Perfect Practice

NO WASTE. 100% EFFECTIVE
perfect
practice
TIME IS LIMITED
by ryan mcclelland
TIME TO WORK
Congratulations. You!re a bass player and you!ve read my other e-book the “Bass
Crash Course” right? You!re confident, you can play, maybe you!re teaching
some lessons, a big sessions player or just enjoy jamming out some lines when
you have time. Time is the problem for most people. Desire and motivation are
things we!ll jump into as well, but even if you want to practice, if you don!t have
the time it!s game over. We!ll spend a lot of time on “time”.
Why practice?
Okay, let!s clear the air shall we? You may be an accomplished bass player,
famous, totally confident in your abilities or simply “happy where you!re at”.
Awesome, cool, good for you. Please discard this book. Bye-Bye. =)
Victor Wooten
Now, for those that stuck around,
let!s get down to business. Tiger
Woods, the golfer......ring a bell?
When he was the #1 golfer in the
world, he had a golf coach.
Thaaaaaaaaaat!s right. Mr. #1
knew he could get better and had
a teacher. Let!s bring it closer to
home, Victor Wooten, Anthony
Wellington, Michael Manring,
Marcus Miller and you guessed it,
pretty much any pro out there in
our bass land practices their butts
off to get better. Even though us
mere mortals are unlikely to
achieve international success
within the bass category it doesn!t
mean we shouldn!t refine our craft
and grow.
Anthony Wellington
Michael Manring
Stanley Clarke
Les Claypool
Rocco Prestia
Billy Sheehan
Your Name Here
Okay, I!m on the same page. I get it, I need to practice to get better,
sound better, enjoy new technique styles and more. So where do I start?
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Better Practice with Better Use of Time
RULE #1
There!s one foundational rule with practice.
Breaking this rule will erode your time, minimize
the effectiveness of your practice, cost your more
money than needed, dull your spirits, eliminate
motivation and everything else negative you can
think of for expanding your skills within your art.
This book is built upon this rule and if it!s
something you don!t adhere to, then this book as a
tool may as well be a hammer when you have a
screw.
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Practice Verses Play
Now, I!ll be the first to admit, when something new
and shiny comes out I get a bit excited. A new
technique, a new piece of gear, a new cover I
have to learn and so on can pull me away from
“practice”. It!s about finding a balance and
continuing to find the dedication to practice and
sticking to your predetermined goals. The pace in
which you chase your goals down is up to you.
Surprisingly, “life happens” and our situations
change that can increase or decrease your time
available for practice. Your “time” will be more
productive, even if you have less of it by sticking
to your goals. You!ll get better, faster making your
play time more fun and enjoyable. Who would!ve
thought? Getting better makes playing more
fun?!? WHAT A CONCEPT!!! =)
With out having goals you don’t know what to
learn, you’ll waste precious time on “skating”
through material and not moving ahead.
Okay, let!s get serious for a moment. If you don!t
want to practice. That!s cool, this book isn!t for you.
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Practice Vs Fun
Don’t let practice become a “chore” and take away
from the enjoyment of being an artist. Yes, it’s
easy to let practice turn into something that you
hate to do and we can simply “justify” away skills
that we acquire from practice and focus on the “fun”.
practice
fun
Fret board notes
- Be able to play songs by notes!
Scales
- Be able to play songs by charts!
- Be able to play by understanding!
Music Theory
Right Hand Tone Technique
- Change your sound on the fly!
Modes
- Be able to predict what!s next!
- Be able to make great bass lines!
Arpeggios
- Be able to play for longer!
Chops
- Figure out songs fast!
Ear Training
- Play more types of music!
Styles- Finger Style, Slap, etc.
- So does your playing and fun!!
The List Goes On
Does anything in the “fun” column not
sound like stuff that would make playing
more enjoyable and more fun? Like being
able to learn to play your favorite songs
faster, be better at them and create and
play your own cooler bass lines?
