How can i get better at bass?

[Martin Bormann]

I recently quit lessons. I've been playing bass for 2 years and I've been going to lessons for a year and a half. Right now I'm in a jam band where we need alot of improvisation skills. One of our guitarists is very good at improvising(has been playing for about 4-5 years) and so is the other one even though he has only been playing guitar for a year.

The thing is, i need to learn how to improvise on my bass guitar as soon as possible. I feel like I'm the weakest link in the band. I can't improvise that well in these simple mixolydian aeolian... w/e scales. I haven't even memorized most of them yet. I only know aeolian, blues, lydian, myxolidian, and major/minor penatonic scale. These scales sort of sound bland in the certain keys we play in. Sometimes i hit the "wrong" note when these stupid scales are supposed to be so called "fool-proof".

My question is, how can I improve on bass without an actual teacher(The cost is outweighing the marginal benefit)? What should I practice everything and for how long(i need a set schedule)? How can i improve on improvisation?

Okay, if the cost of an instructor is outweighing the benefit it means you either weren't practicing or the instructor was a dufus. Find a decent tutor.

If you want to learn the church modes, any fundamentals of theory book will explain them. Now if you're having problems hitting the "wrong" note (as you call it) I think it's because your ear hasn't developed. Get MacGamut! You can buy it from this site: Invalid Link Removed

Everyone should own that piece of software regardless of their ability, it's the best ear training software out there.