My practice plan(comments/feedback appreciated)

OnlyJerry · #1 06-12-2011, 07:28 AM

Greetings fellow TBers,

This weekend I hit my 3 month 'milestone' in playing bass. I'm really glad I kept it going, and not quit. For me the worst part was the first month(especially the two first weeks) when I had no clue whatsoever what I was supposed to do, and where I was supposed to start. The amount of theory(notes, scales, chords etc) was overwhelming and disorienting.

Now I feel I've aquired a general understanding of different areas in bass guitar/music knowledge(learning the notes on the fretboard was a huge accomplishment for me).

Up until now I've practiced 'freestyle' where I haven't followed a specific plan. Now I feel it's time to get a little more efficient, so I set up a practicing program that I'm going to do every day.

My goal is to be able to be able to do great improvisations, solos, play jazz(chord progressions), play 12 blues(other than my simple patterns like 11-33-55-7-5).

Please take a look at my practicing program/plan, and comment if you'd like. Is there something important(in your opinion) that I'm missing?

Preparation
- Fingerstretches

Theoretical practice
- One octave major/minor scale
- One octave (minor) pentatonic scale
- One octave mixolydian scale
- One octave (minor) blues scale
- Going through the scales and naming the notes

Playing
- Walking bass lines(doing Todd Johnsons 'method' at the time, reccommended), 2-3 modules
- 12 bar blues in different keys with backing tracks

Other
Learning/transcribing licks/riffs from Playbassnow.com(MarloweDK)

End
- Pinky/ring-finger conditioning(wear them out!)
- Finger stretches

I purposedly left out how long I was going to practice each bit. Assigning each part a time quote only makes it seem forced, and thus dull. I'll stop when I feel I've practiced each part enough.

waleross · #2 06-12-2011, 09:19 AM

You might need an instructor to help you. I don't about Norway but you sound really motivated and your plan and goals might move quicker with an instructor. Just a thought, best of luck in any case.

OnlyJerry · #3 06-12-2011, 10:03 AM

Yeah, I know an instructor would help significantly. One of my friends has a very talented older brother who plays all sorts of instruments(guitar primarily). He knows bass playing and I wouldn't consider him a 'guitard'.

I can get lessons from him pretty cheap, but I don't feel I've ever needed them.

You know, an instructor can only tell you so much, the rest is in the potential of yourself, and how you are willing to practice. I read alot on lessons and theory, so I've always had something to practice on, and kept a steady progress at it. Being in that situation I never felt need for an instructor.

What I DO consider is an instructor with jazz degree from the local university who teaches bass. Since I'm interested in jazz, I might pick up something valuable from him.

Blah114 · #4 06-12-2011, 10:12 AM

buy some DVDs.. Billy Sheehan's DVDs, Alexis Slarveski.. or if you go on youtube, there's a guy named Marlowe KD or similar.. bass lessons online, free.. and learn as many songs as you can.. and play them daily. too many scales, exercises are bad.. too many songs without theory is bad.. there's little worse than a bass player that cannot "groove" live.. because he played in a room for too many years doing pentatonic, minor, major scales, etc.. that used to me, as a matter of fact. depending on your goals..

also, please realize 20+ years from now, you cannot "make up" for lost practice time.. so it will take effort, time, and research.. daily. or at least semi-daily. A lot of starting-out players make the mistake of not playing actual songs end to end.. and they can be easy songs. I wish , if I could go back, that I'd have played the Rolling Stones, Motown (Jamerson, among 100 others), Beatles, AC DC, Judas Priest etc.. those are excellent bassists who understand how to play live in a band setting.. "unsong heroes" as I call them. Then onto Rush, etc .. later on.. Learn commercial jingles and play them on bass.. even the horn parts.. Jaco did that.. and credited that more than anything else.. he learned horn parts and played them on bass all the time.

Blah114 · #5 06-12-2011, 10:13 AM

(Jamerson's lines are by no means easy..but they are melodic and groove well.)

OnlyJerry · #6 06-12-2011, 10:37 AM

It's funny that you mentioned commercial jingles. I've NEVER thought about it before, but just earlier today I transcribed a commercial jingle, and I was stoked that I actually managed to do it. So transcribing things is a point I'm going to add to my practice plan.

Also, I don't like tabs. I pretty much only use tabs when I want to learn new songs for the band I recently joined. Tablatures remind me of my guitard friends who doesn't know **** about theory, only playing the numbers they see in the tablature.

If I want to play a song, I'll try my best at transcribing it before I turn to tabs.

Also, dedicating practicing/fiddling time with my bass isn't an issue since I've probably kept an average of 2 hours each day since I started.

Stumbo · #7 06-13-2011, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnlyJerry

Yeah, I know an instructor would help significantly. One of my friends has a very talented older brother who plays all sorts of instruments(guitar primarily). He knows bass playing and I wouldn't consider him a 'guitard'.

I can get lessons from him pretty cheap, but I don't feel I've ever needed them.

You know, an instructor can only tell you so much, the rest is in the potential of yourself, and how you are willing to practice. I read alot on lessons and theory, so I've always had something to practice on, and kept a steady progress at it. Being in that situation I never felt need for an instructor.

What I DO consider is an instructor with jazz degree from the local university who teaches bass. Since I'm interested in jazz, I might pick up something valuable from him.

Since you're asking about your practice routine on TalkBass, it's apparent that you don't know what you don't know.

I suggest you take a few lessons from your buddy and see how it goes.

Interesting that somehow you think jazz requires lessons and from someone who has a jazz degree and everything else does not.

Didn't we all go through school to learn the basics of reading, writing and 'rithmatic? Why is beginning bass different?

I suggest downloading something like "Best Practice", isolating and slowing down some bass lines and learn by ear be added to your practice schedule.