Now, if the fun stuff isn!t fun to you, then add your own fun list and identify what
things you need to practice to learn the fun stuff. Now, what I!m about to tell you is
TOP SECRET bass pro stuff that is reserved for the elite. If you!re playing the stuff
your having fun with, you are ALSO practicing!! SSSHHHHHHH!! This isn!t for the
masses to know. You can decide what is fun, and practice it!! You!ll find over time
there is a home for stuff you see right now as boring, but as you progress, you!ll
figure out why you need those tools, and then they will be fun to practice.
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Things you need
to hit your
goals. If you
don’t know, ask
someone to help
you figure out
what you need
to do to make
it happen!
GOALS
There’s a blank
one of these in
the back of the
book or available
online for free.
Here’s an example
of how this can
work for you.
future goal
Do Cool Hair
Learn to Play
future goal
Be a Rock Star
Form Band
future goal
Replace Drummer
=)
NOTES and PROGRESS
Keep track of your progress here. As you discover new things to
make goals for make a new sheet, ad your own timelines of you need
to. Use this chart to teach other bass players how to practice and
more!
...................................................................
...................................................................
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Goal Charts can be for anything. Learning scales, modes, a song, a
technique and a new cookie recipe. Short, simple easy to remember. You!ve
heard no doubt from some motivational person at some point to write your
goals down. Yup, write them down, it helps and you!ll be amazed how fast
you move through them. Even better a cool looking chart too.
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Elements of Practice
There are different elements of things to practice. All of them will
enhance your skills and enjoyment of the instrument. Set multiple
goals to achieve in different categories. Below are three different
groups of things to practice. Try setting a goal from each one to
work on and switch as you get bored or even frustrated with one.
theory
technique
ge ar
- Fret Board Notes
- Plucking
- Bass
- Major Scales
- Picking
- Amp
- Minor Scales
- Walking
- Tone
- Arpeggios
- Slap
- EQ
- Modes
- Pop
- Effects
- Circle of 5ths
- Tap
- Stings
- Key Signatures
- Hammer On
- Fretless
- Reading Sheet Music
- Muting
- 5+ Sting Basses
- Music Notation
- Sweeping
- Intonation
- Music Time 4/4 3/4 ect
- Double Thumb
- Tuning Methods
- Poly Rhythms
- Double Pluck
- Alternative Tuning
- Tablature
- Triple Pluck
- Bridges/Action
- Nashville Numbers
- Sliding
- Pickups
- Ear training
- Harmonics
- Truss Rod Adjustments
Don!t know where to start? No big deal. Start at the top of one or all of the lists and
start working your way down. Already a pro? (Stoked you!re here but don!t know
why) There!s probably something in one of the three categories you can brush up
on. Also, there are many charts available from bassmatter to help with these.
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Time Finding
There!s nothing you can do about it.
There!s only 24 hours in a day.
Though many have tried to create
more time and failed, this is really
about time management. Practice
doesn!t need to be a solid time
commitment. Fit it in where you can.
10 min here, 30 min there and so
on. You!ll still move forward instead
of saying “I have no time for
practice”. Seriously, life happens
and that!s okay, just because you
can!t carve out a 3 hour block of
uninterrupted time each day, or
once a week one even once a
month, it doesn!t mean that you
can!t still stuff in several hours a
month of great effective practice.
Here!s another bass pro
secret.....you don!t need to have
your bass to practice several
elements of being a great bass
player! “WHAT?!?” you ask,
thaaaaaat!s right. You can practice a
ton of things that will help you play
your bass that don!t require its
with
without
! listening
! listening
! technique
! technique
! chops building
! ear training
! playing styles
! theory
! muscle memory
! memorization
! music experiments
! styles studies
! ear training
! counting/rhythm
! equipment tone
! coordination
! memorization
! research
! counting/rhythm
! Goal Checking
! And more
! And more
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For the longest time there!s been something one will call logic or even rational
when considering starting or continuing to pursuing an art. One may “grow up” or
“not have time” or “lose interest”. Usually this is because there is a fear of a time
commitment or poor time management that will bring artists away from their craft.
