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What are you practicing?

J

joelns

Mar 10, 2014
3,087
15,848
#1
For me, I am working through the Real Book 6th edition. I'm pulling songs that I have heard and am learning the melody and working through chord voicings. This is helping my sight reading and chord playing. Along with phrasing. Also, I'm working on playing the melody in positions that I don't spend a lot of time in. So I'm learning the fretboard better.

Playing walking lines for these charts isn't an issue, I've been doing it for years. But I haven't spent any time on melody and playing chords (though I do know the chord tones and theory).

What are you working on?
 
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#2
FB476D8F-1FEB-4205-A5E5-AF63C5A4E5D3.jpeg


Got this in May, took a little break, but getting back into it lately
 
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#4
Yanek Gwizdala sight reading book, mainly, and his pentatonic book. They are different but as for sight reading they compliment each other. Plus, maybe I can wrap my around this evil pentatonic scale madness. Sight reading and learning the fretboard is my goal right now.

I do fun play and learn random songs after that.

I have been considering working on the real book bass clef.

Jazz isnt my thing so it must help.
 
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#5
I've auditioned for a few bands over the last year and a half ( since the demise of the band I was in) and nothing has stuck, mostly due to Covid but also just haven't found the right group. Ive learned a few hundred songs over the years, I've been going over my favorites, and learning new ones. I find the more songs I learn, the faster I get at learning new ones. Pattern recognition? Being able to anticipate chord progressions? I've always wanted to be a quick study so that's my focus. When the right band comes along I want to hit the ground running.
 
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#7
CallMeAl said:
Got this in May, took a little break, but getting back into it lately
Click to expand...
I got this book for Christmas, it's very intricate!

I'm trying to get better at playing double bass lately so I have a lot of catching up to do... so for me it's mainly Reid's Evolving Bassist and Simandl (exercises in the first handful of positions) for me.
 
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#8
Jazz vocabulary! Ive been transcribing stuff like Charlie Parker's Donna Lee and Moments Notice by John Coltrane. Its fun but quite challenging. However as I keep going, I find it gets a little more easier and predictable. Its been good because I feel a bit more confident in what im gonna play in my solos, instead of going like screw it lets see what happens. I still need more time to ingrain these phrases. I wonder why I ever stopped transcribing but its most likely because holy crap IT TAKES SO MUCH TIME. You gotta want it to get it i guess...
 
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#10
joelns said:
For me, I am working through the Real Book 6th edition. I'm pulling songs that I have heard and am learning the melody and working through chord voicings. This is helping my sight reading and chord playing. Along with phrasing. Also, I'm working on playing the melody in positions that I don't spend a lot of time in. So I'm learning the fretboard better.

Playing walking lines for these charts isn't an issue, I've been doing it for years. But I haven't spent any time on melody and playing chords (though I do know the chord tones and theory).

What are you working on?
Click to expand...
The iReal app is a great resource for what you are doing. Provides backing tracks for many jazz standards found in the Real Book.
 
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#11
Timmah said:
I got this book a little while ago secondhand, but it came without the CD. Any idea where I can find that?
Click to expand...
@Timmah looks like most (if not all) are on this YouTube channel. Though you may not be able to pan out the bass, can you do that with the CD? I know you can with the online access, so that's one possible drawback to YouTube...
 
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#13
Need to get back to it after a break over the holidays with the kids home.
Chord Tones and Scales (currently wrapping my head around building of triads and all of the seventh chords by stacking the various thirds and getting them under my fingers) and applying them in a key (and understanding/applying the Nashville numbering system). Sight reading and expanding fretboard navigation by adding the 2nd position. Learning "Man on the Moon" by REM and building my first bass line in the key of C.
Lots to keep me busy, now just need to be disciplined and make time each day to work through the list!
 
#16
joelns said:
For me, I am working through the Real Book 6th edition. I'm pulling songs that I have heard and am learning the melody and working through chord voicings. This is helping my sight reading and chord playing. Along with phrasing. Also, I'm working on playing the melody in positions that I don't spend a lot of time in. So I'm learning the fretboard better.

Playing walking lines for these charts isn't an issue, I've been doing it for years. But I haven't spent any time on melody and playing chords (though I do know the chord tones and theory).

What are you working on?
Click to expand...

Finally getting to learning Teen Town in 3 different positions. I know, I shoulda done it years ago. Also working on my reading. I'm mostly an ear player; have been for all my life, but figured I should use my Music degree at some point. Right?!
 
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#18
joelns said:
For me, I am working through the Real Book 6th edition. I'm pulling songs that I have heard and am learning the melody and working through chord voicings. This is helping my sight reading and chord playing. Along with phrasing. Also, I'm working on playing the melody in positions that I don't spend a lot of time in. So I'm learning the fretboard better.

Playing walking lines for these charts isn't an issue, I've been doing it for years. But I haven't spent any time on melody and playing chords (though I do know the chord tones and theory).

What are you working on?
Click to expand...
I've been spending the past year turning pages in the Real Books, and practicing walking bass (or other 'appropriate' bass lines) on my Portamento 6 fretless. With the six strings I've been able to navigate nearly every song in one position, which certainly helps with fretless intonation.

But I just picked up a Takamine TB10 fretless 4 string. Totally different feel, and the lack of strings (that low B in particular) means I have to move around a bit. So I've backtracked a bit, and am just practicing scales, arpeggios, positions, and finger exercises. As far as tunes - I'm playing basic jazz-blues in a variety of keys plus some songs with which I'm very familiar. I'll do that until I get solid on this instrument. Then I'll start plowing through those books again.
 
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