Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Deficiencies in your technique..?


bubinga5
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1413843269' post='2582779']
Practice with a metronome.

You know, and especially for you guys that will be auditioning. Most of the time you will be playing along with the recording that you will be auditioning and that's an ideal environment. However, be aware that the recording is leading and driving you and you can really been thrown off when you audition with a live band.

Blue
[/quote]

Typically at the moment I'm playing along with drum beats at first, and other layers as I build them up. Would a metronome be better because it doesn't indicate the divisions of beats so that I would have to learn to hit those on my own?

Edited by Annoying Twit
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My less is more attitude sometimes gets in my way.
I love holding notes & being the foundation but when I have the opportunity to play something more my mind goes blank, I'm now practicing scales everyday & trying to learn to improvise within those scales.

I've started playing basic blues on guitar to widen my thinking but I still go blank on the spot......I have thrown myself way out of my own comfort zone by arranging a jamming session with two musicians that are way above me in terms of skill level, so I will see what I'm capable of......wish me luck guys as I'm papping me strides.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1413841063' post='2582745']
Isn't Incognito like your favourite band? You're always talking about them, how can it be something different for you?
[/quote]

Rather bluntly put... but I was kind of wondering the same thing! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've played for 15 years and the first few years was a steep learning curve. The only reason I picked up a bass was cos my mates band needed a bass player. They were playing extreme, van Halen, vai etc so my first things I learned were hard! I don't practice at all now really. Although I play alot. I rehearse weekly which is more of a writing session, and my hand are currently gigging sh*t loads. Twice a week on average. I am as good as I really need to be. I can play anything that a covers band could throw at me.

Sounds a bit arrogant but I'm sure many of you are in the same boat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there is always new things to learn. It's easy to say you don't need to practice because of this reason or that
reason, but I don't think like that.
Maybe I'm on a gig and didn't execute something as well as I would have liked-I now what I need to practice next day.Maybe
I got thrown by reading a difficult passage, so I'll go away and practice my reading. Maybe I wasn't happy with my soloing one
night. There are always things to brush up on and improve.
The other thing is just learning new things for the sake of it.I'm currently working Damian Erskines excellent books.I may not
need to use the 3 finger technique or some of the concepts and ideas right now, but there will be times when I will, and I want to
be prepared.I also want to be better today than I was yesterday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1413841063' post='2582745'] Isn't Incognito like your favourite band? You're always talking about them, how can it be something different for you? [/quote] is there a reason why i should know every Incognito record's bass line.? i appreciate them hugely but there not a favourite band. yes its bluntly put and sounds like your calling me out on my playing ThisNameisTaken.? :D only joking.. its a genuine post about a song i hadn't learned yet, that is quite challenging.. maybe you missed my point. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A self taught guitarist becomes a self taught bass player...I probably have every bad habit under the sun and then some!

Back to the OP - I'm still learning so much so that everything I learn in a step in the right direction and whilst I'm not the most technically advanced bass player out there 25 years of playing (mostly) rhythm guitar means I have a good feel for what I'm trying to achieve and understand my role in the band.

I try to learn new and different things - auditioned for a country/blues band which put so me far out of my comfort zone it was untrue but I felt I achieved and learned something new which hopefully I can put to use at some point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1413875042' post='2582899']
Typically at the moment I'm playing along with drum beats at first, and other layers as I build them up. Would a metronome be better because it doesn't indicate the divisions of beats so that I would have to learn to hit those on my own?
[/quote]

I'm not sure, however I can say that playing with a metronome all around is a good idea.

Blue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1414027831' post='2585024']
I'm not sure, however I can say that playing with a metronome all around is a good idea.

