Help needed with a practice regime.

[Wooks]

I'm a newbie to bass and I'm looking for inspiration. I was wondering if anybody has a good practice regime that they have, and are willing to share? How long do you practice for, what do you do in your practice time, eg. scales, arpeggios, rhythm training, ear training that kind of thing, and how long do you spend on each discipline? Like I said I'm looking for some tips and inspiration for a practice timetable that I can knock up for myself, so thanks for any help.

[NJE]

There are probably more than a few folk on here who could give you some brilliant practice material but here are a couple of simple things I do to practice/warm up.

1. Go through scales up and across the neck following the circle of fifths.

2. I do chromatic ( i think thats what they are called) excercises up and across the neck so I play finger per fret:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th fret (bottom string) 2nd 3rd 4th 5th next string, 3rd 4th 5th...etc working my way up and across the neck. I then play that backwards, and then play it in reverse so start on your highest string in the same pattern.

I have a brilliant book which helped me loads and i still refer to it: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tips-Bass-Guitar-Should-Have/dp/1844920046/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217851950&sr=8-1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tips-Bass-Guitar-S...1950&sr=8-1[/url]

Its by Mr Stuart Clayton and it is great and comes with a CD. I would highly reccomend it for anyone who wants to learn good fundamentals and its only £10

[Geek99]

I have a few subjects that I work on in rotation, I have to split them as I have little time so have to find time to practise when I can.

1. metronome - practising playing along with it, and subdividing beats.
2. left hand dexterity - getting those smaller fingers to move independently.
3. keys - I play though all the major scales in circle of fifths rotation, and all over the neck. I start as low as I can (even if I go out of mode) and then go up and across all the strings getting to the highest note in that key on the fretboard. Blues scales and minor scales are coming shortly. This is to fix the scales, and fretboard map in my head rather than learn a box.
4. some pages, usually one, from my current book (bass styles by stuart clayton)
5. Jamming to drum machine pattern for a few minutes (so I listen to drum sounds, not just clicks)

I do any two of these each time I practise. Little and often works best, I find.

Edit - I fully endorse NJE's book recommendation - its that book which made me play a given scales all the way up and across the nexk rather than just in a box -also recommend Bass Guitar for Dummies.

Edited August 4, 2008 by Geek99

[ped]

Some cool tips here, especially just jamming with a beat, even if you just plan a single note on the 'one'.

I never practie a set regime but prefer to just play for fun and if I think of a groove in my head I can normally play it after sometimes a bit of work. There are loads of exercises out there which improve dexterity and so on and one cool one I found was by John Patitucci's brother, called the 'Spider (the exercise, not his bro)

Play this:

G----5----4----3---------3-----4----5----
-----------------------------------------
A-3----4----5--------5------4----3-------
-----------------------------------------

Repeat and see how fast you can play it with a steady rhythm. Try moving the pattern around the bass and playing with a beat, then try throuwing in a few fills. It may look easy but it is quite hard to play consistently for a length of time at speed...

Cheers
ped

[Jase]

[quote name='ped' post='254354' date='Aug 4 2008, 12:23 PM']Some cool tips here, especially just jamming with a beat, even if you just plan a single note on the 'one'.

I never practie a set regime but prefer to just play for fun and if I think of a groove in my head I can normally play it after sometimes a bit of work. There are loads of exercises out there which improve dexterity and so on and one cool one I found was by John Patitucci's brother, called the 'Spider (the exercise, not his bro)

Play this:

G----5----4----3---------3-----4----5----
-----------------------------------------
A-3----4----5--------5------4----3-------
-----------------------------------------

Repeat and see how fast you can play it with a steady rhythm. Try moving the pattern around the bass and playing with a beat, then try throuwing in a few fills. It may look easy but it is quite hard to play consistently for a length of time at speed...

Cheers
ped[/quote]


Oooo, just had a crack at that...it's quite.... HARD!

[ped]

Hehe yeah its fun isn't it - when you get confident with it try playing it for a minute at a regular speed. VERY hard! Your mind wanders!

[ped]

Now try it moving up 3 frets each repetition, and then down a string and back round, in a circle. It hurts my eyes!

I really should be working now...

Does anyone have any other little exercises like the 'Spider'?

[Mikey D]

The spider exercise I know from Patitucci goes:

G-------------------------------------
D----5----6-----3--------4----------
A-3----4----5--------6---------------
E--------------------------------------

then
G-----5----6----3--------4-----------
D--------------------------------------
A-3----4----5--------6---------------
E-------------------------------------

then
G-----5----6----3--------4-----------
D--------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------
E--3----4----5--------6---------------

Etc if you want to do it on a 5/6 string!
Using 1 finger per fret obivously. I used to practice this a lot and it really helped my left hand dexterity.

