When I was in Jr. college, my best friend was Dave Hagleganz, an incredible 17 year old tenor player. He would paractice 8-10 hours a day blowing through every key in every mode. He'd go through a box of Rico Royals a week... Anyway, he and I'd practice all hours of the night (I was on upright) using a wicked pratice method we came up with on the spot. We would write out on little pieces of paper, every chord we could think of. These included major and minor, b3rd's, b5th's, #9th's, #11th's, etc. We'd throw them into a paper bag, shake it up, then draw out 12 slips and lay them on a table in the order we took them out. Obviously, they wouldn't be in any particular key. Dave and I would them start playing straight 4's against the chords as they were laid out. Some of the chord changes were the most awful changes you'd ever hear. But the idea was that it improved our sight reading like you wouldn't believe. After 3 months of summer pratice like that, we came back to fall classes and could sight read any song placed in front of us. We were so used to playing awkward and difficult sounding changes, everything after that was a piece of cake. I've shared this pratice method with other bass players, sax players and guitarists who've all said it help their reading as well.

Transcribing bass lines off of records is a great way to build your chops, along with improving many other skills we need as bassists. Learning a song note for note is also great, but there are also ways of taking songs that we learn off of records and using them as vehicles to help us experiment/practice different techniques. One method that I use with my students that works really well is first having them learn the original line. They then chart out the song, and begin analyzing what the bassist is doing. On parts such as licks, I would normally suggest to the student to not stray from the line, due to its importance. Parts were the bassist is playing over the changes are where we begin to open up. We first listen to hear if there are any interesting licks within the part, if so we keep a hold of them. We then go over the part, elaborating with our own lines/ideas. Understanding the chords, which are being played, will help us decide which note choices may work best. Throughout the song I will have the student go over the section, giving him/her certain guidelines. Guidelines such as use just octaves and fifths, using passing tones from above or below, play what you feel works best, play off of the vocals, focus more on the groove, etc. I feel that approaching songs in this manner will help with your ear training, your understanding of music theory, transcribing, groove, and will also help you find your “voice”. Creating guidelines within your approach to playing songs will strength those areas. Once all of the guidelines are brought together you will notice that your overall level of playing has improved. Plus there is nothing better than coming up with your own lines to your favorite tunes, or making all those tunes you need to play in a cover band more interesting! I know it makes playing cover tunes for 4 hours a lot more fun for me!!

Mario Licata
http://www.myspace.com/mariolicata

Heya folks ,
My tip for keeping strings bright . I always carry in my kit a small bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol [ IPA ] available from pharmacies and a lint free cloth [ T- Shirt material works best ] . After every set , or practice , I soak a small section of cloth and wipe the strings a few times , they give a horrid violin type sound . This seems to remove all the sweat , skin oils etc . Ive had up to a year out of a set that I eventually replaced due to mechanical damage from fret-indentations. Im sure you`ll be amazed how much extra life and brightness you get from this technique .
Good luck and happy playing

a good way of coming up with basslines i find is to jam along to tracks, but heres the tip!..play a track through laptop speakers!the ones on the front of a laptop that are not very good, this way you will hear no bass in the track(because thety are generally so bad) so its like jamming along with the band, i find this better that jamming along with just a drum track as you can really feel more from the track and really get into the music creatively. its best to do this with tracks you have not yet listened to throgh proper speakers because you will have no idea what the recorded bassline is like so you wont copy, from that its fun to see how close or how far away you were from the recorded bassline.its a nice feeling to come up with something very similar because it makes you feel like you could have done the session!and its a nice feeling from it bieng completely different becuase you can then use that bassline in a different context in your own music

My tip for everyone is: Stay sober, don't get caught up in the moment. Parties and clubs always have the shall we say "goods" and it seems that most people want to thank the band with their goods. When you play enjoy the fact that you're giving it your all and buzzed players think they are Rockin but they are not,a buzzed crowd is not a good judge of your music capabilities, be proffesional, you never know who's watching you. Norm E. Newiger

