*sigh*...I just need to practice more

[adouglas]

I've been playing a long time, and I have a lot of fun, which is the whole point of the exercise. I love playing with my band, who are my best friends.

I'm far from being a great bassist and I know it. I can do a competent job with the material I play, and I'm good enough to pick up new material pretty quickly. And that's enough. The sheer joy of playing, sounding good and having a blast is what keeps me entertained.

But....

Lately I've been itching to go farther. I'm hearing stuff in my head that I can't do. The other day I heard -- for the first time -- a jazzy, jammy thing (studio version of "Funk 55" by Sam bush...live Youtube at [nomedia="http://youtube.com/watch?v=wkwVBLEXdRM"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia] ) and I was mentally riffing on it, with this tasty, groovy fretless line going through my head, clear as day, and I KNEW, dammit, that if I sat down I would not be able to play it.

I can FEEL what I want to play like. But I can't physically pull it off with my current skills.

Da Bongo has given me the SOUND that's in my head. But I'm still searching for the GROOVE that's in my head.

That can mean only one thing. I need to sit down and PRACTICE MORE!!!!!

Sorry for venting...I just had to share.

 

[GassieBall]

I totally hear you. I've just been "OK" at the bass for so long. What I think I really need are official lessons. But between work with an erratic schedule and two kids, it ain't happening. Instructional DVD's have helped me a bit though. And yes, it would help if I really practiced instead of noodled around!

 

[PocketGroove82]

it really helps to practice the right stuff too.
lord knows how many hours we've all wasted practicing stupid technical excercises, instead of making music.

 

[todd4ta]

Lessons are great, but hard to fit into a busy schedule. I think if you develop a plan of action for self-training, then fit some personal lessons into the plan a little later down the road (after you've made some progress on your own).

I really like the four DVD series from Norm Stockton, and any and everything from Ed Frieland is great.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Well... some people are born to just suck! I'm their king!

 

[adouglas]

Well... some people are born to just suck! I'm their king!

Oh, MAN! Don't say that! In between your personal integrity (which is beyond reproach!!!!) and your singular lack of style and taste (based on photographic evidence), I'd say you are one of the COOLEST lefties on the planet!

(PS: You STILL OWE US a new photo to our specifications, based on a past challenge! Specifically, the delivery date of one of your basses. You offered, we guessed, and we got BUPKUS! UNFAIR!!!!)

 

[NoFrets80]

practice

Lately I've been itching to go farther. I'm hearing stuff in my head that I can't do. The other day I heard -- for the first time -- a jazzy, jammy thing (studio version of "Funk 55" by Sam bush...live Youtube at

) and I was mentally riffing on it, with this tasty, groovy fretless line going through my head, clear as day, and I KNEW, dammit, that if I sat down I would not be able to play it..

You've already got half the battle licked... the fact that you're hearing things in your head is more than a lot of players can admit. At one of my first lessons with my bass instructor from school several years back, I was soloing over 'Night and Day'. My solo was full of half-baked ideas, and they were flying out left and right. I was essentially starting five sentences and ending two of them. My teacher said that he heard so much going on that I needed to learn how to reign it in. Being able to have ideas but not get them out right away is not a curse... it's a blessing. The same teacher used to say that if you can sing it, you can play it. Try singing the line as you try to play it, and it might make things easier.

I've discovered that the key to being able to play "chopsy" ideas, or any ideas for that matter, cleanly and with great tone, is being confident in where they're coming from... really KNOWING the line. It makes you more able to admit that when something doesn't come out as easily, it's not that you can't do it with your physical skills, it's that it just hasn't become 'natural' and absorbed by your hands/head yet. If you can't get something right away, keep practicing it a bit at a time, and then it will come out in your playing eventually.

 

[adouglas]

THANK YOU.

Wise words indeed. Your post has something I value highly: "The ring of truth."

It's a particular attribute of an idea...something that resonates and immediately strikes one as being spot on the mark.

 

[Jason Hebert]

Good thread.. I really need to buckle down and practice. My barely mediocre skills are slipping away from me..

What kind of practice routine do you guys use?

 

[NoFrets80]

zee jazz

THANK YOU.

Wise words indeed. Your post has something I value highly: "The ring of truth."

It's a particular attribute of an idea...something that resonates and immediately strikes one as being spot on the mark.

another thing that might be of interest is listening to jazz guitarists... hearing how a fellow string player deals with changes and melodic development was key for me in being able to solo and develop logical ideas. i'd suggest checking out any Pat Metheny Trio recordings (stay away from the Group stuff in this instance), and maybe some John Hart and Jim Hall. The "Jim Hall & Basses" album is a good one for sure. The first Metheny recording that spun my head was "Bright Size Life" from '75 with Jaco and Bob Moses. Jaco is so melodic and supportive... it's a watershed album for the both of them.

 

[Figjam]

My practice ruintine is a lot of improv grooving and jamming, lately with my DD-6 as a ghetto looper. Occasionally I willl work on a song that I want to learn. I do a mixture of fingerstyle, slap, and tapping stuff.

 

[NoFrets80]

practicing

Good thread.. I really need to buckle down and practice. My barely mediocre skills are slipping away from me..

What kind of practice routine do you guys use?

