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How do you practice?
- Thread starter Whale guy
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- practice habits
Thanks, when I can stick to it. I just get bored easy. The singing/playing is about the hardest thing I've ever had to learn.
I think Joaquin Rodrigo may have had something to do with it also. Most people think Miles Davis wrote Concierto De Aranjuez. But yeah, most of it is Chick Corea, and you are doing well to be playing that at 80%
Fun for me is playing bass without lack of technique making everything harder than it needs to be. I'd rather spend a minute on the basic skills than have to be thinking where the next note is.
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These days I don't have any set "formula" for practice and for EB I am not consistent in what or how i practice.
For EB on any given day I will end up doing any of the following:
1) Ear/groove training. I'll pick a tune, slow it down to 75% or less and focus on learning the bass line if i do not know it, as well as focus on the phrasing of the bass player and the overall groove of the tune. Sometimes Ill sit there for several "tens of minutes" and just groove over a looped portion of the tune.
2) Metronome work. I'll set the metronome to click on some pattern (1 and 3, 2 and 4, beat on the first click, last click etc) , and work on playing something to that pattern. It can be anything from a jazz tune to a rock tune, or just playing open strings.
3) Solo/improv work. Ill just take a set of changes and work on improvising over them.
Sometimes my practice routine doesn't involve bass at all, instead I'll just sit at the piano and play scales, arpeggios, work on ear training there...I have little to no KB skills so thats at times a painful process.
For double bass, I take lessons and generally stick to whatever the assignment is that week. I should really start spending more time on that instrument to be honest.
For EB on any given day I will end up doing any of the following:
1) Ear/groove training. I'll pick a tune, slow it down to 75% or less and focus on learning the bass line if i do not know it, as well as focus on the phrasing of the bass player and the overall groove of the tune. Sometimes Ill sit there for several "tens of minutes" and just groove over a looped portion of the tune.
2) Metronome work. I'll set the metronome to click on some pattern (1 and 3, 2 and 4, beat on the first click, last click etc) , and work on playing something to that pattern. It can be anything from a jazz tune to a rock tune, or just playing open strings.
3) Solo/improv work. Ill just take a set of changes and work on improvising over them.
Sometimes my practice routine doesn't involve bass at all, instead I'll just sit at the piano and play scales, arpeggios, work on ear training there...I have little to no KB skills so thats at times a painful process.
For double bass, I take lessons and generally stick to whatever the assignment is that week. I should really start spending more time on that instrument to be honest.
This. I find it very difficult to practice if it's not leading to a live performance or project of some sort.
I do quite a bit away from the instrument. By visualising the fretboard and intervals, and intervallic recognition.
A few other opinions from an old fart:
How long you practice doesn't mean squat.
- If your challenge is building speed, you cannot squeeze more than 10 minutes on a particular item. Muscle memory does not happen in a day, but in daily repetition of 5 to 10 minutes using perfect practice techniques.
- Perfect practice technique means you make every aspect of the playing correct. Start off at a slow speed and do it perfectly. Otherwise, you are just practicing your mistakes.
- the really killer players I have known, practiced a lot, but more importantly, they practiced EFFECTIVELY. They figured out what worked for them to get results, and went with it.
- if you practice for long hours and dont see results, stop and reflect. Your life is not infinite and you will want to have done more than practice bass. Think, what do you need to do to get the result you want. Do you even know what you want. Etc. Etc. Etc.
I can't stress the "practice EFFECTIVELY" part enough.
I pretty much wasted years and god knows how much $$$ taking lessons from someone who didn't embrace that philosophy. Charts would be thrown in front of me and the guy would run through things, than have me try to play them at tempo or at the least a faster tempo than I was able to. It's no wonder I got frustrated with some aspects of music and would give up and just stick to playing with "jammers".
It was only until a few years back that I connected with groups of people who embraced the philosophy of practicing things at slow speeds (like 60 BPM) and not deviating from that tempo until its comfortable.
I've even gone back and started practicing tunes I've known (or thought I did) for years at slower speeds and am now playing them way better than I ever did.
