Practice routine

[Geek99]

I wish I has even the time that space chick does - I have a disabled partner, a toddler and a mountain of DIY to do. I do online lessons whenever I can
I will see take one tip from her though and see if there is an iPhone version of fret finder

[merlin]

no wonder that I am so bad,I start by doing scales,that will take 30 seconds then I try to play a bass line to a random tune one off the mp3s,then thats it noodle time, this usualy takes me to about half an hour of playing time,I do this every day...think that I best try harder..

[xilddx]

I don't practice bass at all. I rarely play in between gigs or rehearsals at the moment, I haven't for quite a while. I'll have a quick play before a gig sometimes, or if I'm writing a live or preparing for recording. But I do play about an hour or two a day on the flamenco guitar. I'm starting lessons in about three weeks so I'm trying to get the various (very tricky) techniques into passable shape before then. I'm learning more than I ever could on a bass and most of it is highly transferable to the bass anyway.

[Marvin]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338220374' post='1671012']
I don't practice bass at all. I rarely play in between gigs or rehearsals at the moment, I haven't for quite a while. I'll have a quick play before a gig sometimes, or if I'm writing a live or preparing for recording. But I do play about an hour or two a day on the flamenco guitar. I'm starting lessons in about three weeks so I'm trying to get the various (very tricky) techniques into passable shape before then. I'm learning more than I ever could on a bass and most of it is highly transferable to the bass anyway.
[/quote]

Isn't that a bit like popping the vacuum around the house before your cleaner turns up ?

Just like to add, apart from myself and Mrs Marvin our household does not employ a cleaner.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1338220579' post='1671019']
Isn't that a bit like popping the vacuum around the house before your cleaner turns up ?

Just like to add, apart from myself and Mrs Marvin our household does not employ a cleaner.
[/quote][quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1338220579' post='1671019']
Isn't that a bit like popping the vacuum around the house before your cleaner turns up ?

Just like to add, apart from myself and Mrs Marvin our household does not employ a cleaner.
[/quote]

Yeah, except swap cleaner for mother

I would love to employ a cleaner!

[Hot Tub]

I play through our setlist at least once a day (it's a 2hr set, constantly changing); I noodle with scales/modes for at least an hour a day; and I playalong with random tracks from my 200+ song repertoire for at least an hour. That's 4hrs minimum. Add to that whatever I'm learning - I have a possible dep gig coming up, so got 13 "new" songs to learn for that - and I'll be playing for 6-8hrs a day.

I'm still cr@p. Fingers only. Can't do slappy-poppy stuff, and not comfy with a pick.

But I love it.

[charic]

^Good Man! Wish I had your determination but I've let it slide a little bit lately.

[janmaat]

I only recently discovered Hydrogene drum sequencer for Linux, and found practising some odd stuff like 5/4 helpful (have never done that before but I listen to a lot of world music where that's not at all uncommon). So I now practise funny time signatures for a while, exploring possibilities and expanding my limits. Then I start fiddling with sounds for a while and do scales over some mad sounds. The idea is to sometimes merge the two. Apart from that, I play in a crappy rockband, which I count as practise (mainly a practise of patience really).

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1338019508' post='1668620']
I used to play for most of the day when I had the time, but since we had two sex-trophies (one nearly 5, one 20 months) I'm not really playing regularly. I was at the stage where I could pretty much do anything I wanted but have noticed that , even though I'm still competent player, I've plateaued and I'm not really exploring any new territories.

I think I need to book some lessons with a local teacher to 'pin down' some proper practice time.

Must try harder.
[/quote]

I've never managed to win one of those but i am committed to keep trying and practice as often as possible -

My routine is run through set list or areas that i have issues with. Then doodle about for a bit to see if i can pick up new ideas. Then I'll learn any new songs required for band. I do tend to jot down notes as a memory jogger. I find i can remember what I've written easier than just playing along to tracks.
Works for me.

