This Week's Practice Tip

Whether you've been reading this list of tips since the beginning or are entirely new, now is a great time to go back through the previous tips. If you're new, there's a ton of info to help you get more out of your practice time. If you're a "regular", it's a good time to read back through all the tips to make sure you've incorporated the ideas into your personal practice regimen.

So...grab your mouse and start clicking. And keep a pencil and paper handy so you can take some notes.

Let me ask you: when was the last time you played some nice, fat whole notes? With perfect tone from one end to the other? And a touch of vibrato to make it sing?

That's what I thought. So, this week, for at least 5 minutes a day, practice whole notes. See how much expression you can get into a single note.

OK. last week you spent 5 mnutes a day playing whole notes. This week, let's take it a step further. Instead of scales, play the following sequence:

I - V - VI - IV - I - bVII - IV - I - III - IV - V - VI - IV - I

A perfect whole note for each chord: perfect attack, confident character throughout, flawless transition to the next note, and a perfect end to the last note. Next week, we'll talk about why this is important, and why we used the sequence above.

So. What's with all this whole note stuff when you could be practicing your blindingly fast slapped triplets? For bassists who want to play with others (like, in a band) the ability to play long notes well is far more important than speed jockey, Lookatme riffs. And chances are they won't follow the scale sequence, which is why we broke that sequence up last week.

Learn to play long notes that are well attacked, hold the correct duration, and end with authority. Your band will thank you.

You know, just a week ago, I attended the winter NAMM show, along with a couple billion others, it seems. And everywhere you turned, there was a bassist or twelve slapping and tapping furiously away at a million notes per second. Guess what the most common response from listerners was?

Making fun of the bass player.

Why? Because in many instances, the player in question couldn't hold a groove with both hands and a C-clamp, couldn't play eighth notes evenly, couldn't tell you what notes they just played. All they could do was repeat a circus trick. Good boy (or girl), here's a biscuit. Now go learn to play BASS!!

Not all slapping and tapping is like that. The difference is this: knowing the basics first, and being able to apply them, even in a solo bass context.

More next week...

One of the biggest problems I see in students is their unwillingness to walk before they run. Before they even understand the basics of playing bass, they half-learn a bunch of show-off licks. Then, they blaze away at lightning speed. No groove. No pocket. Sloppy execution. Just... yuck!

First, students need to remember that the basics are the foundation. And, as with building a house, if the foundation isn't strong, the house will fall. Learn to execute properly. Learn the scales. Learn the BASICS.

Second, remember that, while all the solo monsters are great at slap and tap, most bands prefer a bassist who can actually play a bass line properly. Tapping your way through a shuffle is a pretty sure-fire way to get canned at the audition. As Victor Wooten points out in his clinics, there's only one gig that allows him to do all that stuff... and he's already got it and is NOT giving it up.

OK. So what are the basics? Here's a short list of some of the things every bassist should know:

Basic Scales - all keys, Major, Minor, Major pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Major scale with flatted 7th

Basic Chord Theory - what they are, what they mean, and how the flow

Basic Groovology - standard riffs and associate fills and turnarounds for your chosen style(s) of music

Reading Notation - so you can use the bulk of instructional material available

The Main Function of a Bass Line - understanding one's place in the music is crucial if you want to fit in your place

This is just a starter list. Do you have additions?

Why are basics so important? Let's flip that around and ask:

• Would a pitcher only learn to throw a knuckleball?
• Would a quarterback only throw the long bomb?
• Would a hockey player only use a slap shot?

Learning almost anything requires that you learn the basics first. Crawl. Walk Run. When you skip the basics, you limit yourself. It's great that you can slap triplets at blinding speed, but if you can't stay on tempo and stay within the scale, it's going to sound sloppy and amateurish. If you can't groove, it's just a bunch of notes.

Learn the basics. Practice them daily to stop on top. Then, work on those blinding triplets.

This week, I'd like you to consider the following questions. Give thought to them every day.

Why do you play music?

Why do you play bass?

What is the main role of the bass in the style of music you play?

Last week, I asked you to consider the following questions, giving thought to them every day.

Why do you play music?

Why do you play bass?

What is the main role of the bass in the style of music you play?

