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Double Bass How do I get the notes in my head to fall under my fingers

T

tez123

Oct 6, 2011
66
0
KILLARNEY QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA
#1
Hi all Wilst I am new to DB i have been playing a fretless for years, when I solo I use the chord structure, my knowlege of scales and the rythmn of the song to create a solo , but I am unable to transfer a more musical solo which I can easily sing in my head to my fingers I end up hitting lots of {Badly chosen notes} instead of what is in my head . I cirtainly could not scat the solo at the same time as I play , is there a brain op I could have to undo the block , or am I stuck with it . I have allways been passionate about bass and have been involved in jazz for 20 years .I have helped many young guys into the bass world with my understanding of scales a tecnique ( on electric bass) to have them pass me with musical skill after a couple of years. I have taught myself to read and have played in bigbands . but if I try to solo musicaly I suck. I have memorised the melody to up a lazy river so I can start the song with just me and the drummer on brushes it only took me 2 weeks of pracice to get right !!!!!!!!!!!:( is there hope for me ,what am I dong wrong or not doing right thanks
 
#2
tez123 said:
Hi all Wilst I am new to DB i have been playing a fretless for years, when I solo I use the chord structure, my knowlege of scales and the rythmn of the song to create a solo , but I am unable to transfer a more musical solo which I can easily sing in my head to my fingers I end up hitting lots of {Badly chosen notes} instead of what is in my head . I cirtainly could not scat the solo at the same time as I play , is there a brain op I could have to undo the block , or am I stuck with it . I have allways been passionate about bass and have been involved in jazz for 20 years .I have helped many young guys into the bass world with my understanding of scales a tecnique ( on electric bass) to have them pass me with musical skill after a couple of years. I have taught myself to read and have played in bigbands . but if I try to solo musicaly I suck. I have memorised the melody to up a lazy river so I can start the song with just me and the drummer on brushes it only took me 2 weeks of pracice to get right !!!!!!!!!!!:( is there hope for me ,what am I dong wrong or not doing right thanks
Click to expand...
I believe ear training is what you want. Better musicians than I will, hopefully, chime in shortly with good advice.

FWIW, rather than playing what you sing, try singing what you play. It only sounds like a subtle difference. 8-)
 
#3
tez123 said:
Hi all Wilst I am new to DB i have been playing a fretless for years, when I solo I use the chord structure, my knowlege of scales and the rythmn of the song to create a solo , but I am unable to transfer a more musical solo which I can easily sing in my head to my fingers I end up hitting lots of {Badly chosen notes} instead of what is in my head . I cirtainly could not scat the solo at the same time as I play , is there a brain op I could have to undo the block , or am I stuck with it . I have allways been passionate about bass and have been involved in jazz for 20 years .I have helped many young guys into the bass world with my understanding of scales a tecnique ( on electric bass) to have them pass me with musical skill after a couple of years. I have taught myself to read and have played in bigbands . but if I try to solo musicaly I suck. I have memorised the melody to up a lazy river so I can start the song with just me and the drummer on brushes it only took me 2 weeks of pracice to get right !!!!!!!!!!!:( is there hope for me ,what am I dong wrong or not doing right thanks
Click to expand...

You've "been involved with jazz for 20 years" and you've memorized the melody to "Up a lazy river."

Bizarre...:help:
 
#4
Ear training is the key but... why not take it really slow and I mean really slow sing a melody in you head or for real and try transferring the note to your instrument whatever it is any head or improvisation the more you do it the better you get.

There is NO miracle to it.

And time doesn't mean anything if you do something for 30 + years and can't get it. May be the way you do it is not right, next time you are listening to something try to figure if you are deeply or externally listening!

And I believe there is hope for everyone you just got to find the right teacher for yourself... (and that teacher will hopefully be you someday)
 
#5
I agree with the others, work on ear training, and apply it, when you play sing not only in your mind but for real and try to play what your sing, as George Benson does for example.
After practicing it, step after step you will improve the melodies during your solo, for me example when I play fretless, I can play easily more melodic and heart ideas.
The fretless tone help me to better relax and don't use too much technique. It's just a personal thing but when I'm stuck with too much technique than melodies on the fretted Istart to sing and I see more things coming out.
Cheers. Enrico
YouTube
WebSite
 
#6
Tez123, I don't think it's clear whether you're saying: (1) you can solo on a fretless bass guitar but not on your newly acquired DB; or (2) that you can't solo on either one.

If (1) then doesn't it sound more like a matter of learning your new instrument's fingerboard? If (2) then doesn't it sound more like a matter of ear training?

(I'm not asking this so that I can offer you any help—just maybe to clarify for the guys who can.)
 
#7
What worked for me was: play with your bass every melody you hear. Everything. Even tv jingles while you watch a baseball game. The easier route is to play the melodies of the songs you really like, jazz or otherwise. Sooner or later, your bass will trascend its comping and rhythmic role, and move into the realm of the melodic... After you get to be more proficient with melodies, start copying solos (eaisier ones first, of course). After many many hours of pleasure, all of the sudden you will realize how much you have improved.!!!
 
