this in turn gets me discouraged.  SO I left it alone for a couple of days and just from memory / melody learned The Star Spangled Banner adding some chording.  It really broke the tension I was feeling about my playing.  I began to work from my inspiration not someone else's that I was hearing.  Also listen to a variety of music that has some off the wall bass lines or melodies.
Hope this was not too long and helps.

[MikeGee]

Like DJ said it's not all about what you can do on bass now. You've put a year in, I've got nearly 3 year in and I get this all the time. Especially when we do song that chnge keys 3 times.

If you stick with it 5 years from now, I'm sure you have a good idea where you'll be.

What I find useful is we get or I create chord charts. Atleast I know what is being played and what. If these arn't availible playing with a low amout of experience is going to be difficult. I think you should pride yourself (in GODly way of course). Tell yourself Mikegee is cheating and cogicguy is doing it the hard way and still getting by. 

[Da Man]

Every time I put the best that I have into practice then show up Sunday thinking "Okay, bring it.  I'm ready!!  I'm going to throw down," I have a baaad day.  No matter how good I think I know the songs. 

When I pray up and ask God to use me, things HAPPEN.  I can hear and feel the music flow and I move accordingly.  Things just happen.  I feel like I'm standing beside myself, watching. 

So, I approach practice the same way.  I pray up.  I STILL put the best that I have into practice, then I turn it all over to Him.  However things turn out, I thank Him.   

Da Man

[H2_Ro56]

I agree with Da Man.  I look to Him for direction and He always seems to guide me to the right
notes...and believe me, I am one of the original Ol' Skool bassists.

It's funny how I know most of the Contemporary Gospel but not much of the traditional music. 
I've played for six years in a United Methodist Church and never had the experience of shouting
music until I came to play for a Baptist Church two years ago.  It was like going from High School
to College.  But I'm still there...eager to learn as much as possible.

He brought me a might long way and I'm not about to turn around.

[BruhMann001]

Ay, i've only been playin bass 4 about 2 yrz, but i think we've all been there. the only thing u can do iz pray on it EVERYTIME u pick up your bass. thats b4 u practice, b4 u go ta church, even right b4 the chior gets up 2 sing, because practice without prayer is simply a waste of time.

[Cherri]

I agree with simplfipy the I agree with simplifying. I come to learn that frustration is only means you are learning something new. Discouragement is an experimental vision of where you want to be mixed into where you are, acknowledge it understand the lesson and grow with it.

[cogicguy]

Its great to vent and get wonderful feedback. And I love one comment that was made "Practice without prayer is just a waste of time". So deep but so true

[Bullitt]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, hang in there man.  God's got great things in store for you.

Keep in mind that the devil may be able to see the plans that God has in store for you.  The enemy will do anything and everything he can to discourage you in order to keep you from reaching the level that God wants you to be at.  Keep the faith, hold you head up and press on, you'll make it bro


God Bless,
-J

[Cone]

Don't give up.  It's a chalenge, but you can do it.

[malthumb]

Don't give up.  It's a chalenge, but you can do it.

Amen.  Try to work with the MOM to set aside some time for you to learn some of the standards so that if / when they choose to go into them, you can at least fake your way through.

My first church gig was with a small church where the MOM was the pastor's wife and the Praise Team leader (who recruited me) had the poor judgement to take her on head on on a number of issues.  The drummer was the son of the pastor and the MOM.  What would typically happen was we'd rehearse about 6 songs on a Saturday.  Sometimes the drummer would show, sometimes not.  The organist NEVER showed up for a rehearsal.  The MOM would show up near the end of rehearsal and we'd negotiate with her which 3 or 4 songs we would plan to do the next day then we'd all go home.

Sunday morning, the MOM would hand the organist (remember, NEVER came to rehearsal) a song list.  Usually different from the one we agreed to.  On the worst Sundays, one of the vocalists, a diva who also NEVER showed up for rehearsal would get up and testify and then just start to sing "a song that the Lord gave me this morning when I woke up".  Problem was, neither she nor the Lord bothered to give it to the musicians.  Can you say TRAIN WRECK?  Usually these were songs that I had never before heard in my life.  It got to the point where we just pretty much let her and the organist own it when that happened.  And they generally sounded pretty good together.

I eventually stopped playing for that church.  I had asked the MOM and the Praise Team director (remember, they don't get along) to set up a standing Saturday rehearsal time where we could just walk through some of the "standards" that they liked to do so that I wouldn't be so lost.  The third time I found myself alone in the parking lot waiting for them to show up I decided my time was not being respected and that I could provide my services elsewhere.

Peace,

James

[ibanezman]

now i know im a lead guitarist(my fathers a bass player, by the way) but i know where erbody comin from--actually i believe i had it worst, for the simple fact that i play LEAD(and as all you bass players, keyboardists, horn players, and drummers know, guitar is not really needed as much as other instruments in black gospel).  the reoson i say had it worst was because when we would rehearse and listen to the cds, alot of the songs on the cd didnt even have lead guitar in it, and as such, i had no reference to play from(and the songs that did have guitar in it had crazy guitar fills that seemed unreal to a 1 month guitar player who only knew a couple chords.....you cannot imagine the look on my face when I, the 1 month guitar player who knew nothin, was asked to emulate the guitar solo on "Let It Rain" by Bishop Paul Morton )....because of that i would just turn the volume on my amp down, and just fake like i was playing .  many times i wanted to put the guitar down, but the MOM  (and GOD) refused to let me go....any way i eventually got better, and today, even only playing for a year, i can improvise on the spot smoothly and solo to songs...its wild when i think about it....(ever try listening to a recording of your live playing and was shocked at how good it sounded?)  Anyway, what im trying to say is if it wasnt for people encouraging me not to give up, i wouldnt be Ibanezman.