The reason for the exercise was to get you to focus on your reasons for playing music, and how that should inform your choices, both in what style to play, and how to fit within that context and feel good about it. My point is this -- if you want to be a soloist, perhaps a change of focus is required. On the other hand, if you'd really prefer to provide the foundation for the band, and the essence of the groove, perhaps a change of focus is required.

Only you can make the decision. But these are important questions to ponder. A few hours of objective contemplation may well save you years, even decades, of frustration.

The Pratice Tip of the Week is offically THREE YEARS OLD!

Cue the band! Release the doves! Bring on the clowns!

Thanks to all who shared the last three years with us, especially those who have offered their own tips for others to use. Don't forget that our input matters and we want to hear it. If you have a tip or suggestion, let us know. And here's to another great year!

This is a really big deal, OK? We made it alive through three whole years of weekly practice tips. I'm still eating cake and ice cream, but I'll be back next week with another tip. Here, have a Birthday hat....

There is no law that says you MUST play on every downbeat. It really is OK to drop the beat to create a different sort of tension in the music. Check out some reggae to see what I mean. Then, pick a chord progrssion you know well, or perhaps a song; experiment and see what you can come up with. You might be surprised at how much moving a single note can change things.

Last week we talked about putting a rest on the downbeat. This week let's talk about putting the "downbeat" on the and of 4. Called "pushing the beat" by some, this is a fundamental way to accent a riff or chord progression. You can count it this way: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 AND ... 2 - 3 - 4 - AND...

The AND is actually the second eighth note of the fourth beat, and it ties to the first beat of the next measure, creating a dotted quarter note, or, a beat and a half.

This week, play your scales in quarter notes, but "pushing" the downbeat of each measure.

This week, there's an assignment - pick one song that is totally out of your normal style. Learn the bass line.

That's it. We'll talk about the "why"s next week.

Last week I asked you to learn a song that isn't in your normal style or genre. Broadening your horizon in this manner can offer some interesting insights:

1. Chord progressions can be very similar if not exactly the same.

2. The notes used to create a bass line are very similar if not exactly the same.

3. Rhythms may vary, but you'd be surprised at what you can bring to your own style to make it more interesting and unique.

What else did you discover?

This past weekend (along with more than a hundred others) I spent time at Victor Wooten's new Nature/Bass Camp. It's an incredible piece of land about an hour out of Nashville, TN. While there, I overheard Victor offer another player his thoughts on how we learn music, and I'd like to share part of it with you. Victor pointed out that learning a language as a child, we are first immersed in the language and we pick it up largely by hearing it spoken by others. He continued by noting that we hear music from a very early age; we grow up with it around us all the time.

Victor then went on to offer thoughts about how we could tap into this. However, it's HIS lesson, so I'll close by encrouaging you to get the rest from the uberbassist himself. This week's tip is to attend a Victor Wooten clinic as soon as possible, and ask him to expand on what I've written here.

One of the coolest things about my job is getting to hang with so many cool people and great players. One of those is Grasshopper of Bass Central fame. Last week, we got to catch up with a good long call, disucssing all sorts of things. But one thing he said really stuck with me, because it made so much sense. We were dsicussing the Bass World's seeming infatuation with tricks and show-off stuff, sometimes to the detrmient of The Groove. And Grasshopper dropped this little bomb:

Tricks will get you chicks. Chops will get you checks.

Man! I wish I'd said that! Something to remember if you plan on making a career in music. So, this week's tip is to concentrate most of your energy on CHOPS, the things that will make you a better player.

There's no money above the fifth fret - Duck Dunn

Today's tip is to listen to those who have gone before, like Mr. Dunn. Again and again, they tell us the Key to Success is do the JOB. Be the BASS PLAYER. The last thing you want a bandleader (spelled "potential empoyer") to hear when he asks someone about you is "great soloist."

Just something to think about when you're grumbling your way through the basics.

I've often talked about slowing down a part in order to learn it correctly. This tip takes that idea to the extreme. When learning a written part, it often helps to learn the notes before learning the rhythm. Take a minute to look at the notes, and find them on your bass, one at a time, but not IN time. Once you've learned where your fingers need to be, you can begin to work on the rhythm.

