The Next Level Bassist - Practicing

tle along with the recording. Eventually try playing along
with the recording. To archive your transcription, write it
down. Caution! Writing it down first, will be fruitless and
soon be frustrating, in my opinion. You must begin to truly
listen to the sounds coming out of your instrument. Play
everything “slowly and distinctly” so you can hear everything
clearly. Slowly you will build your CONFIDENCE and
that will develop CONSISTENCY in everything you do. If
you are fortunate to have a teacher, practice your assignments.
There are tons of things to practice that tend to
overwhelm us. It is so daunting, we keep putting all of it
off until the next day and, quite often, that day, unfortunately,
never comes. Isolate what is absolutely necessary
and then do half of it, everyday. These are good habits to
form.
When to Practice?
There are four types of practice options, physical,
mental, vocal, visual. As your playing becomes
more mature, practice times will vary, but the four
options are always there for you. The most important
time to physically practice is when you are the
freshest, whenever you think that is for you. Generally
speaking, it is when you wake up after a good
night’s sleep or nap! :-)
Can you practice without the instrument?
Absolutely! The mental, vocal, and visual options are available
to you anytime away from your instrument. In some
respects, I feel these options will help you from wasting precious
time. The visual option will help you overcome the
challenges you may have counting rhythms. When learning
a new song, learn the melody. Then learn the “BIG”
letters of the chord symbol. First, without your instrument,
take a blank manuscript paper. Mark out the appropriate
number of measures with the correct chord symbol
over the top of the staff lines. With a pencil and an eraser,
create a flowing quarter-note bass line by writing down
notes that represent the sound the chord symbols require
for the song. Use the notes from the chord and/or the notes
from the scale for that symbol. Second, when finished with
the entire form, play what you have written on your bass.
If you are not satisfied with some of the notes, erase and
change them until you are more satisfied. This is the only
time you will have to contemplate what you have written
and make edits to your satisfaction on the content of your
line. In a real playing situation, you CANNOT STOP and
go back to change something you didn’t like while playing.
Third, continue this process until you are completely
satisfied with all of the notes. Fourth, play your creation,
without stopping. Concentrate on a good time feeling and
good intonation. Generally speaking, reading rhythms in
a designated tempo is more challenging than reading the
notes for many young and inexperienced players. These
two components must be played simultaneously in the
correct tempo to make the phrase musically acceptable.
The solution is simple. Put the instrument DOWN! Set a
comfortable tempo using a metronome. SLOWLY tap on
your leg or table the correct rhythms. Do this until you are
able to tap it correctly in the desired tempo. Next, SING
the notes. Yes, I said SING! When I am learning or working
on a new melody or phrase, I sing it in my car while driving.
I sing some of the best solos ever in my car. :-) You can
too, if you try! Sing the phrase or passage IN TUNE with
the correct rhythm in the manner you would like to play
it. If you cannot sing it in tune, you will probably not play
it in tune either. Using the piano, sing along as you play
The reality is that no one really cares if you
practice or not, so why do we do it? We
practice because it is incredibly gratifying
and satisfying when we reach those goals
that have been eluding us.
the notes. If you get into the habit of using these mental,
vocal, and visual exercises, you will see a marked improvement
in your playing, believe me. I didn’t believe it either
when I heard double bass virtuoso, Gary Karr speak about
this process in one of his workshops. I was amazed how it
helped me get into the piece much more quickly than I
expected and with more clarity, as well. It will get easier as
you incorporate these habits into your daily life.
How much practice?
After you have a few years under your belt of real playing
situations, to what degree you practice will vary considerably.
It will depend on the demands made upon you
on a daily basis personally and professionally. Remember,
one must keep up with a daily maintenance routine with
scales, challenging etudes, and/or snippets of a composition
you just love to play. Be honest with yourself and stick to
that “real” time frame allocated to practice. Time is a precious
commodity. The organization of your daily practice
habit will train you not to waste time and become more
consistent. This consistency and focus you acquire will roll
over into any and all other music you practice and play.
It will not be a one-time experience. Only you can decide
when that “real” time is. Before long, you will find yourself
playing with a more focused attitude for longer periods of
time with excellent results.
That being said, it is my opinion, after two hours of
physical practice, one should rest the body. If something
begins to hurt, STOP IMMEDIATELY! Your body is telling