• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Asking fellow bass players for feedback

#41
I tried the exercises. Written multi-key exercises are a bit scarce for bass, for me the typical exercises seem to just focus on a single scale and grow too complicated too quickly. I checked the website and found it pretty handy for where I am at in my reading experience.

I like what you have here. By the way, I would NOT recommend adding tab, for those of us trying to learn to read, tab inhibits our experience. In cases where tab is included, I have to skip it, or cover the tab, as it inhibits my reading experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SteveCS
#42
Willie5String said:
I tried the exercises. Written multi-key exercises are a bit scarce for bass, for me the typical exercises seem to just focus on a single scale and grow too complicated too quickly. I checked the website and found it pretty handy for where I am at in my reading experience.

I like what you have here. By the way, I would NOT recommend adding tab, for those of us trying to learn to read, tab inhibits our experience. In cases where tab is included, I have to skip it, or cover the tab, as it inhibits my reading experience.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this thread this is a beta version.
My plan is to have exercises in every key in every position, much like the Leavitt books for guitar, my gold standard for instruction.

Thank you Willie5String

Maurizio
 
#43
SteveCS said:
If you are trying to teach improvisation, why not create some exercises that illustrate some of the principles of variation. How to develop a motive or theme without churning out musical gibberish. Take a simple idea. Play it forwards, backwards (retrograde), upside down (inversion), rotated (retrograde inversion). Make studies that apply modulation or syncopation.

Introduce rhythmic variation but in a controlled manner. Just adding a single dot to one 1/4-note in a measure, or splitting one into 2 1/8ths, can change the entire character of even the simplest arpeggio. Some make more music sense that others...
View attachment 4015286



Firstly, these are for my own use, so no students involved. The thing with fingering is that it is a means to an end, not an end in itself. So it must be developed in context. Here's another extract from the same exercise that connects the ascending and descending arpeggii with something a bit more interesting. Only triads this time...
View attachment 4015335
Click to expand...

"How to develop a motive or theme..." this is a very good idea. And goes right away on the to-do list. :)

With children structured improvisation comes later, much later, even structured rhythmic improvisation.

The process is "responding to an input with what you have in your musical memories".
First step, one has to learn how to access those memories. Then in time, with constant care and use, those memories will grow stronger, more refined.

By the way, I really like the arpeggio exercise with the skips :)

Maurizio
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SteveCS
#44
Who is the intended audience for these exercises? It seems you are looking for someone who can read and understands how to improvise, and mix/match rhythms and melodies. But that is a bit advanced for most players who need scale exercises.

You could focus on teaching these things by (for instance) giving a simple scale, then showing different ways to use the scale - several fingerings and shifting methods, then a few rhythms, then reordering pitches (broken intervals, moving short motifs in the key...), and so on. Then they will have a toolbox to apply to other note groupings. Maybe?


EDIT:
I guess SteveCS covered this. In that case, I agree!
 
  • Like
Reactions: SteveCS
#45
Hi smeet, yes SteveCS suggest to give different way to play a scale.

It is a good idea, thank you both. :)

I especially like the idea of changing rhythms

I was thinking of something like this (from Galamian violin book):

Screen Shot 2020-10-12 at 19.58.58.png

but not as a general thing to apply for every exercise, but rather to present one finger exercise and give 2-3 suggestions for that exercise only.
For example if the finger exercise has a 4 eighth notes recurring pattern (as in 1234, 2345 etc), written in 2/4, suggest to practice it also in 3/4 meter with 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 and 1/4 1/2 1/2 1/4.

What do you guys think?

About the intended audience, I should say that reading is important, or at least the desire to learn to read.

That balance... not too challenging not too easy
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SteveCS
#46
MaurizioTorchio said:
Hi smeet, yes SteveCS suggest to give different way to play a scale.

It is a good idea, thank you both. :)

I especially like the idea of changing rhythms

I was thinking of something like this (from Galamian violin book):

View attachment 4015684
but not as a general thing to apply for every exercise, but rather to present one finger exercise and give 2-3 suggestions for that exercise only.
For example if the finger exercise has a 4 eighth notes recurring pattern (as in 1234, 2345 etc), written in 2/4, suggest to practice it also in 3/4 meter with 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 and 1/4 1/2 1/2 1/4.

What do you guys think?

About the intended audience, I should say that reading is important, or at least the desire to learn to read.

That balance... not too challenging not too easy
Click to expand...
Violin was my first instrument for many years. Galamian is great stuff, but it is not fun, and requires concentration and dedication. These days (especially during the pandemic and isolation) I think people are looking for something that spells things out more. Especially beginners, They want to learn songs, and hopefully the learning comes as a side effect. Maybe I should have more faith, but people don’t want to expend much effort these days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SteveCS
#47
MaurizioTorchio said:
Hi smeet, yes SteveCS suggest to give different way to play a scale.

