I have two instruments - one with flats and one rounds. I alternate between the two every other day which generally means most (90+%) of all lessons get played with both. This methodology and my instructor (I also alternate the instrument I use at each lesson) keep me from getting very far off course.
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The Hal Leonard Bass Method thread
- Thread starter HelpImaRock
- Start date
Building speed is my greatest challenge. I'm mostly working at the end of book 2 and beginning of book 3, but at least once each week I go back to Etude Brute in book 1 and play it five or ten times OFPF. Not only am I still way slow, but string choice was masking my slop.
I finally finished book 1 !!! 
On to book 2. 
On to book 2. 
I got mine a few weeks ago.
I started just by banging out the lesson on the last four strings of a six string acoustic.
Liked it so much I got a bass and amp.
Then I realized; I spent 5th thru 9th grade just learning book 1!!
Now I'm 53
I started just by banging out the lesson on the last four strings of a six string acoustic.
Liked it so much I got a bass and amp.
Then I realized; I spent 5th thru 9th grade just learning book 1!!
Now I'm 53
Never too late! You just have to commit.I got mine a few weeks ago.
I started just by banging out the lesson on the last four strings of a six string acoustic.
Liked it so much I got a bass and amp.
Then I realized; I spent 5th thru 9th grade just learning book 1!!
Now I'm 53
Thanks for the encouragement.
I got an urge to buy a tuba last year. I was a much better tuba player and kept at that through college.
My goal was to get to a Tuba Christmas this year and I did!!
I got an urge to buy a tuba last year. I was a much better tuba player and kept at that through college.
My goal was to get to a Tuba Christmas this year and I did!!
That's a struggle I have. I keep memorizing the exercises as I play them, but I force myself to be able to read each pretty well before moving onto the next. I took a break in between because of work-related stuff, but when I add it together, so far its taken me 3 months to get to exercise 45 and begin the "More Notes on the D String" lesson.
I go back to the "shifting" exercises and 1-2 others all the time as warm-ups because they gave me trouble in the past. I've improved on each of them a lot. Sometimes, I just play everything from the open string exercises to whatever one I'm on (currently 45). I try to call out the note names as I play them, and if I hit the wrong one, I find that my ears pick it up because they know how the exercise should sound.
Hey - how many of you are using a metronome with the book? And, if you are, what speeds do you run the exercises at? I actually haven't used a metronome yet (I know, bad!), but I do play along with the tracks now and again.
I am finding that if I sit down with pen & paper and write out the note names first, it is easier than to try and sight read a new exercise.
As far as the metronome, I will set it at the same speed as the backing track, and try to play at speed. I'll back it off 10 bpm at a time until I am able to play the exercise without a mistake, then bring it up 10 bpm at a time until I am up to speed. After a few mistake free runs at speed, I then start the backing track. Of course I haven't been able to play mistake free the first couple of times.
As far as the metronome, I will set it at the same speed as the backing track, and try to play at speed. I'll back it off 10 bpm at a time until I am able to play the exercise without a mistake, then bring it up 10 bpm at a time until I am up to speed. After a few mistake free runs at speed, I then start the backing track. Of course I haven't been able to play mistake free the first couple of times.
I haven't done that because part of the reason that I'm using the book is to learn to read. I just take exercises in small chunks, maybe a bar or two at a time and add on as I go. I also try to understand what we're doing - ascending or descending chromatically, playing mostly notes in a given scale, etc. and see if it helps me understand where we're going.
For the most part, that's worked for me and its helping me to internalize what might be progressions, and also ways to move up or down to a note (usually to a chord tone).
I've been telling myself that I need to work through these with a metronome, but so far I haven't done so. I think once I finish book 1, I'm going to go back and do everything again with a metronome. But, I'm like that. I tend to repeat stuff a bunch of times to really drill it home. I know other people get bored and need to move on as fast as possible. I kind of ponder things and look to see if new information makes me understand older exercises differently.
For the most part, that's worked for me and its helping me to internalize what might be progressions, and also ways to move up or down to a note (usually to a chord tone).
