Performance part of RGT grade exam.

[Sarah5string]

I'm definitely found my weekness. Doing Grade 4 RGT bass exam and I totally SUCK at the performance/improv section. I get what I'm supposed to do, come up with a bassline to match the chords using scales/arpeggios where musically appropriate etc, but my big problem is A) knowing what to play will be good and original but which won't sound sh*te or too much actually being able to read/think quick enough to play the right chords and find the right notes. Of course I could do just root notes but I won't score well so that's out..
I've only been learning theory for about 5 months all in, and all other areas of the exams I'm becoming fairly comfortable with, but the improv/performance section is a huge weakness!
I've got a month minimum really as the exam is sometime in june/july, can anyone give me any advice as this is the one part I'm struggling with! My tutor is helping me and it's sinking in slowly but too slow for my liking as I'm simply not used to reading and playing/thinking at the same time! Argh!

[bassfunk]

Hi Sarah

It's just a case of practise makes perfect! Do you have a friend who plays guitar or piano? Are can you program something into cubase or similar? If so get hold of as many chord charts as you can and get somebody to play through them. Or you could download chord charts for popular songs and practice playing alternative bass lines along to them on youtube etc.

Then start off smply by just playing root notes them, then start using fifths and octaves. Get used to the harmony and then try and slip some passing tones etc in. Use the theory you've learnt for the RGT grades to play arpeggios over the chords etc and just practice, practice and practice.

Hioope this helps. I've just tried to think of how I practiced this when I started out.

Thanks

Pete

[Doddy]

This is kind of related.....

You seem to be asking quite a few questions about your exam lately,and I've started to wonder if
you are actually being taught it well. I kind of get the feeling that these issues should have been
addressed earlier than a month before the exam,and that either your teacher hasn't explained it
particularly well to you,or you haven't dared ask too many questions if you don't get something.
But really,by now I would expect you to be pretty solid on everything and not be worried about
whole sections-This close to the exam,I would be expecting you to be nailing it.
If you don't ask questions,then your teacher may think you are more comfortable with the
material than you actually are.

I don't mean to sound like a dick,but I thought it was worth mentioning.

[fatback]

If I could make a suggestion (but health warning - I'm no kind of teacher), I'd start by practicing the arpeggio patterns (1,3, 5,7) for major, minor, and dominant chords on closed strings. Practice moving smoothly from one type to the other using the same root note. Then practice the patterns changing root notes.

Then learn the same patterns using open strings, especially bottom E.

But don't always use all the arpeggio notes over every chord. After a while you'll find that the different arpeggios can be joined up in various ways, but even without that, you'll sound ok.

A chord change is just a root change and (maybe) a pattern change.


You'll be fine

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='Doddy' post='827481' date='May 4 2010, 02:24 PM']This is kind of related.....

You seem to be asking quite a few questions about your exam lately,and I've started to wonder if
you are actually being taught it well. I kind of get the feeling that these issues should have been
addressed earlier than a month before the exam,and that either your teacher hasn't explained it
particularly well to you,or you haven't dared ask too many questions if you don't get something.
But really,by now I would expect you to be pretty solid on everything and not be worried about
whole sections-This close to the exam,I would be expecting you to be nailing it.
If you don't ask questions,then your teacher may think you are more comfortable with the
material than you actually are.

I don't mean to sound like a dick,but I thought it was worth mentioning.[/quote]
Thanks, I know what you're saying. In honesty this is the only section I'm having problems with, everything else I'm fine on and if I'm honest I think it's more a confidence/nerves things that's tripping me up. I know the arpeggios, I know the scales, I know what I HAVE to do.. but when I come to do it I panic and over think and end up messing it up!

[fatback]

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='827662' date='May 4 2010, 05:12 PM']I know the arpeggios, I know the scales, I know what I HAVE to do.. but when I come to do it I panic and over think and end up messing it up![/quote]

ah. Sounds like a stiff drink is what's needed. (joking)

[Sarah5string]

I think I'm just stressing way too much about it. This is my first exam and I'm really panicking about being rubbish! Someone give me a slap! My tutor is being good and giving me loads of chord sheets etc for me to go through. Going to get my guitard boyfriend round to help me more too I think.

[pete.young]

Don't panic, you'll be fine.

Don't think you're going in there to take the exam: tell yourself that you've already passed the exam, and you're going in there to demonstrate how you did it.

jakesbass did a great session at the last South East bass bash which covered a lot of this ground. I think there was a video which may have made it onto youtube, but I can't find it - might be worth dropping silverfoxnik a note about it.

I can't really do that session justice in a couple of sentences, but for me some of the essential things were: start with simple notes on the beat. Second time through, put in a few rhythmic extras. If you can do it , have a couple of fills up your sleeve that you can throw in at the end of a 4 or 8-bar phrase.

[Major-Minor]

Exams are just like Auditions - a false performance situation where you are playing to just one or two people who are going to be extra critical.

You need to get used to the idea of playing in this scenario. So a good idea is to play to as many people (individually) as you can over the next few weeks. Don't ask them to comment on your playing. Just play to them. And then walk away - just like it will be in the exam.

This should help with your confidence, and if you are confident you will relax, and if you relax you will play to the best of your abilities.

Every musician needs to be able to stand in front of a room full of people, on your own and just PLAY. It can be the hardest thing to begin with, but the more you do it, the more your confidence will grow.

The Major