Dave

Edited May 29, 2012 by dmccombe7

[RhysP]

[quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1337989133' post='1668521']
This regime allows proper practice even for busy people.
[/quote]

I'm just guessing, but you don't have children, work six days a week & also have to be primary carer for two elderly parents, do you?

[El Bajo]

I get in an hour 3 times a week plus a rehersal with the band. When the band is writing then its all I do, I don't like turning up unprepared. When I'm not writing then I re-visit finger exercises with a cool online metronome (see link below), Practice walking bass lines (scales and arpeggios + application all in one practice session) and then either work on some improv or work on a song.

Sometimes I get bored and start working on a bit of slap or tap but eventually retrun to the above once I get bored of that.

[url="http://bestdrumtrainer.com/tt/"]http://bestdrumtrainer.com/tt/[/url]

This is a cool little metronome where it will play a number of bars then cut the sound for a few bars. Check out tutorials by Victor Wooten on you tube for seomthing similar.

[JakeBrownBass]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1338295046' post='1672234']


I'm just guessing, but you don't have children, work six days a week & also have to be primary carer for two elderly parents, do you?
[/quote]

I don't but I've recently finished uni & making a living playing music. This keeps me on top of my game no matter how busy I am.

My point was that if you've only it 15 minutes, using this technique you can get real work done.

The op asked about people's practice routine do I offered a suggestion for busy people.

[seashell]

@ JakeBrownBass - thanks for posting that 'pie chart' suggestion. I've printed it off and I'm going to try it out.
I try to fit in about an hour a day. My teacher has recently given me a new hand out with a long practice routine on it. Divided into scales, theory, finger exercises etc and then all the songs we're working on. Trouble is it takes me about an hour to wade throught the exercises and then I don't have time for the songs. So I have been trying to mix it up a bit, but the trouble is sometimes I find I haven't done a certain thing for days and then I've half forgotten it.

So now I'm going to try putting it all on a circle chart thingy like you suggest and this will help me be a bit more systematic and not miss anything out.

One thing I have found that works for me though is this - at the end of a practice session I always reward myself by just having a blast for a few minutes playing something I really love and know fairly well. At the moment it's Jumpin Jack Flash
Or sometimes when it's really hard to get off the sofa and start practising I will say to myself 'OK, I'll just play the 'reward' song a coupla times for fun'. Then before I know it, I'm doing my proper practising!

[Dr.Dave]

Someone once told me that , technically as a player , you never stay the same -you either get better or worse and if you don't play it'll be worse.

I think there's sense in that - but I don't practise at all. Ever. I do gig a lot , so that's my practise in the sense that I'm playing things I know over and over again (all be it with a bit of spin to make it different enough each night not to get boring). If we have new stuff to learn I might have 5 mins - certainly no more - in the spare room working out my part but we don't really rehearse either so the next time I play it will be with the band at a gig (we have a chat in the interval then just do it second set).

If I wasn't gigging. I'd get worse as a bass player - no question. I don't think it's an interesting instrument to play to yourself so I wouldn't bother. I'd probably noodle around a bit on an acoustic guitar to keep my fingers moving but that's about all.

There is a school of thought that says if all you ever do is practise then all you ever get good at is practising. That may sound glib but I see the point. So for the improvers and 'between projects' players among us my advice would be simple - practise what you can't play - not what you can. That way , you're not just practising but learning.

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1338378137' post='1673476']


There is a school of thought that says if all you ever do is practise then all you ever get good at is practising. That may sound glib but I see the point. So for the improvers and 'between projects' players among us my advice would be simple - practise what you can't play - not what you can. That way , you're not just practising but learning.
[/quote]

I would probably agree with that statement too. Big difference when in a full band with an audience. Puts more pressure on and there is also the fact that you learn techniques for covering any mistakes you might make. At rehearsals we generally stop the song if someone makes a mistake or it isn't sounding right which can be extremely frustrating at times.

Dave

[Jack]

Pffffffffffft, those aren't practice schedules those are evil work regimes!

