I’m going away for 3 weeks shortly. Its impractical to take the bass. Im still in the early learning stages. What can i take, follow or listen to (without any practical), so that i dont become stale over the period and actually learn something. Considering its a beach/beer assignment. 
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Take music to critically listen to. Try to recognize its overall structure and how the bass line is the critically essential harmonic foundation of every song.
Without music viscerally in your life experience, practicing playing is like practicing pronouncing words in a foreign language you’re trying to learn. But listening to native speakers speaking that language teaches you the rhythm and emotion of how they communicate.
So take your time off to listen, and have fun doing it. It’s more than worth your time.
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I have favourite albums where i can immerse myself into each instrument. (Headphones).: b
Have been doing so for ever, but im not sure that i will learn anything from it.
Dont get me wrong… i’ll hear it, i’ll recognise it, but I’ll be unable to replicate it without help.
I have an acoustic bass guitar for exactly this kind of situation, it’s light and doesn’t require an amp. I just use a gig bag for it. Works great. This may still be impractical for you, but they’re pretty cheap ($300) roughly.
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sometimes a break and rest for the brain is the best idea.
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You’d be surprised what you may notice after learning the instrument a little. I have songs I’ve heard millions of times that I hear differently since starting the bass last fall. There’s bits in the bass line that I’ve never noticed before, obviously, but in the other instruments as well. There was a song i was listening to the other day where something in the bass caught my ear and as I was listening to that more closely, i heard all kinds of stuff in the drums i never noticed.
And this isn’t even with concentrating on the music. This is when i have my headphones on at work as a low level distraction and am only half paying attention to it most of the day.
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I was listening to a song on my TV/soundbar last night, and there was a song on I probably hadn’t heard in 20 years. I noticed all sorts of things I had never heard before, and it was just a soundbar so not great quality. As your ear gets trained you hear more. I witness!
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This, exactly^^^
@keat-r, this is what I meant when I said “critical listening.”
There’s nothing wrong at all with just jamming out to your fave tunes, but being even slightly more aware of nuances in the music that @Vader cited is where synapses start firing and recognition of what’s going on kicks in.
Make no mistake: I’m not suggesting that any newbie will know how to play like an artist by just casually listening to a song, but keep in mind that an infant also doesn’t automatically understand what those around are saying to him/her either.
But they do in time.
They pay attention because they want to understand. They mimic repeated sounds that gradually become words, phrases, sentences. Ideas.
Critical listening is important. It starts with intention and attention. Where it ends up is up to the listener.
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I’ve been off the bass for more than 2 months now with my illness and I’m feeling much better, though still getting used to the swing and the meds. I’ve been hard at Critical listening with my newly acquired IEMs and I could already play along in my head with the “to do Covers” playlist.
My last blood test a few days ago is showing very good as my blood sugar is right on Normal range. I’m hoping to get back to it either this weekend or next week. Seeing @StevFargan and @fennario at my restaurant really got the juice flowing and I want to start getting back to playing again. I have no more excuse on the 4th I’m playing on a gig so gotta get my butt back to practice.
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