Practising in all 12 keys

[BlakeJustBlake]

I've been reading a lot lately to practice whatever you're learning in all of the keys. I could understand how this could be good, but when it comes down to actually doing it, it just seems like nothing's coming from it. Because things are so similar in different keys, just a structure moved around to a different area of the fretboard, so it just seems like nothing is soaking in while practising in different keys.

Is there a particular way to practice similar things in different keys that really maximizes the potential of the method? Such as, practicing in random keys instead of successive keys? Perhaps calling out the notes and their functions while going through whatever exercise or riff or lick or whatever you want to call it? Or maybe even singing it while doing it?

I imagine a response to this will be something like "Yeah, try all of those things and then see what works for you." And I probably will, I just want to see what others have discovered from practising in all of the keys.

[somegeezer]

I can't imagine it helpful on a fretted instrument. Everything has an exact pattern, unlike a piano where there are 2 seperated parts [the white and black keys]. To me it seems like that would probably equal having 2 fretboards to play at once. But even that may be too easy. You learn in 1 key and you can transpose to any key on a fretboard. Naming the notes, however much I can't stand doing it, that could be helpful when practising 12 keys. It would help you understand what notes are in what keys and helps locate them easily on a fretboard.

[BlakeJustBlake]

It would be useful on something that's not fretted like DB though? Because that's something I'm just getting into and I'm looking into finding more practice material for it.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by BlakeJustBlake

It would be useful on something that's not fretted like DB though? Because that's something I'm just getting into and I'm looking into finding more practice material for it.

I play 'something that's not fretted'. I call it a fretless bass. On fretless, practising everything in all 12 keys is just as meaningless. If you practise different stuff in various keys all over the fretboard, you'll be doing fine. Use your time for practice effectively and enjoy the fact that on BG all strings are a 4th away from each other.

[BlakeJustBlake]

I have heard it in several places though, would they be referring to practicing songs in several keys or exercises? Would this really yield any different results?

I'm imagining that practicing something in 12 keys would yield some sort of result if you weren't just doing something mechanical and basically for muscle memory.

And, Chris K, I'd understand the similarity between a fretted bass and a fretless bass since I haven't had any problems from switching between the two as far as what my muscles have "memorized", but I imagine it being an entirely different story on the Double Bass to which I was referring.

[Asher S]

Try this:

• Practice your exercises (eg arpeggios) around the circle of 5ths rather than chromatically (eg C7 arp, F7 arp, Bb7 arp etc), AND
• Stay in "open" position, i.e. use open strings whenever possible, rather than moving the same pattern around the board

That can be quite helpful, especially on the DB where 99% of your non-solo time will be in those lowest positions.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Asher S

Try this:

• Practice your exercises (eg arpeggios) around the circle of 5ths rather than chromatically (eg C7 arp, F7 arp, Bb7 arp etc), AND
• Stay in "open" position, i.e. use open strings whenever possible, rather than moving the same pattern around the board

That can be quite helpful, especially on the DB where 99% of your non-solo time will be in those lowest positions.

Yes and obviously it will help if you can stay in the same area of the fingerboard, but change key - limit yourself to say an octave and never move out of that position, yet change key.

[mambo4]

Practicing in all keys , as has been said before,usually seems like you're just "moving the same shape" around the fingerboard.

The useful thing to be gained comes form situations where you begin exploring left hand positions where the "shape" you have moved starts to fall off the fingerboard:

- the root moves too low for your lowest string and you have to start transposing up
- notes too high for you current position, forcing you to shift or transpose down an 8ve.
-you adopt a position that involves using open strings

these situations force you to understand what your playing at a level beyond a simple fingering pattern.

[BlakeJustBlake]

Thanks, both of those are helpful things to know. That sounds like a great idea for practice on the DB.