Solos are about saying something, I’ll take melody over speed any day of the week. If you can do both, you’re set!
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You get good at what you practice
- Thread starter Geepers
- Start date
Athletics is a tough one to compare because a lot of it depends on genetics and you can’t practice to get taller or to change your bone structure. When I’ve taken IQ tests they seem to point to an above average spatial aptitude which I think lends itself to stringed instruments. I’m no prodigy but I can hold a groove.
I like learning new stuff. And I like learning it round the clock so I can use it when the singer needs a different key.
I find when I only practice the stuff I'm using practice gets boring and often overlooked. When I have a more structured approach I usually find a lot more ideas I can bring to the tunes I need to know.
But that's just me. Pretty sure playing out makes everybody tighter.
I find when I only practice the stuff I'm using practice gets boring and often overlooked. When I have a more structured approach I usually find a lot more ideas I can bring to the tunes I need to know.
But that's just me. Pretty sure playing out makes everybody tighter.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
This explains why I've seen so many bedroom bassists display massive chops, but little to no ability to play with others.
As a self-taught musician, this is how I learned. I diversified my skill set by diversifying the musicians I played with, and I grinded on the material outside of my comfort zone to get up to speed quickly so as to not let down the more skilled/schooled partners.
As for the golf analogy...the more I practice, the worse I get. However, when I come back to the game after having quit for the 37th time, I've found that, somehow/someway, I'm usually a few strokes better than I was when I quit.
So the lesson here is, if you want to get better at bass, grind.
If you want to get better at golf, rage quit every so often.
As for the golf analogy...the more I practice, the worse I get. However, when I come back to the game after having quit for the 37th time, I've found that, somehow/someway, I'm usually a few strokes better than I was when I quit.
So the lesson here is, if you want to get better at bass, grind.
If you want to get better at golf, rage quit every so often.
I am with you on this.
I have to add that this may depend on someone's age. When I was a teenager I had all the time in the world, and I practiced everything (on the guitar). Lots of technique exercises, theory and improvisation, plenty of songs learned and tried out music styles and genres I didn't even want to listen to normally. Everything helped, but now that I am middle-aged and trying to get back to playing music (on the bass) after a decade+ of inactivity, if I tried the same approach with the time I have available, maybe I'll be ready to play something on my death bed. At this stage of my life, I'd better focus straight towards my targets, which luckily aren't anything ambitious but merely to play with friends and workmates, and I don't care if we ever get a gig, I only want to play for myself and for them. I have my list of covers I am studying, and based on the challenges I found in each song, I work backwards into practicing the techniques required by those songs specifically. I do not waste time practicing something that does not move me directly closer to my targets, unless I just feel inspired to do so on a random night... (because yes I focus on my targets, but I also want to have some fun! Plus I contradict myself often, but that's another story). So for example I currently do not invest time into improving my improvisational skills, because I have no plans or interests to play blues or jazz, and the cost/benefit ratio it gives me for learning covers is much higher than other studies; should I one day decide I want to start jazzing, I'll change my practice habits and start practicing improvising, not before and certainly not because some random person on the web tells me I should do so
When we make playing mistakes and don't stop to correct them (repeatedly) we end up practising how to make mistakes and ingrain them into our playing
Absolutely true... I learned this in martial arts, and it has been a pet peeve of mine for years.
Somewhere in the 80s, someone started sharing the thought that "you need to do something for 10000 hours to become a master of it". That's about 5 years of a full-time job, by the way, so it makes sense that you aren't usually a master of your job in only a year or two, but after 5 you probably are pretty good. Along the line, the thought was twisted into "if you do something for 10000 hours, you'll be a master of it". That's not the same thing
I've seen people in martial arts training like mad, and after 10(!) years still not be able to do a lot of basic techniques correctly, because they never questioned what they were doing wrong, kept repeating their mistakes blindly, and then being only able to say either "I need to keep training for another 10 years" or "I have no talent, I'd better quit". I do not believe there is such a thing as a fundamental lack of talent, that cannot be overcome in any way. There is only bad practicing, which is very much repeating the same mistakes over and over without questioning the whys and hows of what you're doing, and ending up very good at those mistakes.If there's anything that I would call "natural talent" (in any field you can think about) is the ability of becoming aware when you're doing something wrong and being quick at figuring out what you need to change immediately (or practice gradually) so that you start doing it right. And if someone doesn't have it, there are always teachers who can make up for the lack in this ability
Some of dont want to be master chefs... we just want to be line cooks that dont get yelled like gordon ramsey
Clear.