I agree with everything here, but I would say one thing - You sometimes pick things differently when playing them really fast. I used to practice slow and build up speed until I realized that when playing really fast I'd use some sweep picking and sometime different fingering. For me, sometimes I'll play it up to speed just to get the picking and then slow it back down and practice it with the proper picking and fingering. This applies to finger style and pick.
This is an interesting thread. Everybody plays for different reasons and thus most have different goals.
I enjoy working my way through instructional books on bass. Each book has a different purpose:
For 101 music reading and solid fundamentals - Roger Filiberto’s Modern Electric Bass method from the early ‘60s is my go-to basic training manual. Walking bass lines, little stand-alone tunes that can be strung together - I believe it’s a good foundation.
For chops building - David Overthrow’s 30 day bass workout has some beautiful sounding arpeggios. I haven’t made it through this 100% yet, but intend to soon. They are just exercises.
For a challenge, and my current project - Alex Webster’s Extreme Metal Bass. This is a book/CD that will get you used to a 5 string or a 4 tuned BEAD. I will likely never be in a metal band, but I have a goal of mastering that book. You have to slow the CD tracks down to play along because Alex is virtuoso level and the average player can’t keep up (maybe it’s just me, I can’t keep up....yet.)
The funny thing....this is all just for fun. I don’t know any musicians. The few people I know who own guitars can barely play. I don’t envision ever being in a band but hey - playing along with songs is fun! That’s all I need.
I enjoy working my way through instructional books on bass. Each book has a different purpose:
For 101 music reading and solid fundamentals - Roger Filiberto’s Modern Electric Bass method from the early ‘60s is my go-to basic training manual. Walking bass lines, little stand-alone tunes that can be strung together - I believe it’s a good foundation.
For chops building - David Overthrow’s 30 day bass workout has some beautiful sounding arpeggios. I haven’t made it through this 100% yet, but intend to soon. They are just exercises.
For a challenge, and my current project - Alex Webster’s Extreme Metal Bass. This is a book/CD that will get you used to a 5 string or a 4 tuned BEAD. I will likely never be in a metal band, but I have a goal of mastering that book. You have to slow the CD tracks down to play along because Alex is virtuoso level and the average player can’t keep up (maybe it’s just me, I can’t keep up....yet.)
The funny thing....this is all just for fun. I don’t know any musicians. The few people I know who own guitars can barely play. I don’t envision ever being in a band but hey - playing along with songs is fun! That’s all I need.
Oh - one more thing I’ve noticed that I want to pass along about practice. Let’s say, you just mastered something somewhat difficult. “Portrait of Tracy” by Jaco Pastorius for example. I’ve found from personal experience that if you don’t keep playing it, you LOSE IT! To get back to where you were, you have to relearn it!
My daughter is a musician and plays piano and guitar. Years ago she and the other students would master super complex classical music pieces. They’d play, practice, repeat incessantly for weeks. Then came the recital. Usually whatever piece she studied was performed flawlessly. Fast forward several years....I asked her if she could play any of those classical pieces now....nope!
So, I guess the lesson is: Don’t learn classical piano, it’s a waste of time.
no...that’s not it...the lesson is, once you’ve mastered something, you have to keep at it even after it’s mastered. Yeah - just wanted to pass that along. You fellas know that already, it’s just amusing to state the obvious sometimes.
My daughter is a musician and plays piano and guitar. Years ago she and the other students would master super complex classical music pieces. They’d play, practice, repeat incessantly for weeks. Then came the recital. Usually whatever piece she studied was performed flawlessly. Fast forward several years....I asked her if she could play any of those classical pieces now....nope!
So, I guess the lesson is: Don’t learn classical piano, it’s a waste of time.
no...that’s not it...the lesson is, once you’ve mastered something, you have to keep at it even after it’s mastered. Yeah - just wanted to pass that along. You fellas know that already, it’s just amusing to state the obvious sometimes.
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I don't practice in a regimented sense. I find it incredibly boring and therefore I can't motivate myself to do it. I am either playing with a band or I put music on a player and attempt to play along, sometimes I never find the grove, other times I learn the song very easily, but either way I come up with my own lines and learn tendencies this way.