Edited August 4, 2008 by Mikey D

[waynepunkdude]

I just turn up to gigs thinking 'damn it i should have practiced' blag it then go home.

[ped]

Oh that's interesting. Mine was taken from a video he did with Dave Weckl, I guess it was a condensed version? Great, now I can't play the 'Spider'!!!
ped

[ped]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='254417' date='Aug 4 2008, 02:15 PM']I just turn up to gigs thinking 'damn it i should have practiced' blag it then go home.[/quote]


Haha, just as satisfying though don't you think?

[mcgraham]

I remember reading about Tony Grey's practice regime once, quite a good way of doing it (though it doesn't work for me). He practiced 4 hours a day (roughly), and split it into 8 half hour units. In each one he'd attack a certain aspect, e.g. technique, transcription, reading, listening, ear training, theory, writing/arranging etc. Whilst I don't do all of those every day, I focus on technique, transcription and writing/arranging. Generally about 1-2 hours a day with an instrument split about 1-1.5 hr technique and 0.5-1 hr transcription, and whenever I can with my iPod doing transcription and voice for writing/arranging.

Decide what you want to achieve, and find exercises that obviously lend themselves toward you developing your goals. If you'd like a PDF copy of Hanon please message me. This is a piano exercise book that is challenging on bass (but doable!) that develops your technique wonderfully.

Mark

[Mikey D]

[quote name='ped' post='254424' date='Aug 4 2008, 02:19 PM']Oh that's interesting. Mine was taken from a video he did with Dave Weckl, I guess it was a condensed version? Great, now I can't play the 'Spider'!!!
ped[/quote]

Yeah that's where this one is from...or did I make it up!?

It works anyway.

If you are into shapes (which some people hate to practice as it isn't music! ) a good one is a scale divided by strings. so a g major scale with 3 notes on each string, but skipping a string would look like this:

G------------------------------------------------------
D-----------4-5-7---------5-7-9-----------7-9-10----
A-------------------------------------------------------
E----3-5-7---------5-7-8---------7-8-10--------------

Sounds a bit like an allan holdsworth guitar line if you get it really fluid.

[ped]

Maybe my mind was playing tricks and simplifying it for me! Thanks for that other exercise, i will give it a crack. I have to call you up on the 'it isn't music' comment though - my friend writes guitar riffs using telephone numbers for frets. Some sound really good!!!


Cheers
ped

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='ped' post='254426' date='Aug 4 2008, 02:19 PM']Haha, just as satisfying though don't you think?[/quote]


Sometimes it is but sometimes you hear the click and think "what the bloody hell is this?" scary stuff lol

[Wooks]

Thanks guys, some cool stuff to work on there I like the spider exercises good for dexterity something I've got a problem with I got fingers like a pound of pork sausages
What about rhythm exercises any good ones out there?
One thing I've been doing with my tutor lately is dong scale patterns up the neck in different modes. Now he wants me to improvise this by playing a pattern for say 4 bars then moving onto the next pattern. But I'm a bit stumped when it comes to the rhythm and timings! Anybody got any words of wisdom on this one?

Edited August 4, 2008 by Wooks

[Oscar South]

For rhythm you can't get a lot better than reading sheet music even if you just ignore the notes and just use the rhythms, use a metronome so that you can feel the rhythm in relation to beat/bar as you play it.

Also I personally find as a bass player that arpeggio/chord tone studies are a LOT more important and useful than scalar practice. Scales are important too, but more as a 'fundamental' rather than a vital and conscious aspect of playing, for me.

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='Wooks' post='254555' date='Aug 4 2008, 03:54 PM']But I'm a bit stumped when it comes to the rhythm and timings! Anybody got any words of wisdom on this one?[/quote]
It depends on what you're trying to learn. When it comes to improvising the most common usage is in jazz, so learning the rhythmic vocabulary of jazz will get you a long way. For rhythm and phrasing you could do a lot worse than to listen to the horn parts in big band music, they are packed with typical phrases and standard rhythmic vocabulary.

[Wooks]

My tutor keeps saying to me "if you can sing it, you should be able to play it"....he hasn't hear me sing Thanks for all the suggestions something for to work on here!!

