how bout everyone posts an exercise they like to do

[fr0me0]

I think it could make for an interesting thread if everyone posted an exercise they like to do. I'm sure lots of people would find new useful things they havn't tried before

I'll start. I like to pick 2 sets of 4 random numbers between 1-4 and aply them to a set of 16th notes and rests

So if the first 2 numbers were 1 and 4 I would play on the 1, rest on the "e" and the "and", and then play on the "ah". if the second two numbers were 2 and 4 i'd rest on the 2 play on the "e" rest on the and and play on the "a" and do that for 2 more sets of 4 16th notes and rests

it helps me practice my counting and I get a song thrown at me with some unconventional rhythms its no sweat cause i'm used to dealing with some off the wall stuff because its totally random.

for examples the numbers are 1 and 3, 2 and 3, 1 and 4 and 3 and 4.

you play:

1 + R + and + R + R + e + and + R + 3 + R + R + a + R + R + and + a

So you don't play on the R's and play everything else thats written. seems simple but the rhythms can really trip you up when you try to play them fast.

[morf]

To practice my speed and control, I play Mr Moustache by Nirvana it makes a perfect exercise:

G-------------------------------------|
D-------------------------------------|
A-----2---------------1---------------|
E---3---3-2-1-0-1-2-3---3-2-1-0-1-2---|

It goes something like that, play it slow at the beginning and go faster and faster while maintaining a decent clarity and rhythm.

[PaulonBass]

Any more these = good

[morf]

Sure. Try Paranoid by Black Sabbath:

w 4 Q Q q e e e e e e e e 2
+---+-----+----------+-----7-9-----7-9--+
|4:-|*-R-*|*---------|-7-9-----7-9-----*|
|4:-|*---*|*-2/7-7-7-|-----------------*|
+---+-----+----------+------------------+

Listen to it and get the rhythm right for the 7-9 7-9 riff, if you practice this many many times in a row you'll get much quicker fingers, and you'll be more precise. Try playing it many times then try playing a song you know well

PS: Don't know about the quality of those tabs, the notes are right but the weird notations I dont know, just listen to the actual song for timing etc..

[AspiringBassMan]

i now play the spider and finger permutations religiously as a warm up exercise.



here is a tip for 'formatting' the tabs - use white writing. as an example:

w4......Q.........Q..q..e....e e e..e e..e e 2
+---+-----+----------+-----7-9-----7-9--+
|4:-|*-R-*|*---------|-7-9-----7-9-----*|
|4:-|*---*|*-2/7-7-7-|-----------------*|
+---+-----+----------+------------------+


as you can see, there is more than 1 space inbetween some of the 'e's and 'Q's. thats because they are white dots. i formatted it first so that it looks like this:
w4......Q.........Q..q..e....e e e..e e..e e 2

then i coloured the dots in white.

[whitedk57]

I like to do the spider. It was introduced in another thread. This uses One Finger Per Fret (OFPF).

|-----7-----8---|-----5-----6---|
|--5-----6------|--7-----8------|
|---------------|---------------|
|---------------|---------------|


|-----7-----8---|-----5-----6---|
|---------------|---------------|
|--5-----6------|--7-----8------|
|---------------|---------------|


|-----7-----8---|-----5-----6---|
|---------------|---------------|
|---------------|---------------|
|--5-----6------|--7-----8------|

[stedtale]

My technique exercises, I hope it makes sense, I'm typing this up quickly:

This is one finger per fret:

1234-----------------------------------4321
------1234-----------------------4321------
-----------1234-------------4321-----------
-----------------1234-4321-----------------

In many variations and tempos and areas of the neck.

IE:

1-------------4--2-------------1---
--2---------3------3---------4-----
----3-----2----------4-----3-------
------4-1--------------1-2---------

I do scale work too

The circle of 5ths, etc.

I also play will my scales 3 octaves. I will do my scales striaght up and down, but I also do my scales in thirds (up: 132435465768 down:867564534231271). I do all the "church" modes and the blues scale, whole tone and the bebop scale. The whole tone scale is great for working on "landing"

whole tone scale
--------------5-
---------6-8----
-----7-9--------
8-10------------

Pacman has a great scale practice techniquie in the sticky. Pacman's sure-fire scale practice method

I also do arpeggios in the simmilar manner as scales.

[JohnBarr]

This is one I use to limber up my fingers. It's a variation on something from that Des Pres book on Bass Fitness.
Modterate/slow tempo w/metronome

It's a sort of crab-walk across the strings.
My biggest challenge is doing it w/o watching fretboard and making sure my pinkie hits the note.
The numbers represent fingers 1-4.


G ________________
D ________________
A ______2______4____
E ___1_____3________

The point is that the 2nd string/2nd finger, then becomes the
1st string/1st finger, so it's not just a straight walk across the fretboard:

G ________________
D ________________
A ___1_____3________
E ______2_______4____

Etc.

G ________________
D ______2_____4___
A __1_____3_______
E ________________

G ________________
D __1____3________
A ____2______4____
E ________________


G _____2_____4____
D __1_____3_______
A ________________
E ________________

G ___1____3_______
D ______2____4___
A _______________
E ________________


Then do it backwards, starting with 4.

You can invent variations, such as starting with 4 on the E string, or crossing strings:

G ___1____3_______
D _____________
A _____2____4____
E ________________

[SmittyG]

If I remember correctly, I picked this drill up in a Stanley Clarke interview back in the '80s.

Using one finger per fret, start with the first finger over the first fret of your first string and play the following fret (and finger) pattern:
1 4 3 4 2 4 3 4

Now move your first finger up to the fifth fret and play the above finger pattern over the new frets:
5 8 7 8 6 8 7 8

Continue this up the neck on that string and then repeat the whole thing for the other strings. Start slowly and build speed as you go. As your fingers loosen up, you will get faster and faster going through the drill.

[MickeyMickey]

I do the spider, but the way it was shown to me is a little different than the version whitedk57 posted:

---4--1--2--3--4--1--2--3----4--1--2--3---
-1--2--3--4--------------------------------
--------------1--2--3--4-------------------
----------------------------1--2--3--4-----