BASS TIPS

From The HEART

     
My approach to bass playing is quite simple... and this applies to any 
instrument, including the voice... to strengthen the mechanisms that 
play the instrument and then get out of the way and let the music 
play through you, from the heart. Music played from the heart will 
touch people, whereas music that is played by technique alone, may
certainly impress it's listeners but it will not move them. In fact lack 
of technique can often be overcome by some one who is playing 
purely from the heart...and when technique and the heart meet, then 
MAGIC happens...
       
Now I'm not one who likes to practise very much. When I first started 
playing, most of my practise was done at gigs, and still today, the 
live show is by far the best training ground we can encounter. My 
life has been getting busier since then and though the bass is still 
my main instrument, I have other responsibilities~songwriting, 
producing, keeping fit, my family life, my spiritual life...and maintaining 
web sites...!!!
Finding the balance between all these activities is 
                    DEFINITELY CHALLENGING ...but that's a whole other subject ! 
...so with having less time to devote to the bass, and yet still needing
to keep my playing chops sharp, I have devised some short cut 
warm-up / strengthening exercises that are effective and 'to the point '. 
They are simple and will work on fretted or fretless bass...
     

  
(One of these days I'll get a  music  manuscript writing program,
til then the hand written version will have to do!) 
  
Ex.1(a) is an ascending and descending chromatic line and there 
are many variations we can derive from this pattern as I shall 
illustrate. It should be played as quickly as possible, while still 
maintaining the evenness of each note in the exercise. 
This is a very important point and it applies to each of the examples.
If some of the notes are uneven or rhythmically choppy then slow 
down the exercise until you find a tempo that is comfortable for you....
When you feel comfortable with this exercise you can move on to 
some of the variations. All of these are variations of the original 
exercise, and believe me, they get those bass playing muscles 
burning! They are designed to strengthen all of the playing fingers, 
so make sure you follow the fingering patterns. I always encourage 
bassists to use their fingers on the plucking hand (as opposed to a 
pick) and for this exercise alternate each note between the first 
finger and the middle finger.You may need to slow the exercises 
down as you go through to the later variations. Remember~ 
evenness of tone and rhythm are essential.
  

       
When your'e ready for the extra burn, move the whole exercise 
down to the 4th fret, beginning on the 4th and walking chromatically 
up to the 7th fret and back down again to the 4th. OUCH!!!
And if you really want to go for it, do the exercises between the 1st 
and 4th frets. And if you really, really  want to go for it, then move 
the exercises down a string i.e. starting on the low E string instead 
of the A. You can invent your own variations too, the formula is pretty
simple...1,2,3,4,4,3,2,1.... 9,10,11,12,12,11,10,9...! And let's not forget 
the whole purpose of these exercises...and that is...
 ...oh just read the 1st paragraph again! Have fun!!

     
        

       
Copyright 2000 Tony Franklin