AntLockyer Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 As the title says, I rarely play my bass, we've not been gigging very much, anytime we get a gig I have to cram to relearn the songs and while I play more than well enough to earn my money coasting isn't what I want out of life and I don't want to waste any talent I might have. Today's my birthday and I'm treating it like a new year and making a resolution. I am going to practice at a minimum 3 times a week for an hour. I've got some info from Scott's Bass Lessons (video at bottom of post) on how to structure practice and each session will be Technique, facility and articulation Time and groove Fingerboard visualisation Genre based studies Language of music (phrases and harmony) So what? I'm posting this here as I need to be held accountable. I need the support of the community to ensure I keep it up because I am easily distracted and fall out of habits far too easily. I'm going to post here each Monday morning at a minimum and briefly chat about what I've been up to that week. I also hope this inspires others to do the same and we can all raise our game together. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Good move. Don't forget to improve your networking. Find a better band to utilise this new-found bass prowess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 I have always had difficulty with applying myself. It was actually stated on one of my annual school reports - "Has natural aptitude but needs to apply himself". I wish you every success! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 10 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said: It was actually stated on one of my annual school reports - "Has natural aptitude but needs to apply himself". I got that on every school report. They were right, of course. I wasn't interested. I'll never forget Mr Ford, the careers advice officer, practically banging his head on the desk in frustration with me during our interview. I just knew telling him I was going to join a rock band wasn't a "career" choice either of us was going to agree upon! Fortunately, when rock stardom when down the pan, I discovered a fledgling IT industry, and I slotted right in. I can apply myself now but I find the lessons I'm having are even more effective because I have to sit in front of someone and demonstrate what I achieved between visits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 3 times per week for an hour is the wrong approach. You'll retain far more practising for a shorter time but on more days - particularly for reading where the most vital element is doing it all the time. Just like any other language. 15 minutes per day, every day will be far more beneficial. Don't confuse learning music with learning a tune. They are different things. Find somewhere that you can leave your gear and a stand set up all the time so you only have to switch it on. Then read every day. All your individual aims will happen automatically as you read different types of music You'll play different genres, different key and time signatures, get used to where all the Bs are on your fretboard and deal with phrasing, time and groove just by reading music. If you've never read then a basic book on sight reading such as Stuart Clayton's Beginner one is a good start - then something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1848493584/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They are short phrases of a couple of lines each. Very easy at the beginning, betting gradually more difficult. It's a Double Bass book - but just ignore the bow information. You'll improve massively in just the first week. I spent the first 20 years of playing not being able to read a note. Now I'm playing in an educational trust jazz ensemble and I'm sight reading (ish!!) new pieces every week at rehearsal.The above process was recommended to me by the music teachers at the trust. It works and it only needs 15 minutes per day. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 (edited) 7 minutes ago, fretmeister said: 15 minutes per day, every day will be far more beneficial. +1. Little and often is best. Quote Edited September 24, 2018 by Coilte 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 I like that idea 15mins reading every day. That makes a lot of sense and have now added the book to my wish list for Xmas. I can already read but nowhere near sight reading. I still need to sit down and work my way thru a passage but i use it as a tool for learning songs. I quite fancy polishing up on my technique tho. Been playing for over 40 yrs and its never too late to learn and improve what you are doing Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 IMO A good practice routine is a must Work on your weaknesses and what is relevant to you And write everything down so you know how you are progressing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 1 hour ago, SpondonBassed said: I have always had difficulty with applying myself. It was actually stated on one of my annual school reports - "Has natural aptitude but needs to apply himself". I wish you every success! Mine used to say. Must try harder 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted September 24, 2018 Author Share Posted September 24, 2018 32 minutes ago, fretmeister said: 3 times per week for an hour is the wrong approach. I appreciate your advice and will incorporate some reading into what I'm doing, it definitely wont be each day though hence the 'at least 3 days a week part of my post'. I have a lot of free time Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will use it for bass practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Have discipline and a plan. Write down a list of 10 things you're not very good at, 10 things that you want to do better and work through them. Pick 10 bass lines you can't play and work them out. If you can knuckle down, Scott's bass lessons (the free ones and the pay ones) are worth investigating. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 IME if you have to set yourself a regime you'll never stick to it. It will become a chore and you'll soon loose interest. People learn best when they want to learn and make time to learn because it is fun, not because they think that that they ought to. