Practice routine

[bass87]

Ok after reading cassanovas thread (v useful) on the same topic I decided to make my own practice routine, which is as follows:

15 minutes Warm up:
- Major + Minor scales in diff keys
- Major, Dominant, Minor, Diminished appregios in diff keys
- Modes in diff keys
- Half whole + Whole half scales in diff keys

30 minutes Jazz bass
- Working through new book Ed Friedlands expanding walking bass lines

30 minutes Exercises for teacher
- Usually a song to learn, varies week to week.

15 minutes Sight reading
- Picking a random song in standing in shadows of Motown book and playing throught it.

15 minutes Warm down
- Same as warm up.

Just a few questions:
What does everyone think of that? Is it long enough? Any other things I should try and include? Should I vary it every few days/weeks?

I didn't know whether to put this as a whole new thread or as a reply to cassanovas thread so sorry if it should have been as a reply. Or if it should have been in a diff forum. Thanks for any help.

[jazzbo]

Practice Routine originally posted by bass87
Changes in red.

30 minutes Warm up:
- Major + Minor scales in diff keys
- Major, Dominant, Minor, Diminished appregios in diff keys
- Modes in diff keys
- Half whole + Whole half scales in diff keys

60 minutes Jazz bass
- Working through new book Ed Friedlands expanding walking bass lines
- Aebersold series
- ii/V7/I changes in all keys, major and minor

20-30 minutes Ear training
- Intervals at piano
- Chords at piano
- Extended chords at piano


30 minutes Exercises for teacher
- Usually a song to learn, varies week to week.

30 minutes Sight reading
- Picking a random song in standing in shadows of Motown book and playing throught it.
- Bach Cello Suites

20 minutes Warm down
- Same as warm up.

[bass87]

Cool thanx jazzbo. But uh what's the aebersold series? And I don't have a piano

[Groovski]

Once again Jazzbo saves the day. Aw-hell Jazzbo

[jazzbo]

Originally posted by bass87
Cool thanx jazzbo.

No problem

But uh what's the aebersold series?

http://www.jazzbooks.com/

And I don't have a piano

Your local junior college or college does.

[Sean Baumann]

Good information here, I have a horrible practice schedule....if I practice at all. I guess I know the reason why I still think I am a beginner after several years of "playing".....

Do you practice every day?

Can someone describe how to work on ear training?

How about providing some specifics on your warm-ups?

[Bassin']

A few suggestions:

- Don't try to adhere to a practice schedule you might have a hard time keeping. It's better to practice 1-2 hours daily than to practice 2-3 hours (at a time) sporadically. The most important thing is to develope a schedule that is both challenging and keeps your interest, but not to the point where it becomes overwhelming and you drop it in a week.

- You don't have to cover everything at every practice. I find it's better to focus on one or two items each time and then mix it up the next day. If I have the time I will occassionally go for the marathon practice session (4-6hours) where I cover everything I feel I need to cover but, again, variety is the key.

- You should focus more on your weaknesses than strengths. If your strong at 16th note, funk, syncopated bass lines but weak at sight reading, make sight reading the higher priority and spend more time working on that.

[Sean Baumann]

Generally I am weak at everything, and I find it hard (due to work and other obligations) to commit to a weekly lesson. I'm on-call a lot.

[Sean Baumann]

I'm not quite sure how to take your post (tone wise), but thanks for the lecture. I looked through all of the posts in General Instructoin BG (not many theads at all in this forum) and did not find much. I guess they archived the rest, eh?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions

[Sean Baumann]

The problem was that I did not understand that most messages in GI are archived. When oyu browse the messages, there are only 2 pages worth, hense my questions. A search revealed that there is a wealth of information. Thanks for the pointer.

[Killdar]

my bass practice routine, 10 steps to practicing the bass:

#1, play something
#2, find something else to play
#3, learn it, and play it until it is satisfactory
#4, keep playing it
#5, play lots of other things currently known
#6, get food/drink etc. (can be done anytime)
#7, play more
#8, repeat #7
#9, repeat #1,4,5,7,8
#10, repeat any of the above randomly until stoppage is wanted.

its as simple as that!

try it out, or dont. i sit and play the thing whenever im in front of the tv...which is often. amp optional.

like was mentioned above, if you need to do something, do it, if theres nothing, then just do #5, experiment, anything.

hope something ive said works.

