advancing chops help?

[bassmasta117]

okay, so your probably gonna all think i'm a tool for this thread but here goes: Everyone on here talks about groove first, chops second in importance. Okay, I have decent groove, and around here what people consider "crazy" chops. But There is LOTS of room for improvement, in the chops department and it's what i'm focusing on now. I'm not looking for an instructional video that is musical and makes you improvise. I want something like frank gambale's chop builder dvd. It's meant more like an exercise video, to make your fingers be able to move faster and more precise. Pure technique, no focus on creativity. Any suggestions or exercises?

[aidan784]

Wow yeah pretty much everything is wrong with this IMO, playing LOTS of music will improve your technique. Playing exercises will make you good at guess what... Yep, exercises! Technique and music shouldn't be separated, that's how I feel. It's like separating right and left hand, when is that applicable to playing the bass?
However if you do want something like you asked, look for something with the word 'chops', probably a heavy metal book or something like that. Although Todd Johnson does have a 'technique builders' DVD I think. Or look at the exercise thread that's stickied here in the technique forum.

[Rudreax]

In terms of chops, what do you want to improve? Your fingers don't move fast/even enough? You want to learn a new skill (tapping, slap)?

Playing musical exercises will help you musically. That should be fairly obvious. Nothing wrong with exercises, but make sure it has an actual use. I.e. if you're going to playing an exercise to learn about chord shapes, I'd suggest you write out the shapes as standard notation, written in an even rhythm (like eighth notes) and learn to play them with that even rhythm, with a metronome. That way, you learn about the fingerboard (and get more comfortable moving around it), you improve your reading and rhythm skills, and your ears will begin to learn how certain chords sound like. I think that covers all the bases...

But yeah, I disagree with the aidan. Tell us what specifically you want to improve, someone will probably give you advice on how to improve it.

[AcidFripp]

Wait, hold on. What the heck is meant by "chops" anyways? I never was sure what that meant...

[bassmasta117]

I basically want exercises that will help my fingers play not "in the box" you know. I can play fast in those known finger I guess movements, but I want my fingers to be limber to move in any combination.

[bassmasta117]

better example: Honor thy father by dream theater. There are runs I can play that fast, just not those because of the fingerings. same with dark eternal night.

[Samsound]

Practically nobody just picks up an instrument and spontaneously starts blazing riffs with fingerings they've not practiced ad nauseum. Start slow with a metronome, and practice your butt off, gradually increasing the tempo. Over time you'll find that similar riffs come a bit easier, too.