Agreed. If you want to be a working jazz bassist you gotta get these 2 together first; forget soloing. Also, playing in tune is up there as well.
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Double Bass How I Practice
- Thread starter Andy Allen
- Start date
Agreed. If you want to be a working jazz bassist you gotta get these 2 together first; forget soloing. Also, playing in tune is up there as well.
This is so very much my current problem right now, I think I'll go start a new thread right now.
Reading this forum today I decided to create myself a practice routine, thing that I've been strugling with for the past month. As a lot of people above I don't have much time for practicing and don't have almost any discipline. But after playing for 25 years I think I'm learning what works for me and what doesn't. My plan here in not original, probably having a lot of Aebersold in it but here it goes. I'm trying to bring meaning for me while studying, so I can focus on what I want to acomplish which is playing better walking lines and learning to improvise, so:
Theory Phase:
This part would be hard work only first time when you get to learn a new song. Could be printed out and be used as a reference. Right now I'm working on the song "A child is Born" by Thad Jones and have covered this first part already.
1.Harmonize melody (using Finale in order to listen up would be great), note by note, four staves, Melody, Piano (2) and Bass
2.Write a walking bass line following the guidelines you know at the moment, each chorus, Roots, 1 and 5, 1-3-5, 1-3-5-7, approaching notes, scalewise, linking the chords the best you can.
3.Write each chorus with chord notes, and scale notes, to sightread later and as a reference.
4.Compose a single chorus solo.
Hands on Phase:
1.Warm-ups with the scales used in the actual song, playing chords with 9, ascending, descending, one octave, two octaves, low and upper register, all the basic patterns (thirds, triplets, sixteenths, etc) and trying to link chords with approaching and common notes.
2.Blues Scales, all basic patterns.
3.Play a long with Cd's or Band in a Box, first only the walking bass line you wrote above and then freely, extensively, at least 10 choruses a day.
4.Play a long each chorus: arpeggios, chord scales, trying to link the changes. Once again at least 10 choruses.
5.Play a long first the solo you wrote above and then improvise as many choruses as you can "until the cows come back home". At an advanced stage this could come before items 3 and 4 above in order not to get too stiff with creation, like playing "scalewise music".
Special Assignments/Research (Optional):
Find all recordings of the song and pick some to transcribe the Bass lines and solos, and horn and piano solos as well! Right now I have 4 versions of the song cited above, one of them with Bill Evans, and my favorite with Art Farmer and Jim Hall!
It is not meant to be strict, thing that I hate, but no matter what I do each day, it will be aimed at learning the songs upside down, walk the lines, and improvise at least a single decent chorus. One thing I can't take anymore is studying all the scales in all keys and patterns, without knowing how or when I'll be able to use it. Thanks for the wonderful site, I studied Double Bass in a conservartory of music in my teenager years but now I'm just a spy from the electric world (fretless) and I could'n resist the "darker side of the force" here
Theory Phase:
This part would be hard work only first time when you get to learn a new song. Could be printed out and be used as a reference. Right now I'm working on the song "A child is Born" by Thad Jones and have covered this first part already.
1.Harmonize melody (using Finale in order to listen up would be great), note by note, four staves, Melody, Piano (2) and Bass
2.Write a walking bass line following the guidelines you know at the moment, each chorus, Roots, 1 and 5, 1-3-5, 1-3-5-7, approaching notes, scalewise, linking the chords the best you can.
3.Write each chorus with chord notes, and scale notes, to sightread later and as a reference.
4.Compose a single chorus solo.
Hands on Phase:
1.Warm-ups with the scales used in the actual song, playing chords with 9, ascending, descending, one octave, two octaves, low and upper register, all the basic patterns (thirds, triplets, sixteenths, etc) and trying to link chords with approaching and common notes.
2.Blues Scales, all basic patterns.
3.Play a long with Cd's or Band in a Box, first only the walking bass line you wrote above and then freely, extensively, at least 10 choruses a day.
4.Play a long each chorus: arpeggios, chord scales, trying to link the changes. Once again at least 10 choruses.
5.Play a long first the solo you wrote above and then improvise as many choruses as you can "until the cows come back home". At an advanced stage this could come before items 3 and 4 above in order not to get too stiff with creation, like playing "scalewise music".
Special Assignments/Research (Optional):
Find all recordings of the song and pick some to transcribe the Bass lines and solos, and horn and piano solos as well! Right now I have 4 versions of the song cited above, one of them with Bill Evans, and my favorite with Art Farmer and Jim Hall!
It is not meant to be strict, thing that I hate, but no matter what I do each day, it will be aimed at learning the songs upside down, walk the lines, and improvise at least a single decent chorus. One thing I can't take anymore is studying all the scales in all keys and patterns, without knowing how or when I'll be able to use it. Thanks for the wonderful site, I studied Double Bass in a conservartory of music in my teenager years but now I'm just a spy from the electric world (fretless) and I could'n resist the "darker side of the force" here
Thanks HDiddy!!!! I know I should have a teacher ... the problem I am having is with my work schedule and all the travel I do ... I don't like to waste the teachers time with all the last minute cancellations do to the fact that I have to attend a meeting etc. I guess I'll have to find someone who's willing to put up with my erratic schedule. I'm in NYC so if anyone knows anyone, please let me know!!!