Hey Bass Player Magazine here is my tip
I keep a journal and a practice schedule.
I will start on Sunday, I will set up my schedule for the week which I change every week.
Like Monday Ear Training, grab a disk or the radio and go at for about 20 minutes after a quick ten minute warm up, then make notes on what you learned, either write the notes or tab it. Then walk away, and come back a few hours later and repeat.
Then say Tuesday, Freestyle, warm up, then plug into a recorder if you have one , and just imagine, do this for about twenty minutes again, then out put it away, come back later that night and try to repeat what you did earlier.
Then Wed. Scales, Scales, Scales, same thing twenty minutes walk away return hours later and repeat.
Thursday. READ THAT MUSIC BOYS AND GIRLS, this one is a big one. Get everything ready, then start reading that sheet music. Go thirty minutes on this one, then return later that night, but this time play it through then try to play from memory. if you can't. break it down and learn parts, and keep track of your parts,
Then Friday, go play out or go jam with friend or what ever you do on Fridays, Saturday Repeat Friday, hopefully you are gigging out some where on these days.
Then Sunday, create a new schedule for the up coming week.

Hey Bass PLayer here is another little trick I like to do, I actually carry a piece of sheet music in my pocket, not a full score, just a print out of usally a very active Cello piece, and when I get bored waiting in a line or something I will pull it out and read it.
Just a little something that I do.
Mike Orr

My Tip:

When enrolling for classes in college, I looked up what music instructors had Strings classes listed and started making phone calls. I found one instrumentalist class, Jazz Band, and a teacher willing to give a private one-hour bass lesson each week for two credit hours. Between the two, I get three credit hours - the same as most core classes - just for playing bass in college. The best part is the homework is actually fun to do.

This isn't a playing tip, but rather an instrument repair experiment and what to avoid doing if you get a ding in your bass.

dcr posted a thread, in late winter I think, where he dented his Yamaha on the front of the body and ended up covering the damage with a small sticker. He did a fine job too, as I recall.

I had stated that I thought the dent could be taken out with a hot iron and a damp cloth, because the technique works on unfinished wood. Rocky didn't think it could be done on finished wood, and I said I would try an experiment at work since I have access to clear and colored lacquers.

Well, I got a piece of maple and a piece of alder and put some white lacquer on half of each. I also put some stain and a clear lacquer on the the other half of each board, and finished each board with another coat of clear.

I set them aside at work to dry and cure for a couple weeks and proceeded to forget all about them until I noticed them again the other day. They sat around for 5 or 6 months, and cured nicely I might add, but it was now time for the experiment.

I dented the boards in 4 places with a ball peen hammer and with the hot iron and damp cloth tried to take the dents out. Needless to say, Rocky was right and it didn't work. Not only did it not take out the dents, but it started to melt the top coat of lacquer and left the imprint of the towel in the finish.

This is a very soft 'acrylic modified' lacquer, but is also the same lacquer that Fender is using on their instruments. I've heard that they DO use a 'hot lacquer' technique, but they must also be using a harder final coat than I did. Even so, I think my recommendation would still be "Don't try this at home, kids".

I took photos of the procedure but the last ones of the towel imprints didn't show up at all, so I decided not to post them.
_________________________
Fender Precision Special
Yamaha TRB 5
Cort GB 75
Mossvalve, Blue Tube,
2x15 EV-M's
Sansamp BDDI

So many roads, so many trains to ride...

(Reader's Tip)

To get out of a rut, spend one week assuming the identity of another bass player. Meaning? One week practicing with different styles and genres. Love jazz? Play rock. Country is your thing? Play disco. Don't read? Start. You a picker? Go pizzicato all week (and vice-versa). The bottom (line) is to spend one week sounding/playing like a completely different musician. After the week is over, you'll be surprised how much more interesting and improved your normal self has become.

Bill Kelly, Jr.

The thing that inproved my bass playing the most was learning the magor and minor scale in every key. Two simple patterns.

Learn the names of the notes in the "unknown zone" of your bass: the notes on frets 9 through 12. In my experience, most bass players know the bass up to fret 8 and then are vague about the next batch of notes.

You could start by playing songs you know a fifth higher. Don't go to the next string: play your parts 7 frets higher. Once you can play a song, say the names of the notes you are playing.

If you are a reader, look at your Simandl book and play the exercises for the VI and VII postitions (and the intermediate position between the two) without moving your hand.

