Does this ever happen to anyone???

[BassSurfer]

Ok i start playing for like a few hours.. but then i stop for like the rest of the day or a whole day then when i want to play again.. i do like much better then i was the previous day..

so does this happen to anyone?

what i mean is after the off days i had i make up some things i never did before or things that sound different in a cool way that i never did before... its cool but hey maybe its just me

so anyone?

[ibnzneksrul]

You're improving as a musician - enjoy it, it's normal.

[JimmyM]

Yeah, you're questioning improving? Don't question it...just keep doing it!

[Deacon_Blues]

Yep, sounds familiar to me too. I've sometimes left the bass untouched for a month or two, and when I start again I've improved, maybe not too much in the technique but about the musical knowledge. During your breaks, you listen to more music and collect ideas. As long as the breaks are short, your technique might develop too as you might think about that riff you couldn't do earlier and try to figure out how to do it. And if you have been exercising (gym, sports etc), you know your muscles and endurance don't develop without breaks. This probably applies to the finger muscles used in bass playing too.

I don't suggest anyone to leave their bass untouched for several weeks or months, but just to take the time to really listen to other music in between is really helpful.

[BassSurfer]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

I don't suggest anyone to leave their bass untouched for several weeks or months, but just to take the time to really listen to other music in between is really helpful.

i agree on that.

[Oratorio]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

I don't suggest anyone to leave their bass untouched for several weeks or months, but just to take the time to really listen to other music in between is really helpful.

+1. Good advice here, lads.

[steve66]

I have a few things that I practice everyday and some new things that I want to learn. I find that I dont have to waste hours of practice time learning new things.

I found early on, that when I am practicing something like a new technique, I can spend hours on it and never "get it".

I put my own 15 minute rule into my practice.

I think the key here is to first knowing what you want to learn and having your practice material handy before picking up the bass.

I then practice something for the first time, I mentally think about it before I physically practice playing it. When I figured out my approach to play it, I play for about 15 minutes trying not to make mistakes by going real slow for the first 5 minutes. When I get the motor skills working. I bring it up to speed to about 90 bpm. Practice that for 10 minutes straight.

I then take a break for 10 minutes, put the bass down and walk out of my practice room.

When I come back to practice, I can play it.

[DocBop]

It is best to practice everyday even if you have light and heavy practice days. The light day might be a little as 10 minutes to keep fingers moving in musical way and give brain a chance to work out things. So agree with backing off to let things marinate, but I would say play a little daily.

[BassSurfer]

good advice from everyone so far