Twincam Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Noticed it can sometimes take me a long time to fully warm up and play as well as i can. Curious to know how long it takes others to warm up. And any tips for warming up faster would be cool. If im honest it sometimes stops me from trying basses out in a shop, sometimes it really does take my fingers a while to do what i want them too. I can play simpler things fairly easy with no warm up, but i feel when playing simple things you don't get to really see what a new bass can do. And i don't fancy embarrassing myself in a shop i do enough of that already haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 There are only a few bullet points I check on when I'm in a shop trying out basses; [list] [*]Looks [*]The feel of the neck [*]Action [*]Brand ( I shop brand ) [*]Price [*]How I'm treated as a customer [/list] I'm usually already sold on a specific bass when I go to a shop and usually ready to buy. I don't spend much time playing, a few scales and riffs and that's it. Warm Up? At gigs I'm usually warmed up midway through the first set. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Timely thread as I've only recently started having a warm up routine. My band thing I'm a bit pretentious sometimes having my 15 minutes of scales, arpeggios and right hand exercises but I've found it's helped my finger stamina and lessened the strain on my wrists. Still don't play well in shops though, can't think of anything to play no matter what! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I`ve a couple of self-composed exercises/runs I use to warm up. Nothing difficult, just helps loosen up the fingers, mainly on my fretting hand. These also use most of the frets up to the 12th fret so also helpful at identifying any fret buzz if trying out a new bass. So when in a shop, use these as a way of identifying any issues, and to get the fingers loose enough to go through my typical Bruce Foxton/JJ Burnell riffs that I use as testers to see how a bass sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 By the time I've run around like an idiot connecting things, moving things and lugging things I don't need a warm up, I need a lay down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1427495928' post='2731269'] By the time I've run around like an idiot connecting things, moving things and lugging things I don't need a warm up, I need a lay down. [/quote] +1 Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 When anyone ever talks about warming up it always reminds me of reversing in the winter at the Jam Pot in Arley. Because everyone used to help with everyone's loading in and out and setting up, it meant, rather than two journeys to get my own gear in, it would be several, and by the time we'd done, my fingers, rather than warmed up, would be stiff and turning blue and I'd barely be able to hold my bass for ten minutes, never mind play the damned thing. As for trying basses shops, the last bass I bought from a shop I was barely able to play while trying it out. It was a five string with a much wider string spacing than the one I already owned. But, oddly, I knew that it felt good, so I bought it. Once I got it home it took me four hours to get used to it. After that, though, I was fine with it and was able to switch between that and my four strings and the other five string easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 While your body in general may be warmed up from certain activities, the parts that take a front line in playing the bass, i.e. the tendons that move the fingers.. may not. People often refer to "strength" being required in the fingers in order to play well. All healthy people have the minimal strength required to fret a note. What is required is to warm up the tendons that facilitate the [u]opening[/u] of the hand. Very few daily activities can do this. This is why, IMO it is well worth taking the time to warm up (and down...afterwards) with gentle stretches. There are lots of clips on You Tube. OP, if you know in advance that you are going to be trying out a bass, you could try a Carol Kaye warm up tip. Hold the arm straight. Gently press the thumb against the index finger. Hold for seven seconds. Release. Repeat with each individual finger. Now, gently fan out the hand and fingers for five seconds. Release for five seconds. Clench the fist (dont force anything), with the thumb on the outside for five seconds. Release for five seconds. The whole routine takes less than three minutes. Time well spent IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) I treat warming up, and practicing in shops as. 2different things . I used to warm up at home with scales for the first half hour , then learn other stuff. Other types of warming up, meant improving my finger dexterity. As for playing in shops , I used to be one of those irritating /naive people who wanted to try and impress . Trying to slap when you can't , is never good. Tapping etc. Having said that, I was learning new stuff and was getting carried away. If I was playing in a shop now, I'd just take my time and play a few things I know. Edited March 28, 2015 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Mine is quite a monastic hard core ritual to warming up. It takes years of practice, dedication, meditation and application. Basically it involves two Jack Daniels and Cokes and an Embassy Number 1. Then I'm ready to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1427538704' post='2731507'] . Then I'm ready to go! [/quote] ....asleep !