[thepurpleblob]

Never could be organised enough to have a practice regime. My little bit of advice is "be enquiring". I pretty much just learn the line to songs - I play in a covers band. If I haven't a clue what's going on in the song, I make a point of finding out and if there's some stuff I can't do I practice it until I can. It's probably terribly ineficient, but I seem to have learned something. I take lessons too (even though I'm very old) and I'm sure I'm his worse pupil by miles. That keeps me interested and doing stuff I would otherwise miss.

P.S. There's some stuff I can't do that I've been practicing for years - I still can't do it

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='Wooks' post='254731' date='Aug 4 2008, 05:56 PM']My tutor keeps saying to me "if you can sing it, you should be able to play it"....[/quote]
+1

[bluesparky]

I was looking for info about people's practice regime and after a search i thought i'd revive this thread.

I thought i'd add my thoughts and questions to it - i'm watching deliverance on ITV4 and trying to take my mind of the SQUEAL LIKE A PIG BOY! bit!!

So, questions i have are:

When you practice, when you sit down and say "right, here we go", what do you all do?

Do you go through variations of the same thing, or do something radically different each day?

Do you practice all scales every day, or concentrate on arpeggios one day, modes the next, 2 & 3 octave scales on another?

When you warm up and / or do dexterity exercises, do you always do the same ones or look for new ones each time?

Do you stick to one genre of music in one session or vary it?

How do you stay disciplined?

Do you work towards specific goals, either long term or short term? (be it mastering a rather tricky piece, or a technique or your own goals)

Do you dismiss things you've tried several times, but haven't nailed (for me it'd be up-down thumb slapping and playing Jaco's chromatic fantasy to speed), or do you refuse to be beaten and spend lots of time on it?

Do you dismiss things as not being relevant, either not for you or bass playing in general?

Where do you source new ideas of things to work on? - obviously working or playing in a band will always have an input on this as the setlist always increases.

How much percentage of your time do you spend on theory or do you only know what you need to know?


I know there are a lot of questions here, and i don't expect answers from everyone on all of them, but I'm just looking for inspiration and wondering what everyone does,...


Thanks! all input is grateful!

[mewsie]

arrrgh!

i do something different every time. it keeps me sane. at the moment i am mostly sitting right in front of my new toys pressing the buttons on my new shuttle and grinning at the pretty blue lights and the delightful sounds i can now make through it.

sometimes i'll start by playing through a few basslines i'm working on for the bands slowly, then move on to ones i know better, then go back to the new ones when i'm warmed up and they've filtered into my brain a little.

other times i'll practise the scales i know because otherwise owen gets stern with me in lessons.

sometimes i just mess around and make stuff up. which i'm hoping i'll get much much better at if i keep at it.

other times i'll stick on a cd and just work out bits as it plays. sometimes i'll work on the tracks til i get all of it, other times just let the cd run and work out what i can as it goes along.

re: discipline, if i am feeling a bit disheartened or unenthusiastic, or just looking for a new direction, i have a friend who always seems to say the exact right thing i need to hear at that moment. (yeah yeah, its all me)

what about you?

[Moody]

This is really interesting and defo some techniques I'm going to try out. To the OP, I have *exactly* the same issue. So much to learn, where the hell do you start?

OK, so I have 1st proper gig, 40 min set, coming up so primary focus is nailing that... I have lessons once a fortnight, for the moment, they are focused on getting me ready for the gig.


[i]When you practice, when you sit down and say "right, here we go", what do you all do?[/i]
Connect Amp to Line 6 POD, Connect Line 6 POD to Laptop, fire up Traction to record what I play. I then tune up. I try by ear, fail, then get out the tuner.

[i]Do you go through variations of the same thing, or do something radically different each day?[/i]
I have the songs I am learning in order from Very Confident, Confident, No Hope. I run through every song that I am very confident on to warm up, possibly through a couple of runs I've been learning outside of band stuff. I'll review my Very Confident stuff to ensure I'm still Very Confident with it. And move on. I always play along to the MP3s or a very dody band CD.

[i]Do you practice all scales every day, or concentrate on arpeggios one day, modes the next, 2 & 3 octave scales on another?[/i]
I don't do any of this at the moment. My time is limited and I don't have hours in the day to pick this stuff up just yet. It's on the list for the New Year.

[i]When you warm up and / or do dexterity exercises, do you always do the same ones or look for new ones each time?[/i]
Generally stick to the same thing. I'm concentrating on my left hand at the moment (LEFTY ALERT!!), as I have a really hard attack that needs softening. We have a song that covers all the strings and is straight 8 note runs so it is ideal for this.

