I Don't What to Practice (or how to)

[cannedsardines]

There are lots of good suggestions in this thread. I want to add: practice singing! Sing the parts you want to play. If you're trying to learn theory, sing it (e.g. if you want to work on recognizing extended chords, practice singing arpeggios). Along with reading and piano stuff this will really help your ear. It's important to be able to "hear music in your head" and singing is a way to do that.

 

[BassicJazzy]

There are lots of good suggestions in this thread. I want to add: practice singing! Sing the parts you want to play. If you're trying to learn theory, sing it (e.g. if you want to work on recognizing extended chords, practice singing arpeggios). Along with reading and piano stuff this will really help your ear. It's important to be able to "hear music in your head" and singing is a way to do that.

That is a very good point. Especially those of us who played by ear for years, you cannot understate the importance of hearing the music in your head before you try to play it. Even if you just hum it first, it goes a long way.

My wife is always asking me why I'm humming to myself as we walk around outside. I just tell her that, like Peter Griffin of "Family Guy," I have my own theme music.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I am generally a rock and county bassist. I do like metal too, but the gigs I play are in the rock/country world.

As for my struggles, when I say memorize I mean that I just can remember a song starts on a certain note and I know what comes next. but I don't really think about it as "ok this song is a 1,3,5" or whatever. It's like a muscle memory thing without understand the reasoning behind it...if that makes any sense at all

Thanks for your post. I very much use numbers as well positional location to learn songs as opposed to thinking of a note being an A or C.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Thanks for this. Any idea of a tool or website that I can use to hear chords and then "test" myself to determine the quality of the cord? and then check to see if I am right? Ear development is definitely something I want to work on

I don't know of any. There is a seemingly irreplaceable interactive human to human factor here where someone sees where you are, and then guides you in a way that addresses those specific weaknesses in each person. And that, as far as I know occurs (only?) in a lesson context, whether in person or online video/audio communication interaction.

I would be interested if such a tool or website, if not for myself, for others.

 

[Lammchop93]

I don't know of any. There is a seemingly irreplaceable interactive human to human factor here where someone sees where you are, and then guides you in a way that addresses those specific weaknesses in each person. And that, as far as I know occurs (only?) in a lesson context, whether in person or online video/audio communication interaction.

I would be interested if such a tool or website, if not for myself, for others.

I did find this. It's a simple version of what I was thinking about

Music Interval Identification Ear Training

tonedear.com

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

I did find this. It's a simple version of what I was thinking about

Music Interval Identification Ear Training

tonedear.com

I'll check it out. Curious. Thanks a lot.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Get a good teacher, through referrals, and take lessons. A good teacher will jump start your progress. You don’t know what you don’t know. A teacher provides feedback and will help you to identify what needs work.

Because I have taught, I am in favor of seeking out a teacher at some point (but not every point), but more than that and kind of paraphrasing (or overcomplicating) what you're saying, I see there is as continuing feedback loop and interactive-ness between student/teacher in a good relationship that has not yet been able to be duplicated elsewhere.

 

[GKon]

Regarding learning chord progressions and knowing what it is, I found this 9 minute video to be completely eye opening, simple to understand, and it helped me totally get how and why chord progressions are built the way they are. Once I understood that, it helped me figure out chord progressions much more easily.

Watch the whole thing, but the main point about chord progressions starts at around the 6 minute mark. I hope it helps you, like it helped me!

 

[Lammchop93]

Regarding learning chord progressions and knowing what it is, I found this 9 minute video to be completely eye opening, simple to understand, and it helped me totally get how and why chord progressions are built the way they are. Once I understood that, it helped me figure out chord progressions much more easily.

Watch the whole thing, but the main point about chord progressions starts at around the 6 minute mark. I hope it helps you, like it helped me!

I think this makes sense, but I am getting lost at the 4:30 mark. Why do those chords always go together? Is that just a rule that the 2 always goes to the 5(7), or is there a patten in her chart that I am missing?

 

[GKon]

I think this makes sense, but I am getting lost at the 4:30 mark. Why do those chords always go together? Is that just a rule that the 2 always goes to the 5(7), or is there a patten in her chart that I am missing?

As far as I understood it, it's a rule that composers follow. The why of it may have been addressed at a different point in her seminar that's not on this recording.

 

[GKon]

I think this makes sense, but I am getting lost at the 4:30 mark. Why do those chords always go together? Is that just a rule that the 2 always goes to the 5(7), or is there a patten in her chart that I am missing?

I hope my explanation helps.

This video of hers may help you, too. It discusses how chords are formed, which we can play as arpeggios as bass players.