Getting the most from your Precision Bass without replacing a darn thing!!

If you use a Precision Bass and would like to get a little versatility out of it without amp adjustment on stage, try this.. Remove and re-install the tone control barrel knob so the screw is straight up when the control is at 50% and facing you when you look down (kinda like a center detent).

Once complete and the tone is at 50%, adjust your amp to get the tone you use most, if you need more highs or lows, you can now get them without having to go to your amp, just adjust the tone control!! And you just retrurn it to straight up again to reset your favorite sound. Peace..

Play rests, whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes. Leave holes in the music for effect and for letting other parts come through. That also allows people to take notice when you do throw in your fancy licks. If all you do is play busy, the audience tunes you out. Make them want to hear what you have to say, rather than trying to force them to listen. Once you have their ear, then you can punish them with your massive chops. Nothing grooves like quarter notes, and nothing rocks like whole notes. An effective way to bring out a bass line is to precede it with a rest.

This is a really good tip. For many years I thought the only way to sound tight is play out multiple times as a group. Now I know that it's possible to sound tight even during a spontaneous jam. Like fritzgrooves says, the key is listening and playing musically. Dynamics works wonders.

Here's a tip for coming up with new melodies for soloing or composing. Using headphones, sing along to everything you are playing. And then start to play along to what you are singing. This technique can help you break out of the usual lines you play. Because chances are you can sing or scat more melodies than you can play. This is also a good way to work on your vocal intonation.

Here's a tip for coming up with new melodies for soloing or composing. Using headphones, sing along to everything you are playing. And then start to play along to what you are singing. This technique can help you break out of the usual lines you play. Because chances are you can sing or scat more melodies than you can play. This is also a good way to work on your vocal intonation.

This is a exellent warm up exercise that I use every time I play.
(note: each nunber represents a finer. 1=index finger, 2=middle finger and so on. Also one finger per fret.) First pick a fret to start on, it does not matter wich. rember to do the same thing on each string. Here are the finger postions

1234 1423 4123 2314 3214 2143 1324

Do this once or twice untill you feel warmed up.

A lesson that I learned over the course of the last few weeks when buying gear is to play as much of it as possible with YOUR OWN stuff. Always bring your bass when you are trying out a new head and cabinet. Also, if you trying out new cabinets, bring your bass and head. Whatever the case may be, bring the appropriate gear to test the new gear that you want.

Also, don't be afraid to travel a little bit to find a store that carries the brand of what you are looking for. Spending time getting the right gear the first time can save you money in the end.

Happy shopping!

Turn on the Radio!! An easy way to develop your ear, and learning to find the bass line quick, is to turn on your radio. For me I use my Ipod and set it to shuffle, but the radio works too. Play along to the music. Not knowing what song is coming up next lets you learn on the fly. With my pod playing, I could have anything from Mingus, Hank Williams, to Hellyeah come through the speakers. And I try to have the bass line figured out "Or make up my own line that fits" as quickly as possible. If the somg playing has an easy line or one that you already know, then I ad some "Solo" stuff over the existing line. It works, It keeps you on your toes, and it helps train your ears to find the bass line in every song, in any style.

Jonathan,

Here's my Reader's Tip:

In the endless pursuit of Killer Tone, make sure it sounds great in the context of each gig, not just when playing by yourself. As you adjust to each gig, START IN THE MIDDLE. Get your midrange sorted out first, so you'll cut through the mix and your pitch will be heard. Then adjust your treble for the right percussive attack. Then, and only then, add some low end if you really need it. Most gigs require minimal low end, especially live. You only have so much tone to work with, so don't waste it on those flabby lows. Low end gets you felt, but midrange gets you heard.

Thanks,

- Szeedawg

With only a 1/2 hour set up for a gig on the lake this summer, I flipped on my WT-600 and nothing! The amp was blown.

I walked to my van looked under the seat and pulled out my Gallien Kruger portable bass amp. Only 80 watts but it saved the show.

Last week our guitar players Fender tube amp pooped out in the middle of a gig. Was he bummed out or what?

I walked out to the van on break pulled out my mini GK, hooked it to his speaker and saved the day. Though dry, the guitarist actually liked the sound.