This is fine and happens to the best of them, however, it doesn!t need to be so.
You can develop your art even without your bass, use your ears and eyes too. =)
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Cool Way to Count
Need to practice your counting skills? No, really, counting. I promise it!s not an insult. Here!s a cool
strategy I picked up from Bassology (Nice Work Anthony). Others may and do use it, but I saw him do it
first, so he gets the credit. Okay, we have to use standard measurements here for this to work. If you
went through the “Bass Crash Course” Ebook you!ll know what the details below mean. This is a cool
way for you to practice time and poly rhythms. Simply specify a hash mark, count it out and play on the
hash marks you select on the print chart. Here!s how to use this chart.
kjsdf
Often times different ways of learning to play a song will still incorporate music
theory terminology. Tablature, chords, private lessons, by ear, and so on.
Understanding what these details are even if you don!t have “sheet music” is
important for communication and figuring things out.
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Singing
re
do
kjsdf
fa
mi
la
ti
so
Yup. If you only sing alone or in the shower no biggie, let er! rip!! By practicing singing you!ll
develop your listening skills. Now, what do you sing one might ask? Well, start with your
favorite songs and pay attention to how your singing related to the bass line. You!ll notice
you!re usually coming in at the root of the melody. You ever notice how often times great bass
players will play a note other than root to create a short harmony to what everyone else is
doing? Yeah, that!s the tasty stuff singing will help you develop. Now, most even if they
haven!t seen the movie “The Sound of Music”, will know the “do, a deer, a female deer” song.
Or more officially known as “Do Re Mi Fa”. Now, one must understand that this song follows
the major scale. And the Do Re Mi stuff is called “Solfege” If you!re playing a song C Major for
example, and you can correctly sing Do Re Mi, you should be able to hit the correct note by
singing which would be E by the way. This will do wonders for your ear training and being able
to hear a song and know that they are on the Mi in C Major which is the note E. Now, once
you get that figured out you!ll already know how to figure out Minors. So no training here.
Sing the bass line. No really. Singing the
bass line will help you train your brain to
distinguish the bass line from the melody.
Don!t think this is a little bit difficult? Try
singing and playing the bass at the same
time. Now you!re in for a work out. Yes,
some can do it easier than others, but your
ears are trained to listen to the melodies
and harmonies and file the root away.
Break this barrier and new doors will open
for you.
Bass Matter may be used as a scape
goat for horrible singing. Please inform
potential complainers that this is part of
your practice and is important. We never
said you had to sound good, only hit the
right note. Bass Matter cannot be held
liable from broken windows or property
damage as a result of horrible singing.
Singing. You don!t have to sound good or have a beautiful voice. You must work
on hitting the right note. Being tone deaf is not an excuse, you can make this
work. Being tone deaf and being a bass player really don!t go together. It!s kind of
like Ice Cream and Bacon. Oh, and bass players that can sing backup, get work.
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Drumming
Free
Air
Drums!!
kjsdf
Syncopation. “Synco-huh?”. Yes, Syncopation. Please see Wikipedia or the Harvard Music
Dictionary for an in depth explanation. As a bass player, I like to look at it as “a groove changer”.
You know how drummers do those fancy fills or snappy little blips here and there that really
make a tune “tasty”? To music lovers, it!s that one place in a song where the toe tapping tempo,
placement, accent ect changes and somehow it magically comes back together. Yeah, as a
bass player, to kick it up a notch learn to drum. You will be amazed at how practicing drums and
creating independence between your limbs will unlock creative road blocks plaguing fizzled out
musicians or ones resting on their canned licks. I!m not going to lie, I get to this dark place
often....then off to a drummer friends house I go and grab the sticks, make a fool of myself and
viola! New brain stimulation opens up and back to my trusted EADG I go. You don!t even need
a drum set or sticks to get started. If you have both hands and feet, begin trying to tap them all
at the same time to 8th notes at a temp of your choice. Then hands on 1 and feet on 2, then
one hand, one foot on 1 and 2 and you get the idea. Play drums, try to tap out songs and more.
