I gotta get faster...

[scorpionldr]

In my playing, and I want to find out ways to develop. I'm finally beginning to (after 10 years of an assortment of going in and out of phases and noodling in bass) want to read written music to play. Are there any good parts out there to read besides the "thump thump thump" exercises in "how to play bass" books? I've got a couple of classical books with full orchestration to start on (Chopin, Schubert, and Beethoven sound good?)

Also, as far as "playing method" goes...I've been playing pick (bad move maybe?)....I started out with fingers.......but it just felt so much easier to move with pick!

Also, things I think may be getting in the way of speed: Heavy string guage? I've been playing GHS heavies, Ernie Ball Power-slinks, and Rotosound swings (You can see by the .110- .115 heaviness of my bottom strings I prefer the metal in my tone). Fingers: I may be knowledgeable with my fretboard but I'm feeling kinda slow with things. BTW I'm playing a mexi-P-bass Deluxe four string with jazz and p-bass pups.

Any recommendations, guys? I've finally *hopefully* graduated in passing all the classes for my last semester (with a degree in music), and I think aside from getting a day-job I'll have a lot of time to hone my skills and get professional with bass (graduating as a sax major, my prof told me at the beginning that I basically had no chance of making it playing in the "sax world" and keys and bass are the way to think).

[The Golden Boy]

Why "faster?"

In your other thread you talked about being repetitive. What I always need work on is melody and movement. A melodic bass line that isn't forced into a song, but is integral to the song. Try to think like that. Movement- think of how the bass can propel and really drive a song. These aren't things that are particularly difficult- and needn't be complex, complicated parts.

I'm a "classic rock" kind of guy. When I think of melody- I think of something like McCartney- "Lady Madonna" or "Silly Love Songs." They're not difficult, they're not complex- but those lines ARE the songs. When I think of movement- I think specifically of Geddy Lee's lines in the chorus of "Temples Of Syrinx." He's not doing anything special at all, but that simple little thing that he's doing makes that part work.

IMO...

[scorpionldr]

I just think as far as writing/reading (especially in wanting to become a session player) that I've gotta be ready to play whatever's put in front of me, flawlessly. also, the fact that these days I'm listening to bands that are pretty over my head in terms of skill makes me wonder if I'm just being lazy or if I can actually play on the same par or further......all this work that I'm attempting to create for myself is directed towards my writers block....I have a terrible case, lasting about three years long with a few months of inspiration in between. I think if I become more musically capable I'll be more musically inclined to have good ideas.