Band and Practice Balance

Technique
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I signed up for the course… a while ago and still haven’t finished because… I joined/got drafted into a band. I’m in my mid-40s, work full time, have three kids (all of whom are also doing a lot of music), and have become like… the guitar tech, roadie, audio engineer, and a bunch of other stuff for my dad band and for my kids. It’s been an amazing journey and I love it.

The problem for me right now is the volume of songs. The band is trying to get enough music together for some gigs—one of which we have scheduled for March. I’ve gotten pretty good at cutting parts down so they’re a bit more repetitive and easier to memorize with a bit less flair in them—a skill that’s also helping me help my 8-year-old keep up as the bassist in his band!

This is all very well and good for playing some little live events and such and while I have learned a mountain about audio setups and music theory and all of that, I feel like my growth as the actual bass player has stalled somewhat—at least, in terms of improving things like speed and my ability to just do bass stuff like jump around the fret board.

Speed is the main issue. With decent technique (for me anyway), things top out right around 8th notes at 140bpm. I know I need to relax but that’s easier said than done. (I only recently really noticed I was holding my breath, lol. And while this is literally covered in the course there’s just so much information all the time I can’t keep it all in my head.)

Okay…

I feel like I need to rework my practice sessions to be a little more disciplined but I’m not quite sure what to do and how much focused time is good enough. On one hand I feel like I should start with technique practice but I’ve also noticed my speed is better after playing a couple songs. On the other, I just have to learn a bunch of songs!

The song learning doesn’t always feel like it’s pushing me technique-wise (mainly because this isn’t a situation where I am choosing “level up” songs—I’m playing what we decide on which can be all kinds of stuff) but reps of anything still help. I always have time to stop and consider things like finger pressure and plucking force. Also, I know I’m not as stalled as I thought because the speed I can memorize now is insane compared to six months ago. I can break down songs in my head by structure and learn parts so much faster. I know I’m not entirely stalled but…

The slow progress on speed feels like I need to work my practices a little different. And practicing with the band, which is twice a week, is definitely not technique practice. It just can’t be.

I’m not even 100% sure what I am asking, lol. I guess I’m just looking for some personal anecdotes on what other people maybe in a similar position have done? Heaven knows I have watched enough videos (my sons like watching it too and we often wind down at night looking for ideas) and I know there are plenty of good exercises out there.

I just need a more focused practice routine. What works for y’all?

3 Likes
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It sounds to me like you are peanut buttering your time too thinly. I would say to focus more on one thing at a time and try and combine activities - for example, you can work on the speed practice while learning new songs for the band. Try to think of ways for each of the focus areas to accelerate one or more of the others. You have already called out one:

Yep for example learning some theory really helped you out here in an applied way (in this case, song structure).

2 Likes
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For me, the challenge has been to get to a consolidated, agreed list of target songs with the band that a) are not vetoed by one of us on the grounds that we can’t stand it, b) can be performed by a band made up of just a vocalist, a guitarist, a drummer and me on bass, and c) is not too technical, ie we can play it.

In terms of learning and practice, I do a lot at 05:30 / 06:00, before the rest of the house is up in the mornings.

We’re a covers band. Some of the songs are very easy - that good! The average audience don’t know if a song is hard or easy, they just to hear something they know and is played well. Some are more stretching - I’m working on one at the moment that is easy apart from the fills and a section on the second verse that is a finger twister. It’s going to take some practice!

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Know your priorities and stick to them…..
Kids grow up fast…. Being a dad is a blessing,….

5

Bass first, kids second?

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ONLY if the kids are REALLY UGLY!:rofl::rofl:

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lol. I sorta do both here. My youngest is learning bass and we play together. The other two play guitar.

It’s brutal watching an 8-year-old prepare to outpace me in like a 1/4 of the time.

9

I know that feeling. My daughter (14) has a higher bowling average than I do and has a for a couple of years. I digress….

It will be 14 months since my bass journey began. I finished B2B in 5ish months. I reconnected with a high school friend one day by chance and he invited me come Jam with “him and a couple of friends” Next thing I know im in a gigging band and have to learn a setlist of 30ish songs that are on the fringe of my musical tastes.

You take the good, you take the bad there you have the facts of life. I spent 3-4 months learning that setlist and it was brutal at times. Learning a song then finding out they play it in a different key. Finding out they change a section of the song, dont do a key shift and so on. On top of it all, the repetitive nature of learning a setlist can be brutal.

That said, once you learn it, its yours. The 1st setlist is kinda like the final boss of the beginner section of becoming a bassist. It will seem like a plateau. It’s not, its just getting harder and you’re applying the stuff you know rather than introducing new stuff. Once you know it well enough to perform in front of strangers, and accept the money it pays. You know you nailed it, and it’s really rewarding.

As far as learning new things while the setlist is progressing, dont sweat it so much. If you’re playing with others, you are learning. Maybe not on a tangible level, but you’re learning.

I will suggest coming up with a warm-up routine. Mine is 5-10 minutes of banging scales and arpegios on a metronome. Start slow and build speed over time and focus on timing and accuracy in the moment. Treat it as a side quest that will build skills useful to the main mission. Once that 1st setlist is in the bag, you can return to learning new things and it will feel like you’re drinking from a fire hydrant.