I've been telling myself that I need to work through these with a metronome, but so far I haven't done so. I think once I finish book 1, I'm going to go back and do everything again with a metronome. But, I'm like that. I tend to repeat stuff a bunch of times to really drill it home. I know other people get bored and need to move on as fast as possible. I kind of ponder things and look to see if new information makes me understand older exercises differently.
I'm not writing the note names in the book, just on a different piece of paper to get used to reading the notes without having to count the lines and spaces. I was having problems remembering the note names once the E & A string notes were together so I decided to try something else. Once I finish writing it out, I then switch to the Bass Fretboard Workbook to give it some time to either sink in or fall out.
I'm also finding that just reading the notes out loud, like a child would do when they are learning to read, is helping me to remember the note names.
I'm also finding that just reading the notes out loud, like a child would do when they are learning to read, is helping me to remember the note names.
I do something like that as well. I have the book in print form and in PDF. I look at it at night sometimes, if I can't sleep, and read through the exercises (along with some other theory stuff and websites) on my tablet. I also try to play the rhythms - just tapping them out. That's something I was doing because of another book called Simplified Sight Reading for Bass.
I think repeatedly seeing the notes helps me to remember them, but another thing I did was just take 2 images, one with just notes on the lines and another with just the ones on the spaces, and look at them. That's helping too. I still screw up a bit - especially with the higher E, F & G notes, because I'm used to them being on the E string - but its getting better.
Practice: 11/28/15 – HLBM 42
I think repeatedly seeing the notes helps me to remember them, but another thing I did was just take 2 images, one with just notes on the lines and another with just the ones on the spaces, and look at them. That's helping too. I still screw up a bit - especially with the higher E, F & G notes, because I'm used to them being on the E string - but its getting better.
Practice: 11/28/15 – HLBM 42
I'm almost done with the 3 books and I've got to say they've been an immense help in learning to read and advancing my playing. However I have to ask, once I finish these books does anyone have any material they would recommend as follow up? My goal is basically to be able to sight read perfectly and I feel like I'm going to need more material to practice on, not necessarily instructional
David Motto's "Essential Sightreading Studies for Electric Bass" is one of the best books available for improving your sightreading. Some of the exercises are very challenging, but well worth the effort.
I'm also working with Building Walking Basslines, so maybe that'd be a good option as well.
I started working through the book on Boxing day as I got my first bass for Xmas. Coming from already playing a bit of guitar the exercises are, so far very simple and easy to play...APART from the sight reading, that's whats really throwing a spanner in the works for me. But that's a good thing as its forcing me to pay more attention and hopefully improve my technique and timing as well as learning to read music to some extent.
A couple of things I've found useful.
NotesDeMusique (Music Notes) – Android Apps on Google Play Its just a sight reading test that throws random notes up on a stave. Its pretty simple which i like and you can switch it to the bass stave and adjust the octave range. Timed tests or just endless.
Also have found transcribe useful as you can cut out the long pauses at the end of each track to make a better loop for repeated play. Plus the ability to slow it down so that my poor sight reading skills can keep up as I'm trying to play each exercise by reading rather than memorising!
A couple of things I've found useful.
NotesDeMusique (Music Notes) – Android Apps on Google Play Its just a sight reading test that throws random notes up on a stave. Its pretty simple which i like and you can switch it to the bass stave and adjust the octave range. Timed tests or just endless.
Also have found transcribe useful as you can cut out the long pauses at the end of each track to make a better loop for repeated play. Plus the ability to slow it down so that my poor sight reading skills can keep up as I'm trying to play each exercise by reading rather than memorising!
Just got this from Amazon.com NBD? (New Book Day) 
just got my first Bass at 33yo. I love just playing around and by ear but gotta learn the basics and what im doing! Very excited to learn what's in here. Glad to see its been so helpful to so many on this TB thread.
just got my first Bass at 33yo. I love just playing around and by ear but gotta learn the basics and what im doing! Very excited to learn what's in here. Glad to see its been so helpful to so many on this TB thread.
