Picking up the slack. Cleaning up the slop.

[5string5fingers]

Anybody know any good exercises,drills,technique tips for tightening up your chops? I play pretty clean but I really wanna clean up my left hand technique and play more accurate.

[LaklandBass]

metronome. also play all of your stuff at half the pace every now and again. it forces you to be tight

[klyph]

I hate to suggest buying something, but a teacher of mine had me working with the "Accompanied Rudiments Course", which is basically a Jamey Aebersold-type recording/sheet music set of a pianist playing two-octave scales and chord excersizes in the bass clef. I believe it is meant to help double bassists with their intonation (that's what I was using it for), but working with it on electric really helped "tighten" my playing and solidified position changes that I had become lazy about. Could be expensive, though. I was fortunate enough to be able to rip it from my teacher.

[LaklandBass]

Ive also got one for fingers and dexterity. This is odd to explain but ill try my best. this whole exercise takes place on the first four frets... 1 finger per fret so the hand position doesnt move. basically you run each "line" on each string going from E to Gstring and back down. so the first one would be 1234 so starting on the low E play 1st fret, 2nd, 3rd, 4th then same on the A string, D string, and G then back down. The 1234 is easy, next do 1243, then 1324, 1342, 1432, 1423. This has covered every variation starting with the 1st fret. Im sure you get it but since im bored ill just list em all. lol
1234,1243,1324,1342,1432,1423,
2134,2143,2314,2341,2413,2431,
3124,3142,3214,3241,3412,3421,
4123,4132,4213,4231,4312,4321.
I run through it once a night on a bass and guitar. Its also great for getting your fingers to lock down while walking the strings.

[backline112]

Percy Jones Bass explorations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwcPon5FzPg

Modern Electric Bass, John Francis Pastorius III:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgK5VygLxbc

John Myung, Progressive Bass Concepts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojlS-eKPE84

Victor Wooten:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCWzKmnvf3k

John Patitucci Bass Workshop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nBw9nKzB0I

And if you could find a copy of Aebersold's FREE Jazz Handbook that would be awesome. Best advice and exercises there.

[5string5fingers]

Originally Posted by LaklandBass

Ive also got one for fingers and dexterity. This is odd to explain but ill try my best. this whole exercise takes place on the first four frets... 1 finger per fret so the hand position doesnt move. basically you run each "line" on each string going from E to Gstring and back down. so the first one would be 1234 so starting on the low E play 1st fret, 2nd, 3rd, 4th then same on the A string, D string, and G then back down. The 1234 is easy, next do 1243, then 1324, 1342, 1432, 1423. This has covered every variation starting with the 1st fret. Im sure you get it but since im bored ill just list em all. lol
1234,1243,1324,1342,1432,1423,
2134,2143,2314,2341,2413,2431,
3124,3142,3214,3241,3412,3421,
4123,4132,4213,4231,4312,4321.
I run through it once a night on a bass and guitar. Its also great for getting your fingers to lock down while walking the strings.

This is the kind of thing. I guess I should have said accuracy on hitting notes. I find my self when playing just making stupid mistakes,missing a fret,not holding down hard enough,getting bad noises.

[backline112]