i feel that im not getting any better at bass!

james29d · #1 07-31-2011, 06:32 AM

hey guys ive been playing bass for about 5 years..and ive not had any lessons at all ( which i regret) and in that time all i can do is play along with songs, ive never really been able to make up any licks or anything with scales and cant find anything online that will help me improve...

all i want to be able to do is make up some nice sounding licks and improv a lot better...ive looked for weeks and ive tried making stuff up from scales but im just not getting anywhere and im kinda losing hope.

any advice or stuff that i should learn or websites that could help me out i would really appreciate it

thanks!

Ironderby · #2 07-31-2011, 06:35 AM

no offense, but thats you're own fault, i too don't take lessons, i've been playing for about 2 years, i stopped playing songs after i got bored, i can play about 170 songs. Now i use the internet and various books to hone my skills, blues seems to work best for scales, im now getting better and don't use root notes when writing songs with my band, my slap bass has greatly improved and i can easily pull off a good RHCP song.

james29d · #3 07-31-2011, 06:40 AM

i dont think i sold my self quite well enough. yeah i can play any song i listen too basically and i mainly play blues and i have wrote loads of songs for previous bands and i can do slap bass pretty well and used to play rhcp all the time.

but i want to be able to get better at improvising and making up little solos and stuff a bit better

Raynier · #4 08-01-2011, 12:26 AM

Find a player your Idolize study their lines and apply it to yourself. Then record yourself playing and find players that sound like you and learn what they are playing. Next practice things that are way above your level. Jaco Pastrious is always a good guy to check out.

Memorize what you want and play from the heart.Music has a soul just remember and try to tap into that.

bigboy_78 · #5 08-01-2011, 12:37 AM

Can you sing nice sounding lines? Or even hear the nice sounding lines in your head?

Sing then play.

Stop searching for a how-to. Just do it until you can do it. Don't be discouraged by stuff that sounds like rubbish at first, that's why you practice.

bigboy_78 · #6 08-01-2011, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironderby

im now getting better and don't use root notes when writing songs with my band,.

If you don't mind me asking, if you're not playing the roots, who is?

james29d · #7 08-01-2011, 01:39 PM

thanks for the help guys ive actually started to learn a jaco pastorius song called " chromatic fantasy" its gona take a while but i think its worth learning

thanks again!

Dusk · #8 08-01-2011, 01:57 PM

listen to tool ^^

Marty Forrer · #9 08-03-2011, 09:24 PM

Teacher... teacher... teacher... teacher....

Uh, did I mention teacher?

madmonkey · #10 08-30-2011, 06:53 PM

Practice using a metronome and play chromatic variations using the first position ( frets 1-5 ) to really make your fingers stretch. Alternate your fingers like 1,4,1,3,1,2 or 1,2,3,2,3,4,3...ect. Play the patterns on all strings and keep a log of your patterns. Also, listen to Motown greats like James Jamerson and Carol Kaye. They write sick bass lines and are often copped by the great Flea. If you really listen to Flea, you can hear Motown lines.

Art Araya · #11 08-30-2011, 07:06 PM

some people are good at self-learning while others need teachers to show them stuff.

If playing along with songs and if the vast abundance of free information available on the Internet does not help you to advance in your playing then you may need a teacher.

maxgrant · #12 08-30-2011, 07:24 PM

If you don't know music theory you should try to pick some up. Understanding how chords are put together, and how to resolve harmonies, use leading tones, and do things like counterpoint are insanely valuable. Just go to a college bookstore and pick up whatever they have for beginning theory. Most of theory aside from nomenclature and the notation conventions is solidly logical and easy to memorize.

Russell L · #13 08-31-2011, 06:26 AM

Practice the groove. I do that often. Never mind a bunch of notes or scales, it's the feeling that I'm after. It can be the simplest lick. Once I feel it I can go on for hours. As a result all my technique improves.