Bassists, carry a small spare. Slip it under your seat for security or in the trunk.

Stuff happens and when it does you'll be glad you had a back up plan. Oh and one more thing.

The Eden WT-600 conked out due to loose screws shorting the board. Now I play the bass on a stand or put foam rubber between my amp and speakers to reduce vibration to the amp.

Daron Powers
Bass Player
Skye Island Band

We all want to be better bass players, but most of us have limited time to sit down and practice our instruments. I have found the following tip to be very useful in getting the most out of my practice time.

First, I pick a bass part or solo that I would really like to learn. Then, I get a recording of it, and listen to the song (or part) over and over, multiple times a day. When it is not embarassing to, I start singing out the part, note for note. Also, I pay attention to articulations and the dynamics of the music--aspects of the music other than the notes. After singing the part many times with the song playing, I sing it out loud without the song playing.

Once I am able to sing the part from memory, I pick up my bass and learn to play the part. It is much easier to play a bass part once you have internalized it (can sing it from memory) and are not learning something note for note from the recording. Something really useful about doing it this way is that you can slow the part down to as slow as you need to, in your head, to learn a fast section!

I have found this helpful to maximize my practice time since I can actually internalize the part I am trying to learn (the real time consuming part) when I am in my car! Actually learning the part on my bass takes much less time. I am also able to remember songs for a longer period of time than simply reading the sheet music or tab of the song.

You can find inspiration in the most non-musical sources. A non-musician friend's comment on my lefthand positioning helped me realize I was in a playing rut -- always falling back on the same old patterns. I started intentionally focusing on using new positions and new fingerings, on different strings and in different places up and down the fretboard, even for songs I'd played dozens of times. This opened up new textures, sounds and phrasings I'd never thought of before.

When I am listening to a great bass player, I try to listen to what it is that makes the line so good. Is it the choice of notes he is playing. Is he connecting more with the rythmn or the melody, or does any of that really matter and the dude is just killin it.

JAM! Improv is a great tool that can reinforce what you know and uncover some things that you need to work on. It's good practice for your ears too as you have to listen to those around you and yourself at the same time. And sometimes, just sometimes, in those "magical" moments, you will stumble upon a really cool riff and take the jam and your playing to the next level. True Zen.

I also find songwriting is a good way to build chops. Your ears won't lie. If it sounds bad...you need to come up with something better. It need not be complicated, it just needs to sound good! Playing other instruments besides the bass (gasp) helps too.

Learn how to read by starting with playing and working your way to reading instead of the other way.

Learn your songs by ear and make up parts that sound good to you like you always do. Then get a piece of paper and write the letter names of the notes you are playing. Next get a piece of music paper, write the names of the lines and spaces at the beginning of each line and then try to write in black dots on the music paper for the note names you have figured out.

The next step is to write in bar lines. Tap your foot, hum your bass parts and see if you can draw a bar line in every four beats.

Eventually you can figure out how to write down some of your rhythms, but in the meantime, you will have gone a long way towards understanding reading.

Hey everyone, hope you all had Happy Holidays!

I wouldn't go as far as offering advice, as there are literally thousands of other bass players on this forum that are far more experienced and versed than I am... but I would like to leave you all with a couple of ideas

Create a first aid kit for your bass. This would include at least 2 of everything that you would need, such as, screwdrivers, allen keys, superglue, sticky tape, soldering iron, 9V batteries (if you use an active bass), screws, small towel/cleaning cloth, pliers, utility/pocket knife, straps, flashlight, power cords, cables, strings etc etc... well you get the idea. In other words, everything that you would need to perform maintenance on your bass. Fortunately, I've never had it happen to me, but you never know when you'll be at show in the middle of no-where and you need to re-solder a loose wire or your power cord got damaged in transport and you need an urgent replacement! If you arrived prepared and expect the unexpected, then you will be able to handle anything that is thrown your way easily. Less to worry about, and more time and ease to concentrate on playing.

Take care and thanks for reading!

As much as I value my classical education in music, I look back on how long it took me to learn to listen, relax and just play without a written or otherwise pre-conceived line to go on and I can't help but think that I would've learned faster this way.