What are you doing that you can't do?

[Matt Till]

Are you working on something that actually is a challange to you? Self composed or cover? Usually I'd say no, but I just started working on "Linus and Lucy" the Stu Hamm version. I don't tap that often/well so this is a real challange to me. I'm mainly working on one handing the bassline.

I cannot get the lead to sound out at all. You must really have to pound on the string to get it to ring out, this throws off the phrasing completely.

This is also hopefully going to help me seperate my way of thinking. The reason I suck at piano and drums is the extreme need to seperate your mind. Drums your feet/hands/wrists do something different from each other. Piano, left and right are working opposite each other. This being a piano piece, yikes.

But the point is: I can not do this. But I'm trying. Usually I hear a bassline, learn it in a few minutes, that's it. This is hard, I can not do this. What can you not do but are trying?

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Playing fretless in tune. Nyuck nyuck.


But seriously,
playing fretless in tune.

[Matt Till]

Yikes! That's a scary one Bryan!

I gave up on that one a while ago.

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Yikes! That's a scary one Bryan!

I gave up on that one a while ago.

Really, Man.

I can't do that every time I pick one up at a music store.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just two years ago, shortly after I picked up the bass again after many years, I said to the old buddy I was jamming with "I CAN'T be back in a band with you - I can't learn FOURTY SONGS, Man! ...I know we knew close to that many back in '79, but I just couldn't do that now...".

Now I still only know about fifty-some (enough for us to play shows - we have a dozen different dives on the books now!), but now I can picture how bassists can play a thousand - I'm learning keys and scales, and my ear's getting trained.

Joe

[Adam Barkley]

Play Git better.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Yikes! That's a scary one Bryan!

I gave up on that one a while ago.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for self-punishment. But most of my favorite bassists are fretless players (just heard Michael Manring on Equilibre and my head aches thinking about how great Michael plays on it), so I'm keeping at it.

As for songs, I'm just trying to learn some of Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny's solos on the song "Spiritual" (it's a slow song, so there's no Metheny mad-licks to scare me away).

[Matt Till]

I have a fretless, but it's awful. I defretted my Yamaha because I never play it. And I did a pretty bad job. Around the 12th fret there is this little hill. I play it a little, but it sounds/plays pretty bad.

[Benjamin Strange]

I've been practicing my sightreading while trying to keep the fretless in tune. Not easy trying to do both at once.

[Marty Forrer]

I've been playing double bass professionally for fourteen years, and I'm still trying to play in tune.

[Woodchuck]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Are you working on something that actually is a challange to you? Self composed or cover? Usually I'd say no, but I just started working on "Linus and Lucy" the Stu Hamm version. I don't tap that often/well so this is a real challange to me. I'm mainly working on one handing the bassline.

I cannot get the lead to sound out at all. You must really have to pound on the string to get it to ring out, this throws off the phrasing completely.

This is also hopefully going to help me seperate my way of thinking. The reason I suck at piano and drums is the extreme need to seperate your mind. Drums your feet/hands/wrists do something different from each other. Piano, left and right are working opposite each other. This being a piano piece, yikes.

But the point is: I can not do this. But I'm trying. Usually I hear a bassline, learn it in a few minutes, that's it. This is hard, I can not do this. What can you not do but are trying?

Hone your chops by working out the Pink Panther theme song first. Fun little tune to tap.

[tonedeaf]

I've been working on becoming a better sightreader for about a year now. I just took a job playing bass in a local production of "Oklahoma!". The book has 53 pages of written bass clef with no words or other visual cues. Parts of some songs are being cut from the show, and some songs will be transposed, so this is a BIG challenge for me. It also changes keys and time signatures often, sometimes more than once in a single song.

I can see the progress, though. This is a paying, professional gig that I might be considered somewhat underqualified for, and I want to do an excellent job, so that is a very big motivator for me. I've been putting in quite a few late nights and early mornings (I have a steady day job) to learn this music and brush up on my reading skills. Putting myself out there like that was a big and nerve-wracking step, but it's really paying off.

[xyllion]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

I've been practicing my sightreading while trying to keep the fretless in tune. Not easy trying to do both at once.

For me it is walking and chewing gum at the same time.

[Marty Forrer]

Tone Deaf; your post is an excellent message to all those people who wannabe a bassplayer but cant be bothered putting in the hard yards. Anyone can play a Marylin Manson song on bass in 5 minutes, even having never held a bass before. (I proved that with one of my new pupils), but to do something meaningful as you are doing takes a lot of effort. The rewards will be huge! I hope your example inspires a lot of young people to dig in and learn to play MUSIC!

[bryan bailey]

I've been working on drum stamina for a while now.

I've been playing as hard as I can, as fast as I can, as long as I can. And hopefully I can get some decent speed/stability.

[l0calh05t]

Playing "The Flight of the Bumblebee" on bass (i adapted the arrangment by troy stetina (which is for guitar) for 4-string, which means i use every note on the neck from the e string to the e on the 21st fret of the g string and would actually need some more but just octave down at that point [hmm.. i might try artifical harmonics])

[WillPlay4Food]

I'm trying to play Rush - Moving Pictures.

I've got most of Tom Sawyer down, except for that wheeeeedlllle-wheedle-wheedle, wheedle-wheedle-wheedle, wheeeeedlllle-wheedle-wheedle, bum-bum-bum, wheeeeedlllle-wheedle-wheedle, wheedle-wheedle-wheedle, wheeeeedlllle-wheedle-wheedle part (if you know what I mean ).

I've got a decent start on Limelight as well, but I'm having a hard time changing between the two main parts of this song.

Even with the sheet music, this stuff is beyond my skill level. Hopefully through practice and dedication I can get my skill level up enough to play these songs.

Beyond the Rush I'm practicing major scale modes every day. I use Pacman's sure-fire scale practice method along with a different practice method and I'm already seeing this pay off. I'm better with the fretboard and moving around but still staying in the same key.

[Matt Till]

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

Hone your chops by working out the Pink Panther theme song first. Fun little tune to tap.

Thanks Woody, you answered my question before I asked. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

I'm having a lot of trouble with the right hand stuff. I actually like the sound of the "bassline" without any right hand help.

I know it will be a while before I can do any of this, but that's cool. I can totally rock the dun dun dah dat... meedly meedly meedly meedly part, to speak in meatwad terms with Willy Play over there.

[brianrost]

Playing bebop

[Jace The Bass]

Trying to transcribe songs without the use of my instrument I'm getting most of the notes but some are either a semi-tone or tone off when I check but hopefully when the day comes I can do it
Hey Marty I'm from Wellington nice to see someone from NZ

[DigMe]

Originally Posted by l0calh05t

Playing "The Flight of the Bumblebee" on bass

Have you ever heard Victor Wooten play that? I don't think it's on any albums but I have it on a bootleg. It's pretty amazing.

brad cook