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Music Theory Practice
- Thread starter bassbeginner95
- Start date
I find the best way to practice it is to attempt to apply it in a jam setting with an actual band.
You don't practise theory, you study it. Theory is knowledge.
Do you mean you want to know how to incorporate theory into your playing? That's easy: understand then try it out. For example, when studying how a minor chord is formed, you first have to understand that minor chords contain the intervals root+minor third+fifth. Then get your bass and play those intervals and there you go - you played the notes in a minor chord.
Do you mean you want to know how to incorporate theory into your playing? That's easy: understand then try it out. For example, when studying how a minor chord is formed, you first have to understand that minor chords contain the intervals root+minor third+fifth. Then get your bass and play those intervals and there you go - you played the notes in a minor chord.
Transcribing a simple bass line, or even part of one is good practice. Once you've done it, you can go through and work out the chords using your theory knowledge, and see how all the notes on your staff paper relate to those chords, and which notes are outside the chord (ie: chromatic) and why they were used at that point (ie: tension? passing note?). Then pick up the bass and play the notes, listening to the intervals between them. This ties ear training to theory.
Music theory for me is in addition to, on top of, skill and or technique training. Music theory is understanding what works and why. Theory does not necessarly tell you how to play bass.
Reading standard notation IMO is a skill I do not put that into theory study. Necessary, but, a skill.
Getting scales/modes/arpeggios into muscle memory is also a skill exercise. Understand what they are and how to use them, now that is music theory.
Most of my theory study has been done from reading theory papers/books in my easy chair using my scale charts, circle of 5ths, and other "cheat sheets" as reference material. One of my better instructors always gave me a theory paper on the new song I was to learn this week. So I had the reason why a certain thing was done in this song and I was fed throry in small bites, enough to satisfy my hunger, but not enough to make me sick. That was very helpful. I am a chart person and making my own charts has always been a great way to study theory.
Have fun.
Reading standard notation IMO is a skill I do not put that into theory study. Necessary, but, a skill.
Getting scales/modes/arpeggios into muscle memory is also a skill exercise. Understand what they are and how to use them, now that is music theory.
Most of my theory study has been done from reading theory papers/books in my easy chair using my scale charts, circle of 5ths, and other "cheat sheets" as reference material. One of my better instructors always gave me a theory paper on the new song I was to learn this week. So I had the reason why a certain thing was done in this song and I was fed throry in small bites, enough to satisfy my hunger, but not enough to make me sick. That was very helpful. I am a chart person and making my own charts has always been a great way to study theory.
Have fun.
