My Practice routine sucks!

homercaholic · #1 08-23-2009, 09:04 PM

Lately ive been getting back into playing and really wanting to practice to improve my playing skills. Im not in a band, dont really have any friends that play seriously and right now I dont think im "good enough" to play with others. Im self taught as well but have a few books ive been reading from.

My practice routine goes as follows...

5-10 minutes playing major/minor scales, playing frets 1-2-3-4 on all strings as quickly as possible, sometimes switching it up a bit. Doing a type of spider down the fretboard and then thats about it for warm up

I then move on to opening guitar pro, loading up some tabs and playing some songs ive been working on by RHCP, Zeppelin, Stones etc. I'll do that for about 45 minutes, feel like ive hit a plateau and then stop. However once I stop I look back and think "i dont think ive really accomplished much here" and feel a little down.

Its not that im not concentrating or want to learn, its that im not really sure how? Ive read different tips and incorporated some but when i start a new day it seems like im just picking up in the same spot and not moving forward. Any ideas on how to really get out of this funk?

Rudreax · #2 08-23-2009, 09:23 PM

Probably the best thing you could do is find a teacher that can give you a push in the right direction.

When you practice something like a scale, you shouldn't just play the scale up and down the fretboard. You need to also play it in a way that makes it sound musical. This means anyone of the following:

- Singing the notes of the scale as you playing them. This means singing the name of the note as close to in pitch as you can.

- Changing up the rhythm you play the scale. Don't play it the same way every time you play it.

- Only play chord tones within the scale. Sing these as well, and play them in different orders across the fretboard.

You want to be able to play any scale anywhere on the neck, starting from any note within the scale.

Something else you could try to do is listen to new music. In other words, find something that totally and completely unrelated to what you normally listen to. While you're doing this, try learning some parts to it by ear. Stick with it until you get it down, and make sure you rely on only your ear, not tab or anything.

homercaholic · #3 08-23-2009, 09:30 PM

I just recently started to learn Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye and im surprised at how fun it is to play! Its not something i would normally listen to at all but I just feel funky playing it...however thats one small piece of excitement in an otherwise very very dull and most likely non beneficial practice routine...

electracoyote · #4 08-23-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudreax

Probably the best thing you could do is find a teacher that can give you a push in the right direction.

+1

I'm a bass teacher (no surprise).

A good teacher will give you many more options for productive and rewarding practices. If you haven't entered the world of reading standard notation yet, you really should. It is the quick and practical way to go where your intuition and TABS can never take you. Without context, scales are almost a waste of time, especially the universal major and minor patterns. Now READING those patterns will keep you on your toes, and songs in standard notation that are based on those patterns but are more melodic and have alterations of the universal scales can be very interesting and productive indeed. More "position based" playing will get you out of that rut. And this is only one suggestion out of dozens that a good teacher can make.

homercaholic · #5 08-24-2009, 06:43 AM

I had a teacher before but he was terrible. He was a great person but I could tell her was guitar player first, bass a distant 2nd. All he really did was say "what song do you want me to show you tabs for today?" so that kind of soured me on the experience. With money a bit tight right now (hopefully moving out here soon, car payments) and a work schedule that changes every week im not sure if I could find a teacher that flexible.

Is there anything you guys suggest I start to work on in my free time on my own? I can see music theory will be a big response here but what about other exercises, perhaps technique ones too?

Billnc · #6 08-24-2009, 07:25 AM

Sing a line and play it. Works every time.

I teach bass, it's been my primary instrument for 15 years, I doubled guitar and bass for a while, but love bass and devote my energies to it. I've been teaching guitar since before I picked up bass. Having said all that I'm the only bass player at a studio I teach at. It really hacks me off when bass students get signed on to all the other guitar teachers. Bass is more worthy of respect than "anyone can teach it."

caeman · #7 08-24-2009, 08:13 AM

Any chance you could organize a jam night with some of the locals? Getting the chance to play live with folks is certainly a confidence booster.

Michael Case · #8 08-24-2009, 10:48 AM

I'd say practice arpeggios through the major scale in all keys, learn bass lines by ear not with tabs, learn how to read music, find a teacher. These are just a few suggestions to help out. You need to decide what level of commitment you want to give the bass. You can't just say "well I had a crappy bass teacher so I'm done with lessons." I'd be willing to bet that if you really looked into it you'd find a good teacher.

Self teaching can be great except when you don't push yourself beyond your comfort zones, or try to push too far. You need to work on things that seem hard and even boring at times. Practice is where you do the work, gigs is where do the art.

homercaholic · #9 08-24-2009, 02:14 PM

I know what your saying here and lately ive been really trying to go back to things that I felt were "too hard". I will look into a good teacher as well and open up my "Bass guitar for dummies" book again and go back to fundamentals, I "know" the scales, but I dont know "Why" they are the scales....if that makes sense?

