Okay cool, sounds like I will just have to get started on book 2. And songbook 2. And order songbook 1
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The Hal Leonard Bass Method thread
- Thread starter HelpImaRock
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Okay cool, sounds like I will just have to get started on book 2. And songbook 2. And order songbook 1
It is! I've been at it for long time now (more than I care to remember), and musicianship, creativity, and developing/maintaining the technical ability to realise them is a lifelong process.I think we're all playing a long game here. And at some point we'll look back and realize how far we've actually come.
That's what I hope, anyway
This have been true with every new instrument I have learned to play. It takes time. Especially since the learning/progress is not always forward. On a day to day basis it can feel like one day is progress, the next backslides. But, yeah, after 100 hours, look back and see where you are, what you can do now, what is more automatic that you used to have to think about.I think we're all playing a long game here. And at some point we'll look back and realize how far we've actually come.
That's what I hope, anyway
I have found that 400 hours is a good place to start for me to feel comfortable enough to be able to play well enough in an ensemble. It was longer when I was learning euphonium and tuba since I was a treble clef reed player learning to play bass clef brass. Shorter when I learned clarinet since I already knew sax. But 400 hours is an hour a day for more than a year. It takes time, but you do get there. And it is pretty satisfying when you do look back and see how far you have come.
Happy October, everyone!
Made progress last week. Not as quickly as I had hoped for, but steady progress. Still working on Exercises 52, “Gee Whiz,” and 53, “All Right.’ Moving to the G string has tripped me up a little. Last time I was working on learning bass, I dropped my thumb down each string as I moved across the fretboard, ending up with my thumb on the D string when playing the G string. I’ve come to realize that most bass players don’t do this as it is really difficult to mute the E string from this position (which I am not doing), so I am working on breaking that habit and trying to leave my thumb on the A string and reach for the G string. It is not natural to me, so is delaying my progress some. Taking things slowly and really trying to play the G string notes evenly is the focus and it is coming.
This week is a busy one for me at work, so fitting in practice is going to be a challenge. Going to keep working on the G string exercises moving towards Ex 58. Once I get there, I am going to take a break from the HLBM book and re-focus on my sight reading exercises from Talkingbass.com, all the notes, all the strings frets 1-5. I REALLY want to get the notes under my fingers WITHOUT looking at the fretboard. I’m doing pretty well at this, but my fretting “accuracy” isn’t where I want it to be to play all the notes cleanly. Mark Smith’s exercises are a great way to work on this and pay big dividends re: being able to fret the notes without looking. Also hope to work on some songs in the songbook and expect to be back in the HLBM in a couple of weeks.
All the best, everyone. Have a good week!
Made progress last week. Not as quickly as I had hoped for, but steady progress. Still working on Exercises 52, “Gee Whiz,” and 53, “All Right.’ Moving to the G string has tripped me up a little. Last time I was working on learning bass, I dropped my thumb down each string as I moved across the fretboard, ending up with my thumb on the D string when playing the G string. I’ve come to realize that most bass players don’t do this as it is really difficult to mute the E string from this position (which I am not doing), so I am working on breaking that habit and trying to leave my thumb on the A string and reach for the G string. It is not natural to me, so is delaying my progress some. Taking things slowly and really trying to play the G string notes evenly is the focus and it is coming.
This week is a busy one for me at work, so fitting in practice is going to be a challenge. Going to keep working on the G string exercises moving towards Ex 58. Once I get there, I am going to take a break from the HLBM book and re-focus on my sight reading exercises from Talkingbass.com, all the notes, all the strings frets 1-5. I REALLY want to get the notes under my fingers WITHOUT looking at the fretboard. I’m doing pretty well at this, but my fretting “accuracy” isn’t where I want it to be to play all the notes cleanly. Mark Smith’s exercises are a great way to work on this and pay big dividends re: being able to fret the notes without looking. Also hope to work on some songs in the songbook and expect to be back in the HLBM in a couple of weeks.
All the best, everyone. Have a good week!
As you work through the exercises, do you pick a fairly relaxed tempo, then get the exercise under your fingers, the work on increasing the tempo while keeping proficiency? Or do you work on all the exercises at a fixed tempo, then move on?
I have been finding that I am trying to work on getting it under my fingers at 80bpm, then try to work it up faster and faster until I can play it at 120bpm or so before I move on. I have to admit that I love using the same metronome I got in HS 40+ years ago.
I have been finding that I am trying to work on getting it under my fingers at 80bpm, then try to work it up faster and faster until I can play it at 120bpm or so before I move on. I have to admit that I love using the same metronome I got in HS 40+ years ago.
I had not thought about this until you mentioned it, so I paid attention while I was playing tonight. My thumb sits on either the E or A strings. I don't move it down to the D string. I didn't plan (or was not taught) do do that, Just felt natural to me.
You should still be able to mute the E string with the side of your thumb or palm of your hand when your thumb is on the D. Post a pic of your plucking hand position when playing the G string so we can help.
I'm not sure if I'm using floating thumb technique or something else, but I move my thumb from pickup to E to A when playing the higher strings. When I move my thumb to the A string I mute the E with the side of my thumb and mute the D and G strings with my ring and pinky fingers. Basically what Ed teaches on pg 10 of book 1.
Your question made me realize that I haven't been using a metronome when I practice the exercises! Gah! I need to remedy that immediately...
