how to practise?

[fretless Bob]

Hey Janek

i was reading an interview this morning over at Global bass online, one of the things that really got interested was when you where talking about how to practise,

so would you mind talking us through the way(s) of practising that you have found most effective?


Dave

[janekbass]

Dave,

the basic points of my routine from the beginning have been as follows:

1. Time

2. Sound

3. Feel

4. Language

5. Phrasing

I got to the point that I'm at now by working on diatonic, chromatic and intervalic excercises that I got from a piano book called "Hannon - The virtuoso pianist". That was the initial technique text book that I came across. I tried to look into books for any instrument when I was first playing. Trombone, drums, violin, really anything I could get my hands on. I would practice for hours every day with the metronome starting around 40bpm and winding it up in increments of 10 to 400+. I was taking care of my technique very well. Not doing anything that felt tense, working on ecconomy of movement, and on placement of fingers on both left and right hands. Making sure I was using one finger per fret on the left hand and working out my right hand plucking technique to where it was most efficiant and comfortable.

I took about 6 years of hard work with the technique and have it to the point where I can perform maintenance on it now. I work on it about 15-30mins a day and I don't come across too many things that I find difficult to play from a pure technique standpoint.

My main area of practice with the bass is transcripion. I actually do most of the transcription sitting at the piano and learning it there, and then move over to the bass and work on it all there.


My practice routine never stops though. I'm constantly thinking about new ideas all day long, no matter where I am. I take my "scrolls of knowledge" (as me and mike stern call them) everywhere I go. These are just dozens of books that I write down all my ideas in and refer back to all the time when practicing for inspiration. I'll have at least two with me anywhere I am in the world and be working on that stuff constantly.

The most important part of practicing for me is to decide what I want out of it. The sooner you ask yourself some quetsions and decide what it is you're looking for, the sooner you're going to be able to focus your routine and make advancements towards your goals.

Easy,

Janek

[fretless Bob]

that is very enlightening,

so would i be right to think that you would practise something and then if you found a problem (be it technique or whatever) then you would find a way to get around by say making up some kind of exercise?

also is there any other method books that you would recomend?


Dave

[janekbass]

Dave,

that's the general idea, yes.

Any book with music in it that you can read, repeatedly practice, or adapt to your insturment, is a good book. Work on your reading by reading music in all four clefs, as well as parts that are transposed for trumpet, alto, tenor etc...

One of my favorite reading excercises is to take one of the michael brecker transcription books for saxophone that are written in Bb, and read them transposing at sight along with the record. That will really get your reading chops happening and is just one of many ways to use books and written material in your practice routine.

Easy,

Janek

[fretless Bob]

thanks man, you been a lot of help.

just for the record though i think that my reading chops are no where near up to that level yet, i need a lot of work to be able to sight read and transpose on the spot.


Dave

[musicman5string]

Originally Posted by janekbass

One of my favorite reading excercises is to take one of the michael brecker transcription books for saxophone that are written in Bb, and read them transposing at sight along with the record.
Janek

Yeah, me too....

Also, for exercising and physical health, I like to bench press a car 80 or 90 times and then wrestle a grizzly bear.

Just messin with you Janek; if that is true, I am truly impressed....and truly depressed as well.

[fretless Bob]

Originally Posted by musicman5string

Yeah, me too....

Also, for exercising and physical health, I like to bench press a car 80 or 90 times and then wrestle a grizzly bear.

Just messin with you Janek; if that is true, I am truly impressed....and truly depressed as well.

+1

but i dont think hes making that up.


Dave

[janekbass]

um....

not making it up. I've been doing it for ages. started off nice and slow with some easy solos from Blue Note 60's albums that have Bb transcription books for them. Then worked my way up to the brecker stuff. It doesn't matter what it is really. I like to read viola parts from an orchestral score and just read along with the Record as though I was sitting in the section.

easy,

Janek

[fretless Bob]

Originally Posted by janekbass

um....

not making it up. I've been doing it for ages. started off nice and slow with some easy solos from Blue Note 60's albums that have Bb transcription books for them. Then worked my way up to the brecker stuff. It doesn't matter what it is really. I like to read viola parts from an orchestral score and just read along with the Record as though I was sitting in the section.

easy,

Janek

no offence intended man, i hope that i can handle that kind of stuff eventualy


Dave

[Alun]

Originally Posted by janekbass

One of my favorite reading excercises is to take one of the michael brecker transcription books for saxophone that are written in Bb, and read them transposing at sight along with the record.

Hi Janek, out of interest what's your thought process when you're sight transposing? Do you read the chart in terms of interval (eg my finger is currently on C and the chart says the next note is a fifth away so I play a fifth) or are literally thinking "OK, chart says Bb, I play C"?

I'm occasionally called on to sight transpose and it's NOT my forte by any means. I tend to go for the interval thing but am nowhere near the level of transposing Brecker so i'd be interested to know how you go about something like this.

Also, do you find some intervals easier to transpose at sight than others? I find I have a nightmare sight reading even a chord chart a major third away from the written key, but can transpose chords by seconds, fourth, fifths, etc reasonably competently (as long as I'm doing it regularly, I soon lose the knack if I don't!)

Cheers,
Alun

[Alun]

Any thoughts anyone?



Cheers,
Alun

[janekbass]

****, missed this one.

I'll write a reply in a second.... sorry

[janekbass]

Alun,

as far as the chord chart reading goes.... I'm guessing that you're mostly going to be reading standards and popular songs from a chord chart and transposing them for a singer right?

Standards (if you don't know the song already) have many similar chord functions and you should be able to hear where a song is moving. Combining your ear with the chart that's in the wrong key will make things easier. I try and make sure by the second time through a chart I've mapped it out in my head,and normally memorized it. I have points of reference to head for such as cadences, modulations etc.. I always try and listen as closely to the melody as possible when it's being played. having the melody as a reference point in a song will help you at any time you get lost or aren't reading the transposed chagnes so well.

With the solo transposing at sight thing I'm just shifting my brain a whole step for the Bb stuff. Eb is really hard, but some people read it as a bass clef and just change the accidentals. That can work. I could never get used to that though. It works better with shapes and patterns for the visual thing, and I can visualize the staff in the wrong key and make it look like it's in the right key in my mind. I'm not really thinking too much about intervals when I'm reading. I'm not really trying to think too much at all, it's more of an intuitive thing after a while once you practice doing it enough.

i hope this helps.

easy,

Janek

[Alun]

Thanks Janek. It's interesting to see that you don't tend to read intervallically (if that's a word!) as I've always found that easier.

Time to practice!

Cheers,
Alun