Jabinski Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Hello one and all. I'm 28 now and for various reasons (mainly due to being involved in drugs and having to sell my equipment) gave up bass playing about 6 years ago. My life has changed a lot now and I am back into playing (since getting clean). I'm playing a Warwick Rock Bass through a Gallien Krueger incidentally. The reasons given above weren't my only reasons for quitting. My best friend was a drummer and we learned to play together as teenagers. He died painfully of leukemia when I was 21 and for some reason it was just too gut wrenching to carry on playing, though I know that to most of you this is ridiculous. Also, when I was 18 I wanted to be a top player and as such sadly deluded myself. Music is probably not my No1 talent, even though it's way up there, and apart from the obstacles to being a professional (let along a top pro) I probably will serve society and my potential doing other things at the 'top level'. I think that at about the same time as my friend died I realised this and my pride also stopped me from playing if I couldn't be up there with Geddy. Maturaty has now occured and I realise I can still play in bands and entertain, as well as express my musicality through the bass for many happy years to come. All this has been important for me to share with you all since I am announcing that I'm back in the existential sense (i.e. even if no one is listening:)) I've started doing scales and arpegios and well as remembering how to read standard notation, and it's surprising how much I do remember. I've also brought a metronome and want to know when to and when not to use it. I am hoping it will help with the sight reading but I don't want to overrely on it. How do you all use your metronomes (if at all)? I've been reading the forum for a few weeks and I'm glad to meet you all. Joe I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Welcome. Use the metronome all the time you practice. If you (meaning any of us) don't have a timing device to "anchor" beats, our sense of rhythm tends to drift somewhat. I know this from, for instance, trying to retrofit drums to material recorded without drums or a click. It sounds fine when you listen to it...try to play drums with it and the rhythmically sloppy stuff shows up quick. Use that metronome all the time. I actually got tired of a metronome, so I use a drum machine. Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottomgottem Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 A hearty welcome to the forum and congratulations on your return to music. It sounds like you have been down a tough road. It takes a big man to go through all that and come out of it in good shape. Many people do not. Three cheers! As far as metronome usage is concerned, I have one but do not use it. It is an antique passed down though my father's side of the family. One of those pyramid shaped devices with a weighted arm that rocks back and forth and clicks. But I digress. I use a drum machine instead. Sometimes just a kick drum; sometimes a full kit or some other variation. I'll start the beat, close my eyes, pick out a note and pump out the eighth notes. On occaision, I'll have one of my kids hit the mute button for a few bars just to see how far off I am when the volume is turned back up. It helps tremendously. This is a pretty simplistic exercise. I do not really know of any others. Someone here will however. Keep on bassin'. My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Welcome to the place, if I may. It's the best bass forum on the 'net. Nothing ridiculous in your story at all, and, no judgments here. It sounds like you have lived and come out wiser. If only more could have done so... To topic, I also started with a metronome and moved on to a drum machine (sequencer). It's easier to set and play with accents, to change it up. Sounds better too, hence easier to work with. What I always did with the beats and subdivisions was to internalize them first. Set a medium tempo which feels comfortable, and count, out loud if necessary, without playing. Begin with the main pulse, and then subdivide, i.e. count the 2, the 3, the halves and quarters of the 1, etc. Then pick up your bass, and repeat. I find this really helps me "feel" the different pulses and kinds of ways to approach the beat. But, I also began by auto-forcibly learning Yes, James Jamerson, Beatles, and Santana lines concurrently, by ear, to the sacrifice of much else. But I am not sure I'd fully recommend that course to all. Congrats on your decision to pursue music in your life. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 One useful thing to try is setting the metronome to a very low rate say 40 BPM and then use that beat as either the first beat of a 4/4 bar (i.e. 160 BPM) or 1st and 3rd beat of a 4/4 bar (i.e. 80 BPM)etc. This means you have to fill in the gaps with a simple groove and make sure it all fits in with the metronome. Also try with beats 2 and 4 as this matches the snare hits (usually). Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATM Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Welcome! Glad to have you back. Say, you London guys. Ever get around to Mr. Wu's Chinese all-you-can-eat in Trafalgar Square or Soho? Whenever I made it to London, I tried to do the Wu. Hey, for 4.99, how can you go wrong? And I really digress. ATM http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/atmofmn/Bass/DeepThoughtsBS.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottomgottem Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Originally posted by Davo-London: One useful thing to try is setting the metronome to a very low rate say 40 BPM and then use that beat as either the first beat of a 4/4 bar (i.e. 160 BPM) or 1st and 3rd beat of a 4/4 bar (i.e. 80 BPM)etc. This means you have to fill in the gaps with a simple groove and make sure it all fits in with the metronome. Davo Great idea. My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Thanks guys for the welcome and the advice. I will get a drum machine eventually but the cost has so far stopped me from considering it seriously. Not that I've done any research.... I've a lot to work on from these post alone! I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 BTW wraub, I learnerd how to play by copying lines straight from tracks and this is how I started again this time and it's always a part of my practice time.... I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 Welcome, Mr. Jabinski, and good luck! As far as metronomes, you can buy an electronic one for about $20 to $30, and they have a lot of options. And you can practice with one without your bass - just put on the headphones, set a beat, and play along in your head. I do that on the train sometimes, sometimes with sheet music in front of me. There are great book/CD packages available on rhythm, usable for any instrument, where you clap along to the CD, read the notation, and count along. I have one that I work with occasionally, for syncopations and mixed meters and stuff. And there are CDs of drum tracks available that might be worth checking out. Re: drugs. I remember those days, long ago, and am glad I no longer use them. It was fun at the time, but ultimately counterproductive. I am one of the lucky ones, too! Re: the death of your friend affecting you doesn't seem silly to me. I have lost friends, too! We just gotta find ways to carry on, Mc Duff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 Eric, I do the metronome on a train thing too. Sometimes I do metronome exercises in my head/or tapping my thigh against the metronome (imagining the click in each sixteenth position in the bar in turn). I think you're better off pracitising with the metronome clicks on 2 and 4 rather than as downbeats as some have mentioned. It makes you work harder. Ed Friedland has a nice little introduction to metronome exercises in his 'Working Bassplayer' book (or similar title). I picked up a Korg metronome very cheaply in the States, but I doubt one would cost too much more over here. ATM, I will fill you in on the best Chinese food/best value Chinese food in London sometime (when I have more time to post) as I spend a lot of time researching this topic! http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkybastard081 Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 when you practice sight reading, at first the metronome is not essential...it will only be an extra obstacle that will keep you mind away from the goal of sight reading: connecting the notes to the fingerboard with the given rhythmic patterns...metronomes don't make you read better and i don't think it matters if your timing drifts off a bit while you're trying to figure out what to play ,however you might use it to test how quickly you can read...just to keep track of you progress you can use your metronome to work on your internal rhythm (ed friedland has got some simple a great lessons to work on.. check out his website)i only use a drum machine to practice music and grooves i already know.... i admire people like you... Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don't know and I don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabinski Posted November 3, 2005 Author Share Posted November 3, 2005 Guys I really really appreciate all your encouragement and advice about mentronomes. Funkybastard and Eric Iverson, thank you for your understanding. I have a long way to go in rocovery and in bass... I'm back in bass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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