Welcome @allisonbru @Webster_P @chrisamoor @sphinxish @O_Nova @csteph7 @j.d.rides and all the others who I’ve missed!
Great to see the forum grow. 
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Welcome to BB @allisonbru @Webster_P @chrisamoor ! Enjoy the B2B course. When you get comfortable, join us in the “Post your covers!” thread as that is a fun way to participate with the gang. I started slowly posting some covers after 6 months of playing (first few were a bit shaky) and it has been a lot of fun to see everyone grow as they progress on their bass journey at each bassist’s own pace. This is a very positive and encouraging place.
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Welcome @allisonbru …glad you’re enjoying B2B!
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Welcome Allison! @allisonbru enjoy your bass journey 
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I love Duran Duran basslines 
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Welcome, @allisonbru. Glad you’re here. B2B is the perfect blend of fun and structure for beginners. Enjoy the lessons!
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Welcome @allisonbru
Have fun!
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Welcome @allisonbru !
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Hello all, Newbie bass player here with a big problem. I have dreamed of learning the bass since I was a kid in the late 1970’s. There were so many negative hurdles throughout my life that caused my inhibitions/self esteem issues, (I’m on the autism spectrum), from pursuing my interest in music.
Last year at the age of 56 I decided to finally step out of my rut and pursue my dream of learning bass with a private instructor. That was a big leap for me.
Now, a year later with reality biting me hard, I’m beginning to have a change of heart learning the bass because of the dreaded age thing. I now feel that if I wanted to become a reasonably competent beginner player it would take me many years, or even decades, to learn the instrument. I don’t have that many years ahead of me being 57 years old now! I only wanted to learn bass as a hobby.
One person even told me once that the only way to have success in learning an instrument, and to have a lifetime of playing, is to start no later than 17! If that person is correct then I’ve started 40 years too late! I really wish that I didn’t have all of the interferences in my life when I was young that kept me from learning the bass back then.
Is it worth my time and money to continue trying to learn the bass at my advanced age if I only live another 10 or 15 years? I just don’t know now. I love the bass but it just feels like time has completely robbed me from continuing with this dream.
Sorry for the long essay.
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Welcome, @Rattleslap. Glad you’re here. Stress not, man. Your time for learning bass the right way is right now. Just relax, breathe deep, strap in and enjoy!
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Hey, welcome. I’m divergent also. I’ve managed to keep off meds for a lot of years now by focusing on structure and routine. That seems to help me focus and keep the anxiety down. Learning an instrument is great for that. Getting yourself into a practice routine at the same time every day and going through the same warm up every time you play might just help with more than music. I find the process soothing, calming. Will you be a virtuoso in your lifetime… probably not. Who fuckin cares though. This isn’t a competition. I do this for fun, because I’ve always loved music. I want to play in a band, in front of people eventually. Partly because it seems like a lot of fun and partly because I’m an introvert bordering on being a hermit. It’s a way to push my boundaries while I’m doing something that I love (those don’t need to be your goals, just providing an example). If you enjoy playing, play. Side bonus, playing an instrument as you age is really beneficial in some other ways. Less chance of developing dementia and retaining more fine motor control right off the top of my head.
Again, welcome!
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Well…yes totally worth it , nobody knows how much time they got left in their life
And as others have mentioned before there is also an advantage to start learning something when your older.
And learning stuff is a lot easier in this time than in the 80’s and 90’s thanks to online courses and REAL teachers that offer exellent courses . ( like Josh or Mark Smith )
Oh man the “drum teachers “ I had in the 90’s… 
Started playing the drums in 1987 and played for about 15 years
But now my 2nd bassiversary is due in a few days and I have learned so much more in a short time due to me beeing more mature and the online courses available .
Oh yeah welcome to the forum
And get the b2b course if you haven’t already, it is really a great course
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Welcome @Rattleslap - it’s definitely worth your time and effort especially if you enjoy it. Stick with it. I think you’ll be happy you did.
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Welcome @Rattleslap ,
My simply advice would be to forget the age perimeter and enjoy the journey.
Play On ,
Cheers
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Welcome @Rattleslap !
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57 is not too old. If you look through this very thread you’ll see lots of people starting the instrument in their 40s, 50s, even older. For example, I was 48 when I started a few months ago.
Maybe you won’t end up being the next Claypool/Jaco/Wooten/whomever in your time left on earth, but there is a good chance that you wouldn’t have even if you had started 40 years ago. That’s not meant to be discouraging, it’s just a reality that those tip-top players are a one-in-a-million kind of thing.
It depends on your definition of “Reasonably competent beginner”, but if you do the B2B course, you’ll probably feel like you are at that point (or almost there) by the time you finish it, which only takes a few months.
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Welcome @Rattleslap
Have fun!
(I started playing bass when I was 61. I’m so happy that I did. It is never too late to open your mind and life to new possibilities.)
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Welcome along @Rattleslap !
I started 18 months ago. I’m 68. I’m never going to be Marcus Miller. I don’t have any real natural talent. But I’m having a whale of a time just learning and doing covers. It just feel great to be playing along to my favourite tracks. Doesn’t matter if I’m perfect…it just feels great to be doing it.
Just have fun…that’s the only rule for me!
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Hi, my name is Dan, 50 years old, from Crocodile Dundee country in Northern Australia. When I’m not wrestling with crocs, I’m wrestling with learning the bass and running. I have played the guitar on and off (more off!) for the past 30 years. About 10 years ago, when I was in the final stages of writing up my thesis, I suddenly had the urge to play bass. Extreme procrastination can be very creative! It wasn’t until I bought a bass for my 14-year-old son last year (who didn’t stick at it for long) and started to watch Josh’s excellent YouTube videos that I adopted his bass (a Yamaha TRBX174). I have started the Beginner to Badass course, and it’s been fantastic. I wish there were more teachers out there like Josh (and not just for bass). There is something about his personality and teaching philosophy and delivery style that resonates with me 
I am looking forward to the journey ahead and being part of this community. Cheers, Dan
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Welcome @Barramack ,
Most Excellent Intro And Enjoy This Journey ,
Cheers
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