That said, I run through the exercises very slowly a few times just to get the notes/fingerings down, then I play them with the audio tracks a few times until I play them without mistakes 2-3 times through, then move on. I am doing myself a disservice by not playing with a metronome. Possibly breaking some bass laws as well. I have shamed myself...
Well, I took the plunge and started on book 2 last night. Not a lot, actually just exercises 1 & 2 (so no audio exercise yet) from the book, with a metronome. Helped me brush up on the different notes etc immediately. Tomorrow i will try and get Etude Bruté on my Tascam cos I want closure 
Started trying to learn bass 10 days ago, picked up the complete version but with no audio. Just started the G string and beginning to feel the difficulty of stringing it all together and reading and playing on multiple strings. Also decided to get lessons as it's the number 1 suggestion and regret (of not starting earlier) I see. 80 pages of thread later I hope I gleaned some good advice here and there.
Upon arriving at pg 38 on my second pass through MB1, I decided to pause there and shift to learning the major bass scales; it just seemed to make sense. It's also a nice change of pace and to my mind seems beneficial from note reading, working with new frets & positions, fretting/plucking/raking in general, and improving smoothness and quickness of every aspect.
Welcome to the thread. At the pace you are progressing, finding a teacher makes a lot of sense.
I told myself I would work through Book 1 and evaluate getting a teacher then, after I knew my way around all four strings. At that point I’d like to try some lessons to ensure/confirm that my technique is solid before letting bad habits ingrained themselves.
I'm at the beginning of Book 3, and it's super fun. The chromatic walkup is introduced, along with a few different ways to play it.
I think it would be helpful if at this point a person had a basic understanding of music theory. For example, the book talks about starting the runs on the third and the sixth, and dropping down a seventh.
Also, I'm finishing up the song book "More Easy Pop Bass Lines". I feel like the song books take the method course to the next level. While concepts are introduced in the method book, the song book forces a person to learn the concepts in the context of real music. For example, the idea of shifting on a open string is explained in the method book, while the song demonstrates how this is done in several different ways.
I think it would be helpful if at this point a person had a basic understanding of music theory. For example, the book talks about starting the runs on the third and the sixth, and dropping down a seventh.
Also, I'm finishing up the song book "More Easy Pop Bass Lines". I feel like the song books take the method course to the next level. While concepts are introduced in the method book, the song book forces a person to learn the concepts in the context of real music. For example, the idea of shifting on a open string is explained in the method book, while the song demonstrates how this is done in several different ways.
How far into book 2 did you start on the More Easy Pop songbook?
I started More Easy Pop Basslines at the same time as Method Book 2. While I finished Method Book 2 several months ago, I am just now finishing Song Book 2. So the song book took me quite a bit longer than the method book.
I am making very, very slow progress in book two. Although I know the notes on the fretboard, and I can read the notes that are located on the 5th to 7th fret of the D and G string, bringing it together is proving tedious.
At the same time, this sort of feels like Year One for me. A sort of grand reset in terms of bass, after 20ish years of playing.
I even decided to revisit simple blues schemes (Muddy's Hoochie Coochie Man) to force myself to really listen for the changes, and learn to recognise rather than anticipate them (cos the latter may lead to incorrect assumptions). This due to an older colleague telling me: "You can get pretty far by listening". He is quite the accomplished jazz saxophonist/clarinettist so I decided to ... Listen
It's slow progress, but I am motivated.
At the same time, this sort of feels like Year One for me. A sort of grand reset in terms of bass, after 20ish years of playing.
I even decided to revisit simple blues schemes (Muddy's Hoochie Coochie Man) to force myself to really listen for the changes, and learn to recognise rather than anticipate them (cos the latter may lead to incorrect assumptions). This due to an older colleague telling me: "You can get pretty far by listening". He is quite the accomplished jazz saxophonist/clarinettist so I decided to ... Listen
It's slow progress, but I am motivated.
Many things are relatively quick'n easy to learn; this isn't one of them. Your approach and your colleagues advice make much sense! Good on you, carry on!I am making very, very slow progress in book two. Although I know the notes on the fretboard, and I can read the notes that are located on the 5th to 7th fret of the D and G string, bringing it together is proving tedious.
At the same time, this sort of feels like Year One for me. A sort of grand reset in terms of bass, after 20ish years of playing.
I even decided to revisit simple blues schemes (Muddy's Hoochie Coochie Man) to force myself to really listen for the changes, and learn to recognise rather than anticipate them (cos the latter may lead to incorrect assumptions). This due to an older colleague telling me: "You can get pretty far by listening". He is quite the accomplished jazz saxophonist/clarinettist so I decided to ... Listen
It's slow progress, but I am motivated.
Hi Eddie! I bet you're doing better than you think. A person could easily take a year to work through each one of the books.
Just be sure to dedicate a few minutes each day to the method books. Be patient and consistent and you will see progress.
Thanks Bass, much appreciated! Allocating time is indeed the biggest pitfall
But I have all the time in the world ...Looking for some technique clarification. On page 32 just above octave blues, its notes that when changing strings to lead with the middle finger when going higher and the index when going lower but doesn't this run counter to the rake, or at least in some cases? Like if i go to the the A string and lead with middle and the next note is back on the E string which finger do i use? the rake says middle and the note on page 32 would be index