Splitting the process into two halves allows you to concentrate on each task more quickly and easily, and with far fewer mistakes.

Last week I suggested that you learn a sequence of notes (scale, riff, etc.) without any tempo or time. The next step is to figure out the rhythm of the notes. Now, if it's straight eighth notes or some such, you don't need to do this. Just start slowly and work your way up to normal speed. However, if there is syncopation involved (different lengths of notes), do this:

Pat your hand on your thigh in quarter notes (or eighths, if it's a really complex part) and *say* the rhythm: Duh-duh... duh... duh duh duh.... duh duh duh duh.

That kind of thing. By the way, within days of learning this technique, I was able to break down almost any music put in front of me. It really can do wonders.

Two weeks ago, I suggested learning a sequence of notes without tempo. Then, last week, I showed you how to learn the rhythm by patting your hand in time and saying the notes. This week, it's time to put the two parts together.

First, remind yourself of the notes, and then the rhythm. Next, at a very slow tempo, tap your foot in time and play the notes while calling out the rhythm, just as you did in the second half of the exercise.

While it took me three weeks to explain the exercise, you can accomplish this in just a few minutes of practice time. Stay focused and you can break down almost any bass line, no matter how intricate, in a single session.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, a note will just plumb evade you. Here's a quick way to find that lost note: bracket it.

Is the note you just played above or below the note you want? Fine; keep it in your head. Now, go find another note on the *other* side. You've now created a bracket, and your note sits somewhere between your two brackets. There's a finite number of notes between them, so the job is no longer impossible.

When crafting a bass line, it really helps to know the structure of the song. Knowing the structure of the verse, chorus, bridge, etc., and how to get from on to the other is essential to creating your part. One of the best styles to explore in order to learn more about this, is "oldies". Yeah, those 50s, 60s and early 70s Pop songs. For a real treat, listen to some Beatles. As you listen, try to label each part of the song. In addition to the basics listed above, there may also be Pre-chorus, Intro, Outro, Solo and more. (You can make up your own names for some things... that's how we got "bridge", after all.)

This week spend some time listening to oldies and exploring song structure. Next week, I'll show a Secret Similarity between oldies and another style.

Last week I talked about song structure, and understanding the different parts (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.). I also promised to tell you a Secret Similarity between 50s/60s music and another style:

80s/90s Hard Rock

Think Bon Jovi, as just one example. Listen to the chord progressions and notice how similar many of them are to 60s doo-wop progressions.

Have fun comparing the two styles this week. Next week we'll look at "why".

OK, we've been talking about song structure, and comparing Doo-Wop Groups and Hair Bands. The question is: why?

If you studied the chord progressions as I recommended, you should have seen that many of the same ones show up in Hair Band songs as are found in the 50s/60s hits. I - vi - IV - V i suniversal for "hit song" it seems, and the bridge goes to the IV as often as not. Often, however, the chords are much easier to discern in that earlier music.

By learning (and practicing) a bunch of songs your mom and dad listened to as children, your ear will learn to pick out the basic chord progressions more quickly and easily. Then, when you attempt to learn the latest hit song, you'll have a stronger foundation. And for you budding writers, it will teach a lot about structuring a song to best effect.

Here's a way to take your self outside the box when exploring possibilities. Take a line - any line - and play it backwards. If this seems too easy, play an entire song backwards. This can often jog you out of the normal and familiar and send you into uncharted territory.

Here's an exercise I used to learn to move from the root of a scale to any other note.

Play the following pattern - S L O W L Y !

1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 4 - 1 - 5 - 1 - 6 - 1 - 7 - 1 - 8 - 1 - 7 - 1 - 6 - 1 - 5 - 1 - 4 - 1 - 3 - 2 - 1

Once you have this one down, there are numerous variations. And, yes, we'll cover some of them in future tips.

Last week I showed you the basics of an exercise I call The Bounce. If you practiced it as a major scale, you're on your way. This week, add the Natural Minor. (Am is A B C D E F G A.) Might as well practice the a variation on the Major Scale -- replace the natural 7th with a dominant (flatted) 7th. This is also called the Mixolydian Mode, by the way.