Recommended bass practice routines

[Seraphial]

As a guitarist who picked up the bass for fun, I'm beginning to hit a wall a bit on practice routines. Scales, playing along w drum tracks and songs and finger exercises are getting a little boring. Least with guitar u can always sing along or get in a solo. Any tips to spice it up a bit?

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Listen to the following 3 YES records and imitate and eventually you will able to do anything on a bass.

The Yes Album 1971
Fragile 1971
Close to the Edge 1972

 

[ErikH]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Badlands (Jake E Lee's old band). Check out https://scottsbasslessons.com/. He has a FB page and a YouTube channel with a ton of helpful information.

Bass is a different mindset so don't go in to it thinking like a guitar player. Play less than you normally would and then play less than that...LOL. Seriously. Lay the foundation, lock in with the drummer (especially the bass drum).

 

[dpaterson]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Listen to the following 3 YES records and imitate and eventually you will able to do anything on a bass.

The Yes Album 1971
Fragile 1971
Close to the Edge 1972

Oddly enough I've read this very same thing (somewhere) about rhythm and lead guitar too.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Listen to the following 3 YES records and imitate and eventually you will able to do anything on a bass.

The Yes Album 1971
Fragile 1971
Close to the Edge 1972

This method works just as well for guitar, too.

 

[dpaterson]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

This method works just as well for guitar, too.

"Snap" as they say!!! LOL!!!

Matter of fact I think it was one of your posts on another thread where I read it.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

"Snap" as they say!!! LOL!!!

Matter of fact I think it was one of your posts on another thread where I read it.

Well, it's true about drums and keys too.

It's really unmatched in musical variety, technique and scope for 3 albums in a row from a band -vocals aside (lol), Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Squire were on a musical level for those 2 years that was really unprecedented and special.

 

[dpaterson]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Oddly enough I know nothing of YES pre: Trevor Rabin actually and because of this haven’t been able to figure the hype about them when mentioned in this context (the song “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” doesn’t quite cut it as a cult classic let’s face it!!! LOL!!!). But I think I should and shall track down those albums and take good listen.

For the sake of interest and some trivia: Trevor Rabin possibly our best export aside from Shaun Morgan (Seether). Hmmmnnn...

 

[Adieu]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Oddly enough I know nothing of YES pre: Trevor Rabin actually and because of this haven’t been able to figure the hype about them when mentioned in this context (the song “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” doesn’t quite cut it as a cult classic let’s face it!!! LOL!!!). But I think I should and shall track down those albums and take good listen.

For the sake of interest and some trivia: Trevor Rabin possibly our best export aside from Shaun Morgan (Seether). Hmmmnnn...

Wasn't Elon Musk one of yours?

 

[dpaterson]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Yeh but he’s not a guitarist so it doesn’t count!!! LOL!!!

Duncan Faure - Bay City Rollers (also fondly known as Bay “Shi*ty” Rollers) is another one.

Actually maybe I’m being a bit harsh really. Trevor Rabin and Duncan Faure formed part of a band called Rabbit (before YES and Bay City Rollers respectively) in the ‘70’s here actually. Was pretty darn good and pulled big crowds back then so far as I can tell (from very old black and white archival footage). Dunno if any of their hits ever made it internationally. I was like only ten or somewhere around there so missed out.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Oddly enough I know nothing of YES pre: Trevor Rabin actually and because of this haven’t been able to figure the hype about them when mentioned in this context (the song “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” doesn’t quite cut it as a cult classic let’s face it!!! LOL!!!). But I think I should and shall track down those albums and take good listen.

For the sake of interest and some trivia: Trevor Rabin possibly our best export aside from Shaun Morgan (Seether). Hmmmnnn...

Besides those 3, check out Relayer, too.

I don't mind Rabin-era Yes, though. Kind of a sleeker sophistication, and Rabin is one hell of a guitarist (with great tone, too).

 

[dpaterson]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Yeh listen. Dunno why I'm being so condescending about this. Full disclosure: I do have the Rabbit and Rabin (YES) albums!!! LOL!!! Bay City Rollers too!!! LOL!!!

To be honest: up until last night I'd never even thought about Trevor Rabin and YES in the sense of it being anything other than entertaining. Obviously I was wrong. Spent some time looking at various (old of course) videos on YouTube last night and this morning. Not too shabby to say the least!!! There's a video of his "best solos" or something like that. Like I said: not too shabby at all. My impression is that he is a very "clean and tidy" player??? I think your "sleeker sophistication" really does sum it up.

Matter of fact (and after this little trip down memory lane) I'm even thinking of maybe covering one or two songs (talk about detracting from Dio/Campbell!!! LOL!!!). Rabbit did a song called "Hard Ride" and it's one of those songs which although not a technical marvel has got "something" and it's the kind of thing that if played in a club or something it would get people going EVEN IF they'd never heard the song or heard of Trevor Rabin or Rabbit. And of course there's "Elevator" by the Bay City Rollers!!! LOL!!! Dunno if this is REGRESSION or PROGRESSION for me!!! LOL!!!

Tell you one thing: Rabbit (and YES) songs (hits???) are still played here today on the radio on a weekly basis. That says a lot. Most of the stuff here (rock and metal) nowadays will not be playing next week let alone next year or in forty four years time!!! Can you believe that!!! FORTY FOUR YEARS have gone by since then (since Rabbit)!!!

I guess as this point in time it's prudent for me to apologize PROFUSELY to the OP for derailing the thread. Sorry.

Here. I like this:

For some reason or the other I cannot help but wonder what a @Wattage cover of this song would sound like???

Jeepers. I'd better stop this trip down memory lane!!! Now I'm thinking of Status Quo!!! LOL!!!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Bass is harder to play alone than guitar is. It doesn't stand alone as well as guitar does. That's why I took up guitar in the first place (I was already a bass player).

All I can really say is to play along with albums. You don't have to learn what the bass is doing. Just play along and develop your ear and your creativity. It's about developing fluidity on on neck, ear training, learning what sounds like what on the instrument, not about copping someone else.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

get down with some bootsy

 

[Francois]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

A little insight into walking bass patterns... This is really out the guitarists world I would say.

I did not do much BWT (only the first pages of he book) but it could be good to learn... and an interesting practise routine.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Scott's bass lessons on YouTube has a bajillion great exercises ... check out the video of three ways to practice scales ... 'backwards' is *very* mind twisty and left me with a vastly improved facility around the neck ... note : backwards does not mean 'descending' - it means moving your hand towards the nut while playing a scale ascending in pitch

 

[Wattage]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

See if you can find Jeff Berlin's bass method, I can't find it right now but he had a great methodology.

Whole note scales are great to practice for building strength

Then learn to play every Meters tune

 

[Francois]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Then learn to play every Meters tune

Good idea. Yeah play "Cissy Strut" !

 

[drumbass]

Re: Recommended bass practice routines

Hello, if it helps you I have found this website where there are lessons with arpeggios and free scales.
I'm playing the Major scale for bass guitar and I'm doing very well
I started recently and I've seen some youtube videos but I need scale diagrams or some kind of better written material.
Greetings !