Practicing with metronome, tweaking my Axe FX to make sure I have the tones I need on stage, pushing my new Genz Benz 212 Neox.
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What are you doing in the practice room now?
- Thread starter Willie5String
- Start date
@J Wilson, I used to play the Rock And Roll Outlaws tunes all the Time when I was in High School, including ’Eight Days On The Road’, yep. “Dreamer” is probably my favorite. That song has a great Bass line.
(Everyone thinks of Craig MacGregor, because of the Fool For the City stuff, but Tony Stevens was no slouch- then again, you probably already know that.)
(Everyone thinks of Craig MacGregor, because of the Fool For the City stuff, but Tony Stevens was no slouch- then again, you probably already know that.)
I'm in a punk/alternative rock covers band ( bass & lead vocal ) so still running through our set lists to keep the fingers & voice "upto speed".
Also trying to learn a few new songs per week from other genres than the band's remit, to keep skills up and things fresh. Currently nailing some Muse ( Hysteria & Plug in Baby ).
Also trying to learn a few new songs per week from other genres than the band's remit, to keep skills up and things fresh. Currently nailing some Muse ( Hysteria & Plug in Baby ).
Picking the bass up again after an almost year-long injury
Speed up my pentatonics
Push the arpeggios up the neck
Jamerson play-alike
Realbook harmonic analysis
Speed up my pentatonics
Push the arpeggios up the neck
Jamerson play-alike
Realbook harmonic analysis
I play through our repertoire of 70+ regularly gigged songs using old set lists, just to keep memory of the song structure and that transition fresh. New songs that I like. Then the usual half-hour on scales, arpeggios and cold reading of chord charts with a metronome. I prepared a metronome track where I set the metronome to cut out for increasingly long times after a while (1 bar, 2 bar, 4 bar, 8 bar) and play a groove. The challenge is to be perfectly on the beat when the metronome comes back in. Starts out as a really humbling experience, but well worth practicing.
I've also started recording in earnest. Some tracks with the band (each part sent by email and mixed), some on my own. My respect for sound engineers has sky-rocketed since I found 100 ways to destroy a mix... I'm currently doing one track where I play 7 different instruments, all on basses and guitars, trying to give a distinct sonic flavour to each part.
The rest of the time is taken up by work. I can do my job remotely, and I find that I'm busier than before. There is a lot of "since you're in lockdown, could you just <insert random time consuming extra task you could have done without>?" on top of the normal stuff. People seem to just quietly assume I do nothing all day...
I've also started recording in earnest. Some tracks with the band (each part sent by email and mixed), some on my own. My respect for sound engineers has sky-rocketed since I found 100 ways to destroy a mix... I'm currently doing one track where I play 7 different instruments, all on basses and guitars, trying to give a distinct sonic flavour to each part.
The rest of the time is taken up by work. I can do my job remotely, and I find that I'm busier than before. There is a lot of "since you're in lockdown, could you just <insert random time consuming extra task you could have done without>?" on top of the normal stuff. People seem to just quietly assume I do nothing all day...
I just started playing again so it’s nice to see what people are doing in the shed.
Right now I’m working through songs with the major focuses being on:
1. Having fun and enjoying the instrument again
2. Getting as close to note for note as possible while paying attention to articulation and groove
I ordered the Hal Leanord’s bass collection set. Truthfully, the material is probably a bit below my abilities but I want to use it as a chance to work on my sight reading.
Right now I’m working through songs with the major focuses being on:
1. Having fun and enjoying the instrument again
2. Getting as close to note for note as possible while paying attention to articulation and groove
I ordered the Hal Leanord’s bass collection set. Truthfully, the material is probably a bit below my abilities but I want to use it as a chance to work on my sight reading.
Working my day job (grateful to have it, hustling to keep it).
BUT I keep an Ed Friedland book open on a stand next to the door to impose constant guilt.
BUT I keep an Ed Friedland book open on a stand next to the door to impose constant guilt.
Along with song lists for two bands, ELP's 'Tarkus', RUSH 'Freewill', and 'Body and Soul' (Ellington, Blanton)... still try to get in at least three practice sessions a week, no matter what I'm working on.
A carrot (gig) in front of the cart (my motivation) would help immensely, but I still enjoy playing and breaking down bass lines, whether I'm gigging or not.
A carrot (gig) in front of the cart (my motivation) would help immensely, but I still enjoy playing and breaking down bass lines, whether I'm gigging or not.
Still walking bass, could go on well.... forever! I'm definitely improving though. I need to dedicate more time for a final push to get to a decent level, 90 minutes a day instead of 30. Listening, transcribing, playing.
Blues is my main outlet when concentrating on jazz tires me out.
Blues is my main outlet when concentrating on jazz tires me out.
Right before quarantine I switched back to 4 after years on 6 string because it worked better for the band I'm in now. To that end i picked up a used Stingray classic So mostly using it to work on 4 string-centric stuff and Reviewing the song list for the band. And Using a BeatBuddy to increase tempos of these practice pieces.
1. Jaco's solo on Port Of Entry
2. Bach 'cello Suite No. 1 G Major Prelude
3.Alexis Sklarevski's The Slap Bass Program plus various YouTube slap lesson videos
4. Arco on easy jazz heads. I have no room in my New apt. so practicing the bow on a NS Design EUB and sitting really low.
5.Took the free online Jazz Improv Class from Berklee.
6.Sadly Realizing that all this stuff might improve my chops but will not make me a better bassist.
1. Jaco's solo on Port Of Entry
2. Bach 'cello Suite No. 1 G Major Prelude
3.Alexis Sklarevski's The Slap Bass Program plus various YouTube slap lesson videos
4. Arco on easy jazz heads. I have no room in my New apt. so practicing the bow on a NS Design EUB and sitting really low.
5.Took the free online Jazz Improv Class from Berklee.
6.Sadly Realizing that all this stuff might improve my chops but will not make me a better bassist.
bass: mostly maintenance stuff for my fingers, shoulder, brain.
other: writing, arranging, videos for social media platforms.
none of this is necessarily related to the lockdown...just stuff i have in front of me.
other: writing, arranging, videos for social media platforms.
none of this is necessarily related to the lockdown...just stuff i have in front of me.
Too much time fiddling with strings and pedals and different basses. But manage to keep the fingers moving every day and doing exercises to work in all the chord tones for each chord change. This seems to compliment my Ed Friedman Walking Bass Lines course I'm slowly working through weekly.
I’ve been doing the Technique Accelerator course from SBL, so lots of exercises on muting, preventing flying fingers, consistent fingering, etc. Still struggling mightily against string noise and clangy garbage when playing on roundwound strings.
Also started the SBL ‘Player’s Path’ which requires playing three songs three times each with zero mistakes to progress from one level to the next. I’ve discovered that, if I have a style, it consists of graceful recovery from numerous mistakes.
Also started the SBL ‘Player’s Path’ which requires playing three songs three times each with zero mistakes to progress from one level to the next. I’ve discovered that, if I have a style, it consists of graceful recovery from numerous mistakes.
Mostly despairing at how much there is to practice and how little time there is in which to do so.
I'm completely erratic with no plan or schedule. I generally go into the practice room, turn everything on, enjoy some Jazz lettuce, then see what funkery I can get up to. Sometimes I just stare at the blinky lights on my pedals and watch youtube videos of people talking about pedals for hours. Other times I create things. These methods often produce nothing of value. But sometimes they do.
Fretless intonation stuff. Scales and arpeggios in all keys along with double stop octaves, 4th's and 5ths. Bach Cello Suite #2 Prelude and #3 Prelude. Working my way through Hrabe and Rochut. And jazz standards.
