Another Masterpiece of a lesson, Dan. If only this sort of advice was around 30 years ago, when I spent all my time noodling and learning songs from tab, couldn’t afford lessons, and books were pretty much just scale charts so I had no focus or structure to practicing. Only after returning to the bass in the last few years, have I realised it all boils down to exactly what you are saying here(sort of)…… Technique, music theory, and rhythm = How to play, What to play and When to play it. Now I spend 5 mins on each (short enough not to get bored) and then do more of whatever I fancy in the time I have available. I would like recommend people decide what they are going to practice BEFORE they pick up their bass, so that any limited amount of practice time is not wasted.
I wouldent say its wasted though, i remember someone trying to teach me bass when i was 15, and i hated that it was all about technique, math theory, and i had only bad experiences with math of bad confidence, so i lost all my will to learn, if i had started with something simpler like a funk bass line like " if you want me to stay" and start having fun over the bassline just learning timing, improvising on top of something i wanted to learn it would have started off better
I’m a travel technician so I’m on the road most of the time. I bought a short scale bass to travel with so I can play on the road but sometimes I can’t bring the bass with me so my practice is very inconsistent. I would like to build a practice routine for someone on a time crunch. I love playing the bass, it’s become one of my favorite things to do so I really want to build my skills. I’ve recently started practicing Tom Sawer by Rush and I can tell the difference when I’m home practicing and when I’m gone for weeks at a time then practicing. It feels like I’m starting over each time I come home and it’s frustrating. I have been using some of your practice routines and they really help.
Even though i can't read music...and I've been playing on and off since 1986...this guy and his approach has been very helpful because of the simplicity of his approach is...keep the videos coming my man..i appreciate the knowledge.
The exploring and noodling part for me comes from me trying to put fills into my bands basslines , we started with everything nice and simple and now its all about dynamics and making things interesting . its my first time playing in a band and ive been on a 6 year hiatus but im absolutely loving the process !!
It's so important to build a routine! Thanks for suggesting a track, I'll add a tip on a powerful book to read on this topic: "Atomic habits" which stress the importance on improving by slowly adding compounded good daily habits.
I love that book! Probably one of my favourite books and definitely on the subject of habit formation (Tiny Habits is also very good). Everyone could benefit from reading Atomic Habits.
Just brilliant. If you copy something, especially from one of the greats (or someone whose playing you like) and then adapt it to make it your own, it's not copying.
I really do, Stevie. I want you to learn enough so that you can easily teach yourself and learn from listening and analysing music. Thanks for the comment. 🙏🙏
I started out self taught and playing by ear. I joined an online bass site about 13 yrs ago and realized that I want so much more than just playing by ear. I really want it all with this great instrument; the bass. I put the bass down sometime back. But man it’s in my blood. I feel it’s a gift from God, but He left it up to me to develop this gift. I feel that I’ve really wasted a lot of time. But I just can’t walk away.
Thanks again, Dan! I forgot to mention that I bought your *The Bass Guitar Practice Journal* book this week and it arrived today. I love it! It has more than I even expected; lots of pages and diagrams to use and making notes on. Tracking everything this way is very helpful already. Much appreciated!
@@OnlineBassCourses Oh wow, this video is a perfect type to mention it. I hope you do in future because many -- especially new learners -- could use it. :-) I came across it on Amazon Canada when I saw your other books there. I may have missed it but I'd never heard you mention it before and didn't realize you had such a book. I went back to your official site to make sure it was legit (apparently I DID missed THAT book on your site before, haha). I love making notes and being organized (better than a bunch of loose sheets), so I may end up getting another copy in the future over time.
@@pmb6667 It's a really good one for taking notes. I'm really rubbish (mostly) at mentioning my products but I should do it more if I think it will help in a particular area...
Thank you Dan. As always, another amazing and fun lesson. Such brilliant exercises. Your method of teaching never comes across boring or unachievable. It’s always very easy to understand and I’m able retain more information, that I couldn’t before. I know i say it a lot, but you are very appreciated.
@@OnlineBassCourses Always Dan. You are a brilliant teacher. I promise if i ever find a magic lamp, meet a jin, free said jin, waste one wish on making the poor blue bastard truly free, change my pants (because…if fear doesn’t do it, I’m sure laughing like a madman will), enjoy whatever ridiculous wish i make for myself, contact and convince you that i found a magic lamp, finding a way around the restraining order you (for understandable reasons) will have placed… will give you the third wish. 😉 All kidding aside, thank YOU Dan
I spend way too much time just doing the major scales, and it ends up becoming robotic and not even thinking. This helps me get out of that rut and think more of how I'm playing, not just what.
