Golden Tips

trumpeter · 11-05-2005, 05:36 PM

These were from a thread a little while back, I think they are great tips

Something that really boosted my bass playing was that I know how guitar actually worked. I know how the chords are constructed, played etc. I was a former guitarist, but that helped me a lot! Makes it much easier to jam with a guitarist.

A good tone makes you want to practice more, so search for that tone! This is invaluable advice. If you can pick up your bass, play a note, and go 'Yes!', you've gotten off to a good start. Besides, it's so much easier to write great lines when you're happy with your sound. It enhances it so much.

If something is hard, don't give it up completely, stop for a little bit and then come back to it, you will be reinspiried

Surround yourself with better musicians, you will learn much more from them. If you're the best: teach, when you teach you explain things in a way you've never thought of it before and it will be more clear to you.

Find some old session player to mentor you.

If your soloing and play a 'wrong' note, remember your only one fret away from the right one, alternatively, pretend it was on purpose, play it a few more times, maybe a bit of something chromatic, and then return to the key

Don't play too hard, just turn up the amp.

You wont learn anything if you make yourself practice. You just have to want to do it.

Play with your amp turned up loud...it will help you develop a clean, precise technique and a great grasp of dynamics as you fight not piss off your parents and neighbors...

Learn to play fast lines extremely slowly and precisely, this will aid in getting them to sound good fast.

You have to love your bass. Without this love you won't feel the desire to pick it up!

Learn to play the piano; playing bass, melody and rhythm on one instrument will help. Classical training (piano) may suck, but you'll be a better musician for it.

For scales, it helps to learn the fret board... I did, and scales are so easy to just play as long as you know what to flat and sharp... You can learn all the notes, but there are also 'patterns' to find all the notes (and arpeggio’s, scales etc).

Don’t try to impress anyone, just learn to play. If someone gets impressed and you were just playing true, that’s a lot better than trying to show off with a flaming middle pickup. After you’ve learned to play, than okay to try and impress, as long as its for the benefit of the band your in, not if your trying to put yourself in the spotlight.

And try to improve the song with intricate stuff, not pollute it.

Practice with a regular schedule (warm up, scales, technique) in quiet place, free of distractions (TV, music, parents, pets) and keep to this routine. TV is not a distraction all the time. Put it on mute and play to the characters on the screen. It's kind of fun.

Cycle of fourths. Do your arpeggios through the cycle. Go through your major, minor, augmented, and diminished arpeggios in this cycle to a clicker. Use different rhythms as well. This will help hone your inner clock, and get an ear for different chord tones.

Also, play unplugged every so-often. You'll concentrate much more on the feel of the instrument than the sound.

If you need help playing funk, well ill tell you how i learned it
*flashback to room at Berklee*
"Funk is.....*orgasm noise**pelvic thrust*" - quatre

Think of your influences, then find out who influenced them, and then develop your own merge of all their styles

these are just some people's ideas, bold is just to seperate ideas, feel free to add.

SixnStones · 11-06-2005, 06:20 AM

This sums up the bass forum - helpful and awesome. I LOVE YOU MX!!!!!!

trumpeter · 05-01-2006, 08:32 PM

Buump becuase I love this.

Ting · 05-01-2006, 08:41 PM

cmogawa · 05-13-2006, 02:44 PM

wow that was very cool to read
thanks for some ideas and points of views i have never seen befor

jaco jr · 05-27-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trumpeter

If your soloing and play a 'wrong' note, remember your only one fret away from the right one, alternatively, pretend it was on purpose, play it a few more times, maybe a bit of something chromatic, and then return to the key

hahahahha - i love this idea - although if you are playing to a harmonic minor scale the note you might have wanted could also be 2 notes away

Quote:

Originally Posted by trumpeter

Learn to play the piano; playing bass, melody and rhythm on one instrument will help. Classical training (piano) may suck, but you'll be a better musician for it.

I have a keyboard and i am ok with it, but i wish i could learn to play piano properly, anyone have any good things to learn on piano for a novice?

Quote:

Originally Posted by trumpeter

Cycle of fourths. Do your arpeggios through the cycle. Go through your major, minor, augmented, and diminished arpeggios in this cycle to a clicker. Use different rhythms as well. This will help hone your inner clock, and get an ear for different chord tones.

what is cycle of fourths? i have heard of circle of fifths but not cycle of fourths, and is there a thread or a resource anywhere that tells us and explains how major,minor,diminished and augmented chords are formed?

Quote:

Originally Posted by trumpeter

Also, play unplugged every so-often. You'll concentrate much more on the feel of the instrument than the sound.

"Funk is.....*orgasm noise**pelvic thrust*" - quatre

hahahhaha so true

Billy_Silvers · 09-29-2006, 06:02 PM

When practicing solo, use a metronome or play along with a recording. Don't just read tab, listen to a cd, hear it, then try and play it. Your ear will be much better for it.

When playing with a drummer, listen to his kick drum. Try to line up with it at least a little bit.

Listen to the guitar player, but don't be a slave to the root.

