Practicing technique with out my bass.

[dwayne1349]

Hey people, I’ve never posted on here before just read a lot of great and help full information.
Background, I have taken a year break from study at Austrian Institute of Music. I now work in an inbound call centre for a local ISP.
Well I was hopping I could get advice on practicing my technique/theory while at work as I get a lot of down time between calls and while travelling on the train haven’t been able to find much information on this at all.

[varunkapahi]

while traveling in the train i read music books and i try to imagine the sounds in my head or i watch/hear stuff on my ipod. i try to remember the concepts and then i apply them when i have the bass. am also looking for replies here.....

[dreadheadbass]

practicing card tricks (and if your a smoker zippo tricks) there good way of keeping your fingers agile and building up independant movement in your hands

[morf]

I'm sure you can find some sort of foldable acoustic bass or something. Wear a backpack.

[Mikey D]

Anything you can play on your bass can be 'practiced' without it using visualisation.

Jerry Bergonzi talks about this is one of his inside improvisation books.

It has helped me no ends. Say you want to learn a new phrase or head, you visualise how you would play it and when you finally get to the instrument, it is actually easier to learn it as your mind is teaching your body, not the other way around.

When i was in a similar position to yourself I used to read the Omnibook and try and visualise and sing in my head the parts and when i came to actually playing them it was definately easier than just sight reading them straight off and I retained more of them aswell.

I also to take manuscript with me and work on a concept at a time. Say, using the altered scale over dominants...actually use the time to write out some lines and check them later when you have an instrument, you often come up with things your fingers would never play on their own.

[Jazzerbone]

+1 Mikey D

They make this cool thing that fits on your belt that is good for right hand practice.

http://www.twanger.com/level.itml/icOid/1

I've never used one but it looks cool.

[ysand]

2 words for u:

fernandes nomad
http://www.fernandesguitars.com/nomadbass.html

[jschwalls]

number your fingers (mentally, lol) and do what my instructor told me to do...

index finger is #1
middle finger is #2
Ring finger is #3
and pinky is #4

with your plucking hand.. find the seam of your jeans and use it as a string.... or use anything that will provide resistance to your fingers..
Next, with the left hand, whenever you are "fretting" the note with your finger, press it against your thumb ( have your hand turned palm up like you are holding neck )


play the following...

1..2..3..4
1..2..4..3
1..3..2..4
1..3..4..2
1..4..2..3
1..4..3..2

2..1..3..4
2..1..4..3
2..3..1..4
2..3..4..1
2..4..1..3
2..4..3..1

3..1..2..4
3..1..4..2
3..2..1..4
3..2..4..1
3..4..1..2
3..4..2..1

4..1..2..3
4..1..3..2
4..2..1..3
4..2..3..1
4..3..1..2
4..3..2..1

It is very challenging to do them all without messing up..
The possibilities are virually endless what you can do with this.

Have Fun !!..
JON

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Mikey D

Anything you can play on your bass can be 'practiced' without it using visualisation.

+1
invaluable aid

[Tapper]

Originally Posted by ysand

2 words for u:

fernandes nomad
http://www.fernandesguitars.com/nomadbass.html

Hey! That's kinds cool! Have you played one?

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by jschwalls

number your fingers (mentally, lol) and do what my instructor told me to do...

that's pretty sweet