What are you practicing?

[Killing Floor]

I’ve been working on my pinky flex
And strength both hands. Doing dumb exercises and my wife is making fun of me but it’s helping. Was one of my March city lockdown goals and here we are.

 

[DISCOSTUVW]

Making as many noises as I can when I can find time. Damn, babies are a time warp!

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Patience

 

[JRA]

What are you working on?

actually, similar to you --- but without the real book, and an emphasis on finding out (each practice session): whether or not i can make my hands imitate the hands of a bass player! my thinking: it's not that important that they actually play notes but rather that they look like they can play notes! if i can pull it off with the bass i might try some piano.

seriously: i mostly work on stuff that keeps my hands warm while i look for ways to cheat. i'd really enjoy a real-book gig.

 

[stringtapper]

Honestly?

Guitar.

I've been playing bass since I was 14, but never seriously picked up a guitar for 30 years. I bought a Memphis 335 in 2017 (I am not worthy of this axe), slapped the fattest LaBella Flats (15s!!!) I could find on it and started getting to work on all of the standard jazz voicings (Drop 2, Drop3, rootless, etc.).

And as always with these things I've found that the guitar practice has shown benefits over on the bass side (I've observed this same multi-instrumental feedback loop before between bass and Chapman Stick over the years). For example, I would never have thought to learn to play seventh chord arpeggios based on Drop 2 voicings on bass before I studied guitar, but it's a pretty neat way to change up how you outline harmonies and adds some new sounds to the palette.

Oh, and keyboard. Always.

 

[Basslice]

Been doing lots of scales and arps. This weekend dug out my old copy of Chuck Sher's, "The Improvisor's Bass Method". Maybe it is finally time (after 30 years) for me to learn to read?

 

[NortyFiner]

This.

So What Bass Tabs - Miles Davis @ BigBassTabs.com

 

[Matthew_84]

Honestly?

Guitar.

I’ve never seen the bass clef looking like a pissed off face before, but now I can’t unsee it

 

[stringtapper]

I’ve never seen the bass clef looking like a pissed off face before, but now I can’t unsee it

View attachment 4115294

LOL Never noticed that before!

It's supposed to evoke an 'S' for "stringtapper," but it seems like no one else ever sees it that way.

 

[Matt R.]

I’ve been woodshedding almost exclusively with a pick. It’s been my biggest weak spot over the years.

 

[123Nil]

Been playing bass now.. 5 years.. I've found , picking up electric guitar.. At the start..of the Chinese Virus.. Has really helped my bass playing

 

[Medicine Man]

Ive just been cramming pop covers to try to launch a new project when gigs open back up. Its been hard keeping pros motivated without pending gigs, let me tell ya.

 

[James Collins]

I've been a bad bass player. Through last year I've been working on classical guitar more. Currently, Tàrrega's Recuerdos de Alhambra. It's nice because you get to be a one man band.

 

[Polfuste]

Transcribing:
Dona Lee ( Jaco version )
Silly little love song ( all the tune from roundagain album, to cover it with the jazz band, and specifically the Mc Bride chorus for the pressure)
What about me ? (Snarky puppy) i dig it !

 

[AceOfBassFace]

Been taking advantage of the pandemic by learning stuff I want to learn instead of new songs for the band.
Currently working on

Dean Town by Vulfpeck - a bit late to the party, but almost got this one down at the original tempo.
What is Hip by Tower of Power - needed a challenge - those doubled octave bits are tricky!

 

[Matthew_84]

One thing I need to practice is how to deal with a mistake gracefully and just move on, rather than forcefully repeating the botched notes as fast as I can in a very unmusical way.

 

[nonohmic]

Now that I've given up drinking I'm actually practicing, rather than just noodling.

I'm learning Chester Hansen bits, and generally just building up my lick vocabulary.

Then also working through his on my fretless;

 

[juancaminos]

No books here... After spending years in bands that play specific (off the beaten path non top 40) music I joined a group of fellas that played lots of Beatles and other stuff that I never needed to know. It was a work out for me. Then I retired and became a hermit. So now I have several folders on my I pod that I rotate thru. Like oldies, dance, blues, songs from previous bands, etc.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Self-control. No more bass gear!

 

[stringtapper]

Self-control. No more bass gear!