Whats one thing that has helped improve your bass playing?

[SpectorBass308]

I feel like Im at one of those points where I want to be a better bass player than what I currently am, you know how it is.. So tell me at least one thing that has helped you along in your bass playing and made you a better bass player. Tecniques, songs you've studied, scale studies..

For example, one thing that has helped me lately is learning to make walking bass lines using chords (1 3 5 7's) and modes (mixolydian, dorian). also, learning to play scales in intervals..that kind of stuff.

-Thanks

[Darkstrike]

Worrying less, and having fun.

[dreadheadbass]

setting my goals sky high
i started off idolising people like billy sheehan, steve harris and stu hamm and tried (and failed) to copy them and although i fall way short of thier ability it forced me to practice like mad and as a result my bass playing aint half bad than someone who has worshipped say pete wentz

also playing with a band where everyone else is fantastic on thier instruments forces you to learn and learn fast

[seventhson]

playing in a working band.

[Illbay]

Originally Posted by SpectorBass308

For example, one thing that has helped me lately is learning to make walking bass lines using chords (1 3 5 7's) and modes (mixolydian, dorian). also, learning to play scales in intervals..that kind of stuff.

Playing with my eyes shut, and a cool, detached expression on my face.

[coolrunner989]

playing in a gigging band, and lowering my action. I used to play with really high action and when I got a new bass that had a lower setup I was like "whoa! I play so much better now!" lol

[Jonny B]

Originally Posted by SpectorBass308

Whats one thing that has helped improve your bass playing?

Practicing daily.

You can work on all the scales and techniques you want, but if you don't do it on a consistent, regular basis you will rarely improve.

[Dave Muscato]

Good thread idea!

For me, not in order...

1. Buying a good metronome (subdivides the beat, shows count visually + audio) to use with sight-reading
2. Tascam CD bass trainer
3. Gary Willis' Fingerboard Harmony for Bass book
4. Taking classical guitar lessons
5. Gary Willis' Progressive Bassics videos (YouTube it!)
6. Talkbass.com
7. GIGGING/WORKING
8. Teoria.com

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

Here's my answers:

Playing guitar before bass - chord and theory knowledge
Transcribing songs (chords and basslines mainly) - ear training, bigger portfolio of licks and styles
Listening - Nowadays I know what the magic word groove means. 10 years back I didn't.
Realizing the importance of good timing - This is one of the key ingredients in a groove.
A few lessons - I took my first bass lessons after 4 years of playing. They helped me a lot, especially concerning my technique. They made me realize how important good technique is.
Practicing - Especially technique exercises have helped me a lot. Speed and endurance have always been my biggest limiting factors, but these exercises (posted in the exercise sticky) have really helped me.
Playing - Especially the bass, but also guitar, drums and even keyboard have helped me becoming a better bassist. Practicing, rehearsing, gigging, of course including playing with other people.
Enjoying playing the bass - No explanation needed me thinks.

+1 to all of this. I played piano, violin, clarinet, sax, classical guitar, and electric guitar before switching to bass, and I still play piano, classical guitar, and electric guitar, and I'm trying to learn drums & voice, too. Piano is *great* for theory, classical guitar is great for right-hand and left-hand technique, and electric guitar (especially blues & jazz improv soloing) is great for learning the fretboard.

I also have a Roland TD-6SXT electronic drumset, and I would recommend to any bassist that s/he learn a least the basics of playing all the other instruments in a band setting (drums, keys, guitar, voice), so you can really understand your role as bassist better. Because I also play piano, I really understand how important it is for the bass player not to step on the pianist's toes when it comes to left-hand stuff, and similarly, as a 6-string guitarist, I really understand how important it is for the bass player to support the melody by staying the hell out of the way and not over-playing.

I try to think about the song first, not just the bassline, and I think that has helped me approach the bass appropriately more than anything else.

Realizing that drums are indeed musical instruments and not just there for rhythm is very important. There is so much going on in a drum part that it's easy to just think of it as "the drums," but drums have pitch, too, and SO much in the way of dynamics, not to mention tone (yes, drums have tone, too!). Finding where you fit in as the bassist is not just about your note choice, but also about your dynamics, your tone/frequency range/place in the mix, and how your rhythms, tone, and pitches interact with all the other rhythms, tone, and pitches created by the rest of the band. Looking at the big picture is underrated IMO. I think Sting is a great example of an excellent understand of the role of the bass guitar in contemporary music. Listen to some Sting songs and pay close attention to what the bass is doing, not just note-choice wise but tonally: He *never* overplays and lets the song carry and dictate the bassline (and tone), not the other way around. The message (vocals) of the song are the most important thing and he doesn't forget it. That's a hard thing to swallow (for a bassist, I mean), but it really is an approach I've benefited from.

I also think ear training is very important. Taking music theory classes, or studying websites like teoria.com, has done amazing things for my playing.

Something else that has helped me is doing sessions & fill-in gigs for styles of music I don't normally play, especially when I have to learn a bassline I didn't write, note-for-note.

Sometimes, a song (or sections of one) just sound better without the bass at all. It takes a mature player to simply stop playing at that point. Playing in a band is often about building layers, and you don't necessarily want this full-on onslaught of sound 100% of the time. IME, you'd be amazed at how much better the song sounds when you just don't play during certain parts. Think of it as listening to the song without the bass, and then adding the bass where it needs a bass - building from the ground up - rather than cutting the bass when it's not needed. This is especially effective for intros, bridges, and outros.

Another *big* thing that's helped me is getting a Zoom H2 and recording every gig I do. Listening back to my performances, I really notice when things aren't perfect, and it gives me a great opportunity to nit-pick and work on things. For $200, you can't miss. Highly recommended!

[the_fonz]

a pick and boosted high mids

this gives me a sound i like more, leading to better confidence, leading to better playing.

[pbass2]

Producing other artists

[Chad Michael]

1) Leaving the "I want to be a lickster / chopster" attitude behind, and focusing on good groove, feel, and tone.

2) Playing in a working band.

[Vic Winters]

Joining a band.

[Stumpy]

for me...

getting a 5er. It made me practice every day.
practicing
time slicing - metronome work - practicing

;~)

[Muckaluck]

Realizing that I don't have to dig in to the fretboard and that I can take a more relaxed hold of the bass. Relaxing and not being up tight in general has really helped me get into that pocket.

[Jim Breece]

1. Practising until I naturally used my pinky as much as my other left hand fingers.
2. Breaking the habit of always playing a particular scale or arpeggio the same way (eg middle finger on the root in a major scale).
3. Getting comfortable not staring at my left hand.
Those three things are my one thing.

[johncg]

Listening as deeply as humanly possible every time I play or listen to music.

[motleystew]

Learning to play blues on the guitar. I got in a rut, bought a Strat, started playing blues scales and leads and now when I pick up the bass, I feel more able to navigate the fingerboard. I also agree with the above posts that mention joining a working band.

[::::BASSIST::::]

practice.

I still suck, but I know that's the only way to get better.

[seanm]

Getting out and playing.

[Mike Shevlin]

I suck too, but getting a good bass was the one big thing- Lakland 55-94 - I could never use the excuse that my bass was preventing me from playing something well.