^^^^^^^^^^This x 10000.
^^^^^^^^^^This x 10000.
Like some food items, one cannot normally attribute it to one thing.
If you put a gun to me and demanded it?
I'd say "Thanks DAD for buying me that first bass in 1965 when I was 10 years old!"
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What one specific thing do you feel helped elevate your playing
- Thread starter Jazzcaster89
- Start date
Like some food items, one cannot normally attribute it to one thing.
If you put a gun to me and demanded it?
I'd say "Thanks DAD for buying me that first bass in 1965 when I was 10 years old!"
Daily Mindfulness Meditation. I'm at 410 consecutive days now and it's amazing how beneficial it has been in all aspects of my life.
I'll add my two centavos:
I played upright, electric and piano since I was quite young (7), so I learned to sight read from an early age.
Played in an award winning H.S. jazz band where greats such as Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman and their road bands would come in an do workshops.
So, I had a pretty good start to begin with. Then, after college (where I played constantly to make tuition) I had the following experiences that changed/improved my playing in a huge way.
1. Full time work in a very good corporate events/commercial band - 5-6 nights a week, 3 well organized rehearsals per week, several new tunes per week, great players (better than me for sure)
2. took lessons from a great pro techer (upright focused, but much of it also applied to electric)
3. Started getting steady recording session dates which made me understand how my playing really sounded, and forced me to improved my accuracy.
4. For 4 straight years, I simply ate, slept, and lived music as close to 24/7 as I humanly could. I did the above mentioned corporate/event gig, I did as many sessions as I could book, and when I was not gigging or on a session, I went to (mostly jazz oriented) jam sessions with some of the best players in Chicago at the time, made contacts and just soaked up as much creative energy as I could.
To this day I look back on that 4 year period of my musical life, I still remember it very vividly as the most transformative musical time in my life.
I played upright, electric and piano since I was quite young (7), so I learned to sight read from an early age.
Played in an award winning H.S. jazz band where greats such as Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman and their road bands would come in an do workshops.
So, I had a pretty good start to begin with. Then, after college (where I played constantly to make tuition) I had the following experiences that changed/improved my playing in a huge way.
1. Full time work in a very good corporate events/commercial band - 5-6 nights a week, 3 well organized rehearsals per week, several new tunes per week, great players (better than me for sure)
2. took lessons from a great pro techer (upright focused, but much of it also applied to electric)
3. Started getting steady recording session dates which made me understand how my playing really sounded, and forced me to improved my accuracy.
4. For 4 straight years, I simply ate, slept, and lived music as close to 24/7 as I humanly could. I did the above mentioned corporate/event gig, I did as many sessions as I could book, and when I was not gigging or on a session, I went to (mostly jazz oriented) jam sessions with some of the best players in Chicago at the time, made contacts and just soaked up as much creative energy as I could.
To this day I look back on that 4 year period of my musical life, I still remember it very vividly as the most transformative musical time in my life.
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-Transcribing solos from my favorite players. Trying to analyzing their note choices and recreate them while practicing over different grooves/chords. This really has the biggest impact on me. Studying Jimmy Johnson, Matt Garrison, Gary Willis, Pino, Jaco, etc.
-Maintaining a consistent practice schedule. Even it is only 20m a day when pressed for time. Making sure I get my hands on my bass at least once a day.
-Pushing myself to always play/write music that is above my skill level. I'm trying to always be the "worst" member of the band im in. So I can raise my level to those around me and be inspired by them.
-Listening to as much music as possible. Trying to wrap my ears around advanced harmony/melodies/solos.
-Maintaining a consistent practice schedule. Even it is only 20m a day when pressed for time. Making sure I get my hands on my bass at least once a day.
-Pushing myself to always play/write music that is above my skill level. I'm trying to always be the "worst" member of the band im in. So I can raise my level to those around me and be inspired by them.
-Listening to as much music as possible. Trying to wrap my ears around advanced harmony/melodies/solos.
Other than for some kind of specific sound (Geddy, etc.), learning to not play so hard. Relax, let the amp do the work, be more even with my playing.
- Jan 12, 2011
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- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
True Story. Had a dream. There was a house with a white picket fence around it. Blue sky, white clouds. A voice said if you want to get better you have to go through that door of the house. Once you cross the threshold you'll never be the same and you can't take it back. I ran through the door. The very next day I was a different player.
Sitting down and putting serious focused time on technique drills. Old school practicing for hours method.
Playing in a band helps too. The team skills are probably about as important as the personal.
Playing in a band helps too. The team skills are probably about as important as the personal.
The above, but my HS wasn't award winning.
Friends dad's were working jazz pianists and horn players so the work part was always in focus.
Worked at vintage stores that did a lot of rentals to studios in SF and LA so I saw a lot.
I knew a lot of working DJ's in the house scene, that actually helps you decide that if you work, you should decide how hard and how much you want to make.
Session players rarely in my experience commanded the range of work that DJ's could get, like moving horizontally to post audio for TV/ads/radio/movies when they got tired of their grind.....or what they were into wasnt selling.
Ultimately I decided I enjoyed where my head goes when I play, but I'd rather do something else for a living.
For getting from beginner to intermediate... playing with others, hands down, then practice, practice practice!
For getting from intermediate to advanced... start with quality equiptment then...
1. chord patterns
2. Technique, especially hand positioning and movement
3. fingering drills... spider, etc. and learning them at any speed
4. Hearing, hearing and hearing again. If you can not hear it, you can not play it!
5. listen to everything around you, you never know what someone else is going to play or do...
