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What to do when I'm alone with my bass?

R

ruairidh

Dec 19, 2007
4
0
#1
For those of you who clicked because they title sounded almost sexual, no I don't have a bass guitar fetish (well not a sexual one!)

Anyway, my band has just broken up and I'm finding myself with increasing amounts of free time alone with my bass.

It's very frustrating for me as I can't play a full tune as I could on an electric guitar, bass is meant to integrate with a song, it sounds weird on its own!

What can I do?

All advice is welcomed!

Thanks,

Ruairidh
 
#4
get out the scales book if your really board i spend most of my alone time practicing runs and fills that i might use one day or by inventing new basslines and intro's........
of course if i'm alone and the girlfriend is out i might "polish the fretboard" for an hour or two
 
#5
Play, by ear, the melody of every song you can think of. Open a song book to the table of contents and play the melody of every title you know (don't look at the music).

Turn on the TV without sound and improvise a sound track to whatever is going on. (sports are great for this)
 
#6
If you picked up a cheap electric guitar you could record some basic power chords or something, perhaps get a drum machine or a load of looping samples? I'm pretty sure there are a load of "jam" loop sites on the internet as well. My favourite thing to do is to just sit at my workstation and write a piano line, then a drum line in Cubase then a guitar track with my £50 squire, then jam on top of that. :>
 
#13
generally i take my bass nice and slow. Watch a crappy movie, than pretend i am bored with it. Than i do the fake yawn and arm around neck thing. Than i play with its knobs and mess around with the input jack and by then i already busted


a string?

I am sorry.

I would say find a new band, play with recordings, find a jamming buddy, and go on talkbass....and pratice technique!!! It is amazing how new techniques can make you change your style from a bass player to a solo musician.
 

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