My practice routine has changed drastically from my school days, mainly due to lack of time. BUT, i usually spend about an hour or so warming up, playing scales in all forms, in each key, going in a cycle of fifths, in two octaves. Essentially this means you play all your arpeggios and scales in one particular key center, going through all forms of major, minor, and then augmented, diminished, etc., then moving on to a new key center and doing the same thing there. If you're not warmed up after that, you won't be! I usually do this arco on the upright, and then pizzicato for good measure. After that, I usually work on learning new tunes, playing through the chord changes, learning the melody, figuring out ways to imply the full harmony through the use of double-stops (tenths mainly). I also like working with Marc Johson's book regarding bass soloing and melodic development (the exact title escapes me at the moment). If I'm working on a particular project, most of this goes out the window in favor of learning the material for rehearsals and such. I try to play at least 2 hours a day, but that doesn't always happen.
I also tend to get sidetracked with an idea and will start working on a new tune if I feel strongly about it. It's a Catch-22!

 

[adouglas]

My practice routine is usually to sit down with a six of Sam Adams and a good CD or video.

Fun, but not productive.

A real injection of seriousness is called for!

 

[petch]

My practice routine is usually to sit down with a six of Sam Adams and a good CD or video.

Fun, but not productive.

A real injection of seriousness is called for!

I have the exact same routine!

 

[screaminhugger]

a few years ago, I really wanted to learn how to play jazz. A friend and fellow teacher of mine suggested I join his community jazz band, a fifteen piece big band. Talk about being thrown into the deep end!! I bought a Hal Leonard book with a play along cd, and that was all it took, (1500 hours, and the book and cd, that is...)For me, to learn something new, I just have to do it...I can't get motivated by playing in my living room. I recently got back into rock and roll in this bar band, and after playing jazz for 4 or 5 years, I now find rock, blues and funk to be a real challenge, but that is what is great about music, there will always be more to learn. Even Graham Maby must learn new stuff once in a while I'm sure. Enjoy the ride, bro. It's the best part.

james

 

[MCBTunes]

I like playing more than anything. Like the majority. I am definitely not happy with my skills... I'm not even average. My practice consists of me doing the same things over and over.. pentatonic runs licks in one position, and a couple parts of certain tunes I like... I dont hear things in my head, I think I do, but I dont .

Your lucky as far as I'm concerened... I've never been on this slow of a learning curve... and I do some pretty tough things. Maybe I'm not musical.

 

[PocketGroove82]

sam adams holliday variety 12pack is quite the practice aid

 

[cat_empire]

i seriously think its all in the mind, as in how you approach what your going to do.

I had been playing the bass for about 2 yrs and was competant enough at it, i wasnt amazing by any stretch, but i could hold a riff, and i like you had riffs going through my head that i knew i wouldnt be able to play.

then one day my friend (who happens to be one of those freaks who can just about master any instrument they pick up within about an hour) joked that i hadnt improved at all for aobut a yr. This rly ticked me off and so i decided that day that i was going to be better than him. And i couldnt beleive once i rly set my mind to it how fast i improved. Over the next 7 or so months i improved my playing to a huge degree, to the point where poeple dont beleive me when i tel lthem ive only been playing for nearly 3 years.

all i did was practice everyday. I would find something that i couldnt do, that i thought was reasonably within my reach and every night befor ei went to bed i practiced for an hour trying to do that thing. I progressed from various scales to some advanced slap patterns and everntually i was teaching myself all the wooten thump stuff (eg classical thump).

Seriously, just find things to do that are within your reach. practie scales non stop. when you play, pay attention to what yur playing and ntoe which notes sound better with which. i brely know the name of any of the ntoes, but point a spot to me on the retboard and ill tell you immediately which frets to play with it. Watch other players play, to get ideas for different rhythms, if you think of a rly cool riff, dont try to play it full speed if u know you cant, work it out realy slow and gradually build up your speed.

so basically you need to do these things

1. Practice everyday, always try new things, and dont just fall back to playing the same stuff you would always play, that doesnt count. You need to stretch your abilities
2. Set yourself goals. Tell yourself you want to be able to do something within a certain amount of time and go for it
3. Find a buddy (even on here would be good) who can keep you accountable and who is reasonably better than you in terms of skill who would be willing to critique your playing and suggest things
4. pay attention to outside influences. If you only play your own stuff you'll end up playing alot of similar stuff. Watch some videos on you tube for some different ways of playing to stretch your variety.
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[Jim_F]

Hi

I find that playing in a band really helps to sharpen my playing up. And its always good to get positive feedback from fellow musicians.
And sounds like you've conquered the first aid to practising and improving - enjoying it.

I try and play bass at least half an hour a day, even if its just sitting on the couch while the tv is on and running through some scales and riffs. Also I use a drum machine to play along to in the house too - good exercise in tightening up rhythm and playing to a beat and improvising bass lines.

I am learning that technique is v important - I would like to get some lessons , but never seem to have the time ... I have a few tuition dvds that have really helped me to improve my playing technique and style, particularly when it comes to funk and slap bass.

And listening to lots of different bass players and trying to work out what they do and how they are doing it is fun and rewarding ... practise should always be fun and never a chore. Helps if you pick out the bass lines in a record, so you should be fine with this.
And there are lots of resources now on line (god bless the internet!) to help us all learn. From tabs to youtube to watch other players.

 

[plato]

...
Da Bongo has given me the SOUND that's in my head. But I'm still searching for the GROOVE that's in my head..

That can mean only one thing. I need to sit down and PRACTICE MORE!!!!!

Sorry for venting...I just had to share.

Yeah man!!! Right on!
Remember that the sound is IN YOUR FINGERS.... Da Bongo only helps it a bit.