Hi Dan! Thanks for this great lesson. I saw a previous lesson of yours in which you talked about practicing scales and arpeggios, I have been doing that but also added the matching pentatonics....AMAZING! I've grown so much doing that. Would you consider doing a lesson on combining those three? BTW, my practice time is when most folks sit down to relax and veg in front of the TV, before I know it I've practiced four hours! I relax by playing bass, it's my happy place! Your lessons have helped me so very much! Thank you Dan!
Thanks, Nancy! Really glad you liked it. This could be a follow up to the follow up lesson. I’ll film it tomorrow and publish it this week. Thanks and keep up the amazing practice!
For technique I have your book _Creative Bass Technique Exercises_ as I prefer to combine the technical part with something that can be applied in practice as well. For rhythm and timing I started playing along with some funk songs with the vocals removed. Speaking of time spent practising; Steve Vai used to spend 12 hours per day playing guitar! 😵 His very structrured regime was featured in a guitar magazine years ago.
Hi Dan, that's very helpful. Can you please prepare some more examples how to properly start learning the fretless practice. Cheers and all the best, keep going
I just want to say, you have help me tremendously. I'm a new bass player I'm not that great but using the lessons has a great impact on my playing. I don't understand the modes can you help please? My name is Lee
Thanks very much, Lee! You’re just starting so keep going. Go to my site or CZcams channel and search ‘modes’ and you’ll find a few lessons that should help.
I was wondering if you could comment about a "practice" method I'm trying for the 1st time. Last night, during commercial breaks and without my guitar in hand, I thought out different ways to do the fingering of a pentatonic scale, over more than 1 octave, while moving my fretting hand up and down the neck. I'm about to try it this morning on the guitar to see how it goes. What do you think about the use of visualization away from the guitar as a practice method? Thanks (in advance)!
I’ve definitely heard of musicians doing this - I know Steve Vai does it a lot. Without thinking much about it, it’s actually something I’ve done a lot too, mostly because I think about bass A LOT! I say try it out and see how you get on.
@@OnlineBassCourses It seemed to work fairly well for me, however that could be because it dovetailed quite well with your "Effortlessly Fly Around "The Bass Neck" video. I found myself moving around within the various pentatonic shapes. Thanks again! Certainly glad I found your channel.
That's interesting, 'noodeling' around is very, very challenging. Maybe creativity is not mine, sometimes it happens accidentally but then I start directly to question it: is it correct, booring, do I need to play better a 5 or a M6 ... and I stop playing. 😞 I like to fry my brain with fun over and over again trying to get (for me) complex rhythm under the fingers but if I try to 'play' something - 4 bars stolen from somewhere 'and the rest is silence'. But this morning I was on your last lesson about time signature changes and after 1h I had sworn it was 10 minutes, so much fun. 😀
Another Masterpiece of a lesson, Dan. If only this sort of advice was around 30 years ago, when I spent all my time noodling and learning songs from tab, couldn’t afford lessons, and books were pretty much just scale charts so I had no focus or structure to practicing.
Only after returning to the bass in the last few years, have I realised it all boils down to exactly what you are saying here(sort of)……
Technique, music theory, and rhythm = How to play, What to play and When to play it.
Now I spend 5 mins on each (short enough not to get bored) and then do more of whatever I fancy in the time I have available.
I would like recommend people decide what they are going to practice BEFORE they pick up their bass, so that any limited amount of practice time is not wasted.
Great comment! Thanks. 🙏
I wouldent say its wasted though, i remember someone trying to teach me bass when i was 15, and i hated that it was all about technique, math theory, and i had only bad experiences with math of bad confidence, so i lost all my will to learn, if i had started with something simpler like a funk bass line like " if you want me to stay" and start having fun over the bassline just learning timing, improvising on top of something i wanted to learn it would have started off better
I love exercises, thanks for these.
I’m a travel technician so I’m on the road most of the time. I bought a short scale bass to travel with so I can play on the road but sometimes I can’t bring the bass with me so my practice is very inconsistent. I would like to build a practice routine for someone on a time crunch. I love playing the bass, it’s become one of my favorite things to do so I really want to build my skills. I’ve recently started practicing Tom Sawer by Rush and I can tell the difference when I’m home practicing and when I’m gone for weeks at a time then practicing. It feels like I’m starting over each time I come home and it’s frustrating. I have been using some of your practice routines and they really help.