It is a good idea, thank you both. :)

I especially like the idea of changing rhythms

I was thinking of something like this (from Galamian violin book):

View attachment 4015684
but not as a general thing to apply for every exercise, but rather to present one finger exercise and give 2-3 suggestions for that exercise only.
For example if the finger exercise has a 4 eighth notes recurring pattern (as in 1234, 2345 etc), written in 2/4, suggest to practice it also in 3/4 meter with 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 and 1/4 1/2 1/2 1/4.

What do you guys think?

About the intended audience, I should say that reading is important, or at least the desire to learn to read.

That balance... not too challenging not too easy
Click to expand...

The sequence of arpeggio I used is derived from the Flesch-Galamian sequences, so there are rich pickings to be had in the classical schools. I've also gained significant mileage over the years from studies from the likes of Sevcik and Popper in the 'cello repertoire:
20201012_201025.jpg
20201012_200946.jpg
20201012_200859.jpg

YMMV.
 
#48
smeet said:
Violin was my first instrument for many years. Galamian is great stuff, but it is not fun, and requires concentration and dedication. These days (especially during the pandemic and isolation) I think people are looking for something that spells things out more. Especially beginners, They want to learn songs, and hopefully the learning comes as a side effect. Maybe I should have more faith, but people don’t want to expend much effort these days.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean.
To be fair, teachers complain about the laziness of their students since the beginning of civilization. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: smeet and SteveCS
#49
SteveCS said:
The sequence of arpeggio I used is derived from the Flesch-Galamian sequences, so there are rich pickings to be had in the classical schools. I've also gained significant mileage over the years from studies from the likes of Sevcik and Popper in the 'cello repertoire:
View attachment 4015899 View attachment 4015898 View attachment 4015897
YMMV.
Click to expand...

Cello books, yes, good stuff. I should it check that out again. I used to practice sight reading with the Dotzauer etudes. Time to pick them up again.
 
#50
MaurizioTorchio said:
Cello books, yes, good stuff. I should it check that out again. I used to practice sight reading with the Dotzauer etudes. Time to pick them up again.
Click to expand...

I suppose my point is, pethaps, that one does not need to look hard to find a biblical flood of generic 'exercises' and 'lessons' of variable levels of quality and effectiveness. There is a great deal of useful material is available in the established repertoire for those that 1/ care to look and 2/ have the motivation to put the work in to adapt/apply it to the electric bass. Most of the things I write are to fill specific gaps or to help me adapt or apply these proven ideas and concepts to the bass. Mainly for my own purposes, but the few I have posted up on TB seem to have been well received.

YMMV.
 
#54
Willie5String said:
I'm not sure if your intention is for this to be a free book, an Ebook, or a paper copy. If it winds up being an Ebook, let me know. I have bookmarked your site and have looked at it at each of my last couple of practice sessions.
Don't let anyone discourage you! Rock on!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the encouragement, I mean it

If you would like some exercise in a particular key or position, or maybe some rhythmic figure you are working on, please let me know.
I would really be glad to write something that fits your own practice schedule.

This of course applies to everyone who is reading this.

No fancy stuff though, I can't do that. Just "good old meat and potato bass playing"

Maurizio
 
Last edited:
#56
SteveCS said:
I suppose my point is, pethaps, that one does not need to look hard to find a biblical flood of generic 'exercises' and 'lessons' of variable levels of quality and effectiveness. There is a great deal of useful material is available in the established repertoire for those that 1/ care to look and 2/ have the motivation to put the work in to adapt/apply it to the electric bass. Most of the things I write are to fill specific gaps or to help me adapt or apply these proven ideas and concepts to the bass. Mainly for my own purposes, but the few I have posted up on TB seem to have been well received.

YMMV.
Click to expand...

I find that, in general, students appreciate original material from their teachers. Feels like a more personal thing.
And original can also be a transcription of an old etude.
So yes, I agree. Thank you for this discussion SteveCS :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: SteveCS
#59
MaurizioTorchio said:
Thank you for the encouragement, I mean it

If you would like some exercise in a particular key or position, or maybe some rhythmic figure you are working on, please let me know.
I would really be glad to write something that fits your own practice schedule.

This of course applies to everyone who is reading this.

No fancy stuff though, I can't do that. Just "good old meat and potato bass playing"

Maurizio
Click to expand...

If you are offering it up, exercises in all keys, primarily the sharp keys, and Bb, or any of the horn keys.

If it’s to add to your project, I would suggest maybe scales starting on the root to the octive, root to 9, arpeggios but mixing the order enough from key to key that it does not become memorieable (if that’s a word) when switching keys...most books do the same exercises in the same order, so instead of being forced to read, muscle memory takes over.

Thanks, maybe someday, I’ll get to take a Skype lesson from you or something
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back