[i]Do you stick to one genre of music in one session or vary it?[/i]
I generally stick to the genre of our band, which is erm, varied. I learn (to a degree), a Herbie Hancock track the other week, just cause I like it, and also Lady (Hear Me Tonight), just cause I like it.

[i]How do you stay disciplined? [/i]
My problem is concentration. I am easily disctracted. Right now, I'm typign this when I know on my work laptop a simple file copy is required!!

[i]Do you work towards specific goals, either long term or short term? (be it mastering a rather tricky piece, or a technique or your own goals)[/i]
Yeah get through my gig without looking like a total c0ck. After that I intend to evaluate exactly what kind of Bass Player I want to be then be it.


[i]Do you dismiss things you've tried several times, but haven't nailed (for me it'd be up-down thumb slapping and playing Jaco's chromatic fantasy to speed), or do you refuse to be beaten and spend lots of time on it?[/i]
Yes, constantly. I've ditched so many songs because they are too hard at the moment.

[i]Do you dismiss things as not being relevant, either not for you or bass playing in general?[/i]
No never, there are far better players out there than me. Some talk my language and I listen to them.

[i]Where do you source new ideas of things to work on? - obviously working or playing in a band will always have an input on this as the setlist always increases.[/i]
BC obviously. Mewsie likes to kick my arse now and again. My Bass Tutor is awesome at making me look at things differently. Most of the time though, it is the band, although I have little input into the songs we are playing.

[i]How much percentage of your time do you spend on theory or do you only know what you need to know?[/i]
I don't think it is a specific percentage, but I think it is important to mix the theory into the practise anyway.

erk!

[bluesparky]

Well, for me, my answers are:

When you practice, when you sit down and say "right, here we go", what do you all do?
Usually sit down at my desk, pedals, amps and books usually still setup from last time, and start warming up with scales and exercises, then fire up i-tunes and learn and play along to some songs, then see where it all takes me, whether it highlights things i need to work on.
Then fish through what i've been doing recently and see what i need to improve on.

Do you go through variations of the same thing, or do something radically different each day?
Habit is big in my life, so it's usually the same old thing, i try and start new things but then forget i've done that next time!

Do you practice all scales every day, or concentrate on arpeggios one day, modes the next, 2 & 3 octave scales on another?
I usually whip through the basics of scales and arps and modes, but will concentrate heavily on one for each session

When you warm up and / or do dexterity exercises, do you always do the same ones or look for new ones each time?
As previously mentioned i usually rattle through the same old excersises, but try to do new things, or try to remember things i've not written down.

Do you stick to one genre of music in one session or vary it?
Usually i stick to rock, pop and funk, i try to have frustrated dabblings with jazz but don't seem to progress.

How do you stay disciplined?
My biggest failure! - i'm easily distracted.
I've started keeping a practice diary to shame myself into seeing what i actually achieve from each session and how much i waste!

Do you work towards specific goals, either long term or short term? (be it mastering a rather tricky piece, or a technique or your own goals)
I've done all the trinity college exams, and will do RGT's too as soon as i think i can think i can fit the exam in.
I also disect REALLY tricky pieces and block through them bit by bit, practice by practice until it all slowly starts to come together.

Do you dismiss things you've tried several times, but haven't nailed (for me it'd be up-down thumb slapping and playing Jaco's chromatic fantasy to speed), or do you refuse to be beaten and spend lots of time on it?
As far as techniques go, i think i can do all i ever need to do / will use in public so i don't try to be an amazing tapping wizard or be able to play semi-quavers at 230 BPM,
I realise there are bassists in this world who will always be better than me and there are targets i'll never reach. It took me a lot of years to come to terms with that!!

Do you dismiss things as not being relevant, either not for you or bass playing in general?
As i said above, it took me a while, but i've realised that i don't have to be able to play everything, be as good as everyone or be able to do everything,

Where do you source new ideas of things to work on? - obviously working or playing in a band will always have an input on this as the setlist always increases.
I don't have time to be in a band or regular lessons, so i rely heavily on this forum for help!!

How much percentage of your time do you spend on theory or do you only know what you need to know?
I used to spend a lot of time on theory and i keep that knowledge topped up. Recently i don't seem to be increasing my knowledge and i'm aware of that, so i've started thinking about doing the Associated Board's theory exams to keep me interested and knowledgeable.

I know there are a lot of questions here, and i don't expect answers from everyone on all of them, but I'm just looking for inspiration and wondering what everyone does,...


Thanks you - or thank me, seeing as i'm replying to myself!