Hitting a wall

[Rimantas B.]

Hi there,
anyone willing to share their experiences concerning reaching some kind of bass playing level and seemingly stopping improving? And how you overcame that?

I feel like I'm in one of these situations nowadays.
It's not that bad - I play in a relatively "big" local heavy/thrash metal band and the team is satisfied with my playing (my bandmates are much older than me and have tons of experience), we get the gigs and never fail them. I do have some chops, and am able to throw in some little slap/tap gimmicks on occasion.

However, this has been going on for more than a year and I just feel I have to move on to something more. But what?
I used to learn quite a lot of songs from tabs, but nowadays they are either too easy or impossible (I tried hard to learn "Frantic Disembowelment" and a few songs by Necrophagist, but it seems I'm still quite a bit below that level). Being a classically trained flutist and a tab-learner, I guess I lack in the improvisation and "grooving" department - but the thing seems very vague to me (again, because I'm either a classically trained musician or a metalhead, depending on occasion) and I don't know where to begin. I might take one bass skill or another like three-finger playing, some advanced slapping, even coming back scales and arpeggios, and try to improve on that, but I often find it hard to convince myself it worth the effort.

So - anyone been in a similar situation before? What did you do? What helped you decide on what to do next and concentrate on it?

[Joe Flair]

I've found when I come to a dead end, it's best to go back to the things that got me into playing bass.. which in my case is Wooten, and Cliff Burton, Billy Sheehan etc. etc.... Sometimes you'll realize there are things you missed.. and other times you'll realize that you've come so far from where you really began that you have a whole new take on different styles of music. So, my best advice, go back to the basics, because chances are you blew through them if you're already good, and may have missed something! (no offense intended obviously) But when it all comes down to it do what feels right... if you're running out of bass techniques to learn, listen to different instruments, and how people play them, and how you can incorporate them into the bass guitar. I often find myself trying to transpose fast dungeony pipe organ parts to the bass, because that instrument fascinates me, just for an example.

[lfmn16]

I found two completely different approaches have worked for me over the years. Sometimes I get stale because I'm playing too much and it helps to take a few weeks off. Other times I'm stale because I'm not practicing enough and I find that a period of serious several hours per day practice gives me a boost to the next level.

Good luck

[TL5]

Change your learning method.
I used to go buy another piece of gear (new bass, pedal/effect) for inspiration. The best thing I ever did was to not buy gear and spend the money on lessons instead.

Expand your horizons, learn half a dozen songs from another genre - just because you can, not because you like them or will ever play them.
I just learned three Katy Perry songs and 1 that I thought was Katy Perry (Dominoe by Jesse J) just because I want to know what is being played on hit records these days.
I can't think of a situation where I will play those songs, my musical circles are too old and too opinionated against current music for it to be appreciated.

Pick up another instrument. I'm a bass player. When it comes down to it it's my only instrument. However, I do have a couple guitars and keyboards that I dabble and learn on. In a small town, I could hold my own on either but not here. Some concepts, particularly theory IMHO is better learned at the keyboard/piano than on a bass. Once you grasp the concept there, then application to bass makes more sense - but that could just be me.

[Joe Flair]

Hate to say it.. but you gotta dig Katy Perry.. that chick has some pipes!! My band does a grunged up version of her song Last Friday Night...

[Sixpack324]

When I hit the wall......I work on some thing that I know I need work on or something completely new to me...

Popping and Slapping is not something I'm good at. Matter of fact, I can't do it at all. It's not something that fits with my style of music either. But, next time I feel like my learning/practice is getting stale, I'll work on that.

Finger speed/dexterity (both hands) is ALWAYS something that could use work. To work on this, I usually start with a week or so of exercises and then I'll learn a new song that will challenge my speed/dexterity skills, even if the song is not my style.

The last time I felt like I hit the wall, I got back into theory with a vengeance. When I did, I realized how much theory I forgot!! Consequently, this REALLY helped me with my writing ability (kinda hit the wall there too) and my improvisation. I'm a metalhead at heart too, but reviving my theory definitely took me to a new level....with my playing, improv and song writing.

Learning a classical piece and arranging it for bass is also something to consider. Depending on the piece, not only can the learning of the piece be challenging, but the arrangement can be as well. Things like this can really open up your eyes to a whole new world of music and might also open your eyes to techniques that you may not be proficient with, which in turn can give you new things to work on.

[southpaw76]

Lots of good suggestions in this thread. I would like to add that when I feel like I am running out of ideas I would draw from the environment around me. For instance in the Spring we get a lot of birds around here making all kinds of racket!

So I would try to mimic their call and response. But don't stop there, trying to mimic the way people speak, using their syllables as rhythmic points to work with. I know it is a bit "outside of the box" but lots of great artists have used this technique and it makes for some interesting results.

Learning to read has also kept me from plateauing, I know it can be a pita at first but it will keep you from ever being bored or hitting a wall and you will never run out of cool ideas to adapt to your playing.

HTH,
sp

[Joe Flair]

That's a good concept... just trying to mimick every day sounds. I think it's in Jeff Beck's album 'You had it Coming' there's a track called black bird that explores such a concept.

Or get all Tom Morello with it and make that bass do things it "shouldn't" be able to do!

[Correlli]

Hit a wall, take a brake

[southpaw76]

Originally Posted by Joe Flair

That's a good concept... just trying to mimick every day sounds. I think it's in Jeff Beck's album 'You had it Coming' there's a track called black bird that explores such a concept.

Or get all Tom Morello with it and make that bass do things it "shouldn't" be able to do!

Yep, everybody from Paganini to Miles Davis have applied this to their compositions (well maybe not everybody but you get the jist).

sp

[Russell L]

I get stale and bored when I don't play enough. So, I have to make a change and play more.

But, then, I get stale and bored when I play too much. So, I have to make a change and play less.

But, it's not about whether I play too little or too much. It's all about something changing.

Make something change, whatever it is.