at the end of the day, OP: it's what you made your point out to be in your other, current thread = you have to play!
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How are you trying to improve on bass
- Thread starter IamGroot
- Start date
I use books and audio mostly, because I’m working on my reading.
I also use internet. I bought a lifetime membership at Scott’s many years ago for less than $200. I just wish the site was less chaotic and easier to search.
The courses are cool, and there’s plenty of reading to practice. I just find the site is hard to navigate, confusing in lay out, and comes with it’s own intrusive alerts and messages.
Talkingbass is cool, I like that one too. Better layout, less chatty chat, and lessons usually come with the reading in one page. Just scroll down.
Computer content is tricky, because the computer is such a distraction. I’ve finally figured out how to turn off any alerts, beeps, dings, and most pop ups. With headphones, I can achieve almost total isolation.
I take studies much slower now. If it’s a technique study, there’s no point rushing to the end. Always working towards playing with less wasted motion and energy.
I also use my Beat Buddy for practice sessions. I have a switch set up that throws it to half time at the beginning of a measure. That keeps me honest on note duration. Then, back to tempo.
I also work on setup and finding new lighter string offerings. I don’t think people realize just how important set up is.
My main hub is a Line6 HD500x, kz in ears, the beat buddy and a Mac.
Now, if I could just quit working or retire, I’d have more hours to play.
I also use internet. I bought a lifetime membership at Scott’s many years ago for less than $200. I just wish the site was less chaotic and easier to search.
The courses are cool, and there’s plenty of reading to practice. I just find the site is hard to navigate, confusing in lay out, and comes with it’s own intrusive alerts and messages.
Talkingbass is cool, I like that one too. Better layout, less chatty chat, and lessons usually come with the reading in one page. Just scroll down.
Computer content is tricky, because the computer is such a distraction. I’ve finally figured out how to turn off any alerts, beeps, dings, and most pop ups. With headphones, I can achieve almost total isolation.
I take studies much slower now. If it’s a technique study, there’s no point rushing to the end. Always working towards playing with less wasted motion and energy.
I also use my Beat Buddy for practice sessions. I have a switch set up that throws it to half time at the beginning of a measure. That keeps me honest on note duration. Then, back to tempo.
I also work on setup and finding new lighter string offerings. I don’t think people realize just how important set up is.
My main hub is a Line6 HD500x, kz in ears, the beat buddy and a Mac.
Now, if I could just quit working or retire, I’d have more hours to play.
Self-teaching, and getting together with friends and past bandmates and playing (without attaching any goals to it other than enjoying it in the Moment). 
Less Reverb, less buying, less Talkbass, more playing.
Progress not perfection.
Less Reverb, less buying, less Talkbass, more playing.
Progress not perfection.
In my youth, I did cover bands and original bands. That was easy - learn some tunes, lock things in, and perform the same stuff over and over - same keys, same arrangements.
Now I do church gigs (at multiple churches) - constantly learning new songs, different arrangements, playing with different musicians and in different keys. Just keeping up with all that has made me a much better musician than I ever was in my youth.
Now I do church gigs (at multiple churches) - constantly learning new songs, different arrangements, playing with different musicians and in different keys. Just keeping up with all that has made me a much better musician than I ever was in my youth.
Had to pick other, because I self-teach using books (I learned to read music in grade school), free internet materials and transcription.
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I've been working on my reading skills so that I can study walking bass lesson sin a book I've got and also so that I can learn some Jamerson bass lines in another book I've got.
That and playing of course. I jam on jazz charts with a couple guys every two weeks and they insist I play solos. I come from a folk/country/blues/swing classic R&R background. Soloing has not been part of my past.
That and playing of course. I jam on jazz charts with a couple guys every two weeks and they insist I play solos. I come from a folk/country/blues/swing classic R&R background. Soloing has not been part of my past.
My technical ability is good. That's not enough.
My reading isn't good. I want to be great at sight reading. This is taking beacoup work but will pay off in spades. Reading is a huge shortcut to becoming that next level player.