Setebos · #14 08-31-2011, 07:44 AM

Is there any impossibility to take lessons with a teacher (ex; no money or living in the middle of no where). Otherwise, go find a teacher and take lessons.

sonofabass · #15 08-31-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james29d

hey guys ive been playing bass for about 5 years..and ive not had any lessons at all ( which i regret) and in that time all i can do is play along with songs, ive never really been able to make up any licks or anything with scales and cant find anything online that will help me improve...

all i want to be able to do is make up some nice sounding licks and improv a lot better...ive looked for weeks and ive tried making stuff up from scales but im just not getting anywhere and im kinda losing hope.

any advice or stuff that i should learn or websites that could help me out i would really appreciate it

thanks!

I've not read through the rest of the posts so it's possible that someone else has already written this. This reason is is "simple"

You have licks/riffs and not concepts. Sort of like having a punch of words to speak but not knowing how to make sentences because you don't know what the words are.

It's a common problem. I once had it like many people...like just about any bass player or guitarist playing at '11' in guitar center. Licks, not concepts.

One remedy would be to invest in yourself by getting a good teacher who can guide you a bit.

Choose them based on their pedagogical approach and NOT their playing (per se).

That can be a daunting task but people are out there. Since you 've been playing for so long going back to ground zero could really blow but what might be helpful is to look at songs and grooves you already know, dissect them to see what they are 'made of' and then see how those common threads run through different styles of music and how you can apply that vocabulary on your own.

I still try to take a lesson at least once a month even after playing for many years. It's an investment in my playing.

Its good that you are aware of the plateau. Many of us reach plateaus and don't even realize it when we get there.

I hope that was a help.

Have a good one.

sonofabass · #16 08-31-2011, 08:38 AM

ok....just read through the posts.

If you want to get better find a reputable teacher. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. It's that simple.

The internet, while a good resource sometimes can be one big old black whole waste of time becasue [i]anybody[i] can post a video and less 'experienced' players sometimes waste more time than they should simply because they can't discern whats good sound advise and what isn't .

And, also, what may be putting the cart before the horse.
(i.e. learning "Chromatic Fantasy" means nothing if you've got poor time and can't walk a simple blues line)

Russell L · #17 08-31-2011, 02:36 PM

Personally, I know all the theory, even have a degree in it. I love it. But, if I go to compose anything based purely on the theory of it and never get into the feel of things, anything I come up with is sterile. I have surprised myself in the last couple of years at how wonderful it can be to jam on bass all by oneself, but only because of the feel of it, not the theory of it. Don't get me wrong, theory is the stuff, but for awhile I had forgotten to also just feel the groove. Now, I relish those times when I can just take a few minutes and go play, nothing special, but just to get into it for a bit. That's how I learned guitar at age 13 all by myself. It became a hunger, even though I was just doing simple stuff.

mambo4 · #18 08-31-2011, 04:18 PM

You say you know a bunch of songs but can't make up your own stuff.
Here's how:

1.) understand basic theory: scales, intervals, chords and chord progressions
2.) break down the riffs,patterns and songs you know and analyze the underlying theory
3.) understand how each note and phrase relates to the chords and the key of the song
4.) once a phrase or line is understood this way, you can add it to your toolbox of ideas
5.) recognize a similar chords and chord progressions in a new key/song/situation
6.) mix and match the patterns in your tool box

It is a lot of work at first, but over time this process becomes more intuitive and less technical.
That's how I lernt it, anyhow.

Mayers · #19 08-31-2011, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james29d

thanks for the help guys ive actually started to learn a jaco pastorius song called " chromatic fantasy" its gona take a while but i think its worth learning

thanks again!

It is Bach not Jaco

puddin tame · #20 08-31-2011, 05:35 PM

i don't know how chromatic fantasy licks will help you in any real playing situation outside of dragonforce-like speed metal!!
just give it time, jam it out. it takes years. was about 8 years before my improvising went from "sucks" to "doesn't suck" in my head. always improving.

it seems like you're not getting better because it's gradual but if you heard your playing 6 months ago right now you'd be cringing!