ive been playing bass for 6 years..and im afraid im not very good. i dont know scales, cant play interesting things besides straight forward progressions and power chords. im in an indie rock band and id like to play more interesting things. i think eben from saves the day is the best bass player around right now. i also dig jaco (cant even get close to him). i wanna get better and develop my own style...but i cant get very creative...i wanna play bass better and feel like i have more control over the bass. can anyone help me with exercises to get better...i cant read music, i know very little to no theory at all, and i dont have a real lot of time to practice everyday, so i cant get too in depth with theory...what can i do so i can get out of my rut, and start playing like i should be playing?

Well BIGWILLYSTYLE, you've made the first step. There are many things you can do to improve your musicianship.

First and foremost, click the link to my webpage, the Talkbass lesson on Scales and Arpeggios. This is information you can take with you on the bus, in a boring class, during a meeting, etc. Some rudimentary scale and arpeggio knowledge will be essential to move forward.

Second, I highly suggest a teacher. While I know it's often difficult to find a good one, and often difficult to afford one, I assure you that you can't afford not to have one. A good teacher will save you many months or years, or poorly written books, in the process of learning music. Even two or three lessons will greatly benefit you.