I can hear it in my head but i cant play

Nick Ioannucci · #1 05-25-2006, 07:05 PM

when im playing with other kids or even by myself i have lines floating in my head... but i cant seem to get them out. what the hell

any tips?

Bassist4Life · #2 05-25-2006, 07:07 PM

If you can sing the lines you have in your head, I am willing to bet that you'll be able to play them.

Joe

Kurisu · #3 05-25-2006, 07:50 PM

One answer to your question is transcription. You have to develop your ear and connect what you hear to the notes on your instrument. There is no quick solution for this, it's just hard, hard work transcribing. Transcribe everything you can, tv show themes, your favorite bass lines, trumpet lines, melodies to your favorite songs, whatever.

Did I mention it's hard?

SBassman · #4 05-25-2006, 07:53 PM

There are no tricks or shortcuts I am aware of.

You just have to keep hammering out the time working stuff out. It takes lots of work and time.

This, like other elements of practice, shouldn't be done in a weekend warrior / weekly frequency. Do a little each day and it will start to come.

[BTW, I haven't put enough time/work into this yet, and I still suck at it. But, when I do put time in, I can feel myself taking small steps.]

**Pacman** · #5 05-25-2006, 08:06 PM

Transcribe. Transcribe. Transcribe.

steve66 · #6 05-25-2006, 09:29 PM

Get a tape recorder and hum the line into it, then pick up your bass and pick a spot on your fretboard, create a box. Count 5 frets and use all 4 strings. Stay in the box. find the notes and play the rythmn.

Bluez Dawg · #7 05-25-2006, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Ioannucci

when im playing with other kids or even by myself i have lines floating in my head... but i cant seem to get them out. what the hell

any tips?

I am the opposite of you. I can play whats in my head. but my timing blows chunks. lol

Scott McC · #8 05-25-2006, 10:20 PM

I am with pacman, transcribing is the key to the door of music, or something like that. I definetly need to lift more, as I know the feeling of hearing it, but not playing it. With every transcription though, I seem to find another piece to the puzzle.

steveb98 · #9 05-25-2006, 10:53 PM

Start simple even doing nursery rhymes and songs you sang as a kid. That will get the process started. You will start seeing how the notes/intervals you hear in your head lay on your instrument.

When you watch TV or listen to the radio keep your bass handy. Hear a simple melody in a commerical or show's theme song start trying to play it. Even if you can only figure out two or three notes before its gone, you're doing the process. over time you will get faster at it.

Start as simple as necessary and keep doing it.

SBassman · #10 05-26-2006, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveb98

When you watch TV or listen to the radio keep your bass handy. Hear a simple melody in a commerical or show's theme song start trying to play it. Even if you can only figure out two or three notes before its gone, you're doing the process. over time you will get faster at it.

I have done this, and not only does it bring growth, but it's Fun.

ryco · #11 05-26-2006, 08:58 AM

Listen and learn intervals. There are many tutorial theory websites featuring ear training. Learn chords and listen where notes and intervals sound in relation to each other. Have fun!

http://www.musictheory.net

http://www.teoria.com/

Kurisu · #12 05-26-2006, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

Transcribe. Transcribe. Transcribe.

See?

d8g3jdh · #13 05-26-2006, 09:37 AM

Transcribing is a very good idea. Getting a teacher would also be helpful.

Nick Ioannucci · #14 05-26-2006, 12:46 PM

thanks guys. i have a teacher for upright, but not for BG. that transcribing bit sounds like it may work, because i was goin to take an independent study at school with the band teacher on soloing and he told me i would transbribe a solo or 2 depending on how good i was fro a marking period and then work on soloing on BG or Upright the second marking period. that tv thing sounds like a great idea too.

SBassman · #15 05-26-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryco

Listen and learn intervals. There are many tutorial theory websites featuring ear training. Learn chords and listen where notes and intervals sound in relation to each other. Have fun!

http://www.musictheory.net

http://www.teoria.com/

I remember a friend from childhood had played guitar, put it down for many years, then studied it seriously for a couple of years. While studying it again, and starting to get very good very fast, he kept saying to me that - he "sees how it all works now. It's all about intervals. If you can recognize and play intervals, you can play anything."

I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but I do now.

skoti89 · #16 05-26-2006, 02:21 PM

find out what key its in, and familiarize yourself with all the notes, and recognize how each note sounds.

XavierG · #17 05-26-2006, 08:41 PM

Did anyone mention.... transcription?

Nick Ioannucci · #18 05-26-2006, 09:23 PM

those websites are great for theory. i actually know alot of it already, i just didnt know the exact terms. like i knew half step and whole step and about the different minor scales, but i never caught on to the pattern for creating the scales. i also dont know all of my scales either, so that first website is great for teaching all of the scales different modes reading chords etc. you guys are great.

cowsgomoo · #19 05-30-2006, 11:46 AM

if you 'hear' inside your head the line you WANT to play, but can't send your fingers to the right notes, it really is just a matter of ear training coupled with knowing where to send your fingers

sing the line you want to play, and try to play it simultaneously... just keep grinding it out.. slow right down and really nail a simple phrase at a time... when your ear improves you'll be able to cut out the singing (which will probably please the people you live with

)

lots of people have been saying 'transcription' here, but if you have, say, 2 hours a night to work on this, I think you'd be better off spending it on the singing/ear training stuff rather than the 'pencil/manuscript paper/frowning over key signatures' stuff... it's possible to have a developed ear to the point where you can play virtually anything you want to play without knowing any of the theory behind what you're playing, or even what the names of the notes are... it's not what you should be aiming for if you want to be a well-rounded musician but it's possible and very common

that's not a diss of theory or transcription (people who know me know how much I love both), but this is primarily an EAR training issue

**Pacman** · #20 05-30-2006, 11:55 AM

Transcription does NOT have to mean writing something down. All it really means is to learn music off a recording. This is, of course, an ear training excercise.