One Of The Best Bass Teacher On CZcams Thank Dan!!!
Thank you!! 🙏🙏
Even though i can't read music...and I've been playing on and off since 1986...this guy and his approach has been very helpful because of the simplicity of his approach is...keep the videos coming my man..i appreciate the knowledge.
Will do. Thanks, Shawn.
The exploring and noodling part for me comes from me trying to put fills into my bands basslines , we started with everything nice and simple and now its all about dynamics and making things interesting . its my first time playing in a band and ive been on a 6 year hiatus but im absolutely loving the process !!
Must be good to be back!
@@OnlineBassCourses its amazing, im relearning old chops and learning how to be a musician rather than a hobbyist its a dream come true for me
@@Scousestrongmanfan brilliant. 👊🙏
It's so important to build a routine! Thanks for suggesting a track, I'll add a tip on a powerful book to read on this topic: "Atomic habits" which stress the importance on improving by slowly adding compounded good daily habits.
I love that book! Probably one of my favourite books and definitely on the subject of habit formation (Tiny Habits is also very good). Everyone could benefit from reading Atomic Habits.
Just brilliant. If you copy something, especially from one of the greats (or someone whose playing you like) and then adapt it to make it your own, it's not copying.
Absolutely! Thanks. 🙏
Your a great teacher Dan , thanks man some great advice once again, and you can tell you really want us all to be great players.😀
I really do, Stevie. I want you to learn enough so that you can easily teach yourself and learn from listening and analysing music. Thanks for the comment. 🙏🙏
You have the best bass channel on CZcams. Your channel helped me become a better player, thank you.
I’m happy you’re getting better! Thanks very much. 🙏
I started out self taught and playing by ear. I joined an online bass site about 13 yrs ago and realized that I want so much more than just playing by ear. I really want it all with this great instrument; the bass. I put the bass down sometime back. But man it’s in my blood. I feel it’s a gift from God, but He left it up to me to develop this gift. I feel that I’ve really wasted a lot of time. But I just can’t walk away.
Thanks for your Help... Lots of People Neede This ...I Know I Sure Do...Bought My Bass 5 Months Ago...
Thanks again, Dan! I forgot to mention that I bought your *The Bass Guitar Practice Journal* book this week and it arrived today. I love it! It has more than I even expected; lots of pages and diagrams to use and making notes on. Tracking everything this way is very helpful already. Much appreciated!
Thanks very much, glad you like it! I don’t really publicise that book much but I think it’s great for practice (I’m biased though!).
@@OnlineBassCourses Oh wow, this video is a perfect type to mention it. I hope you do in future because many -- especially new learners -- could use it. :-) I came across it on Amazon Canada when I saw your other books there. I may have missed it but I'd never heard you mention it before and didn't realize you had such a book. I went back to your official site to make sure it was legit (apparently I DID missed THAT book on your site before, haha). I love making notes and being organized (better than a bunch of loose sheets), so I may end up getting another copy in the future over time.
@@pmb6667 It's a really good one for taking notes. I'm really rubbish (mostly) at mentioning my products but I should do it more if I think it will help in a particular area...
I definitely get sidetracked when practicing 😅
I've always been a little A.D.D a short attention span.
Thank you Dan. As always, another amazing and fun lesson. Such brilliant exercises. Your method of teaching never comes across boring or unachievable. It’s always very easy to understand and I’m able retain more information, that I couldn’t before. I know i say it a lot, but you are very appreciated.
Thanks very much, Tommy - I really appreciate your comment and support.🙏
@@OnlineBassCourses Always Dan. You are a brilliant teacher. I promise if i ever find a magic lamp, meet a jin, free said jin, waste one wish on making the poor blue bastard truly free, change my pants (because…if fear doesn’t do it, I’m sure laughing like a madman will), enjoy whatever ridiculous wish i make for myself, contact and convince you that i found a magic lamp, finding a way around the restraining order you (for understandable reasons) will have placed… will give you the third wish. 😉
All kidding aside, thank YOU Dan
@@PushSueAside 🤣🤣 someone get that man a magic 🪔!