6. a guy told me the difference between a pro and not, is a pro already knows what they are going to play before they play the song... so in that have your mind, heart and ear set on what you are going to play.
7. Learn to read and if nothing else read chord charts, especially the nashville system.
my 2 cents to add to all the quality stuff above.
Also, one thing I regret is to have never learned to read music...
For getting from intermediate to advanced... start with quality equiptment then...
1. chord patterns
2. Technique, especially hand positioning and movement
3. fingering drills... spider, etc. and learning them at any speed
4. Hearing, hearing and hearing again. If you can not hear it, you can not play it!
5. listen to everything around you, you never know what someone else is going to play or do...
6. a guy told me the difference between a pro and not, is a pro already knows what they are going to play before they play the song... so in that have your mind, heart and ear set on what you are going to play.
7. Learn to read and if nothing else read chord charts, especially the nashville system.
my 2 cents to add to all the quality stuff above.
Also, one thing I regret is to have never learned to read music...
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
What one specific thing do you feel helped elevate your playing
Playing in a good band with good musicians
Playing in a good band with good musicians
By far what had the most impact on my playing and my musicianship, was playing for a number of years at a church that used the Aviom mixer system. Being able to mix a live band the way I wanted to hear was amazing. I'd set my mix just like I was listening to a cd with my headphones... with my bass slightly elevated of course.
-It's already been mentioned, but lightening up my touch with my plucking hand has produced great benefits, greater stamina, more speed, more consistency.
-Focused practice.
-Theory.
-Focused practice.
-Theory.
Shattering both wrists in a murdercycle accident gave me many weeks (in excruciating discomfort and mental and physical anguish) to ponder and learn to appreciate both life and limb. Somehow, fate gave me the resources to keep playing music. I am a better player/person because of it.
- May 16, 2009
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- Former Manager, Bass San Diego
Recently it's been practicing with a metronome. I lapse for periods and when I come back to it I realize that no matter how solid I feel, I can always tighten up!
Maybe buying so many basses, although Insure haven't regretted it!
Physically, learning proper technique from a dedicated bass teacher. I went from being able to play for 5-10 minutes tops to as long as I want...
Mentally, learning my modes / diatonic theory. I learned C Ionian (major), D Dorian, E Phyrigian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian (minor), and B Locrian and within a few weeks knew my way around the neck and sooo much more - once I understood what it was I'd been practicing in terms of how it all relates to the rest.
Mentally, learning my modes / diatonic theory. I learned C Ionian (major), D Dorian, E Phyrigian, F Lydian, G Mixolydian, A Aeolian (minor), and B Locrian and within a few weeks knew my way around the neck and sooo much more - once I understood what it was I'd been practicing in terms of how it all relates to the rest.
Patience.
Now i am 57, i have been playing 45 years + and i developed patience through experience...the younger me would never have used it.
But i was orchestrally trained from an early age, so i had great teachers, and lots of repetition of exercises and scales, many were never explained at the time why i had to do them....just do them.
But i wanted to play...not practice scales and studies..i waned to learn new things, work on new ideas...but i was always put back in my place, i felt like i was being held back all the time.
But through the years of all this i could not realize how this would impact my later playing life, i now know that no explanation to me would have satisfied me...so none was offered....why waste time on a child who now better than his teachers?
But patience i did learn, and yes it affects everything i do, even today.
Having the patience to work on what is needed let me move up gears, because i was not focused on short term gains in sklll's, so never got dis-pondent or down when improvement did not come as fast as i expected, or jobs did not come my way first time, i just got on with what i was working on trusting that if i did the work it would all work out.
I have written before, about how i did not notice that some of the things i was working on had been achieved.
This is because we do not gradually get better, so notice the improvement, it is just one day we cannot, the next day we can...and then some more.
We learn in plateaus...not increments that can be measured, but literally play for months and suck, then next day do not...so the patience in this part of leaning helped keep me focused.
In other parts, patience is like an inner trust in my own abilities and skills learned through experience, take the time to enjoy the journey sort of thing,
so i just take everything in my stride rather than rush it or want to make it happen, so patience can be applied to lots of things, so lots of things can benefit from developing/learning some patience...........which i am sure the younger me would never have accepted.
Now i am 57, i have been playing 45 years + and i developed patience through experience...the younger me would never have used it.
But i was orchestrally trained from an early age, so i had great teachers, and lots of repetition of exercises and scales, many were never explained at the time why i had to do them....just do them.
But i wanted to play...not practice scales and studies..i waned to learn new things, work on new ideas...but i was always put back in my place, i felt like i was being held back all the time.
But through the years of all this i could not realize how this would impact my later playing life, i now know that no explanation to me would have satisfied me...so none was offered....why waste time on a child who now better than his teachers?
But patience i did learn, and yes it affects everything i do, even today.
Having the patience to work on what is needed let me move up gears, because i was not focused on short term gains in sklll's, so never got dis-pondent or down when improvement did not come as fast as i expected, or jobs did not come my way first time, i just got on with what i was working on trusting that if i did the work it would all work out.
I have written before, about how i did not notice that some of the things i was working on had been achieved.
This is because we do not gradually get better, so notice the improvement, it is just one day we cannot, the next day we can...and then some more.
We learn in plateaus...not increments that can be measured, but literally play for months and suck, then next day do not...so the patience in this part of leaning helped keep me focused.
In other parts, patience is like an inner trust in my own abilities and skills learned through experience, take the time to enjoy the journey sort of thing,
so i just take everything in my stride rather than rush it or want to make it happen, so patience can be applied to lots of things, so lots of things can benefit from developing/learning some patience...........which i am sure the younger me would never have accepted.
