I'm new to studying bass intently and lately i've been a little stressed with practice, gigs, lessons.. and everything else.

so i took 2 weeks off from lessons with my teacher and i'm trying to organize my own practice routine daily.

so far i have the following:

1) Metronome Warm UP

2) Scale Patterns

3) Arpeggios

4) Art of Walking Bass

5) Mel Bay Method

6) Simandl Method

7) Rhythm Book


i'm going to try and work this 6 days a week, for a set period of time, but i'm not going to do every book every day. i'm not sure how i'm going to work the details yet.

since this is my 1st practice routine, can you guys help me out, what other exercises do you use? i was going to put an ear training or jazz improv slot in there.

Thoughts? In sight?


thanks,
Derek

I don't see playing music in there.... A whole lot of technique exercises and methods, but where is working on transcribing, working on music/songs and ear/training.

Scales and arp's are great but as your fretboard knowledge and skills increase you need to work on music using them. Look how classical music is taught mainly from learning to play pieces of music. I would suggest keeping the scales and arp's short on ones that you have mastered and look for music that used them or work on improvisation using them. Also for your Simandl find a copy of the Simandl 30 Etudes for DB and piano. They are graded exercises so start simple and there are books today with the piano accompaniment on CD to play along with.

Once you learn a skill put it to use, otherwise your playing sounds like scales and exercises and most important sing everything you work on that gets the brain, ear, fingers connection going.

I agree about scales and arpeggios to an extent.

Walking a jazz bass line is no different from walking scales or arpeggios. I put my metronome on a slow tempo, and begin counting on 2 (so it sounds like the metronome is playing the backbeat, 2 & 4). Now, I MAKE sure the scales swing!!

Once you learn a scale, play it with as many different fingerings, all over the neck. The same goes for arpeggios. Overall, try to make them musical - even from note to note, and smooth. Remember - you cannot run a marathon until you can run a little bit. You cant run a little bit until you can walk. A good solid foundation with technique will be rewarded time after time. For example, if you were to play a walking line from a Cm to an F7, you could play C - Eb - G - Gb - F... You would be REALLY good at the C-Eb-G part, as that is just a Cm triad, which you practiced the hell out of in your arpeggio studies.

Your choice of books is really good. The Simandl method is good - make sure to ignore the fingerings, as it was written for upright (unless of course, you're playing upright!). I found that it helps me on electric to play the Simandl etudes in different positions all over the neck.

Hope this helps!

imp

For ear training, I force myself to play along to the radio (any style or station is OK). No one else cares if you mess up, but try to be 100% right, all the time, as if you were playing a live gig & someone called a tune you didn't know. It really works wonders!

(Obviously pop/rock/soul/country is a bit easier given that there are only a few chords - playing along with jazz or classical might be more difficult, of course!

yeah you guys are right, adding in playing time if crucial.

so i am going to add in Playing/Jazz Improv and work musically through the other exercise.

even wooten says in one of his videos that he always trys to learn the technique then almost immediately make it music!

well just wanted to give everyone an update of where i'm currently at. i'd like some more feedback and advice, so here it goes...

i was committed to a pretty strict practice routine, however, i felt that i was using some things improperly. i found myself working with a metronome, doing these crazy chromatic, non musically technical stuff for an hour. to me, this was a way to build up dexterity and speed and even playing.. POOP!! HA

what i found is that after that hour, i was fried and didn't want to work out of any books or study any music that i like. my playing has no grown in a month now!

so, with that being said, it's time to redo my plan of attack and grow as a bass player.

in my entire career of a bass player, i have spent very little time actually playing with albums and listening to the licks and lines that i love so much! this has greatly hurt my playing in my opinion. and even though i've studied with the best teacher here in buffalo, ny... my playing should be so much further ahead!

i think i might start to use the JazzWise approach of the hamburger practice routine.

10 mins of metronome training (technical stuff)
10 mins of old material (melody or solo)
15-20 mins of new material
10 mins of old material (different melody or solo)
10 min of cool down metronome training


thoughts? ideas??