#8
Where my problem lies is ,if I hear a melody or even a single note ,and I go to my bass to play the note I wont nail it first time say the note I hear is a D I could pick up the bass and play A or a G whatever .as soon as I play a note I know it does not match the note in my head and will then be able to find the right note . so if I want to learn a simple melody say Autmn leaves starting note D I might play D E Gflat , my ear will say the Gflat is wrong then I will try D E F which is correct but why didnt I find and play the f first time why didnt I hear the tone semitone first time it really P*%se*s me off.so if I hear an interval say tonic to a sixth I might play tonic to fifth .I imeadiatly know its wrong and will find the right note . but its too late i allready played a wrong note so if I try to solo by embellising the melody Like most good soloists can, I will hit more badly chosen notes than I want . that is why I usually solo using the scale notes of the chord and break up the rythmn using triplets and triplet drops etc to make it sound like a solo . this problem makes it difficult to hear the chord changes on songs I have not played before. unless its a simple 3 or 4 chord song . I hope I have not confused anyone .
 
#12
You are thinking too much...you are thinking every solo you play has to sound like Jaco/Bird/Coltrane/Jimi...it doesn't and it won't to you because just like you those dudes played the same pattern 1,000's of times but you only heard it once...relax, listen to what your playing and try to finish the sentence...When I start sucking (which is more often than not) it's because I'm trying to play TO MANY NOTES..make it groove, make it swing..play exactly what you hear even if it's 1 or 2 notes.
 
#14
I agree with the suggestion to learn lots of melodic material.

Note that I'm not a music teacher or master player. It seems to me from your description, that you can hear with your ears and with your brain, but your hands don't automatically follow along. Is that the problem?

I think that to be a good ear player, your hands have to find the right note, almost on their own like a reflex. And I think that melodic practice would help a lot with this, getting your hands used to following the patterns that you hear in your brain. Also, once your hands are doing more of the work on their own, e.g., following short scale and chord patterns automatically, it frees your brain to think on the next level, of where you want the solo to go.

Do you use a three- or four-finger technique on electric? It might help to use the same technique on both, so that your time spent playing electric will bolster your upright playing.
 
#15
fdeck said:
I agree with the suggestion to learn lots of melodic material.

Note that I'm not a music teacher or master player. It seems to me from your description, that you can hear with your ears and with your brain, but your hands don't automatically follow along. Is that the problem?

I think that to be a good ear player, your hands have to find the right note, almost on their own like a reflex. And I think that melodic practice would help a lot with this, getting your hands used to following the patterns that you hear in your brain. Also, once your hands are doing more of the work on their own, e.g., following short scale and chord patterns automatically, it frees your brain to think on the next level, of where you want the solo to go.

Do you use a three- or four-finger technique on electric? It might help to use the same technique on both, so that your time spent playing electric will bolster your upright playing.
Click to expand...
you are spot on with your comment re "you can hear with your ears and with your brain, but your hands don't automatically follow along" I use all my fingers on my left hand
 
#16
tez123 said:
Hi all Wilst I am new to DB i have been playing a fretless for years, when I solo I use the chord structure, my knowlege of scales and the rythmn of the song to create a solo , but I am unable to transfer a more musical solo which I can easily sing in my head to my fingers I end up hitting lots of {Badly chosen notes} instead of what is in my head . I cirtainly could not scat the solo at the same time as I play , is there a brain op I could have to undo the block , or am I stuck with it . I have allways been passionate about bass and have been involved in jazz for 20 years .I have helped many young guys into the bass world with my understanding of scales a tecnique ( on electric bass) to have them pass me with musical skill after a couple of years. I have taught myself to read and have played in bigbands . but if I try to solo musicaly I suck. I have memorised the melody to up a lazy river so I can start the song with just me and the drummer on brushes it only took me 2 weeks of pracice to get right !!!!!!!!!!!:( is there hope for me ,what am I dong wrong or not doing right thanks
Click to expand...

Practise whilst conscious.
 
#20
As I recently pulled out my db after a few years away from it, and started to "re-learn", I gave specific attention to the 3-finger lh approach. It took a bit of focus and practice to overcome the habit of 4-finger "auto pilot". As I became better at the 3-finger approach my intonation improved greatly and it became much easier to set hand positions and reach notes. I noticed that my bg playing took quite a dip in proficiency while my left hand was adapting but after about 3 weeks it smoothed back out and whether using 3 or 4 fingers on bg (and I find that I switch back and forth now depending on what I am playing) it is easier and notes and positions are also easier than they were previously.

Based on my experience (I am not a teacher or a highly schooled musician, or technique-nazi) I recommend working on the 3-finger approach and getting it solidly in hand. If it does not benefit you, you can always revert.

Now we return you to your previously scheduled programming.
:D
 

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