Practice vs Learning vs Creating?

[Alo-BASS-Mann]

Hey guys, I'm just curious as to how we spend our time as bass players. Lately I've been almost exclusively writing new music and making videos which leaves me with little time to do any actual practice (you know, scales and stuff) It got me thinking knowing that we all progress in different ways do you find yourselves Practicing stuff you know? Learning new material? or Creating new music? Or which combination of the above (or something else I missed?

[Bilbo]

It's the eternal dichotomy. Too much practice results in not enough time for creativity whilst too much playing time means not enough time for practice. I guess it it a very personal and contextual thing. I find I don't value practice as much as I used to because I don't seem to have a great deal to practice for (no gigs). I guess you could consider composition as a skill worthy of practice and see your time writing and recording as working on a different kind of 'chops'? 

[Alo-BASS-Mann]

39 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

It's the eternal dichotomy. Too much practice results in not enough time for creativity whilst too much playing time means not enough time for practice. I guess it it a very personal and contextual thing. I find I don't value practice as much as I used to because I don't seem to have a great deal to practice for (no gigs). I guess you could consider composition as a skill worthy of practice and see your time writing and recording as working on a different kind of 'chops'? 

Good point, in writing and creating we are indeed practicing. I guess that's more along the lines of what I am trying to do. To practice through creating, rather than more "bread and butter" scales and arpeggios. And I wonder if this is just as effective as good ol' metronome shed (considering you're actually pushing yourself in your creations)?

[Bilbo]

I have never met a musician who has less chops than he knows how to use. 

[Swaffle88]

Hey guys,

I try to combine learning with writing - so say I’m learning about the different modes (lydian, Dorian etc) I then try and write a bass line/chord progression using whatever mode I’ve just learned and find it can spark a bit of a creative idea I can explore further, although more often than not I just scrap the idea but I hopefully by that time I know how I can apply what I’ve learned. Just now I’ve been trying to learn piano and do the same thing, I recently learned how to build 9th chords then immediately tried to write a progression using 9th chords. I think it helps me to put whatever I’m learning in a piece of music to see it working if that makes sense?