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1427538704' post='2731507'] Mine is quite a monastic hard core ritual to warming up. It takes years of practice, dedication, meditation and application. Basically it involves two Jack Daniels and Cokes and an Embassy Number 1. Then I'm ready to go! [/quote] I had to re read that twice as i genuinely missed the S off cokes. [quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1427536868' post='2731485'] While your body in general may be warmed up from certain activities, the parts that take a front line in playing the bass, i.e. the tendons that move the fingers.. may not. People often refer to "strength" being required in the fingers in order to play well. All healthy people have the minimal strength required to fret a note. What is required is to warm up the tendons that facilitate the [u]opening[/u] of the hand. Very few daily activities can do this. This is why, IMO it is well worth taking the time to warm up (and down...afterwards) with gentle stretches. There are lots of clips on You Tube. OP, if you know in advance that you are going to be trying out a bass, you could try a Carol Kaye warm up tip. Hold the arm straight. Gently press the thumb against the index finger. Hold for seven seconds. Release. Repeat with each individual finger. Now, gently fan out the hand and fingers for five seconds. Release for five seconds. Clench the fist (dont force anything), with the thumb on the outside for five seconds. Release for five seconds. The whole routine takes less than three minutes. Time well spent IMO. [/quote] I do have a warm up routine but it takes at least 20 mins to feel right. I switched fretting hand techniques not so long back to a more standard style and im still not 100% with it, although already an improvement on my horrible previous technique. If im not warmed up feeling my hand tends to fatigue and hurt very quickly. I will give the Carol Kaye warm up technique a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1427540856' post='2731528'] I do have a warm up routine but it takes at least 20 mins to feel right. I switched fretting hand techniques not so long back to a more standard style and im still not 100% with it, although already an improvement on my horrible previous technique. If im not warmed up feeling my hand tends to fatigue and hurt very quickly. I will give the Carol Kaye warm up technique a go. [/quote] Are you using "technique" as a warm up ? After the warm up I described earlier, I pick up the bass and do some slow chromatic scales above the fifth fret. Even after the stretching routine, it is prudent not to dive headlong into fast complex playing. Another two minutes or so, of slow scales, arps etc is a good idea, before finally settling into "regular" practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 to stop being a nobhed for once i actually just alternate playing diminished and augmented shapes. Playing crotchets on each note , then two quavers on each note, then a quaver on each note then two semi quavers on each note. Then start again. I do that for about 5 mins and it sorts me out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 As I no longer play in bands I don't need to warm up for performances, so I don't do any specific warm up exercises. I like to practice/play for a couple of hours every day and don't find I have to warm up if I have played the previous day. However, if I have been unable to play for a couple of days, for whatever reason, it can take about ten minutes to warm up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1427541579' post='2731541'] Are you using "technique" as a warm up ? After the warm up I described earlier, I pick up the bass and do some slow chromatic scales above the fifth fret. Even after the stretching routine, it is prudent not to dive headlong into fast complex playing. Another two minutes or so, of slow scales, arps etc is a good idea, before finally settling into "regular" practice. [/quote] I play a few scales and then a few fast paced things normally parts of something ive been learning and are a challenge. Which maybe accounts for why my hand can really hurt, my fretting hand that is. My right hand needs no warm up. Sometimes i will switch from my bass to my girlfriends bass to wake my brain up faster. I think maybe a slower more sensible stretch and warm up would help with the initial hand pain and fatigue instead of me rushing it when cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1427556836' post='2731727'] I think maybe a slower more sensible stretch and warm up would help with the initial hand pain and fatigue instead of me rushing it when cold. [/quote] I think that would be a good idea. IMO the hands and fingers need a [u]gentle and slow [/u] introduction of about five to seven minutes, before the more severe "work" starts. Also, just as important is warming [u] down.[/u] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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