I've been playing bass for about 6 months now, fairly constantly with a few rough bumps due to World of Warcraft and that first month going to me being giddy as a school child over the fact I did infact have a bass. I'm at a point where I can make basslines to just about anything as long as I'm given time to prepare, and as long as it uses Major, Minor, Blues scale, and 7th chords (I totally forget which names go with which, such as Dorian and Ionian, but anyways...).

Because of this most of the music that my teacher has been feeding me has become fairly... obsolete. While we have been chewing through such fun songs along the lines of of "When She Comes around the mountain" to prepare for a miniconcert at the local elementary school I have decided to venture here to find out where I should progress.

From the foundation I have set where would be the next logical step to go? What should I try and focus on to better my abilities?

Learn more scales.

The more scales you know the "pattern" of, the faster you can learn what people are showing you, so the sooner you can play harder stuff.

It took me about 8 years of self learning for that one lesson to click and it happened in all of 30 seconds during an audition with an original band. They showed me a bassline that was pretty much a Pentatonic scale and after just 2 goes, I could play the line perfectly. Riffs based on the major scale I could nail too. Anything outside of those 2, I forgot the riffs before the first chorus ended. . .

Because of this most of the music that my teacher has been feeding me has become fairly... obsolete.

Sounds like you need a new teacher. Nothing my teacher gives me feels obsolete.

Most of what I do with the teacher is scale work/music theory, it's the music itself that he is feeding me that feels obsolete, and the fact that I've trained my mind to absorb a new scale in 2-3 run throughts (at least for first and second position) just makes a lot of downtime in a lesson. But since I said I would do a mini concert with him (see the part on really easy pieces such as 'when she comes around the mountain') it's hard to move onto harder songs right now.

It gives me little to practice with, but teaches me tons about free composing basslines to a chord sheet and learning by ear.

Well with a good grounding in scales, you could try and learn some songs you like listening to at home by ear, in addition to the work you are doing with your teacher.

It might not help playing the bass itself as such, but it will improve your ear and help in other theory areas like finding relationships between chords and working to various rythms and timing instead of scales to a metronome (not that thats a bad thing of course).

:bassist:

+1 on transcribing what/who you like and want to sound like.

You don't have to write it out all the time, but try to learn a whole bassline from a song/player you like. pick out the bass line, then try to get the melody down.
It will connect your ear, mind, and fingers...so you'll get away from thinking scales/chords/theory, and start thinking sounds and music.

it seems like every great player has transcribed a ton of music!

What music do you want to play? Find some others interested and play with them. You don't have to form a band per se. I host a weekly jam with pretty much the same core group of 4 or 5 guys and while we go to a local blues jam from time to time, we really aren't a band. But I am learning quickly playing with them and enjoying it.

What music do you want to play? Find some others interested and play with them. You don't have to form a band per se. I host a weekly jam with pretty much the same core group of 4 or 5 guys and while we go to a local blues jam from time to time, we really aren't a band. But I am learning quickly playing with them and enjoying it.

So you get together with the same group of people regularly, and jam tunes...and occassionally play out a bit? Sure sounds like a band to me :) :)

Oh, and +10 on playing with others. It will improve your playing a lot because rather than preparing to do it, you are doing it :bassist:

So you get together with the same group of people regularly, and jam tunes...and occassionally play out a bit? Sure sounds like a band to me :) :)

Oh, and +10 on playing with others. It will improve your playing a lot because rather than preparing to do it, you are doing it :bassist:

Well, we don't have a drummer. We sometimes use a machine for practice and the jam has a house band (the poor drummer pretty much works all night). We do have a set list of sorts. What we don't have is any kind of commitment; only a couple of us show up very regularly and a couple are very sporadic. Not everyone goes to the jam. Even the jam is a very supportive environment; a few mistakes are generally overlooked (unless you act like you never make any) and you get positive feedback and constructive criticism. What I wanted to point out is there are a lot of middle ground options for playing with others. A lot of people seem to think they have to woodshed and only play with other beginners or instructors until you get really good and then you have to commit to a band being a big part of your life. Not so. I might not ever get really good, but I am not going to let that stop me from enjoying it.

I have a few people I "jam" with. One guy is a guitarist who has been playing for 2 years, has less music theory understanding then I do, and has suddenly decided that for the sole reason that he wants to be in a band he should switch to bass (because it is quicker to learn is the unsaid part). When we play I usually end up trying to teach him a new scale or a better way to compose a song rather then using a chromatic approach to everything.

The other is a close friend who just got a drumset for christmas, though hasn't really had time to practice much, so he can't really do much besides keep super basic time and even then not for long.

Finally I used to jam regularly with the person who originally helped me get into bass, but unfortunately he just got booted from college and will be going to Basic Training in the next few months. So there goes what was becoming strong jam time with him.

I seriously at this point should go out and find a small group to play with occasionally.

I said:

Sounds like you need a new teacher. Nothing my teacher gives me feels obsolete.

You said:

Most of what I do with the teacher is scale work/music theory, it's the music itself that he is feeding me that feels obsolete,

And I say again:

Sounds like you need a new teacher. Nothing my teacher gives me feels obsolete.

I seriously don't understand why people ask for advice- but if it isn't what they like they just ignore it.

Maybe because he has a good rapport with the teacher and feels the music being given to him stifles his development, not the teacher or teaching method?

I'm just guessing of course. . .

Maybe because he has a good rapport with the teacher and feels the music being given to him stifles his development, not the teacher or teaching method?

I'm just guessing of course. . .

This.

I've been with the teacher for a while (he doubles as a trumpet teacher for me), and right now the only thing that is slowing me down in the music we are currently going over. But he is teaching me more music theory/a scale a week these days for me to impliment on my own time. And after my lesson today I talked to him and we will be moving onto harder music from here on in, so that should be solved as well.

I came here looking for ideas on what to practice on my own time outside of when I am with my teacher (which various members gave me ideas such as putting down the basslines for other bands by ear and then playing them and finding a group to play with).

One 30 minute lesson with a teacher doesn't outweigh the hour or so of practice I do a day, and I wanted to find things to explore/do on my own. Now I have some. Thank you various TB members for your suggestions. :)

I've been playing bass for about 6 months now, fairly constantly with a few rough bumps due to World of Warcraft and that first month going to me being giddy as a school child over the fact I did infact have a bass. I'm at a point where I can make basslines to just about anything as long as I'm given time to prepare, and as long as it uses Major, Minor, Blues scale, and 7th chords (I totally forget which names go with which, such as Dorian and Ionian, but anyways...).

Because of this most of the music that my teacher has been feeding me has become fairly... obsolete. While we have been chewing through such fun songs along the lines of of "When She Comes around the mountain" to prepare for a miniconcert at the local elementary school I have decided to venture here to find out where I should progress.

From the foundation I have set where would be the next logical step to go? What should I try and focus on to better my abilities?

the next logical step could be one of these three basic area's of study

Theory - theory of harmony, counterpoint
Aural - ear training, sight singing, transcribing
Practical - technique, performance