Share your practice routines

[Tony Grey]

Hey guy’s let’s share our practice schedules and some of the obstacles we want to overcome. Things like time constraints, what to prioritize etc..

[Scott M]

Practice time 2hrs in the morning if possible,1 hr in the evening.Not every day but as often as possible.
Sight reading a fresh tune .One of my difficulties.Choosing the correct area to play is a bit tricky.Looking a bar or two ahead, choosing the best fingering, looking at the bass to find the notes, also remembering to stick to the Key signature and trying for good technique all at once.Once the metronome is on it all gets grabby and erratic.Once the piece is learned, all is good.

Horizontal playing.Very happy playing across the strings in a limited area.never did much playing up and down the one string until recently.So trying to play as much of the sight reading pieces on one string at the moment, just to try and get comfortable with it.

Scott

[Tony Grey]

Hey Scott, I try first composing a fingering pattern first and train myself to find smooth ways of connecting positions. You will find the fingerboard study for the major modes helpful for moving around the instrument.

[Shannon T]

Hey Tony, I am an experienced musician with brass instruments but a bass newbie.

At what point in my practice should I interject learning the notes on the whole fretboard vs just jumping in to lessons and learning the fretboard as I go?

Thanks!
Shannon

[Tony Grey]

Hi Shannon, It’s a combination of both, You can look at the Understanding Harmony course as well other topics and learn as you go. I have just filmed a lesson on learning the notes which will be available very soon. I’ll point you to that. LEt me know some of the topics you want to work on and I’ll guide you better.

[Tony Grey]

Hi Shannon, It’s a combination of both, You can look at the Understanding Harmony course as well other topics and learn as you go. I have just filmed a lesson on learning the notes which will be available very soon. I’ll point you to that. LEt me know some of the topics you want to work on and I’ll guide you better.

[Scott M]

Hi Tony.

Yes,thank you.The mode studies on the fingerboard are definately a must, particularly the ones that go from the lowest to highest notes.I have been looking at a couple of sax solos with a view to transcribing thinking that might help .Also to see what notes are being played over the chords.And for phrasing .

Scott

[Tony Grey]

Awesome Scott, When you learn this stuff, always make sure you are focussing on being able to hear the concepts as well as understanding them. The modes are a fairly simple concept, however digging into understanding the intervallic relationship between the notes and the available tensions over each related chord will help you to be more musical. Keep me posted!

[Michael P]

Right now I have been working on

Warm-up + technique
Fingerboard Study
Bebop Study
Chord Tones and triads (30 minutes each)

I have been focusing on learning all the notes and intending to feel comfortable in all keys throughout the neck.

Probably going to switch to a two day split adding

Ear Training
Linear Solo Concepts
Basslines
Melodic Development

I also have started playing a bit of guitar so probably will apply these same concepts for 30-60 minutes a day with that.

[Tony Grey]

Excellent, Michael. I always found that learning some of these concepts away from the bass is super helpful too. Even just sitting and contemplating concepts and writing them down. When I pick up the bass I sometimes find myself getting caught up on the physicality of the instrument which distracts me from absorbing the material in a creative way. Again, it’s just about being organized, focussed and patient. I’m here to guide you on all of it..

[Michael P]

Thanks Tony! Speaking of away from the instrument…he other day I wrote out all the Modes for each key as well as the corresponding 7th chords and all their notes. I also have been going through the keys , notes, chords etc in my head as well.

[Tony Grey]

Great Michael, that’s the way! Try to always think about the modes as chord tones and tensions and how they effect the energy.

[Author]

Posts