when learning bass without an instructor

[swamprocker]

looking for some constructive advise.

I'm learning bass on my own, can't really afford to pay a teacher.

curious what you all think is the best use of my practice time.

usually i warm up just playing various things i've picked searching around the web.

then i spend a bit of time learning and praciticing various patterns. r-5, r-7, r-5-7, or some scales.

i then work on trying to learn some songs by reading the tab and playing along with the song.

is there anything that i should try and focus on more then the other? anything I should be adding?


when i look at what i just typed, that looks like something i THINK that looks good. but to be honest for some reason i usually just feel lost. lol.

thanks

James

[1dgbass]

try playing some songs.
That'll teach you how patterns are used.

[dmrogers]

You will find tons of resources and links to resources, including instructional books, here on this site. So start searching around.

Keep these points in mind when setting up a study schedule:
*. Spend some time on theory. It really helps.
*. Practice with a metronome.
*. Practice your scales, calling out the notes as you play them (still using the metronome).
*. Practice reading. I am working on reading currently. It helps and really gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
*. Learn your fretboard, up and down.

As far a me, I find it best to find a song that is above your current level of playing, listening to it, study it and slowly learn the bass part. Write it down and learn to play it to the point that you make few if any mistakes. Try to replicate the bass part as closely as possible.

Don't just pick up your bass and noodle, have a purpose and make the best use of your time.

There, that should get you started.

Good luck!

[swamprocker]

excellent advise. thanks.

[Stumbo]

Check out the links in my sig. below for some great TB info that will help you on your bass learning journey.

Good luck!

[tobie]

Originally Posted by 1dgbass

try playing some songs

This is what I wanted to say. If you can get chord charts / music sheets for them, even better - then you can listen for the charted chord changes and play the appropriate chords accordingly.

If you're looking for a source: churches love using chord charts. If the soundman can record the songs for you, it will be absolutely magic - and it's stacks of fun to play with the recorded songs.

[oerk]

Get a good instructional book, and start from the beginning. You probably don't know what basic mistakes you're making if you never had a teacher. For example, many beginners make the mistake of hanging the thumb over the fretboard when it should be in the middle of the neck.

[Dmanlamius]

+1 To Stumbos list.

He's taken the time to go through, and add content that he feels is worthy and educational.

And i'm not just saying that because i'm on it...ahemm...



(I wish I had the internet when I was learning)

[deckard]

Stumbo's list is awesome!!!!

Here's my suggestion:

people are probably tired of me shilling for this, but 6-string bassist Todd Johnson's instructional DVD "Technique Builders" is THE best of the instructional videos/DVDs I've purchased over the years.

It gets you working specifically on technique: string-crossing, octaves, "ergonomics" for each hand, etc.

Very easy to follow & use; Todd is quite personable on camera.

You don't need to read music (although now you can get it with a companion book if you wish),

and you don't need to use the "floating-thumb" thing he espouses (I use it exclusively now, but that's just me). For disclosure purposes, Todd plays finger-style only and he doesn't slap...

Granted, it is a bit o' dough-re-mi initially, but I've had it for quite a while and I still use the drills every practice session + refer back to the DVD on a regular basis for "fine tuning" purposes.

JMHO

p.s. - Todd has a forum on TB under "Ask a Pro"...

[enpontus]

i´m totally self - learned and the only thing i can do is to noodle.
i can´t read music and i can only improvise. i occasionally play with metronome.
but more often with real drums.
tried to learn the theory, learned some, but it didn´t gave me the answers i were looking for so i gave that up, now i only play random stuff that i come up with the moment i play it or something i´ve written earlier.

am i doing it wrong then

[Mattsochistic]

I am currently using the Guitar Grimoire for scales and modes-1 hour
Then practice reading-one hour.(Lots of sheet music online)
And last practice double thumb, and tapping-one hour. It's been fun.

[BlueStatic]

Here's a great site: Studybass.com

It has some decent information on theory and beginner stuff. It should help you out a bit

[sackvegas]

Think long and hard about the player you'd like to become, then seek out the materials to do so. Whoever said have a purpose when you sit down is correct.

Learn the major scale and how chords are constructed from it, learn how to build chords, ignore those "10,000" chord dictionary books, they are complete garbage.

Learn your favorite songs by ear if possible.

Speed is a by product of proper technique, play it perfect slow and speed up only after you have achieved MASTERY at slow tempos. I really wish someone had bestowed that last tidbit on me when I first started, I literaly wasted 5 years practicing mistakes, I would be a lot farther ahead if I learned that earlier.

Lastly try and reduce any and all tension while playing, relax and enjoy.

.02

[swamprocker]

Thanks guys. all good advise i will use.

[lmfreeman9]

+1 on Studybass. Also, I think it is great playing and improvising with a drummer. In the absence of a real drummer, I find drum machines useful. I have a Korg Pandora PX4B which has a drum machine and lots of different beats; funk, rock, blues, etc. I often spin the dial to practice and just make stuff up.