I have a big urge to figure out songs by ear but dont feel like im doing it the right way because im just hitting a note, "does it sound right? no, ok lets hit this one and see how that sounds" and trying to get a part down like that. Id love to know how to complete parts.

bass player 48 · #10 08-24-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homercaholic

Lately ive been getting back into playing and really wanting to practice to improve my playing skills. Im not in a band, dont really have any friends that play seriously and right now I dont think im "good enough" to play with others.

I would like to suggest that maybe you are mistaken, and really - you ARE good enough to play with others.

In fact, I'm only guessing, but based on your post I think it is quite likely that you are good enough, you're smart enough, and dog-gone it - people will like you.

Seriously, I learn the most when I'm in a band situation. I'm a grown up, and a hobbyist. I find in my local area there are plenty of people of all ages playing at all levels. Seriously - groups forming with 50 year old beginners is not unheard of. Bass players are a fairly rare bread in most areas, so it's not uncommon that more advanced players might be happy to have you (especially if you are nice and a good learner)

I'm not saying to stop your good focused practice time you do on your own - but for ME, I quickly hit a wall or a plateau or whatever and feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I get back with a band and I suddenly have 100 things I want to work on in my next practice session.

Raul Amador · #11 08-24-2009, 02:50 PM

I agree with the need for a new teacher..... a good one. to start out with.
There are countless self help books, DVD's,( Many of which I have reviewed) Online courses that can be great adjuncts to the live teacher but are never a substitute.
Getting out and playing with other "Humans" is great but you need to feel ready before you jump in.
I also recommend keeping connected to the Bass community, either here or in magazine format to keep you energized and inspired to get better!

So, Stay with it and enjoy being able to speak the universal language... that of music and at the Low end!

Rudreax · #12 08-24-2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homercaholic

I know what your saying here and lately ive been really trying to go back to things that I felt were "too hard". I will look into a good teacher as well and open up my "Bass guitar for dummies" book again and go back to fundamentals, I "know" the scales, but I dont know "Why" they are the scales....if that makes sense?

Basically you're saying that you don't know why the notes in a scale are what they. You probably don't know about intervals, which is natural you're knew to all of this stuff.

Id suggest you check out this site - www.musictheory.net - and go through everything on it.

BigOldHarry · #13 08-24-2009, 03:24 PM

get an instructor. That will help.

homercaholic · #14 08-24-2009, 03:28 PM

Thanks, i will give it a read! And yes thats basically it, I know how to play a major scale because the book said "this is a major scale" but I dont know WHY its a major scale, whats the point of chords when it seems to me like songs dont really follow them? How do I know a song is in this Key when it seems like im going up and down the fretboard the entire time playing all kinds of different notes? Basically I dont know WHY this part fits into the song, i just know that it DOES fit because somebody else told me it does.

Im also going to try to learn the moving anchor, ive always just kept it ontop of the pickup. Speed is something that I know is hard to work on, they say it comes in time, but id really like more of it

Michael Case · #15 08-25-2009, 08:25 AM

Don't worry about why the scales are scales, they just are. Learn the sounds of the scale, learn how to read music, work on ear training.

mVC · #16 08-25-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Case

Practice is where you do the work, gigs is where do the art.

Loved this last sentence Michael!
Great said...

Maurice

noahw1 · #17 08-25-2009, 10:56 AM

Playing frets 1-2-3-4 as quickly as possible is not going to help you even as a warm up. I was taught by Todd Johnson, a phenomenal player who has his own forum on TB, and the warm up he gave me was 1-2-3-4 starting on the 12th fret on the G string then go to the D string starting with the first finger but leaving all my other fingers on the G until one by one I moved them to the D, then A, then back to D and G. From there you go to the 11th fret and so on until you get to the 5th fret then go back up the neck. The purpose of this is to eliminate unnecessary finger movement and is to be practiced very slowly.

Practicing slowly allows you to practice perfectly. If you practice fast but make mistakes you can never get better.

Try learning some walking basslines. Using chord tones to create a line. It will help you understand chords better and really help out with your fingering.

paul_wolfe · #18 08-25-2009, 01:52 PM

In my opinion no-one has asked the OP the most important question: what are your goals? What do you want to achieve on the bass?

Once we have an idea what you want to achieve THEN we can start to make suggestions as to what you could put into a practice routine that would best help you achieve them.

Though +10 for find a good teacher - and +10 if that teacher's method is supportive of you reaching your bass related goals.

paul_wolfe · #19 08-25-2009, 01:53 PM

Just a PS to that....the very fact that you've titled the thread "My Practice Routine Sucks" makes me think that your main problem is you don't know quite what to practice and you feel kind of lost.

Solidifying what it is you actually want to achieve is the 1st step into getting out of this dilemma.

Michael Case · #20 08-25-2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul_wolfe

In my opinion no-one has asked the OP the most important question: what are your goals? What do you want to achieve on the bass?

Once we have an idea what you want to achieve THEN we can start to make suggestions as to what you could put into a practice routine that would best help you achieve them.

Though +10 for find a good teacher - and +10 if that teacher's method is supportive of you reaching your bass related goals.

I think he said he wanted to break the land-speed record on the bass.