Blue
[/quote]

I've seen many comments that playing with a metronome [b]or drum machine[/b] is a good idea. I just wondered if there was an argument for metronome only. I'm playing extensively versus drum machine at the moment. TBH, after my wakeup call, I'm not interested in learning to be able to play things I can't already play, for the meantime, I just want better timing and better control of dynamics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1413752720' post='2581615']
Not really if honest. I can play all I need to, and if something comes along that`s difficult then I`ll practice it until I get it.
[/quote]

This... I've been playing for years so am already fairly versatile (ihmo!) ...and also I'm playing in an originals band so my bass lines are as challenging as I want them to be. Having said that, the kind of music we're playing generally needs relatively simple lines... there is just as much skill involved in reining it in as flying all over the fretboard (again imho)... I don't deliberately choose difficult things to play to 'test' myself. I don't beat myself up over it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had a guy audition on guitar once who told us with great pride he could play all his various licks and blues scales at 240bpm... He then proceeded to widdle his way through an impressive repertoire of solos, tapping and techniques I've never even seen before, the guy was an astonishing technician....

But could he play in a band? ... not for sh*t... No idea what to play when or how to write a nice little lead line.

There is a danger In concentrating too much on technical stuff, better off concentrating on becoming a better musician in my opinion. I'm more impressed with someone who can write a good song with three chords than someone who can play all victor wootens stuff note for note....

Edited by CamdenRob
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1414053545' post='2585126']
I've seen many comments that playing with a metronome [b]or drum machine[/b] is a good idea. I just wondered if there was an argument for metronome only. I'm playing extensively versus drum machine at the moment. TBH, after my wakeup call, I'm not interested in learning to be able to play things I can't already play, for the meantime, I just want better timing and better control of dynamics.
[/quote]
If you play vs a drum machine, the drum pattern is making the time explicit down to the smallest subdivisions, if you play to a metronome set only to click on beat 2 & 4 you have to rely on your own internal clock to keep you in sync.

Try this - at a reasonable tempo like 80bpm with the metronome clicking on every beat, play up an down a one octave scale one note per beat, starting playing whole notes e.g. C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C,B,A,G,F,E,D,C, then switch to eighths but keep one scale note per beat (C,C,D,D...etc) without breaking your stride, then triplet eighths (C,C,C,D,D,D..etc) then sixteenths (C,C,C,C,D,D,D,D ETC) what you want to achieve is nice even flow of notes with the first note of each group landing on the click.

Once you have that down, set the metronome to half the speed you had it set at, (or if you have a fancy one set it to click only on beat 2 and 4), so you play at the same tempo, but you now have half the information from the metronome to keep you in time and no explicit indication of where the 1 is - repeat the exercise and see if you can play it smoothly and reliably hit the first note of the groups that land on 2 and 4 in sync with the metronome.

If you can do that easily try slowing the tempo down even further and see what happens to your accuracy.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1414055072' post='2585159']
There is a danger on concentrating to much on technical stuff, better off concentrating on becoming a better musician in my opinion. I'm more impressed with someone who can write a good song with three chords than someone who can play all victor wootens stuff note for note...
[/quote]

So true... in my humble opinion the bass is not a solo instrument - it doesn't matter how good you are if your drummer can't play in time, or your guitarist plays so loud it deafens everyone, or your singer turns up too pissed to stand... it's a team effort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really like learning anything anymore! Of course I have to learn songs for the covers group so I give the song a few listens and then pick up a chord chart. We rehearse the songs and make them our own.

I prefer to sit and listen to the sort of music I wish I had the patience and skill level to learn.

Truckstop

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1414065031' post='2585346']
@SonicSimpleton - I'll give that a go. Now that you point it out, one of my books by Ed Friedman recommends putting the ticks on beats 2 and 4 etc. I need to practice that more.
[/quote]
That exercise I outlined is pretty dry and technical and good for highlighting basic issues, but the beauty of using the metronome like this is that you can work on changing the feel of something while also maintaining solid time which is much more creative - take a simple melodic idea and play it straight, make it swing, make it funky, play with variations of syncopation, change the amount of space etc etc without the feel being dictated by the drum machine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...