Mind you this is a method that takes a lot of time and trial and error. The structured practice method works for a lot of people, but my perspective is that you play music in a band not in a basement and if it isn't fun you wont play at all. A lot of people become very good from traditional practice, but a lot of people also quit the instrument altogether because of it (boredom and frustration).
What I know is that you learn faster and better when it's fun, and that the more you play the better you get so find a way to practice that motivates you and makes you want to play that bass.
Mind you this is a method that takes a lot of time and trial and error. The structured practice method works for a lot of people, but my perspective is that you play music in a band not in a basement and if it isn't fun you wont play at all. A lot of people become very good from traditional practice, but a lot of people also quit the instrument altogether because of it (boredom and frustration).
What I know is that you learn faster and better when it's fun, and that the more you play the better you get so find a way to practice that motivates you and makes you want to play that bass.
This is an awesome answer. I have been buying string bass etude books blindly on amazon and going through them. Some are useless, and some blow my mind that anyone can sight read this stuff. Keep working. I love to see someone who is inspired by just personal musical growth.
Thanks, Whale Guy!!
I’ve given some thought as to why I play guitar and bass. For me - it’s just the joy of playing. As you know, there’s something about getting in tune and hitting, for example, an A chord. It’s as simple as that one chord - your instrument sounds good, it feels good, your hand feels good fretting the strings....on bass, it’s plucking those notes that just sound and feel like they’re in the pocket. The right notes go right through my chest.
If guys are gigging, regularly, even better. There’s nothing like seeing the audience dancing, or grooving to your band playing. Recording and writing are cool too, but breaking it down to its simplest terms, that one note, the one chord, played just right is what it’s all about.
and...call me crazy - sitting in a quiet room with a metronome and a new piece of music or new technique you’re trying to master is just fun. Even if you “fail” what you’re working on, concentrating on it is like meditation. It’s kind of like working on any hobby project.
And finally...you’ll love this...I play my 5 string electric bass and most of my solid body guitars unplugged the majority of the time. When it sounds good unplugged, you’re, there. I don’t care about pickups, amp brands, speakers, or effects any more. Playing is the priority.
Have fun...thanks for listening to me ramble, lol!! Whatever motivates you on your instrument, keep doing it.
I thought I’d beat this subject to pieces. Here’s a good read that applies to bass playing:
https://www.troystetina.com/practice-tips-advice
I am primarily a guitar player and am way better at that than I am at bass. Anyway, I play both. Several years ago, I really got into the book, “Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar” by Troy Stetina. My guitar playing improved DRAMATICALLY after working through that book! So - FWIW, most everything in that book applies to playing any stringed instrument, especially a fretted electric bass. Economy of movement, finger accuracy, constant use of the metronome - Troy gets into the weeds on how to play perfectly, and very importantly, HOW to practice.
So - I recommend going thru that book if your a guitarist, too and apply the advice and techniques to bass. If your a bassist exclusively, you might want to get the book and read it and listen to the accompanying CD. I’m not a great player right now (playing well is a perishable skill if you don’t keep it up) but if I had a big gig or audition coming up, that book and some dedication would get me to where I want.
I just felt the need to share that info. Good luck, boys.
https://www.troystetina.com/practice-tips-advice
I am primarily a guitar player and am way better at that than I am at bass. Anyway, I play both. Several years ago, I really got into the book, “Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar” by Troy Stetina. My guitar playing improved DRAMATICALLY after working through that book! So - FWIW, most everything in that book applies to playing any stringed instrument, especially a fretted electric bass. Economy of movement, finger accuracy, constant use of the metronome - Troy gets into the weeds on how to play perfectly, and very importantly, HOW to practice.
So - I recommend going thru that book if your a guitarist, too and apply the advice and techniques to bass. If your a bassist exclusively, you might want to get the book and read it and listen to the accompanying CD. I’m not a great player right now (playing well is a perishable skill if you don’t keep it up) but if I had a big gig or audition coming up, that book and some dedication would get me to where I want.
I just felt the need to share that info. Good luck, boys.
