#521839 - 06/08/01 11:45 AM
Ear Fatigue While Practicing
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brianrost
Senior Member
Registered: 02/01/01
Posts: 93
Loc: ,MA,UNITED STATES
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Last night while learning some new tunes for gigs coming up this weekend, I ran into a phenomenon which seems to rear it's head now and then. I'm listening to a tune where the bass line seems bone simple, but I just can't figure out the notes. After all, if I have the root note there are only 11 possibilities for the next note...yet none of them sound right  If it's a rush situation (i.e. the song will be played at tomorrow's gig but never again) I'll just make up something different that will fit the changes, but it annoys me. I'm not talking bop tunes here, either, just simple 12 bar blues and such.
Sometimes if I just pack it in and go back a day later I can hear it better. I'm thinking it's like that phenomenon where if you stare at a printed word long enough it starts looking as if it is spelled wrong.
Does anyone else ever have this problem? Any ideas on how to get past it?
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#521840 - 06/08/01 01:18 PM
Re: Ear Fatigue While Practicing
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good morning
Senior Member
Registered: 06/22/00
Posts: 205
Loc: Arlington,VA,UNITED STATES
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I suspect it is "that phenomenon." The only work-around I've discovered is to just think about the song -- no instruments. I'll keep playing the song only in my head. If I'm utterly stymied, I'll even picture myself driving my car down the road; that's a natural and frequent listening environment for me. I'll hear the song then, and a bass line starts unfolding.
Maybe because this is such a mentally intensive exercise, when I get the chance to actually pick up my bass, I know what those notes are, almost like putting round pegs into round holes.
This can take days though. I have no idea what to do if time is short.
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#521841 - 06/08/01 01:22 PM
Re: Ear Fatigue While Practicing
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g.
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Registered: 01/31/01
Posts: 10021
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I've been to that region of the twilight zone occasionally also. Like doppler shift is ruling my ears. Working from recorded material, I've noticed that the engineered bass sound is often carved or sits in the mix in such a way that playing what I'm sure is the same note sounds different. Another one I've noticed is that the bass in the recording may be a bit sharp or flat, which with a fundamental tone and few upper overtones to beat against what other instruments are doing makes it seem of another world.
Just suspecting that has often helped me find my way; often some tone change will make it better. Bass definitely is subject to some odd sonic phenomena.
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#521842 - 06/09/01 12:21 AM
Re: Ear Fatigue While Practicing
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Ed Friedland
Platinum Member
Registered: 09/19/00
Posts: 1150
Loc: Tucson,AZ,UNITED STATES
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Recording engineers will attest to the reality of ear fatigue. That's why a pro engineer likes to keep the monitoring levels down. After a few hours of high DB the ears just plain get tired. Your situation sounds more like "brain fatigue". After a certain point your brain just glosses over and stops working (hey, we used to pay a lot of money for that feeling  )
I think coming back to it is a good idea, there's always another day. When I'm transcribing something heavy, I do as much as I can, then give it a rest when I start hitting the wall. It's best to keep the pressure off, the brain always works best when relaxed!
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http://www.edfriedland.com
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#521843 - 06/09/01 02:14 AM
Re: Ear Fatigue While Practicing
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Many times i just can't discern the tonal difference between a whole or half step. Also, some days i don't hear my bass in tune. I could spend 15 minutes tuning it by ear and/or with a tuner, and it still sounds awful. A day later it sounds normal.
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