| Work on your timing (play with a metronome - all of the time, and clap out rhythms with a metronome for better practice).
Work on your fluidity in your playing (finger technique, and especially in what you're doing with your left hand. In Electric Bass, all of those buzzes and gross sounding notes always comes from your left hand. Once you develop it, you can start blaming problems on your right hand.
Learn rudimentary theory so that you can tell when the piece is meant to sound minor, major, dissonant, or what have you. If you also understand how chords are constructed, and why they sound a certain way, it'll allow you to make the piece a lot more interesting melodically and harmonically.
Don't shift positions when you don't need to - it'll cause you to fall out of time, and create gross sounding notes.
Edit: Also, as a last note, use the 'matchstick method'. Take ten matchsticks (or cutips, or whatever have you), and if you play the piece perfectly, move a matchstick to the other side. If you don't play the piece perfectly, restart this process. It'll kick your @$$, but you'll know the rhythm, melody, harmony, and the feeling of the piece much more.
Also, one more thing, remember that every note is not an 'indefinite' amount of time. Control the time, be fluid, and never let that inner drummer in your head lose count.
Keep playing!
__________________
"What do you think happens after that note? Time stops? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Last edited by Herbie 80's : 09-19-2011 at 03:40 PM.
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