Also, singing what you play, while you play it is very useful for internalizing tone.

[phatphillss]

These are somone elses words.In times I feel I need encourgment to practice I read This I wish I remembered who wrote it.Everything is there.Hope it helped. You should copy it and put it in a practice folder.Its very IMPORTANT.

So we have all sorts of threads about practicing. My favorite right now is the "How Often Do You Practice?" thread. I see a lot of people responding that they practice about an hour a day, but most of the people that I know, don't really practice an hour a day. They may play bass for an hour a day, but is their a gameplan? Organizational thought? A purpose?

This is not to knock the practice routine of anybody here. Also, this is not say that what I do, or what someone else does is either right or wrong. Different strokes, for different folks.

I thought I would share some sage advice by a sage teacher, Mr. Mark Levine. Most of the information that follows is from "The Jazz Theory Book" by Mark Levine. I won't give all the information, because you should buy the book, but maybe this excerpt will help convince some, that haven't been exposed to the book, of it's worth.

I've never been a fan of mindless finger drills that have you randomly move your fingers across the fretboard in hopes of building dexterity, strength, or speed. I'm sure in some situations, they have their place, but too many bassists that I know make these drills the crux of their practice time. I've always been a fan of more focused, and musical practicing.

So without further adieu,

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Make Music When Practicing. Instead of simply moving your hands across the fretboard, "play with feeling and intensity. Practice heads and melodies as beautifully and personally as possible." Instead of just mindlessly running through scales, make music with the scale.

Practice Everything in Every Key. Such sage advice. "Practice everything in every key. Everything: voicings, licks, patterns, and tunes. Especially tunes. After you've learned a tune, practice it in a key other than the original one. This will highlight all your weaknesses, telling you immediately what you have to practice.

Practice Your Weaknesses. "When practicing, concnetrate on things that you don't play well. Suppose you're practicing a lick through all 12 keys. Which keys give you the most trouble? After a rehearsal or a gig, think back on what part of your playing felt the shakiest, and start your next practice session working on that. As you pinpoint your weaknesses, you'll know exactly what to practice. If you have limited practice time, it becomes productive to pick up your instrument and practice for 15 minutes because you'll know exactly what to practice."

Speed Comes From Accuracy. "If you're practicing something fast, and it's not getting any better, slow down. Speed comes from accuracy and relaxation. If you play something accuaretly, you can then play it a little faster."

The Tactile and Visual Aspect. "As important as the aural (C7alt sounds like this), and the theoretical, (C7alt is the seventh mode of Db melodic minor), are the tactile (C7alt feels like this), and the visual (C7 alt looks like this), ways of internalizing music. Know how everything feels and looks like on your instrument. As you practice, a visual impint of the notes you play is made on your eyes, and a tactile imprint is made on your fingers, hands, and arms."

Transcribing. "Learn to transcribe early and well. The best way to learn a tune is to transcribe it off the record." Years ago, before there were tabs and the internet, musicians bought the record, (instead of downloading it), and just listened to it over and over and over until they could play it, or part of it. While this will seem like a foreign concept to many of the younger members, this is how your ear is developed, and how you become a musician.

Play Along with Real Records. "Try to get the same groove at the same energy level as the players on the record."

Keep a Notebook. Raise your hand if you do this. How many people here, maybe one, two? Probably not many of us. "Write down the names of tunes that you want to learn, or things that you want to remember to practice. This can help you focus in on your needs, and bring some sense of order to the ever-lengthening list of stuff you want to woodshed."

Relax. "Be aware of any unnecessary muscle tension as you play. Breathe normally and deeply. Drummer Billy Higgins always smiles when he plays. Does he know something we all should know?"

Tap that Foot. "Whatever feels natural is ok."

Cultivate Your Environment. "Listen to as much live music as possible. Find the best musician on your instrument in your area and ask if you can study with him or her. If he or she doesn't want to take you on, keep asking for at least a single lesson. As you watch a live performance, be aware of the interaction between musicians. How do they communicate? By signs? Verbally? Non verbally?"


Everything in quotes is from Mr. Levine's mouth. But he speaks very wisely. Personally, I've always believed in a well-rounded practice routines, concentrating on all aspects of my playing, and focusing on my weaknesses. It doesn't serve anybody well to keep rehashing that bassline to Higher Ground that you know inside and out know.

The one thing I might add to Mark's list revolves around your practice space. Avoid distractions like the telephone, roommates, and especially television. Have what you need within reach, paper, pencil, tuner, metronome, books, CDs, etc. Have an ergonomic and comfortable surrounding.

You'll get out of your instrument exactly what you put into it.

[tobie]

[quote=phatphillss;8243396]Make Music When Practicing/QUOTE]
Ah-ha! So there is someone feeling exactly the way I do!