i'm at a wall

[punkstylebassline]

i've run out of things to play or new music either way i'm bored as hell i've been playing for nearly a year and a half and have some knowledge of theory including scales, chords, arpeggios and some modes i also have learnt most techniques including finger picking, using a pick, slap/pop and tapping i was just wondering if anyone has any advice on what i can do next i've been at a dead end for months.

[Left Shoe]

learn to play walking bass lines

[Mr. Pickle]

they need to get an *OFFICAL* one of these threads

[HaVIC5]

Theres some great links for walking lines in the resources forum. Trust me, once you open this can of worms, you won't be at a wall for much longer.

[punkstylebassline]

i probably should of mentioned that i learnt walking a while back to quite fun thanks for the suggestions though i'm just hoping nobody recommends double thumbing or something like that i'd rather learn somethin i can play within a band setting i'm no soloist and i wouldn't want to be

[Efrim]

"You are at a wall. There is a ladder to the left, and a door leding down to the right. Which do you take?"

But seriously, listen to more music, and you discover more stuff you want to play.

[ViolenceBass]

You said you werent well versed in video gams, lol

[Efrim]

You said you werent well versed in video gams, lol

Dungeons and Dragons are hardly video games, man. Though I did play Baldurs Gate 2. Too bad I haven't played them in years, the fantasy games were so epic.

[ViolenceBass]

I thought you were referring to Text based games, hmm, they ripped off d&d I suppose.

[Shinobi_sniper]

stop playing punk style basslines

[HaVIC5]

i probably should of mentioned that i learnt walking a while back to quite fun thanks for the suggestions though i'm just hoping nobody recommends double thumbing or something like that i'd rather learn somethin i can play within a band setting i'm no soloist and i wouldn't want to be
Oh, you already know how to walk, so you'll be able to improvise a Scott LeFaro counterpoint at the drop of a hat, or walk a line over Giant Steps without blinking. Since you already know how to tap, you can easily perform Bach Two-Part Inventions with masterful control and ease. Since you already know how to play fingerstyle, you can blaze through Chromatic Fantasy with precision even Jaco didn't have.

Come on. You haven't by any means mastered any of the techniques that you dabble in after a year and a half of play (and if you have, SOUND FILES), and so if you think you're at a wall, practice a specific technique or element of your playing, like tapping, or walking, or 16th-note funk, or whatever, until you honestly think you're the greatest person ever to perform in that style.

[pitchfork]

When i'm bored I just pick up my bass and start riffing out, some of my best material has been discovered that way.

[ebe9]

Oh, you already know how to walk, so you'll be able to improvise a Scott LeFaro counterpoint at the drop of a hat, or walk a line over Giant Steps without blinking. Since you already know how to tap, you can easily perform Bach Two-Part Inventions with masterful control and ease. Since you already know how to play fingerstyle, you can blaze through Chromatic Fantasy with precision even Jaco didn't have.

Come on. You haven't by any means mastered any of the techniques that you dabble in after a year and a half of play (and if you have, SOUND FILES), and so if you think you're at a wall, practice a specific technique or element of your playing, like tapping, or walking, or 16th-note funk, or whatever, until you honestly think you're the greatest person ever to perform in that style.

:chug:


Choose a specific track that you know for a fact you cannot play, and then examine the techniques used in it. Once you understand how the track was created then move onto perfecting those techniques.

Then move onto playing the track.

[gaslight]

Find how to challenge yourself.

Imagine you are a teacher trying to find your weak spots so you can strengthen them.

Ask yourself stuff "Do you know your major scales?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well play an Ab major scale descending over two octaves beginning on the 6th."

Stuff like that is where its at for learning your theory properly as opposed to just knowing one fingering pattern for a major scale. Knowing patterns isn't knowing theory, to really know your scales means you can name the notes in them from memory without needing to consult a bass.

Try some ear training too, can be hard without someone to help you with unless you have a program for it, but work on ear recognition of intervals, chords (triads, sevenths, inversions, extensions, etc) and scales and whatnot. Melodic dictation (transcription) is a really good work out for your musicianship. Sight reading too, and chart reading.

When you hit a wall there is always a wealth of things to be done, it is just a matter of finding them. There's no excuse for anyone to say they've run out of things to practise/learn because there is a limitless amount of things to be done.

[ebe9]

Find how to challenge yourself.

Imagine you are a teacher trying to find your weak spots so you can strengthen them.

Ask yourself stuff "Do you know your major scales?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well play an Ab major scale descending over two octaves beginning on the 6th."

Stuff like that is where its at for learning your theory properly as opposed to just knowing one fingering pattern for a major scale. Knowing patterns isn't knowing theory, to really know your scales means you can name the notes in them from memory without needing to consult a bass.





I really like that idea and am going to do my best to try and put it into practice.

Thank you.

[Polyamarous]

Cut off one of your fingers then try learning to play again.

[Left Shoe]

i probably should of mentioned that i learnt walking a while back to quite fun thanks for the suggestions though i'm just hoping nobody recommends double thumbing or something like that i'd rather learn somethin i can play within a band setting i'm no soloist and i wouldn't want to be
i double thumb with my band

[katana_manatee]

I agree with haVic, you can't just say you've already learned tapping/slapping/fingerstyle/walking and want to learn something else, you will just know the relative basics. Music is a very deep deep world with so much more to it than just the basics. You have to push yourself, you can't just say because you can do a little something with a certain technique that you know it, because you only know the basics and there are very high levels of proficiency out there with each technique.

