[quote=“autumnsdad1990, post:1644, topic:50490, full:true”]
So i wanted to say-34 is DEFINITELY not too old to learn to play bass. I got a pretty good chuckle out of this. Enjoy the course. Have fun, make noise, become a badass!
[/quote] @Samantha.Cooper
I wish I was 34 when I started bass, I would have had a 15 year headstart. 
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Briefly:
Started playing back in 2000 when I was handed a bass and told we were gonna start a band – Curb Jaw. Played a bunch of shows around NY. Recorded a couple albums. Was in some other bands. Took a few breaks.
In 2023, decided to get back into music more seriously. Learned quite a bit, obtained much more gear and will continue practicing, learning, and adding to my collection. Plan on re-recording new songs based off old material and getting back out there.
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I would have had a 34 year head start. But I hold firmly to the view that the best time to start playing bass is now.
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Welcome 
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Welcome @Mister_GothFvck
Have fun!
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Welcome @Mister_GothFvck !
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Welcome @Mister_GothFvck !
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Could not agree more. I once heard @JoshFossgreen say something along the lines of
" the best time to plant a fruit tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best is today"
That guy with the banana seems pretty sharp to me.
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Welcome, @Mister_GothFvck. Glad you’re here. Enjoy!
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Absolutely…
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Welcome @Mister_GothFvck !
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Thanks guys. 
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Welcome @Mister_GothFvck !
Quick question… favourite band? Just out of curiosity! 
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Hi I am Cerridwen (pronounced Care - Id - wen), from Calgary Canada.
I started playing bass on June 19, 2024; I am coming close to 58 years old 
My journey to music has been a rollercoaster to say the least.
I was always interested in music, acting and visual art and was in drama and art in school. I was convincing myself my first love was art but I kinda gaslit myself since I had a trauma associated with music and then sorta shut it down for many years. So I decided to pursue visual art instead.
My musical journey began with being given a guitar when I was 5 and I loved it. But was made fun of for not knowing how to play (no lessons) as if I was magically supposed to know how to do it in a family without any musical background at all. So I didn’t play anymore.
When I was in junior high I wanted to be in band and wanted to play guitar or bass and was refused, then I wanted to play sax and was refused because ’girls don’t play those’ and was told either clarinet or flute. So I picked clarinet. I became very good at it, was going to get first chair until a rich girls daddy paid the school off and they gave it to her even though she wasn’t as good. I then quit band and asked for a guitar. I got one when I was around 13 and had a best friend who also wanted to learn so we would jam. We were fairly good and I took 4 free lessons that came with the purchase of the guitar and they were useless and the teacher had a bad attitude, so we taught ourselves by ear. Sadly, my friend got into drugs and left our duo and ever since then I’ve tried to learn guitar off and on into my 40’s and 50’s and just can’t. Some weird mental block or something. Also, trying to fret chords pulled a tendon in my wrist and if I curve my wrist around now it will hurt.
In among all the trying to learn guitar stuff I picked up ukulele which helped my musical needs a tiny bit but the sound of the uke still doesn’t cut it for me even though it is a legit instrument. I then also tried tenor sax and I was doing really well on it but the loudness and physical demands on my neck now that I was not a teenager anymore was just too much. Can’t practice a sax quietly. I also own a custom made bohran from Ireland, and a handmade shakuhachi, as well as a strumstick and a Seagull Marlin. Don’t play any of them much but they are nice to have.
Surrounding all of this I was working on my art skills as an illustrator and painter and did have some work sold and shown in galleries and other shows. It’s not a lucrative career at all so sadly it became another ‘hobby with an occasional pay cheque’.
I married a gigging bass player over 26 years ago and yet for those years it never occurred to me to learn bass. I figured that since I can’t learn guitar due to my mental block and damaged wrist that there’s no way I can learn bass because look at how thick those strings are!
Well I was very wrong!
The strings don’t hurt my fingers, my wrist isn’t hurting (unless I try to stretch too far right now), and my professional bass playing husband is telling me that I am progressing very well and he’s actually very surprised how quickly I am picking up some things.
So, I could view this as a regret that I wished could have learned bass 30 years ago instead of messing around with all those other things, but at least I have one (actually I have 3 now lol) and am learning even though it is much later in life without any hopes of being a professional or playing in a band like I dreamt of doing when I was young. But, at least for now I am using the BB lessons from Josh and some other books and just trying to stretch these older joints and keep up with fast changes (Billie Jean is a lost cause for now).
It feels great to be able to play bass and I finally found my instrument.
Oh, and I got a Bass Big Muff Pi pedal…that is loads of fun! Next is gonna be a Lizard King from EHX!
Rock On!
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Welcome @Cerridwen
Have fun!
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If you are starting out with MMA at 34 it might be a little late. With music its never too late to learn or appreciate. Your fingers should still be plenty flexible. Welcome and enjoy!
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Welcome, @Cerridwen. Glad you’re here. Any time is the perfect time to learn bass. And you’re right on schedule. Enjoy the lessons!
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Welcome @Cerridwen !
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What a journey.
Have you seen Victor Wooten’s signature set of strings? My guitar has strings nearly as thick!
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Hi
I didn’t know he had his own strings. I am using the standard wound fender strings that came with my basses 45-105; thinking about putting flats on my jazz though. I’ll leave the standards on my P and Jaguar for now I think.
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