• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Practice in front of the TV?

JES

JES

Supporting Member
Dec 12, 2003
3,780
5,881
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
#1
Hi All,

I'm curious if anyone does it, and if so, if you have any useful techniques. I usually watch a show or two with my wife in the evening, but I think she could tolerate some unplugged playing. I could just noodle but if there's something more productive to do while half-distracted, that would be great.

--JES
 
#7
Yes, I do. I use headphones and practice musical phrases that are giving me trouble. I don't think you can learn music that way but you can certainly gain some muscle memory. Also, I think learning to play with distractions comes in handy sometimes on stage.
 
#8
JTE said:
Pointless waste of time unless you're using it SPECIFICALLY for ear training. Any music practice that does not require careful and close listening is detrimental to learning to play music. Just wiggling your fingers has NOTHING to do with getting better at playing music.
Click to expand...

Opinion stated as fact.

After some 33 years and 12,000+ hours on bass, I keep myself limber by playing in front of the TV. Sure, I'm not learning 1973 Zappa parts, but how is keeping your fingers moving on your bass ever a bad thing? I play primarily fretless and my intonation is not suffering, and when a commercial comes on, I immediately shift to trying to cop the bass part (you'd be surprised at how many commercials have interesting bass parts).

Now, I wouldn't recommend learning to play bass in this fashion, but you stated unequivocally that it is a waste of time unless being used for ear training. Interestingly, I would find playing in front of the TV completely useless for ear training, and I play fretless. But I'm living proof that this is not a complete waste of time. I believe my playing has improved over the past 4-5 years as much as it has over any period of my development.

In many cases, this is the only private practice time I can manufacture during the week, and I still rip it in rehearsal or in a gig. My wife grew up in a musical home and she actually likes to hear me noodling around on what-not. So, I can hang with her, get some finger work in and watch the Broons.

Believe it or not, this approach actually helps me foster my #1 goal in my approach to playing music: don't think; react. By concentrating on something other than my bass, I can develop this sense of "detached connectedness" with my bass when I do not have this other distraction at a rehearsal or a gig. The net result is that the music just comes out. Ain't always good, I'll grant you that, but this is a work in progress. It's working quite well for me so far. Again, I would not recommend this for learning the instrument, but for maintaining chops, it should not necessarily be discounted in one broad swipe.
 
#11
This is the way I've been teaching myself to play bass. I set up a music stand in my line of sight. I play under closed headphones if the wife is in the room, otherwise a lot of weekend time I play without headphones.
I don't try and watch 'compelling' television and do this. Fortunately there's a lot of television that only occasionally peaks my interest. Reruns of Top Gear on weekends are some of my most productive practicing.
I'm not saying its the best way to learn. I wouldn't esp recommend it to anyone else, but it comes down to doing to multi-tasking and diffusing my focus or not spending near as much time playing/practicing.
 
#12
FretlessMainly said:
Opinion stated as fact.

After some 33 years and 12,000+ hours on bass, I keep myself limber by playing in front of the TV. Sure, I'm not learning 1973 Zappa parts, but how is keeping your fingers moving on your bass ever a bad thing? I play primarily fretless and my intonation is not suffering, and when a commercial comes on, I immediately shift to trying to cop the bass part (you'd be surprised at how many commercials have interesting bass parts).

Now, I wouldn't recommend learning to play bass in this fashion, but you stated unequivocally that it is a waste of time unless being used for ear training. Interestingly, I would find playing in front of the TV completely useless for ear training, and I play fretless. But I'm living proof that this is not a complete waste of time. I believe my playing has improved over the past 4-5 years as much as it has over any period of my development.

In many cases, this is the only private practice time I can manufacture during the week, and I still rip it in rehearsal or in a gig. My wife grew up in a musical home and she actually likes to hear me noodling around on what-not. So, I can hang with her, get some finger work in and watch the Broons.

Believe it or not, this approach actually helps me foster my #1 goal in my approach to playing music: don't think; react. By concentrating on something other than my bass, I can develop this sense of "detached connectedness" with my bass when I do not have this other distraction at a rehearsal or a gig. The net result is that the music just comes out. Ain't always good, I'll grant you that, but this is a work in progress. It's working quite well for me so far. Again, I would not recommend this for learning the instrument, but for maintaining chops, it should not necessarily be discounted in one broad swipe.
Click to expand...

One of the things that practicing playing music does is work on focus and maintaining that focus. Maintaining a focused awareness on the music that unfolds around is not the same thing as "thinking" and "detached awareness" (especially if that awareness is actually focused elsewhere) isn't the same thing as being in the moment.
Certainly you're welcome to continue to do what you want, but if it is, as you say "ain't always good", why not try something else?
 
#15
Hi All,

Thanks for the replies. This has been kind of a funny thread because I realize I gave no context and you have no idea if you're talking to a kid just beginning or what. Here's the context. I'm 43 and have been playing bass since age 10, electric since age 14. I used to be able to sightread but those skills have atrophied. I know my music theory. I've been in lots of bands and recorded and all that, but I have a day job and am not a professional.

I mostly just play now and learn new material when I want to learn new material. I gig about once a month with a friend's country band, and I am starting work on a couple different solo sets (1 ABG and 1 bass and electronics). I won't be practicing that material in front of the TV.

I'm just looking for ways to squeeze a little more bass playing into my already-full life. I do actually like the shows we watch (Breaking Bad this week are AWESOME), but wonder if there are productive exercises I can do.

So, the question really should have been IF you practice in front of the TV, WHAT do you do?

I was just thinking of running through fingering patterns -- the warm up and warm down stuff of a "normal" practice session that I usually don't bother with. But then I thought, there's a community of bassists here, maybe someone has some brilliant ideas I hadn't thought of.

I like the playing along with commercials idea a lot.
 
#16
I've done it just to get my fingers working - no big deal. In a T.V. context it's not, for me, about practising music but about working on the strictly physical aspects of playing a bass. It's stuff I can already do that doesn't take a whole lot of focus. Having said that, I can't help but be focused on what I'm playing at least a bit so my T.V. watching might suffer a little. But yeah, when I was younger I'd often practise sixteenth notes during the ads. :)
 
#17
Ed Fuqua said:
Certainly you're welcome to continue to do what you want, but if it is, as you say "ain't always good", why not try something else?
Click to expand...

One of the primary reasons it doesn't always sound good is because I am letting my fingers do what they will to see what happens. Break all the molds and see what new things I can discover. This process is fraught with hazards, all of which are generally eliminated because I am not in a situation where I am creating music with other musicians or for other people to hear. In other words, it doesn't matter in this context.

But when it does matter (rehearsals and gigs), I am very pleased with the results, and I am by far my own worst critic.

I've spent plenty of years learning symphonic music, jazz standards, etc. Where I'm at now is trying to reinvent myself.
 
#19
I could easily do this. I tend to turn off the sound on the TV, usually at the first commercial.My wife accuses me of making up my own words for the show that's on. Call on the iOS and earphones, and the problem disappears.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back