Help me out here!

The1bassist06 · #1 06-29-2011, 09:20 PM

Im stuck in a rut I guess you could say.

I have been playing bass for about 5 years (on and off). I went on a period where I stopped playing bass for about 6 months because of housing issues. Thats when my bass playing took a turn (this happened about 2 years ago).

It seems in the past 2 years I haven't really learned to much or accomplished a lot. When ever I try learning a song I usually learn part of it and end up doodling around and just all together stop playing. When I practice I make sure I don't have any distractions but it doesn't seem to help much.

My music theory is terrible and I can't read sheet music. I bought a theory book 3 months ago and was really excited to learn stuff from it and I still am, but it seems everytime I start to play I end up doodling or stop playing.

It seems even intermediate songs that in the past I would have no problem playing I do now.

What can I do to get things back on track?

Couple things. I don't have any other bass players in my area. I can't take lessons right now. I do sometimes jam at my friends house but thats all.

Stumbo · #2 06-30-2011, 02:18 AM

Do you have the same issues (lack of concentration, inability to focus, decreased attention span/memory) with other things in your life like work/school?

Based on my recent experiences, increasing my vitamin B12 and D3 supplements really help me to concentrate more. In addition, improving the quality of my sleep also helped. I've seeing a couple of Drs. who have helped me straighten out a few medical issues that affected my ability to focus/concentrate and memory. YMMV.

I suggest getting a complete physical/lab work if haven't done so within the last year.

EricssonB · #3 06-30-2011, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Do you have the same issues (lack of concentration, inability to focus, decreased attention span/memory) with other things in your life like work/school?

Based on my recent experiences, increasing my vitamin B12 and D3 supplements really help me to concentrate more. In addition, improving the quality of my sleep also helped. I've seeing a couple of Drs. who have helped me straighten out a few medical issues that affected my ability to focus/concentrate and memory. YMMV.

I suggest getting a complete physical/lab work if haven't done so within the last year.

Diet is everything! Had a big ol' sandwich for my first dinner 'round 7pm before I went to work. I was feeling alright, nothing special -- but then! I had three eggs with some bacon and cheese on bread tonight when I went home for lunch and I feel great now! No caffeine tonight~!

I leave my little amp

at work (night shifts in a Comm shop, USAF) and play for a few hours a night. It's been great!

10 Health Benefits of Eggs

It's like all of the fingers that I'm playing with on both hands is playing a separate part of two songs, simultaneously, in a good way!

KrisWarrington · #4 06-30-2011, 03:31 AM

Playing music is all about three key things: Soul, Desire, and Practice. If you're finding a loss in intrest in the instrument then there really is no remedy to this, try to find a song that you are dying to learn then have the discipline to sit there and learn the song all the way through. Not playing bass for awhile does take its toll. I would quit playing for months at a time (Military reasons) and after I would pick it up again it seemed a little weird but you catch back on quick. The best way to learn bass, in my personal opinion, is to just learn songs. If you can't figure a song out google the tabs there's no shame in that. Playing for a band also helps, it forces you to learn and create your own music hence raising the desire to play. You're more likely to play a song you wrote than someone elses masterpiece. I hope this helps.

The1bassist06 · #5 06-30-2011, 10:25 AM

Thanks for your guys help. And yes I do have a lack of concentration in school. Its like I really wanna try to learn something in school and the teacher will explain it and I think I have it, and then I try to do it and it just left my mind again. It happens with the same thing on bass. Ill play a song looking at the tabs. Then I try to play it by memory and its gone.

henry2513 · #6 06-30-2011, 12:09 PM

I was in the same boat, I played for about 7 years then quit for 15 :P I just picked it up again about 2 months ago and I'm better in many ways than I was before I stopped playing.

I try to divide my practice time into 4 areas:

- Warmup - usually involves practicing to a metronome and running scales up and down the neck. First linearly, then using intervals, maybe 3rds. Playing 8th, 16th notes and then double,triplets and etc and finally I finish with some neat exercises I picked up from:
YouTube - ‪JOHN PATITUCCI Bass Workshop 1 3 Left Hand Dexterity Builders chunk 1‬&rlm;

- Technique/Sight reading - I find something that's right on the border of my abilities to play and I work on it until I get it down cold. I just did the head to Donna Lee and now for instance I'm working on this: http://www.lucaspickford.com/raju.jpg it's a bitch to play at tempo but doing this has really helped expand my technique very quickly, l'm almost back to where I was when I quit after not playing for many years. Alot has to do with muscle memory but challenging yourself is also important.

- Theory/Harmony - Tons of resources on the web for this. I just pick something and work on it. Here's a good place to start under "lessons" Pick's Place-www.lucaspickford.com

- Playing - I have about 75+ Jamey Aebersold recordings to practice with. Jamey Aebersold Jazz

If you just try and be disciplined and stick to it you'll break out of your rut.

I keep it simple, I practice things over and over until they're burned into my head. When I was learning the head to Donna Lee I practiced it so much that my wife finally got sick of it and stormed out of the living room, she's a patient woman, lol this went on for over a week straight for hours a day.