If you play bass in metal, you'll be fine playing same as rhythm guitar.
If you play 12 bar blues, pentatonic minor will be just fine.
If you want to play pop, it's good to know what is key of song and, if it's whole in one key, you know all the notes you must, should, can and shouldn't play in no-time in any given song. This gives freedom in improvising bass lines more complex than roots only.
You don't necessarily need to say all notes of E flat minor or A sharp Phrygian woken up in the middle of a night. Or how natural minor differs from melodic minor
GR will yell just like Terrence Fletcher will. Even when you are perfect. Especially when you are perfect.
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I agree with the OP in principle and have experienced this myself; when I played in a blues band, I practiced and got good at playing the blues. When I was in a fusion jazz group, I practiced fusion jazz (including several Janek Gwisdala lines) and got good at those. My overall playing improved in general due to practice, but I also agree that exposing yourself to multiple genres will produce a more well-rounded musician and therefore better bassist.
Sure but the idea was never to ONLY go to the driving range, was it?
Go to the putting green too. And play actual rounds of golf.
It seems to be a multi-faceted approach would work best, but this does not seem to be what the OP is espousing.
When I was young, I heard the same advice. Wanting to get good at everything I studied a very wide variety of genres, technics and sounds. I find many musicians covet versatility when working with others.
I was never sorry I practiced stuff that I didn't like (though at the time, you'd have been hard-pressed to get me to admit it . . .).
Because I've always been surprised that some things I learned for THIS stuff really worked in THAT stuff.
As an aside, all the modes, weird scales, etc. I always looked at as practice/academic exercise. I was never in the middle of a tune and thought, 'gee, this a great place for a Phrygian scale'.
Because I've always been surprised that some things I learned for THIS stuff really worked in THAT stuff.
As an aside, all the modes, weird scales, etc. I always looked at as practice/academic exercise. I was never in the middle of a tune and thought, 'gee, this a great place for a Phrygian scale'.
Ahh in my young'un days, I used-to was something with a Frisbee. Best throw for distance and accuracy at one point (late teens) was the behind-the-back sidearm, thrown spinning from a dead run. 300' easy with nice soft floaties at the end, perfect for run'n'catch. Was great fun in Ultimate...
I've generally been taught to do about 50-50 technique and repertoire in my daily practice. That works well for me, but it wasn't really necessary when I was playing rock.
Do what works for you! You don't need virtuosic chops to play most pop/rock. I think feel and groove are more important a lot of times, i.e. somebody who has his scales down cold at fast tempos might absolutely suck at the blues.
Do what works for you! You don't need virtuosic chops to play most pop/rock. I think feel and groove are more important a lot of times, i.e. somebody who has his scales down cold at fast tempos might absolutely suck at the blues.
Lobster brings up a good point, I too only consider playing with guitar oriented bands so I am focused on tones and tasteful playing both from guitar and bass as a unit.
Also have a very narrow scope of interest in classic rock only, with a starting point in the 60's as many modern players can't play it so it becomes a treat to the listening public, proven by the tips and kind responses.
A recurring funny and true event happens with my guitarist as he is very Claptonesque with a Boss tuner and Wah pedal as his only accessories and with a Les Paul or Flying V into a vintage 50W Marshall. When we play out, it is not uncommon for someone to come close to his amp, even walking around it and looking intently for something.
When they are asked what they are looking for, the response is they are trying to figure out how he gets that tone. True story.
Also have a very narrow scope of interest in classic rock only, with a starting point in the 60's as many modern players can't play it so it becomes a treat to the listening public, proven by the tips and kind responses.
A recurring funny and true event happens with my guitarist as he is very Claptonesque with a Boss tuner and Wah pedal as his only accessories and with a Les Paul or Flying V into a vintage 50W Marshall. When we play out, it is not uncommon for someone to come close to his amp, even walking around it and looking intently for something.
When they are asked what they are looking for, the response is they are trying to figure out how he gets that tone. True story.
I like to learn songs I heard as a kid. CKLW in Detroit-Windsor had a truly diverse playlist thru-out the 60’s and every so often, a song comes up and takes me back in a nostalgic way.
I made a point a few years back to learn as much non-guitar music just to train my ears even more. Ended up helping a lot. Plus, learning to read notation.
I made a point a few years back to learn as much non-guitar music just to train my ears even more. Ended up helping a lot. Plus, learning to read notation.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I don't think I fully understand your post: the folks to whom I refer clearly have one without the other!
