AntLockyer

Did 15 minutes of reading, ex23-26

Did 15 minutes of II V I using my newly learned arpeggios only

More to come later.

Didn't get a whole lot done today but realised that part of my issue with the arpegios was I don't know the fret board at all in that area. So I wrote the arpegio notes out then played them while saying the note names. That was maybe 20 minutes. Did a bit more practice on a meters tube we do that is always too fast for me and I play half the notes. Think I've got it now.

Tried some reading but my head hurt so stopped.

Love it!

1 hour ago, alexa3020 said:

don't know if its typical that display basses are not set up particularly well!

I wouldn't buy one if it wasn't. Shops have to make the effort to get my custom.

30 minutes ago, alexa3020 said:

Antlockyer -Did you find there was any variation in quality in mia p basses?

Certainly variation in how they felt and how they sounded. I don't really understand why that would be the case as the Chinese Squiers all were exactly the same when I tried them. My P bass sounds really woody and is quite loud acoustically. It stood out as a bass I wanted to own immediately.

Mint pickguard is 100% in the lead at the moment.

You really have to play the actual bass you are getting. I tried loads before I bought my MIA P bass new, it was better than all the others I'd played.

The original project that the neck came from was all about a non scratch plate jazz, I think I might be over that now, we shall see.

I'm going to do a solid colour, probably Shoreline gold or Sonic/Daphne blue

This needs a little work first.

OOOH

The best guitar I've ever played was a mid 60s 335. It is so good that I'd be tempted to put it into a different category from any other guitar. It was the proof I needed that god existed etc.

The owner (my father in law) keeps on telling me I can buy it from him. Unfortunately without selling my house I can't.

What I have found just recently is that I learn by recall. It is as if my brain knowing that it will need this info in the future builds more pathways to make it accessible. If I don't use it it thinks it doesn't need it anymore and discards or removes the pathways for something more important.

This is useful we are going to do this at our next gig.

I got given some money for my birthday (I'm 44 bit weird) so decided to spend it real quick on a J bass body from Guitar Build

2 piece Alder 2kg

I'm going to join it with a neck I have laying around from an aborted project

Painting with nitro and doing a matching headstock. Now to decide on colour. I've got a few Jazz bits laying around that I'll asses for suitability (all off a Squier VM Jazz). It might be a case of getting it up and running with the electrics I have and upgrading at a later date. If I remember correctly the control plate is awful so I'll order one of those and a scratchplate (once paint colour decided). 

I on the other hand can't remember things I played yesterday especially when I'm reading the part. That's why I have cheat sheets for every song in our set, just simple stuff like 'uptown/downtown A or G 1,1,2,1,5,6,7

Ended up being at home today so just did 20 minutes on reading and covered chapter 2 of the book. With the refresher I'm so far able to sight read the parts first go, I'm sure this is all good foundation for when it starts to ratchet up in intensity. I did used to be able to read treble clef reasonably well but that was 30 years ago. several years ago I had some bass lessons and was reading as part of that but not well.

Don't tell anyone but I went back and did another 15 minutes of reading, re-doing the first 10 exercises in the book.

I've no expectations other than some practice is better than none.

The issue I have with all the advice about little and often/everyday/not large amounts is two fold.

It is generally touted as being the only way which means people like myself who don't have everyday to practice feel they are wasting their time (it happened in this thread). When you look at a lot of very good people they may be playing everyday but they are doing it for 6 hours at a time. I've been on residential music courses where we played all day, I got a LOT better. I don't really want to get into an argument about what is the most efficient way or anything really, simply I need to be held accountable for doing ANY practice and I'm hoping you chaps help me.

Very very nice!

Just did 30 minutes on reading too. Up to Exercise 9

What I probably failed to mention that might become obvious is I'm and addict, so long periods of practice is only because I'll have trouble stopping when the enthusiasm is high. Starting or remembering to start is the issue.

I've also bought this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Guitarists-Guide-Reading-Music-ebook/dp/B00E5R1HN8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

and will do at a bit as many days as I can (definitely not Tuesdays)

It appeals to me. It makes my brain have to work and I felt like I'd accomplished something. There was a side effect. I rarely play on that part of the neck unless I'm playing in E, I found it quite difficult just from a positioning standpoint. I realise now that the way I was holding my guitar in practice wasn't anything like when standing up and playing so I've adjusted my position and concentrated on keeping the tension out.

Ended up doing an hour and half today.

Monday 24th Sept

Technique, facility and articulation

Time and groove

Fingerboard visualisation

Language of music (phrases and harmony)

C major scale, Arpeggios on c major, worked out not looked up on the internet (C major 7, D minor 7 , E minor 7, F major 7 so far) Forwards and backwards at 90bpm all in one position root on E string (1.5 hours), 

Genre based studies 

None!

2 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

IME if you have to set yourself a regime you'll never stick to it. It will become a chore and you'll soon loose interest.

People learn best when they want to learn and make time to learn because it is fun, not because they think that that they ought to.

I love learning it is just I'm easily distracted and forget to do it. Same with all sorts of other things in my life, I'm a bit faddy.

32 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

3 times per week for an hour is the wrong approach.

I appreciate your advice and will incorporate some reading into what I'm doing, it definitely wont be each day though hence the 'at least 3 days a week part of my post'. I have a lot of free time Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will use it for bass practice.