lavaboi Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 How do you guys warm up before practicing? I usually hit two 2 octave scales and then I play a melody I just got good at. Right now the melody its Beautiful Love by Bill Evans (you can get the scales I use here BTW) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJE Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Usually a couple of chromatic exercises and stretch each hand and fingers without a bass so that they feel loose. Nothing much more than that really but I’m only really playing soul/disco so it’s nothing that requires huge dexterity or speed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Before I even touch the bass I do some gentle stretches for a couple of minutes. I then do arpeggios starting at the twelfth fret and slowly work my way down, followed by some chromatic scales. I also "warm down" for a minute or so with more stretches after a practice session...which is something you don't often hear being recommended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 So you’re promoting your site? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleat Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 I take drugs and drink loads of beer to get myself in the mood* * not really. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 12 hours ago, Bleat said: I take drugs and drink loads of beer to get myself in the mood* * not really. /\ This. Its Rock and Roll FFS. Warm up? In my day blah blah blah. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 13 hours ago, Jakester said: So you’re promoting your site? And it seems to have worked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, mikel said: /\ This. Its Rock and Roll FFS. Warm up? In my day blah blah blah. Yeah...only wimps warm up...not macho rock and rollers !! Personally, I'd rather be an injury free wimp than suffer from all types of physical problems further down the line. Not saying that warm ups prevent injury problems, but they certainly help to reduce the chances of experiencing them. Prevention is better than cure....even in "Rock and Roll"...and in ANY day. 😉 https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/07/07/health-fitness-for-the-working-bassist-–-part-3-warm-up-exercise-tips/ Edited August 27, 2019 by Coilte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 1 hour ago, Coilte said: Yeah...only wimps warm up...not macho rock and rollers !! Personally, I'd rather be an injury free wimp than suffer from all types of physical problems further down the line. Not saying that warm ups prevent injury problems, but they certainly help to reduce the chances of experiencing them. Prevention is better than cure....even in "Rock and Roll"...and in ANY day. 😉 https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/07/07/health-fitness-for-the-working-bassist-–-part-3-warm-up-exercise-tips/ All fine and dandy by me. If you have the time or the inclination to do warm up exercises then good for you. I am very much a semi pro/pub band player. If I were a pro musician or indeed part of the act was dancing and gymnastics then I would "Warm up" but as I am not going to put my body under any undue or unexpected strain then no. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, mikel said: All fine and dandy by me. If you have the time or the inclination to do warm up exercises then good for you. I am very much a semi pro/pub band player. If I were a pro musician or indeed part of the act was dancing and gymnastics then I would "Warm up" but as I am not going to put my body under any undue or unexpected strain then no. The human hand is not designed for playing bass, and so it is under some strain when we play. Warming up helps to alleviate the strain, as does good technique. Regardless of the status of a bass player..i.e. pro or semi pro, amateur, playing tiny pubs or stadiums etc., the muscles and tendons required to play are the same for ALL bass players. As any sportsperson will tell you, it is a good idea to warm up muscles and tendons before "putting them to work". As for the "inclination"..that is entirely up to you. Time...we are only talking about a couple of minutes...five or six maybe. Small expense if it minimises the risk of potential injuries IMO. Edited August 27, 2019 by Coilte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleat Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 I'm sure I read an interview with Steve Harris somewhere, and he mentioned that he doesn't do warm ups or practice much if at all before gigs. I'm almost certain that playing with such a light touch he doesn't feel the need to. As I have learned to play fairly standard classic/ heavy rock tunes with a much lighter touch also over the years , and combined with low string action, I too don't feel the need to do warm up exercises. Just plug and start playing. My hands and fingers have not suffered in the slightest since doing this. I guess maybe it is something that is dependant on actual playing style, bass setup, and complexity of fret board gymnastics which dictate the need to do warm up excercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 I don’t warm up specifically but do flex my fingers a fair bit before going on stage. I never knew I did it, it was the singer in my last band that noticed it and mentioned how professional he thought it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Bleat said: I'm sure I read an interview with Steve Harris somewhere, and he mentioned that he doesn't do warm ups or practice much if at all before gigs. I'm almost certain that playing with such a light touch he doesn't feel the need to. As I have learned to play fairly standard classic/ heavy rock tunes with a much lighter touch also over the years , and combined with low string action, I too don't feel the need to do warm up exercises. Just plug and start playing. My hands and fingers have not suffered in the slightest since doing this. I guess maybe it is something that is dependant on actual playing style, bass setup, and complexity of fret board gymnastics which dictate the need to do warm up excercises. http://bassguitarplayerworld.com/beginner/warming-up/ In my estimation for every bassist who shuns warm ups there is another who uses them as part of their practice schedule. There is a lot of truth in your last paragraph above, but IMO for the sake of a few minutes, why not "err" on the side of caution and warmup anyway ? Just because problems are not apparent right now does not mean that they won't happen at some stage. It is the nature of the beast that these injury problems take time to show themselves. Anyway...to each their own. Edited August 27, 2019 by Coilte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 Scales, some bits IO've been learning recently, and improvise over various scales, usually in a bluesy vein... main objective is to keep the guitarist on his toes 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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