[punkstylebassline]

thanks for the help guys i'll try some of these i didn't mean i'd ran outta things to play i'm jus kinda at the point where everythings to easy or too hard like i can do most basic stuff and some complex things i just don't know how to advance with my skill and to the guy who said that about my name it's not mine it's a friends user he doesn't use.

[Left Shoe]

thanks for the help guys i'll try some of these i didn't mean i'd ran outta things to play i'm jus kinda at the point where everythings to easy or too hard like i can do most basic stuff and some complex things i just don't know how to advance with my skill and to the guy who said that about my name it's not mine it's a friends user he doesn't use.
i remember that point, pick out a bass solo you dont think you can play and break it down until you can play it.

[katana_manatee]

It is just a matter of taking your time and not rushing into things. Somethings might appear super hard but they are playable, it just takes patience. Slow them down and learn a bar at a time.

What for example have you been listening to that you find too hard to play?

[punkstylebassline]

i play a lot of red hot chili peppers stuff sounds like a bit of a cliche but they're one of the few bands i liek at the moment. i can play a lot of the stuff but when it comes to parts like the chorus for around the world or all the fills from dani california i have no idea to go about it

[iamreprogramed]

stop playing punk style basslines

:lol:

[EADG]

Write some songs, lucky for you, you can never run out of songs to write.

[e p]

take a break.

experience life, read some books.

go back in a couple weeks and see how you are.

[cramboli]

Just dabble around in some offset ideas that you "think" no one has tried or even if they have try to find a way to take it to a new level whether it is musicly or in some technique build up everything you have to where you can leave your amp, bass, and tape recorder on at night when you sleep just to listen to the "new" masterpiece you created in your sleep playing... Or something like that...

[e p]

well i would first recommend listening to whatever new music you can get your hands on.

the more you listen to the more you can draw of it, even if you are supposed to 'dislike' the music.

and the wall you talk about is all mental. dont think about the wall and just play along to cds, or make songs or whatever you do. just let it flow without thinking about your time playing bass as having phases of being on and off.

[the nameless]

I'm a guitarist and i had the same problem as you threadstarter, yet my "wall" was there for about a year.



You want to know what broke that mother****er down?




Well do ya?




Punk?








GET BASS GUTAR LESSONS!



i repeat, get bass guitar lessons. Even if it's once a month, if you know where you want to go with your playing, what level you would like to get to, talk to a teacher about it, i did, and now im improving like hell and loving the guitar again! and plus, you'll always have material to work on that you kno will improve your playing.

read this, http://www.guitar9.com/columnist186.html , yeah its for guitarists, but it applies to bass too. (i read this and ive now got a great teacher and get lessons every 2 weeks)


If this doesnt help you, take up bird watching, or some other hobby like that.

[e p]

ya man git gutar lessons

[thelowsoundofbass]

Lessons are a great thing, if you already have a teacher and you presented this problem to him and he can't help you. GET A NEW TEACHER!!!

lowsound

[Jody LeCompte]

I knew Adam or Phil one were going to drop the Giant Steps card...

I had to solo over C Jam Blues a few nights ago, now THATS fun

[HaVIC5]

I knew Adam or Phil one were going to drop the Giant Steps card...

I had to solo over C Jam Blues a few nights ago, now THATS fun
Yawn. Blues progressions are so passé.

[Jody LeCompte]

Shut your face, Adam. <_<

I love the blues and the blues love me. Besides, isn't C Jam Blues technically jazz?

[mastrrbasser]

I've said this before and i'll say it again, i find practicing at night to be a lot more beneficial. I'm a lot more open to learning new things when i play later. I can read better, and my fingers are more nimble(when i play at say, 2 in the morning opposed to 2 in the afternoon). Your body doesn't rely on muscle memory as much and you're more relaxed. There are fewer distractions, and you focous more. I normally just fiddle and fart around on the bass during the day, and i do the woodshedding at night time.


give it a try, it might not be your thing, but since i don't sleep much anyways, i take advantage of it.

[Jody LeCompte]

I also play better if I havent been practicing religiously. I played bass for two hours today after not playing for three(work / school) and I did stuff I dindt know I could do...

[Left Shoe]

Yawn. Blues progressions are so passé.
agreed. my marching band show is basically a 12 bar blues, except written by yoko kanno so its pretty sweet...for the first 10 listens, then its just annoying
I knew Adam or Phil one were going to drop the Giant Steps card...

I had to solo over C Jam Blues a few nights ago, now THATS fun

that song is mind blowing in every aspect

[HaVIC5]

Shut your face, Adam. <_<

I love the blues and the blues love me. Besides, isn't C Jam Blues technically jazz?
Note, I was kidding. And yeah, C Jam Blues is definitely jazz, but like its title suggests, its a jazz blues.

[calvin123]

when i hit the wall i just went to old jazz music, there is so much of it and there is alot of amazing basslines.

[Jody LeCompte]

Note, I was kidding. And yeah, C Jam Blues is definitely jazz, but like its title suggests, its a jazz blues.
Yeah, I knew you couldnt seriously tell me Duke Ellington covers werent daring :lol:

I remember watching a REALLY old live version of it and dukes drummer broke his sticks and started playing the whole set with his hands. It was pretty neat

[whatdoyouknow]

heres what i do to keep myself thinking outside of the box. i play to a drum machine and create a single riff. after i have an established A pattern, i play the pattern over and over, but i start on different beats.

||1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a ||

for example if i started the riff on the 1 beat, next time i will start it on the 1 & beat. and the next time i would start on the 2. and the 2 &. etc. this can completely change the feel of the riff. usually from boring interesting.

personally, i would always find myself at a wall when all i would do was play to music. once i started to create my own music, it was hard for me reach a dead end.
experiment with different time signatures and timing.

i hope this helps