My reading isn't good. I want to be great at sight reading. This is taking beacoup work but will pay off in spades. Reading is a huge shortcut to becoming that next level player.
Other - working with the Reno Wind Symphony since Christmas shows. It's kicking my rear, but I'm learning a hell of a lot.
Personally, I’m using the “Think Method”. After 50+years of playing, chops are fine. It’s the dang senior moments that pop up more and more frequently....lol.
Fish skin....ropes....???
Scales and chords...
Don't mind me, I'll show myself out
No using "carrots" option unless you know the true origin of the TB classic.
You Hipster!
Now we can all use 'Carrots'
"Back in the day, when TB was... a few months younger, we didn't have polls. They're still considered to be those "new fangled things". The problem was (is) that when people had access to this tool, they started using it too much. Every thread had a poll, and they were all useless. In his own inimitable fashion, John Turner edited all the polls to have an option called "carrots", which had nothing to do with anything, except it would usually win. It was his way of saying "Hey, polls are stupid, and to show it, I will introduce a vegetable option that will display how silly these wacky polls are."
Some people were annoyed that a mod edited their poll, but now many have started putting carrots in by themselves- I'm not sure if John does it anymore. People also seem to want to use it to say "That was stupid" or "This is a dumb topic and deserves a dumb answer." or "Everyone seems to be saying 'carrots' and I desperately want to be accepted in this odd, odd culture, so I, too, will say carrots."
Currently looking for a new teacher. Last one didn't work out as it was Skype at distance which didn't suit me well, I think I really need knee to knee guidance. I've been a bit slack in the search up until recently (parted company with last one in July), but I'm on it now.
Listening to these guys:
As far as getting my music edumacation on and get to reading and writing so I won't be musically illiterate
So, most of all the above.
As far as getting my music edumacation on and get to reading and writing so I won't be musically illiterate
So, most of all the above.
Right now, self teaching. I'm trying to get back into a regular practice schedule, so I can maintain my physical chops at a level where I can work on improving. Taking lessons at one point was a good thing: I can continue to work on consistently applying the "rules" of technique that I learned.
My regular band provides a continuous supply of new charts that I can work on, almost like etudes.
My regular band provides a continuous supply of new charts that I can work on, almost like etudes.
How do I improve? I buy more basses, of course!
If I could like this three times, you know I wouldListening to these guys:
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As far as getting my music edumacation on and get to reading and writing so I won't be musically illiterate
So, most of all the above.
I don’t really try to improve my playing at this point, to be perfectly honest. Mostly just focus on improving my songwriting/composition and engineering chops.
I chose "self teaching with free internet material" as that's one of my methods, but not the only one.
One of the things i've been doing recently is learning bass lines. I've been playing primarily original music for 25 years, and so it's fun to really dig into bass parts and do some transcribing. With Neil Peart's death, i've been going deep into Rush the last week, primarily playing along with charts I find on Songsterr. I've also done some play through videos, and pick songs that are technically challenging. Many of the transcriptions I find are either awful or only 75% accurate, and so i wind up watching live shows on Youtube to check fingerings and then transcribe them in Guitar Pro.
As for other methods, I left the band I had been playing with for three years and rejoined a band I'd played with almost ten years ago, and so I've been relearning that music. I'm also still the studio bassist for the band I left, and recently they sent me an album to track bass on at home, so i've been writing bass lines for that.
One of the things i've been doing recently is learning bass lines. I've been playing primarily original music for 25 years, and so it's fun to really dig into bass parts and do some transcribing. With Neil Peart's death, i've been going deep into Rush the last week, primarily playing along with charts I find on Songsterr. I've also done some play through videos, and pick songs that are technically challenging. Many of the transcriptions I find are either awful or only 75% accurate, and so i wind up watching live shows on Youtube to check fingerings and then transcribe them in Guitar Pro.
As for other methods, I left the band I had been playing with for three years and rejoined a band I'd played with almost ten years ago, and so I've been relearning that music. I'm also still the studio bassist for the band I left, and recently they sent me an album to track bass on at home, so i've been writing bass lines for that.