As a bass player, you're bridging the gap between these to. You've gotta be rythmic and melodic.

stevenkeith · 09-20-2007, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaco jr

hahahahha - i love this idea - although if you are playing to a harmonic minor scale the note you might have wanted could also be 2 notes away

I have a keyboard and i am ok with it, but i wish i could learn to play piano properly, anyone have any good things to learn on piano for a novice?

what is cycle of fourths? i have heard of circle of fifths but not cycle of fourths, and is there a thread or a resource anywhere that tells us and explains how major,minor,diminished and augmented chords are formed?

hahahhaha so true

The fourths would be in the opposite direction. ie c->f, (going down the flats route, rather than the sharps).

A good book for proper piano playing is 'Piano time' by Pauline Hall. Its aimed at kids but its good none the less.

If you just want to play some 'journey' or 'linkin park' or something pop theres a guy on youtube who does decent tutorials. Search something like 'journey dont stop believing piano lesson' and it will likely come up.

11-05-2005, 05:36 PM	#1
trumpeter (_(_)=====D Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Amherst, MA Posts: 11,159	Golden Tips These were from a thread a little while back, I think they are great tips Something that really boosted my bass playing was that I know how guitar actually worked. I know how the chords are constructed, played etc. I was a former guitarist, but that helped me a lot! Makes it much easier to jam with a guitarist. A good tone makes you want to practice more, so search for that tone! This is invaluable advice. If you can pick up your bass, play a note, and go 'Yes!', you've gotten off to a good start. Besides, it's so much easier to write great lines when you're happy with your sound. It enhances it so much. If something is hard, don't give it up completely, stop for a little bit and then come back to it, you will be reinspiried Surround yourself with better musicians, you will learn much more from them. If you're the best: teach, when you teach you explain things in a way you've never thought of it before and it will be more clear to you. Find some old session player to mentor you. If your soloing and play a 'wrong' note, remember your only one fret away from the right one, alternatively, pretend it was on purpose, play it a few more times, maybe a bit of something chromatic, and then return to the key Don't play too hard, just turn up the amp. You wont learn anything if you make yourself practice. You just have to want to do it. Play with your amp turned up loud...it will help you develop a clean, precise technique and a great grasp of dynamics as you fight not piss off your parents and neighbors... Learn to play fast lines extremely slowly and precisely, this will aid in getting them to sound good fast. You have to love your bass. Without this love you won't feel the desire to pick it up! Learn to play the piano; playing bass, melody and rhythm on one instrument will help. Classical training (piano) may suck, but you'll be a better musician for it. For scales, it helps to learn the fret board... I did, and scales are so easy to just play as long as you know what to flat and sharp... You can learn all the notes, but there are also 'patterns' to find all the notes (and arpeggio’s, scales etc). Don’t try to impress anyone, just learn to play. If someone gets impressed and you were just playing true, that’s a lot better than trying to show off with a flaming middle pickup. After you’ve learned to play, than okay to try and impress, as long as its for the benefit of the band your in, not if your trying to put yourself in the spotlight. And try to improve the song with intricate stuff, not pollute it. Practice with a regular schedule (warm up, scales, technique) in quiet place, free of distractions (TV, music, parents, pets) and keep to this routine. TV is not a distraction all the time. Put it on mute and play to the characters on the screen. It's kind of fun. Cycle of fourths. Do your arpeggios through the cycle. Go through your major, minor, augmented, and diminished arpeggios in this cycle to a clicker. Use different rhythms as well. This will help hone your inner clock, and get an ear for different chord tones. Also, play unplugged every so-often. You'll concentrate much more on the feel of the instrument than the sound. If you need help playing funk, well ill tell you how i learned it flashback to room at Berklee "Funk is.....orgasm noisepelvic thrust" - quatre Think of your influences, then find out who influenced them, and then develop your own merge of all their styles these are just some people's ideas, bold is just to seperate ideas, feel free to add.

05-01-2006, 08:41 PM	#4
Ting Melts Face Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Kitchener Ontario MX Users Killed:239 Posts: 6,401	lol^

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11-06-2005, 06:20 AM	#2
SixnStones Imagine, Penguins Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 2,937	This sums up the bass forum - helpful and awesome. I LOVE YOU MX!!!!!!

05-01-2006, 08:32 PM	#3
trumpeter (_(_)=====D Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Amherst, MA Posts: 11,159	Buump becuase I love this.

05-13-2006, 02:44 PM	#5
cmogawa peglegs forever Join Date: May 2006 Location: home..duh Posts: 222	wow that was very cool to read thanks for some ideas and points of views i have never seen befor

09-29-2006, 06:02 PM	#7
Billy_Silvers Degenerate Hillbilly Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 18	When practicing solo, use a metronome or play along with a recording. Don't just read tab, listen to a cd, hear it, then try and play it. Your ear will be much better for it. When playing with a drummer, listen to his kick drum. Try to line up with it at least a little bit. Listen to the guitar player, but don't be a slave to the root. As a bass player, you're bridging the gap between these to. You've gotta be rythmic and melodic.