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrendall Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Always have some gear setup ready to go so all you have to do is pick up the bass and turn the amp on. I rarely play at home because I procrastinate on setting up my stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 The thing that I find most gets in the way of me spending quality time on the fretboard is spending far too much time on the keyboard discussing gear on Basschat! GAS is without doubt the biggest enemy of the good when it comes to practising 😀 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted September 24, 2018 Author Share Posted September 24, 2018 2 minutes ago, BigRedX said: IME if you have to set yourself a regime you'll never stick to it. It will become a chore and you'll soon loose interest. People learn best when they want to learn and make time to learn because it is fun, not because they think that that they ought to. I love learning it is just I'm easily distracted and forget to do it. Same with all sorts of other things in my life, I'm a bit faddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 11 minutes ago, BigRedX said: IME if you have to set yourself a regime you'll never stick to it. It will become a chore and you'll soon loose interest. People learn best when they want to learn and make time to learn because it is fun, not because they think that that they ought to. Agreed . If I have to force myself to do something that I consider is a pastime and a pleasure, then I get little out of it. I get much more out of half an hour practicing when I feel the urge than 2 hours spent forcing myself to sit and play. For me if something becomes a chore then I don't do it, that's what work/career is for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted September 24, 2018 Author Share Posted September 24, 2018 (edited) Ended up doing an hour and half today. Monday 24th Sept Technique, facility and articulation Time and groove Fingerboard visualisation Language of music (phrases and harmony) C major scale, Arpeggios on c major, worked out not looked up on the internet (C major 7, D minor 7 , E minor 7, F major 7 so far) Forwards and backwards at 90bpm all in one position root on E string (1.5 hours), Genre based studies None! Edited September 24, 2018 by AntLockyer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Apologies but that sounds like a chore to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted September 24, 2018 Author Share Posted September 24, 2018 It appeals to me. It makes my brain have to work and I felt like I'd accomplished something. There was a side effect. I rarely play on that part of the neck unless I'm playing in E, I found it quite difficult just from a positioning standpoint. I realise now that the way I was holding my guitar in practice wasn't anything like when standing up and playing so I've adjusted my position and concentrated on keeping the tension out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted September 24, 2018 Author Share Posted September 24, 2018 I've also bought this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Guitarists-Guide-Reading-Music-ebook/dp/B00E5R1HN8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 and will do at a bit as many days as I can (definitely not Tuesdays) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 18 minutes ago, BigRedX said: IME if you have to set yourself a regime you'll never stick to it. It will become a chore and you'll soon loose interest. People learn best when they want to learn and make time to learn because it is fun, not because they think that that they ought to. I totally agree. There have bee a couple of times when I’ve not been in a band I’ve said to myself ‘I will now learn all about music properly’. It lasted about a week. It quickly got to be a chore, quite uninteresting and then relegated to not being done. The last time I wasn’t in a band I didn’t touch my bass for 9 months. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 11 minutes ago, mikel said: Apologies but that sounds like a chore to me. It's the basics. It's important to know this stuff if you want to progress to be a better musician, and I think the OP wants that. The biggest chore for me was learning to play the bass in the first place. If you have the drive to push through and beyond the chore stage you'll do well on the other side. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Nice one. If thats what floats your boat then it will work for you. I am just an old luddite from the distant past where learning was all about listening to stuff you liked and trying to work out by trial and error what was being played. By happy mistakes we came up with different styles and bass lines simply through errors. Your way is probably quicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 2 minutes ago, chris_b said: It's the basics. It's important to know this stuff if you want to progress to be a better musician, and I think the OP wants that. The biggest chore for me was learning to play the bass in the first place. If you have the drive to push through and beyond the chore stage you'll do well on the other side. No argument, you are probably right. I never learned "The basics" as back in the day I was not aware there was such a thing, music was just music. My basics was learning to play a walking blues bass line by listening to records (remember them?) and trial and error, but mainly error. But it was fun and never a chore, that is why I did it. It is simply my personality and the way I do/did things. Not right or wrong just my way. No doubt the OP will do it his way and good luck to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 "Time and groove" is a wasted slot. Replace that with reading. Reading has time in it. Groove is a nebulous subjective thing that doesn't happen without playing with other people. Groove really is ignoring strict time and either pushing or pulling the beat. That's a performance point rather than a learning about music point. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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