16th Notes at Quarter Note =100?

[AckAckAttack]

I have an audition next week and it says that you should be able to play major scales played as 16th notes at quarter note= 100.. is it just me, or is this pretty fast?
I think I may have it wrong.. I have a metronome going at quarter note = 100 and I'm trying to play 4 notes in each beat.. am I off? It seems like this is really fast, like speed metal or something, am I doing this all right? Please let me know, I'm a little worried. Thanks, -Dan.

[AckAckAttack]

please? Help?

[daffy]

It's pretty quick - that's about Rocco Prestia's speed on something like Tower of Power's "What Is Hip?" - I think he plays that at around 114.

The fastest I practice scales at the moment is 1/8@180, which is 1/16@90. I can go faster in burst mode but I find it hard to keep up that speed for long.

Rocco does it the whole show - what an animal!

I'm sure there are others who can go faster but that's what I'm happy with for most finger funk stuff, but I'm still working towards "What is Hip?" -full speed, whole song!!

[AckAckAttack]

so it is as fast as I think it is? I mean the major scale isn't hard, but its a bit of a reach, and this seems to be pretty fast.. I may have my work cut out for me..

[DocBop]

Actaully that is a pretty real world tempo for 16th note Funky. As noted Rocco in Tower of Power lines were straight 16th's and tempo were usually around 110 BPM. The key is first playing them right, strict alternating fingers on the right hand. If you are doing it right the down beat will always be on index finger. Mute the string, but not so much the pitch isn't coming through (listen to Rocco). Rocco mutes by playing the note with either his first or second finger and lightly laying his 3rd and 4th finger on the string. Play closer to the bridge, more tension and make playing fast easier. Once you can play steady 16ths on one note, then start working playing octaves.

Okay there's the basics now start with metronome down around 70-80 and get your technique and time down. You have play relaxed to say you got it right. Once you have good technique established then can start speeding up the metronome. If you have to play at MM=100 I would say get your technique up to about MM=105. Then backing down for your audition will feel relaxed.

[AckAckAttack]

but I have it right of what I have to play? A metronome set to quarter note =100 and play 4 notes in each beat? Just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

[arcellus]

A piece of advice I was given that has helped me a lot is to build speed gradually.. if you try to jump in at that tempo right away, there's no way you'll play cleanly. But if you start out at say, 80BPM and bump up the tempo one or two BPM at a time - even just one or two BPM a day - you'll eventually get there. The increase in speed is so slight you won't even notice it at first, but imagine doing 2 BPM every day for a month: suddenly you've gone from 80 BPM to 140 BPM!

And there can never be enough said for SLOW practice - if you can't play something cleanly at a slow tempo, there's no way you'll make it when you speed it up.

[rockwarnick]

just tried it...i dont seem to have a problem with it. doesnt seem that fast to me

[peterbright]

Originally Posted by AckAckAttack

but I have it right of what I have to play? A metronome set to quarter note =100 and play 4 notes in each beat? Just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Yes you have it right.

[moopants]

Yeah, I know what you mean about "What is Hip?". My teacher knows the guys personally, and said the bassist could play straight 16ths all night for a gig. I tried to play the song, and just gave up. That's the advantage of having two bassists in your Jazz Band. He can't do much better, though.

[daffy]

Originally Posted by rockwarnick

just tried it...i dont seem to have a problem with it. doesnt seem that fast to me

Good on you - that's cool!

I think most bass players would say that playing scales up and down at a tempo of 1/16th@100 fingerstyle is a fair pace to be able to keep up. You're doing well.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by AckAckAttack

but I have it right of what I have to play? A metronome set to quarter note =100 and play 4 notes in each beat? Just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Count it as.... 1, e, an, a, 2, e, an, a, 3, e, an, a, 4, e, an, a.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by moopants

Yeah, I know what you mean about "What is Hip?". My teacher knows the guys personally, and said the bassist could play straight 16ths all night for a gig. I tried to play the song, and just gave up. That's the advantage of having two bassists in your Jazz Band. He can't do much better, though.

But do you want to be first chair or second?

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by daffy

Good on you - that's cool!

I think most bass players would say that playing scales up and down at a tempo of 1/16th@100 fingerstyle is a fair pace to be able to keep up. You're doing well.

That's a pretty realistic tempo, especially since he's just being asked to run scales, and not sight-read the line or whatever. Pretty basic stuff, if you ask me.

[Jazz Ad]

Yeah you can have to run scales much faster than that.
Just try death metal.

[cowsgomoo]

it's a reasonable tempo to expect a reasonably good player to attain over 1 octave... if they're asking for two octaves and you have a 4 string bass it becomes a bit more taxing with position shifts etc...

they'll expect your timing to be accurate, but they'll also be listening for evenness of volume & timbre across string changes

whether it's hard or not is entirely dependent on how much you've practiced scales at that tempo... you shouldn't beat yourself up if you find it hard right now... get practicing!

[AckAckAttack]

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

it's a reasonable tempo to expect a reasonably good player to attain over 1 octave... if they're asking for two octaves and you have a 4 string bass it becomes a bit more taxing with position shifts etc...

they'll expect your timing to be accurate, but they'll also be listening for evenness of volume & timbre across string changes

whether it's hard or not is entirely dependent on how much you've practiced scales at that tempo... you shouldn't beat yourself up if you find it hard right now... get practicing!

Well they ask for at least 2 octaves.. preferably more. Maybe I shouldve mentioned that? I was trying it as 3.

[Deacon_Blues]

I wouldn't pass that audition (I have played for about 6 years), if the speed and scales is all that counts... I have always been quite slow and 16's @ 100bpm is really the limit for me when you speak about keeping the tempo for a whole song. Some people have the speed naturally, others don't. Sadly, I belong to the latter group. But I think I can keep a decent groove quite well. For that, you don't always need speed. Timing and grooving (they're not the same thing, but you can't groove without timing) is much more essential IMO.

[daffy]

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

That's a pretty realistic tempo, especially since he's just being asked to run scales, and not sight-read the line or whatever. Pretty basic stuff, if you ask me.

I just looked up our Australian and New Zealand Modern Bass Certificate Examination Syllabus. Grade Eight certificate is the final certificate before your performing Diploma, and they require:

Technical Work (18 marks) From memory
Scales

Major, harmonic and melodic minor: all, compass two octaves. Lydian dominant: all, compass two octaves. Ascending and descending. MM 1/16 = 96.

Arpeggios
Major seventh, minor seventh, dominant seventh, diminished seventh and augmented seventh: all, compass two octaves. Ascending and descending. MM 1/16 = 88

At this grade level, "Donna Lee" and "Run for Cover" are pieces available for performance.

This may be "Pretty basic stuff" for you, but to put it in perspective for others it is a reasonable pace to expect a bass player at Grade 8 level (8-12 years experience) to be able to run scales, which is a pretty decent level of accomplishment.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

you can always put it at 200BPM and play 2 notes per beep...

Its not that fast...