@@OnlineBassCourses a promise is a promise. Cheers
awesome words here
I spend way too much time just doing the major scales, and it ends up becoming robotic and not even thinking. This helps me get out of that rut and think more of how I'm playing, not just what.
this is great. can you teach how to sight read? love your videos.
Thanks, Tony! Check out these videos: czcams.com/play/PLdXYrUzLRVdqZpQbv0sWOiVm54l6hVET0.html
Hi Dan! Thanks for this great lesson. I saw a previous lesson of yours in which you talked about practicing scales and arpeggios, I have been doing that but also added the matching pentatonics....AMAZING! I've grown so much doing that. Would you consider doing a lesson on combining those three? BTW, my practice time is when most folks sit down to relax and veg in front of the TV, before I know it I've practiced four hours! I relax by playing bass, it's my happy place! Your lessons have helped me so very much! Thank you Dan!
Thanks, Nancy! Really glad you liked it. This could be a follow up to the follow up lesson. I’ll film it tomorrow and publish it this week. Thanks and keep up the amazing practice!
Great! Looking forward to it!
For technique I have your book _Creative Bass Technique Exercises_ as I prefer to combine the technical part with something that can be applied in practice as well.
For rhythm and timing I started playing along with some funk songs with the vocals removed.
Speaking of time spent practising; Steve Vai used to spend 12 hours per day playing guitar! 😵 His very structrured regime was featured in a guitar magazine years ago.
I think I read that! Amazing commitment and that’s why he’s so good. Really glad you’re practicing so well - keep it up.
Lovely video
Thanks, Joanna. 🙏
Hi Dan, that's very helpful. Can you please prepare some more examples how to properly start learning the fretless practice. Cheers and all the best, keep going
Thanks, Michal. These lessons should help: onlinebasscourses.com/?s=Fretless&tcb_sf_post_type%5B%5D=post&tcb_sf_post_type%5B%5D=page
thanks for video, thats a beautiful Ibenez . I wish they all had that style headstock. the SR series got to be the ugliest bass head stock,
Thanks, Patrick. 1982 Ibanez Roadster
Do 7ths. over 2 octaves
Thanks. Now the real work begins. Read music and have more focused work outs. Now how about a study piece for 4 and 5 string bass.
Good luck 👊
i need the brand new player courses
I just want to say, you have help me tremendously. I'm a new bass player I'm not that great but using the lessons has a great impact on my playing. I don't understand the modes can you help please? My name is Lee
Thanks very much, Lee! You’re just starting so keep going. Go to my site or CZcams channel and search ‘modes’ and you’ll find a few lessons that should help.
Il like the way you teach.but make slowly please
Sorry, this is my natural pace!
I was wondering if you could comment about a "practice" method I'm trying for the 1st time. Last night, during commercial breaks and without my guitar in hand, I thought out different ways to do the fingering of a pentatonic scale, over more than 1 octave, while moving my fretting hand up and down the neck. I'm about to try it this morning on the guitar to see how it goes. What do you think about the use of visualization away from the guitar as a practice method? Thanks (in advance)!
I’ve definitely heard of musicians doing this - I know Steve Vai does it a lot. Without thinking much about it, it’s actually something I’ve done a lot too, mostly because I think about bass A LOT! I say try it out and see how you get on.
@@OnlineBassCourses It seemed to work fairly well for me, however that could be because it dovetailed quite well with your "Effortlessly Fly Around "The Bass Neck" video. I found myself moving around within the various pentatonic shapes. Thanks again! Certainly glad I found your channel.
That's interesting, 'noodeling' around is very, very challenging. Maybe creativity is not mine, sometimes it happens accidentally but then I start directly to question it: is it correct, booring, do I need to play better a 5 or a M6 ... and I stop playing. 😞
I like to fry my brain with fun over and over again trying to get (for me) complex rhythm under the fingers but if I try to 'play' something - 4 bars stolen from somewhere 'and the rest is silence'.
But this morning I was on your last lesson about time signature changes and after 1h I had sworn it was 10 minutes, so much fun. 😀
It is very important to enjoy it and have fun! Keep up the playing, Ralf.
@@OnlineBassCourses As long there is a cool teacher who is always coming up with new interesting stuff, I will keep on - and with fun for sure. (^_^)
What is an underlying scale?
Not sure what you’re referring to. Maybe I’m talking about the key of the music which basically refers to the scale being used.
What Ibanez model is this bass please?
1982 Ibanez Roadster with DiMarzio DP126 pickups
@@OnlineBassCourses Thanks