!
You!ll possibly find the drums a remarkably fun
instrument, powerful, eye opening, brain stimulating
and stress relieving. Not only will drumming in some
manner help your playing from a coordination and
creative perspective, but also from a relational
standpoint. When you understand the drummers role in
a band more in depth, you!ll begin to see the vital
relationship between the bass and drums. Most already
know that the bass and the kick drum mirror each other
more often than not, but it goes so much deeper than
that. A good drummer and good bass player, “get it”.
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I think this page makes the point. Drum, you!ll see why after
you get into it. Or learn the Banjo, that!s pretty big too.
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Arpeggios
Have you heard this word yet? Know what it means? What does it mean to “arpeggiate” something?
This is really simple and you!ll be happy to know as a bass player, you are the Arpeggio MASTER in the
band. That!s all you do, all the time is play arpeggios. An arpeggio is a chord, played one note at a time
in an Ascending order (low to high). Sometimes we hear about guitar players say “I!m learning my
arpeggios” and it sounds like a brutal process. Don!t worry, there are more than you can make up.
Here!s the basic rule, play three or more notes one at a time from low to high and you!re playing an
arpeggio. Now, not all notes work all the time within a scale or mode that sounds “good” or more
specifically modern, but you get the idea. Want to practice and learn great sounding bass lines and know
which notes will work 100% of the time if you!re told the chord? Learn the chart below, and if you have
the chord chart or can get it from the rhythm guitar player, you!re hooked up to be awesome! Let!s say
you see a D aug chord on the chart. Cool, you play D and you!re good. But you could spice it up and
play a 3rd or a #5th which would be F# or Bb and they would work 100% of the time! You!re a pro now!
Here are 16 of the
most popular
chords for bass in
western and
modern music.
Learn these and
you!ll be able to
play and invent
bass lines for
almost any kind of
music you run into.
Not to mention
you!ll be fast on
your feet to improv
and really expand
your horizons in
playing.
Modes, scales, arpeggios.....does this grind of memorization every end? Uhh, to say
this gently, no. However! No-one said you have to learn all of this to be or call your
self a bass player. It!s just a matter of how in depth of a musician you want to be. =)
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Running out of time
Since this books started with the concept of using time. This book is short. =) Now, make
your goals and find new and creative ways to use your “time” through out the day even
without your bass slung over your shoulder to help you become a better bass player, and
musician. We wish you luck, and keep it low.
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Practice. Practice. Have fun. Practice.
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ar
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to
pr
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GOALS
things you need
for your goal
future goals
your goal
notes
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counting
1
smarter
2
e and a
3
e and a
4
e and a
1
e and a
16th note
8th note
dotted 8th note
1/4 note
dotted 1/4 note
1/2 note
dotted 1/2 note
whole note
With a foot tap a metronome a clock or anything with a beat, practice playing on
specific marks between each number, or mix it up. This will help sharpen your
clean playing and super accurate timing!! Mix it up and develop that grey matter!!
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ARPEGGIOS
MAJOR
R-3-5
b5
Dim
Aug
R-b3-5
Sus4
R-4-5
R-3-b5
R-b3-b5
R-3-#5
Minor 6
7
7Sus 4
Minor 7
Major 7
Minor
Major 6
R-3-5-6
R-b3-5-6
R-3-5-b7
R-4-5-b7
R-b3-5-b7
R-3-5-7
Major 7#5
MinMaj7
7b5
Minor 7b5
Aug7
Dim7
R-3-#5-7
R-b3-5-7
R-3-b5-b7
R-b3-b5-b7
R-3-#5-b7
R-b3-b5-6
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