Bass Fitness Handbook

[wishface]

I have this book, by Josquin Des Pres, but how do you make use of it? It has 200 exercises. You could spend your entire life working through it at the expense of everything else! Id' like to make use of these exercises because my goal right now is to develop my speed and fluidity of plucking, but I don't know where to being or how to proceed. Has anyone else used this book successfully?

[Coilte]

What you are saying is similar to saying that there are thousands of words in the English dictionary, so which ones should I learn the meaning to or the spelling of.

The simple answer is that ALL the exercises have their uses. So pick the ones that you think will be the most beneficial to you, and that you think you will get the most use out of. Either that, or start with the easier ones and gradually work towards the more difficult ones.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Coilte

[El Bajo]

You'll never use them all, and if you did then its a complete waste fo your time. Playing an instrument is about playing music, those exercises are not musical.

As Colite said pick out the ones that are beneficial. The exercises are set out so that they exercise each finger in a different way so for example a page will contain the same shape but start on different fingers so what you need to do is identify where your weakness is and find an execise that will help such as the little finger.

Theres plenty of string skipping exercises which are useful not just for the left but for the right so If you recognize that your right hand isn't coordinating with the left pick out a couple of these exercises.

I haven't picked up this book in about a year but i recently got a new bass which felt different to my last, the strings where wider apart and so I'd throw a couple of these exercises in just to get my left hand used to the neck, but only for about 10 minutes.

Don't spend lots of time on one exercises becasue muscle memory will eventually kick in. Also don't be afraid to randomly open the book and pick out some exercises, its not mean't to be progresivly harder. Use the book along side other areas you are working on, they get boring after a while.

One last thing, use a metronome building up speed and once you hit say 120, half that but still play at 120. So the meter is at 60. It will test your timing ;-).

Edited August 17, 2012 by El Bajo

[wishface]

OK thanks.

[Dread Bass]

I use this book. I try to use it as my warm up for practice. a different page of exercises everyday for half an hour. I apply the exercises to different techniques. I also use them to warm up before I play a gig.

[lobematt]

[quote name='wishface' timestamp='1345145072' post='1774321']
my goal right now is to develop my speed and fluidity of plucking, but I don't know where to being or how to proceed. [/quote]

I'd say start here...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxG0jm-dn5Y&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxG0jm-dn5Y&feature=relmfu[/url]

[Fat Rich]

As has been said, I'd skim through this book pretty quickly and pick out the things that seem to help you the most. Also, consider it a long term project, maybe pick and exercise or two a month and spend a few minutes a day on them.

It's not his best book in my opinion, his books on funk lines and muted grooves are good fun, and the one on reading music is pretty useful too.