stuck in a box!!

[ziggydolphinboy]

hi Everyone,
Following the recent departuee of leaving my full time band i had this great idea of just getting better.
I have good basses, i feel the groove and whenever im in a band i get good feedback.
i have a few deps for a soul band , disco band and rock covers band.

i have played rock to country to funk,(no jazz though).
i go on you tube and jam to tunes , i have tascam cdbt1 and also a looper as well as a boss jm5(jamstation).


i had lessons ages ago and still have alll my notes from them.
im a good player and like fingerstyle and am slowly working on my slap as well as tapping and trying chords.
heres my trouble. . . . .
when i practice i seem to play the same rifs Mianly and its frustrating as hell!!!
and cant seem to get "out of the box" that im musically in.
i get frustrated with my speed of both my hands and seem to be a 'safe player'
i know major and miner etc but i listen to other bass players and think WOW thats great .


so is it best for me to get a clearer book / dvds on modes/slap etc as my old lessons notes are a bit faded , or just have a couple of lessons a months for a few months?
any ideas
kindest regards
ziggy.

Edited May 1, 2010 by ziggydolphinboy

[robthegaff]

Hey, found myself feeling similarly a few months ago. It's very frustrating. What helped me was trying to listen to music I've never listened to before, which was mainly jazz, and I'm really into it now. Really pushes me to try play in a different way. Like learning this:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gynGy8pSg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8gynGy8pSg[/url]

Knowing modal scales is always nice, they offer options in songwriting and are a massive help in improvising, but they're not vital (though they did help tie the full length of the fingerboard together for me).
Listen to new music, and enjoy playing it. If you're ever really challenged get help Good luck, just my few thoughts.

[Doddy]

I'll always recommend taking lessons. Having someone explain things to you will help you
so much more,and you will progress quicker,without falling into bad habits.
Modes are cool and everything,but to be honest I think you would be better off studying
arpeggios-They will be more useful to you as a bass player.
Also,how's your reading? If it's not happening,I'd recommend that you at least try to learn
the basics. It is alot better for your playing and musicianship than tapping. As cool as it is
to be able to tap,you will open up the potential for far more work if you work on your reading
chops.It will also allow you access to a lot of study material that might otherwise be unavailable
to you

[XB26354]

DVD's and books are usually good entertainment and I tend to look at them as teaching/learning aids.
Most of them really cover the equivalent of one or maybe two lessons. You also cannot ask a DVD or book questions, or have them explain things in a different way.
And despite feeling that everything is fine you'd be surprised how a good teacher could pick on weak areas and solidify your knowledge and technique.

It's not just about a bass teacher - I learned some of my best lessons just hanging out with jazz players. Once, a very fine piano player on the South Coast gave me an impromptu lesson on chord changes and substitutions. Saxophonist Bobby Wellins taught me more about playing melodically than any book or CD.

[ziggydolphinboy]

[quote name='XB26354' post='826589' date='May 3 2010, 04:33 PM']DVD's and books are usually good entertainment and I tend to look at them as teaching/learning aids.
Most of them really cover the equivalent of one or maybe two lessons. You also cannot ask a DVD or book questions, or have them explain things in a different way.
And despite feeling that everything is fine you'd be surprised how a good teacher could pick on weak areas and solidify your knowledge and technique.

It's not just about a bass teacher - I learned some of my best lessons just hanging out with jazz players. Once, a very fine piano player on the South Coast gave me an impromptu lesson on chord changes and substitutions. Saxophonist Bobby Wellins taught me more about playing melodically than any book or CD.[/quote]
Thank you guys fir you're kindest words,
I'm gonna go for a few lessons when I get bk from hols.
Ziggy

[dan670844]

[quote name='ziggydolphinboy' post='825000' date='May 1 2010, 05:45 PM']hi Everyone,
Following the recent departuee of leaving my full time band i had this great idea of just getting better.
I have good basses, i feel the groove and whenever im in a band i get good feedback.
i have a few deps for a soul band , disco band and rock covers band.

i have played rock to country to funk,(no jazz though).
i go on you tube and jam to tunes , i have tascam cdbt1 and also a looper as well as a boss jm5(jamstation).


i had lessons ages ago and still have alll my notes from them.
im a good player and like fingerstyle and am slowly working on my slap as well as tapping and trying chords.
heres my trouble. . . . .
when i practice i seem to play the same rifs Mianly and its frustrating as hell!!!
and cant seem to get "out of the box" that im musically in.
i get frustrated with my speed of both my hands and seem to be a 'safe player'
i know major and miner etc but i listen to other bass players and think WOW thats great .


so is it best for me to get a clearer book / dvds on modes/slap etc as my old lessons notes are a bit faded , or just have a couple of lessons a months for a few months?
any ideas
kindest regards
ziggy.[/quote]


Alright Dude,

The best way to learn fast is get into a band that is trying to make original music............. or some guys that just like to improvise totally, the so called 'Jam session', its not so difficult as bass players are hard to find!
Then you will learn new stuff / techniques fast. Learning is a process that best happens when you have a sense of purpose, you will have to find out about stuff and you will use it so it will stick! You might loose a few gigs while you learn more of the craft, but remember you a doing it for yourself to learn.

The other thing regarding Riffs etc is running though the scales, modes, helps a lot. But don't spend hours on them Freedom is all about developing your Ear, when you start to hear movements in music i.e. I to IV or I-IV-V, I-VI whatever, when you are listening to your tunes, you can then apply em to your playing. The other things about ruts is that you have to break them, I for example really did not like using the VI note in runs etc, to me it did not sound right (obviously over the right chords) but that was a limitation of my 'Ear' eventually I broke it!

Dan
D

Dan

[Bilbo]

I'm with Doddy. Learn to read. It will (eventually) take you out of your little boxes and give you a useful tool for future development. When you get good at it, you can fuind some charts that make you play things you wouldn't have thought of. I also recommend listening to other instruments as closely as you have the bass. Trombone solos, trumpet, saxophone, piano/keyboards, harmonica - anything that isn't tunes in fourths like a bass or guitar will take you out of the little boxes you have built for yourself. Also, try some genres you are unfamiliar with: Latin grooves can force you to regroup, some classical stuff etc.

Lessons are always good if you can find a teacher that you can work with (I am in Felixstowe which is next to Essex but then again Essex is a big lump of turf so, if you are at the other end, find someone nearer - the last thing you want to add to the cost of a lesson is a long drive!!). Ring a couple and have a chat with them.