Stuck In A Rut

[andybb1500]

Well as the title suggests my playing is I feel going nowhere at the moment im not inspired to pick up the bass or if i am my attention span is too short and i get sidetracked. What do i do!?

ps im normally real good with practice its like something has come over me haha helpppp

 

[musicman1987]

Hey there man! I have an idea for you... put a song you really like the vocals (or main melody line) and instead of listening to the bass line and learning that, learn the melody... Check out Marcus Millers version of "Come Together" by the Beatles... pretty cool...

Hope this helps you man! Just get stuck in, you love the bass really

 

[nickonbass]

Jam/play with a/some friends you don't normally play with or go to an open mike night and sit in with a band.

When I put myself in situations like that - and the bigger the deep end the better - it highlights to me things I need to go work on and puts a fire in my belly to get into gear with things.

 

[BillyRay]

1) Find a band.
2) Learn to sing while playing (this is a crucail skill I can't stress enough)*.
3) Schedule a 3 hours gig 6 months from now (with three hours of material, you can ten basically gig 3 times a month and have your bases covered if you rotate new songs in).

That'll keep you entertained and give you the goals you need to strive. I remember after 2 years of (mostly) bedroom playing, I was a speed demon and working my way to the venerable "bedroom hero" status. This is when I started playing bass in accoustic duos or trios and I finally learned that there's more to this than learning new licks and practicing: actually making music with people.

* If you can sing and think about the bassline at the same time, when you aren't singing, you'll slay since everything will appear to be in slow-mo.

 

[andybb1500]

thanks for the resonses guys, im actually in a band that play originals and 2 school bands. I might try singing while i play a bit more too, i can do it with punk sorta things but when theres a hard bass riff I find it very difficult.

My real question was really how to not get sidetracked when your practising. Iv'e got lots of pieces to learn for bands but i cant seem to knuckel down

 

[musicman1987]

As I said, to make practise more interesting you should learn the melody lines... not just the bass lines! That's how the best did it...noteably Jaco, Marcus Miller, Jeff Berlin.

Playing in a band is great experience for bass players but everyone needs to practise and i think i am right in saying that that is the part you are struggling with, it will make your right hand more nimble, if you are doing intricate melodies...

Believe me, I have practised at least 5 hours a day pretty much everyday since I was 16, I am now 21! I have done a lot of practising!

Another thing I would say is that you don't have to play the melody perfect, make your own interpretation of it but keep the same feel!

Keep plugging away...if you get good when your young, you'll go far in the bass world my friend!

Let there be Bass

 

[andybb1500]

hehe thanks musicman and yeah it was the practising not the playing aspect that was bothering me, i'll give learning melodies a go