Not sure what section to post this in, but I chose here, cause my goal is to learn to improve myself and my abilities.
So first of a little about me.
I've messed around with guitars since I was probably 6 or 7, got one at about 14, played in church at about 15 or 16, and struggled to progress any at all. Then at 16 a guy at church brought in this 4 stringed thing that just fascinated me. He taught me some basic notes and told me to feel the rhythm, handed me the bass and told me to play it during a song in which he played guitar and sang. It was a bluegrass style song and I did pretty good. When he finished he said you're pretty good on that thing and wouldn't take it back from me. I became the church bassist and played a variety of country and bluegrass stuff until I was in college, and discovered jazz, blues and rock.
Now some 30 yrs later, I've played a variety of styles, and I play at our church most every Sunday doing modern P&W, and on occasion, I play with some guys doing classic and 80's rock.
Basically every thing I learned I learned by listening, and trying to emulate. I've learned a lot of theory, (I know about Modes, but haven't a clue how to apply them) and learned a lot of which techniques were bad and which to work on and correct and have tried to do that.
What I need to work on.
1. Reading.... I picked up a pop bass book that has no tab.
2. Learning the lines of some of the songs or the way the original artist played it. I have a hard time playing their groove. (It's the ADD)
3. How to recognize what I'm lacking and how to learn/improve the areas that I'm missing.
and probably the biggest....
4. How to make myself work on these areas. (Once again the ADD)
I've learned that because I've played so much based on feel and learned what I needed as I went, I have a real hard time working through a book, or something cause I've no accountability, and as someone with ADD it's challenging to keep focused in an area without that accountability, and in my area there are no instructors that will take someone above beginner level. In some areas I feel like a beginner, and others I could teach better than some of the guys around here!
I was thinking of getting Norm Stockton's DVD series since they seem to be pretty well rounded, but then I was thinking what would keep me going through them and working on them? What would force me to stay focused?
So what I'm looking for is a system/program to take me from where I am now to a more well rounded bassist? I don't know if there's a way to do a support group somewhere, where we check in each week and say what we're working on and how we've done?? 'Cause I really want to be a better bassist.
Like I said Random musing and a cry for
A lot of it has to do with ADD. Keeping focused on something without a goal in sight is a challenge. So if I'm told to do a solo for Easter or something I FOCUS on it I work at. So how do you set a goal to learn a new aspect of playing when it's just for you?