[cassanova]

[quote]Originally posted by Killdar
#5, play lots of other things currently known
#6, get food/drink etc. (can be done anytime)

i somewhat agree with #5, but I think its better to focus on your weekness's rather than strenghs, and to me playing things currently known is more of that, although I could be misunderstanding what you mean by it.

I dont agree with #6, IMO its more conductive to study if you get it set in your head that your not thirsty or hungry before hand, this way you can sit down to an uninterupted practice.


i sit and play the thing whenever im in front of the tv...which is often.

this IMO is also a bad practice habbit, It distracts you from the task at hand which is practicing. again just IMO

[Wrong Robot]

Hey bass87

you keep that routine up and really keep to it(no slacking) you'll be better than most everyone on this board in no time(no offense to the great players here, . Maybe if you double the amount of time you spend on each activity every month or so, then you'll really be smoking.


I wish I had the disicpline to have a practice routine.

I play bass on average of 4 hours a day(2 hours some days 6-7 hours other days) I've already played for 5 hours today.....but I don't go through a practice routine.

usually what I do(in no particular order for no particular amount of time)...I run through songs I'm learning and iron out problems or mistakes...then I noodle around on various grooves to work on my stamina( I probably do the most of this) sometimes I'll listen to a new song and learn it, other times I'll find notation and practice my reading(not barely enough though) then I usually somewhere in my practice "routine" try and learn "music for armchair funambulists"

but probably what I'm working on the most is stamina and speed....I want to get to the point where I can play fast syncopated 16th note fingerstyle grooves ,never faltering even the slightest, all night long(literally 5-6 hours at a time)

I just spent about 1:30 hours playing "river people" thats a tricky little song...very easy changes, but the rhythmn is tricky and Jaco plays it so smooth and perfect....at anyrate...my arm hurts now ...time to play some more!

[Wrong Robot]

[quote]Originally posted by cassanova
[b]

Originally posted by Killdar


i sit and play the thing whenever im in front of the tv...which is often.

this IMO is also a bad practice habbit, It distracts you from the task at hand which is practicing. again just IMO

I guess it does distract from "practice" but it is still valuable to play. as long as your not playing in an uncomfortable position(rather with your hands in an unconventional way from your normal playing) I think its totally fine...you may not make any technical or theoretical progress, but you will at least be playing and getting more in touch with your instrument.

[moley]

Originally posted by Ed Fuqua
Not mindlessly whacking away in front of the TV.

Ahem.

[Zon Bass]

I don’t think that practicing in front of the TV is an inherently bad thing as long as you don’t count it as real practice. I usually practice about 3 hours a day completely uninterrupted working on theory, scales, ear training, a song or two, etc. But in addition to this, I usually have my bass in my hands when I am just watching TV. I usually just play a scale over and over again to bring up my speed and endurance. This may not really help me from a musical standpoint, but it definitely isn’t hurting either.

[cassanova]

Originally posted by Wrong Robot
you may not make any technical or theoretical progress, but you will at least be playing and getting more in touch with your instrument.

This is true, you will at least be playing, but if you arent going to be making any theoretical and especially technical progress then how can you get more in touch with your instrument? The technical aspects are IMO what help you get more intouch with your instruement

[Wrong Robot]

Yeah...you've got a point tharrrrr.

[Ari]

Ed,

why dismissing the idea of building endurance for electric bass playing?

I am not sure if the pros of playing in front of the TV outweigh the cons, but you sure need endurance to play the electric bass, no matter if the strings are thinner than those on the DB. Take for example Rocco Prestia, he needs endurance to play his fast 16th notes funk lines. And what about Steve Harris right hand?

Ari

[Blueszilla]

Since I don't practice nearly enough, I would like to adopt something along the lines that jazzbo has posted. My time is limited though, and can only spend 90 to 120 minutes max, maybe 5 days a week, and that's if I really make myself (gig most every Fri. and Sat. also). Does that make me a slacker? I suppose any practice regimen is better than none, but I believe Ed is right, some things are definitely more effective if you are focused on them. JB, we saw how you edited bass87's routine, but what's yours, if you don't mind me asking?