/ Register

boiling it down

Discussion in 'General Instruction [BG]' started by Pacman, Oct 17, 2001.

  1. Oct 17, 2001 #1
    Pacman

    Pacman Layin' Down Time Staff Member Gold Supporting Member

    Apr 1, 2000
    Omaha, Nebraska
    Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
    Hey all, I just wanted to share something I'm working on right now (and from what I can tell, the next few years :eek: )

    In an effort to 'catch my hands up to my ears' (as DURRLILASINTHEMIST, HEROLD so nicely put it), I've come up with a warm-up / musical basic training program. These excercises are basically perumtations of arpeggios in as many combinations as I could logically make.

    Here's the deal. First pick a chord type (I'm sticking to the 4 note variety for now). Play the arpeggios around the circle of 5ths (just 1-3-5-7). Next play it around the circle descending (1-7-5-3). Then play alternating the starting notes with roots and 3rds (1st chord 1-3-5-7, 2nd chord 1-7-5-3). Then roots and 5ths (1st chord 1-3-5-7, 2nd chord 5-7-1-3). Next descending (1-7-5-3 and 5-3-1-7). I think the pattern is apparent now, the starting notes are the same ascending and descending. So, here are the patterns I've come up with:

    starting on the:

    root ascending / descending
    root / 3rd ascending / descending
    root / 5th ascending / descending
    root / 7th ascending / descending
    3rds ascending / descending
    3rds / roots ascending / descending
    3rds / 5ths ascending / descending
    3rds / 7ths ascending / descending
    5ths ascending / descending
    5ths / roots ascending / descending
    5ths / 3rds ascending / descending
    5ths / 7ths ascending / descending
    7ths ascending / descending
    7ths / 3rds ascending / descending
    7ths / roots ascending / descending
    7ths / 3rds ascending / descending
    7ths / 5ths ascending / descending


    Then, taking the 6 most common 4 note chords (maj7 min7, min7b5, dom7, aug7, and dim7), take one chord type per day and go through the above routine. It took me less than a half hour today for maj7s, I doubt it would take more than an hour and a quarter if you go slow. Its a good warm-up and you are processing an enormous amount of good, solid musical information.


    I guess you could add half step and scale tone approaches if you needed more to work on..... :eek:

    what d'yall think?
     
  2. Oct 17, 2001 #2
    gruffpuppy

    gruffpuppy

    Aug 15, 2000
    In your basement.
    Sounds like a great idea, I will give it a shot for I also could use some better ear to hand links.

    I would post what I do but it is long winded.
    Bassicily I take interval groups i.e third, seconds and play a one octave scale. I used the circle of 5ths to go to the next scale and once through I go to the next type of interval.

    I have been doing it real slow so I can get the sounds in my head, finding out after years of playing fast I should have spent more time going slow so my ears could keep up. To easy to just get motor skills. Good Luck.
     
  3. Oct 19, 2001 #3
    Chris Fitzgerald

    Chris Fitzgerald Student of Life Staff Member Administrator Gold Supporting Member

    Oct 19, 2000
    Louisville, KY
    DURRILLASINTHEMIST? :D

    Can't believe I missed this one before. Of course, I'm on my way out the door to go out of town today, but hey, at least I found it...I'll come back to this one when there's more time. BTW, I do believe that EDHORN has a practice routine frighteningly similar to this posted over at activbass dot com. If you get a minute, check it out.
     
  4. Oct 20, 2001 #4
    Phil Smith

    Phil Smith Mr Sumisu 2 U

    May 30, 2000
    Peoples Republic of Brooklyn
    Creator of: iGigBook for Android/iOS
    DURRILLASINTHEMIST

    You know I read that but really get it the first time, that's really good JUSTTHEFACTSMAN.
     
  5. Oct 20, 2001 #5
    Gabu

    Gabu

    Jan 2, 2001
    Lake Elsinore, CA
    It sounds cool. I wish so much that I understood it. :) But I am still practicing site reading and I don't know any chords yet. At least not bass chords. :p Anyways, one day I will understand this shtuff. I am gonna be in VA for Christmas... I should check out Norfolk... :D
     
  6. Oct 20, 2001 #6
    Pacman

    Pacman Layin' Down Time Staff Member Gold Supporting Member

    Apr 1, 2000
    Omaha, Nebraska
    Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
    Well, DURRLSGONEWILD has raised the name thing to such a high level, I'm just tryin to hang with him :D
     
  7. Oct 22, 2001 #7
    kirbywrx

    kirbywrx formerly James Hetfield

    Jul 27, 2000
    Melbourne, Australia.
    theres that word again...y'all...:rolleyes: :)
     
  8. Oct 22, 2001 #8
    yawnsie

    yawnsie

    Apr 11, 2000
    London
    Sounds like a good idea, Pacman - I'm adding it to my routine. DURRILLAS IN THE MIST was just the icing on the cake. ;)
     
  9. Oct 23, 2001 #9
    Chris Fitzgerald

    Chris Fitzgerald Student of Life Staff Member Administrator Gold Supporting Member

    Oct 19, 2000
    Louisville, KY

    JUSTSAY"NO"TOCRACKMAN,

    I've been trying to figure out the pattern you're talking about, and I must be really stupid, because I can't figure out the part about the starting notes being the same ascending and descending. Could you post a couple of examples...just enough to get my creaky old brain around the concept? Thanks!


    ROCK MY DURRL
     
  10. Oct 23, 2001 #10
    Pacman

    Pacman Layin' Down Time Staff Member Gold Supporting Member

    Apr 1, 2000
    Omaha, Nebraska
    Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
    sure.

    maj7s, ascending, roots and 3rds:

    c e g b, a c e f, bb d f a, g bb d eb, etc....

    maj7s, descending, roots and 3rds:

    c b g e, a f e c, bb a f d, g eb d bb, etc...

    dig?
     
  11. Oct 23, 2001 #11
    Chris Fitzgerald

    Chris Fitzgerald Student of Life Staff Member Administrator Gold Supporting Member

    Oct 19, 2000
    Louisville, KY

    DOH! Gotcha...

    Do you switch registers after each group of two chords? If not, what do you do when you run out of range?

    P.S. - These are a piece of cake on BG, but a %@$#%$^!! booger on DB!
     
  12. Oct 23, 2001 #12
    gruffpuppy

    gruffpuppy

    Aug 15, 2000
    In your basement.
    Very true, I have a big book of exercises I put together years ago for BG. I have been trying to adapt the exercises to DB. It works but this is how I found out that DB is a completely different beast.