What's challenging you right now?

[tobie]

I'm sure that regardless of your level of play, every bass player always have someting that's challenging you most right now. As a rookie, mine is

• Strengthening my pinky;

• Moving the arm together with the hand when changing frets horisontally. Currently when moving way to the left, my hand movement is too slow and my index finger frets on its side instead of its front tip. It also causes a muted sound, as my right hand needs to play when the left hand index finger is still on its way down;

• I occasionally 'pull' the strings down instead of pushing them down. I have not realised this until I've found my left hand bending over backwards in order to achieve this;

• Patience. I thought that after a week or two I would have nailed the 'technique' issues, but after a little more than a month my main focus is still on getting it done 'right';

Please come with suggestions if you've conquered these issues! What's your biggest challenge currently?

[fokof]

Back vocals.

I try to develop independence , I have problems when both don't have the same rythm.
And of course ; The Pitch

[JimK]

Wooten's "2 though 10".

[sarcastro83]

Honest to God, it's got nothing to do with technique or ability... it's quite simply finding a half-decent band situation. I've basically just become bitter to the point where I don't even pick up my bass anymore. Hopefully that changes in 09.

[megadan]

I lost a lot of physical technique in the last 6 months when I basically stopped practicing all together due to wrist pain. Now that it's eased up a little, my playing is absolutely terrible for my mental skill level (and gear level ). I need to find a way to practice enough to get my chops back up before a spring tour, without injuring myself again.

[SpecialEdd]

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

Honest to God, it's got nothing to do with technique or ability... it's quite simply finding a half-decent band situation. I've basically just become bitter to the point where I don't even pick up my bass anymore. Hopefully that changes in 09.

Oh no! Don't make your bass lonely just because everyone is slacking off!

But as far as my biggest challenge as of right now is learning how to apply new scales to my playing.

[funkometer]

Im almost to that point.........

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

Honest to God, it's got nothing to do with technique or ability... it's quite simply finding a half-decent band situation. I've basically just become bitter to the point where I don't even pick up my bass anymore. Hopefully that changes in 09.

[mjolnir]

I can't get my gosh derned pitch right singing lower vocals.

Oddly enough however, the higher stuff is posing less and less of a problem for me, which is unfortunate considering my band has a female rhythm player who already has that range covered.

[JQ1986]

A lot of things now. I all but stopped playing 2 years ago but after I got outta my sling from my shoulder surgery I had new found interest in taking it seriously again. I got my right hand fingering up to about what it used to be but for some reason I can't play with a pick very well anymore which sucks since I like the clearer tone I get from one. So I have that issue. Another one is trying to hit all the notes when I'm playing faster songs without messing any of them up.

[KrisH]

Remembering arrangements. Back in the day, I could listen to a song a couple times and remember just how it's supposed to go. My brain is a little more addled and, as our one guitarist commented, we all have more things on our mind than when we were younger.

I'm also working on getting back my vocal stamina and range. Zombie (Cranberries) is about the peak of my range right now -- good for about 3 takes. A decade+ sabbatical wreaks havoc on your chops.

[Godbody]

"Roundabout". That song is killing me. I have no idea why I'm having a hard time playing it. Technique-wise, its totally my bag, and I can play faster songs than this one (although the main riff is definitely more than midtempo...). I can nail it at about 75% full speed, but it just falls apart at full tilt. Then I get ticked after my third attempt and stop trying for a while.

[tycobb73]

Pride and Joy. Nothing my hands can't do and I know its a blues song so I could play it endless ways but the recording is so damn cool I want to nail it exact. Its taking a lot of work to memorize it and work on 8 other songs at the same time.

[Ubersheist]

Lots.

After almost 20 years of playing (mostly non-professional, but some periods where I've been really serious about it), I'm amazed by how much I don't know and can't do.

I just found out about Victor Wooten's thumb picking style, and that's KILLING me.

Also, I'm working really hard on my backing vocals.

Cheers!

[tobie]

Originally Posted by JimK

Wooten's "2 though 10".

Well, this was just enough to trigger my curiosity so I had to Google it! Are you referring to his 'novel' The Music Lesson? If so, is it good (I'm on the verge of ordering it)...?