Dronny Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 hi fellow BC'ers Quick intro/background: I've been playing bass since my teens, now in my late 40s, had a long gap of not playing until I got back into it about 5/6 years ago, now playing in 2 bands (one standard functions stuff, the other bluesy/rocky). I feel like my playing has reached a bit of a limit w.r.t. my abilities, or something... I have a reasonable grasp of the basics of theory, but don't sight-read. I want to improve, but with a full-time job, 2 teenage kids (and a dog!) I don't have a huge amount of spare time on my hands. Oh for the days of my youth when I could spend hours learning Rush tracks ;-) I'd like to put some time into improving my playing, I know this will probably involve scales and modes and such, but I'm really not sure where to start, and how to get the best "bang for buck" out of my limited time. TBH I don't think learning to sight-read will be a realistic goal, so I'm looking for other approaches. I'm really fed up with playing the same few blues fills and want to stretch myself a bit more. I've had "learn to play slap" as a new-years resolution for a few years now and never done it, so my track-record is pretty lousy. But I feel the pressure to do *something* new... All advice gratefully received! Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='Dronny' post='1175695' date='Mar 25 2011, 10:50 AM']I'd like to put some time into improving my playing, I know this will probably involve scales and modes and such, but I'm really not sure where to start, and how to get the best "bang for buck" out of my limited time. TBH I don't think learning to sight-read will be a realistic goal, so I'm looking for other approaches. I'm really fed up with playing the same few blues fills and want to stretch myself a bit more.[/quote] Learning to read is the best 'bang for the buck' thing to learn,so why avoid it? I'm not talking about sight reading Wooten stuff,but reading to a competent,basic level will make a huge difference. It will open up a lot of new options as,if nothing else,you will be able to understand the exercises in magazines and books which will give you new ideas. I could suggest learning scales and arpeggios and all that,but if you can read,even a little,it will be easier to learn and understand the notes involved than if you learn them as a pattern or whatever. Reading is a realistic goal-it's not that hard really and can,at times,be practiced away from the bass. It may not have the instant 'wow' of learning a flashy pentatonic lick,but it's a far more important and valuable musical skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 I have found, as I get older, that the reading allows for a more efficient use of time in rehearsals and at gigs. Less time rehearsing each tune means more work done in the available time. If you have other obligations as you say, this is a massive bonus. Learn to read music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dronny Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1175756' date='Mar 25 2011, 11:46 AM']I have found, as I get older, that the reading allows for a more efficient use of time in rehearsals and at gigs. Less time rehearsing each tune means more work done in the available time. If you have other obligations as you say, this is a massive bonus. Learn to read music.[/quote] Darn it! I had a feeling someone would say that! Seriously, I am open to this if it's generally considered the best way to go. So, how would you recommend I go about it? I know enough to be able to sit down with a bit of (really simple) music and pick out the notes and manually count the time, but I guess I should start from the beginning, assuming nothing. Are there any 'standard' books that would be good to start with? Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 The secret is to learn the principles (where the notes are, key signatures, accidentals and reading rhtyms) and then just do it as much as you can. I recommend you strart with these two. Play them as slowly as you like. Notes only, no rhythms to read (apart from the odd bar). [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=106812&hl="]Play The Blues And Go[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=35493&hl=housed+from+edward"]Housed From Edward[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=35615&hl=ron+carter+hesitation"]Hesitation[/url] or there is, of course, the Major's Boot Camp series. Start today. One bar at a time and then two and so one until you can read fly sh*t on toilet paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='Dronny' post='1176033' date='Mar 25 2011, 03:27 PM']Darn it! I had a feeling someone would say that! Seriously, I am open to this if it's generally considered the best way to go. So, how would you recommend I go about it? I know enough to be able to sit down with a bit of (really simple) music and pick out the notes and manually count the time, but I guess I should start from the beginning, assuming nothing. Are there any 'standard' books that would be good to start with? Dave.[/quote] I resisted learning to read for ages - wish i hadn't. So many more possibilities when you know how chords are constructed - which modes work and where all the scale notes are. I am still not very good at reading - getting better all the time but being able to sit down with a Real book and start playing tunes that i thought i wouldn't be able to play has been empowering. You could do worse than try the Majors Boot Camp on this very website. For a free resource it is excellent. There are also lots of links to things like note trainers and other resources. Good luck [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=31"]Majors Boot Camp[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylie Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 [quote name='Dronny' post='1175695' date='Mar 25 2011, 06:50 AM']hi fellow BC'ers Quick intro/background: I've been playing bass since my teens, now in my late 40s, had a long gap of not playing until I got back into it about 5/6 years ago, now playing in 2 bands (one standard functions stuff, the other bluesy/rocky). I feel like my playing has reached a bit of a limit w.r.t. my abilities, or something... I have a reasonable grasp of the basics of theory, but don't sight-read. I want to improve, but with a full-time job, 2 teenage kids (and a dog!) I don't have a huge amount of spare time on my hands. Oh for the days of my youth when I could spend hours learning Rush tracks ;-) I'd like to put some time into improving my playing, I know this will probably involve scales and modes and such, but I'm really not sure where to start, and how to get the best "bang for buck" out of my limited time. TBH I don't think learning to sight-read will be a realistic goal, so I'm looking for other approaches. I'm really fed up with playing the same few blues fills and want to stretch myself a bit more. I've had "learn to play slap" as a new-years resolution for a few years now and never done it, so my track-record is pretty lousy. But I feel the pressure to do *something* new... All advice gratefully received! Dave.[/quote] Getting a teacher made a huge difference for me. I went round in circles with books (you can't ask a book a question) and doing the 1-3-5 and wondering when it would get easy (and interesting!). My teacher is a pro jazz musician and he's taking me from the beginning: chords, scales, arpeggios, the blues in F and Bb, rhythm changes, and READING. My practice is pretty boring, for the most part, but I am learning: how to use the modes, how chord substitution works, how the 2-5-1 movement works. I just wanted to play, and now I have all this work to do! Definitely worth it. Couldn't do it without a teacher, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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