Am I literally the only one that picks up my bass as and when to either learn something specific or just generally noodle?

[mrdirtyrob]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1338491923' post='1675452']
Pffffffffffft, those aren't practice schedules those are evil work regimes!

Am I literally the only one that picks up my bass as and when to either learn something specific or just generally noodle?
[/quote]
Nah, I'm similar. I've recently been doing a bit more intentional 'practice' as opposed to just playing for fun, but I usually just end up mucking about with effects pedals instead.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1338491923' post='1675452']
Pffffffffffft, those aren't practice schedules those are evil work regimes!

Am I literally the only one that picks up my bass as and when to either learn something specific or just generally noodle?
[/quote]

Nope, but many of us like to pretend that we are more dedicated than we are.
I always seem to have a list of new stuff to learn as long as your arm, thus improving practicey stuff doesn't happen (luckily I am so ++++AWESOME++++ I don't need it )

[LiamPodmore]

I pick up my bass when i can be bothered or need to. My band haven't been gigging much in 2012 and it's really thrown me off, because i don't play half as much as i used to. At the moment i'm running through some of the covers for our set again, as well as doing 2 challenging songs frequently. Where Dragons Rule by Dragonforce (Don't laugh) for keeping my right hand speed and stamina in check, and Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven, which keeps both my right and left hands in check, as well as pushing me to be able to play faster for longer so i can consistently get them down.

Liam

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Mark_Andertons' timestamp='1338031374' post='1668837']
Heard a great tip from Musicademy which I'm sure a handful of you guys will know. Which was to think about your repetoir in 3 circles within each other (don't make me draw it!) like rings in a tree trunk. In the core you have the material that you know like the back of your hand and could play at a moments notice in any key. Then in the next segment/ring/circle you have all the stuff that you're working on learning at the moment and you can play confidently most of the time, then outside in the last segment/ring/circle you have songs that are literally too hard for you, way outside your comfort zone. And your aim is to practise songs in all three with a view to pulling things from further out of the circles into the core.


That was a proper crap explanation.

[/quote]

That's got to have come from a Californian.

[oggiesnr]

There's practice and there's playing. For me practice is structured and focussed and tends to be on stuff that I'm working on with my teacher so it's music out and get stuck in (reading is also one of the things I'm practising). I try to do half an hour a day and half of that will be arco (some of those Sevcik exercises are brutes).

After that I'll work on basslines and songs or just noodle for as long as I can which will depend on whether it's a market day (limited time) or a workshop day. Obviously the stuff I've been practicing will influence the playing part but I see it as two sides of the coin.

Steve

[urb]

I got my basic technique together over about a ten year period which initially involved playing for several hours a day some days, then when I went freelance ten years ago thanks to a lack of work in the beginning I was doing a couple of hours a day. This always covered stuff like reading, scales, improv, trabscribing and learning tunes. I now have much less time to practice so often do what I feel like doing - be it just practicing one lick or idea or busking some jazz standards - or composing a new tune/recording - it all depends what takes priority - sometimes I just want to play the bass!

[KingBollock]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1338491923' post='1675452']
Pffffffffffft, those aren't practice schedules those are evil work regimes!

Am I literally the only one that picks up my bass as and when to either learn something specific or just generally noodle?
[/quote]
Nope, that's all I really do. I do think to myself that if I ever get into a band again then I shall practice properly, but until then...

I tend to pick my Bass up just to noodle until I play something that sounds familiar. Then I wrack my brains trying to remember what it is, then, if I can remember, I will work the rest of it out. I do learn sets that have sort of grown and changed with my moods. My current one has stuff from Willie Nelson, Simon & Garfunkel to Cream, The White Stripes, the Arctic Monkeys to Rage Against the Machine, Slipknot, Obituary and The Vision Bleak. In other words, completely useless.

Today was mostly noodling, some really simple Country stuff from a book and some Iron Maiden.

Edited June 2, 2012 by KingBollock