I’m currently learning bass as my first instrument using this course, and I just started Module 3. I had no problem following beat during the first 2 modules and I emphasized this by counting loudly forcing me to follow it. But now here I am starting module 3 with the Deep Purple riff, no problem playing the notes but I’m always messing up the count of the beat and thus messing up the riff when I try counting.
So here’s the question : is it me who is not good at counting the beat or is it normal at this point of the course to still mess up the rhythm ?
I’m a bit concerned and I want to know if this is a point to really focus in priority or if it is normal and it will naturally improve by playing and training.
As ever, the answer practice. If I’m honest, I can’t remember the Deep Purple riff, but there might be a number of things you can try:
without playing, just listen to the track and get a feel of the beat and how the bass line fits within it
clap the beat, or click you fingers, counting at the same time. In all seriousness, moving to the beat can really help when playing!
clap the bass line to get a better feel of it
slow the track down and focus on the first bar or two, before trying to speed things up
if you have access to a drum machine (you can find drum tracks on YouTube) set it at a slow speed, play the line, then gradually increase the tempo - I like this approach and do this a lot!!
and finally, don’t get disheartened and keep on going!
We all have / had challenge going through the course. Trust the process, you will get there!
Getting into and holding a time signature will come with time. All I can say is keep playing and let it come. I really wanted to learn how to play like the band Rush when I first started. They have songs that go all over the place and I spartan trained over and over just trying to follow along. Eventually I started getting better at knowing when to come in and finding patterns. If I were you I’d spend time free jamming to as much music as you can and just get a feel for patterns and you’ll learn dynamics and where to go. Don’t worry about wrong notes right now just play. If you mess up keep going and try to keep following. It’s going to train your ear and get you used to recovering. Learn with your teaching tools but absolutely take the time to free jam to your favorite music. That’s how you get good faster and have a better time doing it. Look up some victor Wooten methodology. He’s got a great feel for how to teach bassist to get good at knowing what to do.
Thanks you for this precious tips, this is frustarting as I can count the beat without playing with ease, but when playing I start messing up and mixing the notes, or even miscounting.
But I will try to train using your techniques, thanks again !
Thanks for your reply. In fact, I did a lot of noodling before taking the course, and the killer was following and keeping track of the beat (which is the reason I took the course lol)
I’m still motivated and I want to improve on this point so let’s carry on I guess aha the rest will follow
You wait until you try singing at the same time as playing…
Seriously, keep on going, @jugen_fr, you’ll get there. What’s funny is that what is hard today will feel easier in a week’s time! I find this all the time - how on earth am I going to play this? But break it down, play slow and speed up, and you’ll be surprised what you can achieve!!
Even though it’s been several years since I took the course, I remember this dilemma very well…. With me I believe it was because at that point (and with that song), I was so focused on getting the notes right…. Subconsciously I was pre-thinking my next note move and as a result, the timing of that note would be off….
Slow down and focus on playing at the slow speed until your fingers automatically know what (and where) to go. At this point you can then lock into the beat…
Basically this for me also. I find if I’m trying to say it out loud I have to think about what I’m saying (counting) at the same time as paying attention to the music, and reading the screen for where to go next, and what my fretting hand is doing, and what my plucking hand is doing, and it’s just too much. None of it is 2nd nature to me yet. So if I stop the oral counting and just tap my foot or nod my head to the beat, it’s much easier. Once I feel the groove, it’s even easier as that takes yet another thing away that I need to focus on. Basically keep going through until you can eliminate other factors and focus on just one or two things at a time.
So while I don’t have that much experience with bass guitar yet I do have some prior musical experience. The cool thing about this particular challenge is that you can work on it even while you’re not playing the bass. Listen to music with a strong clear rhythm section. Listen to it a lot. “Dancier” music is good for this. Count in your head while you listen. Tap your foot to the beat. Tap your pencil to the snare. Listen to music a lot and move your body to it, dance to it. All of this will help you develop that internal sense of rhythm. Like anything it’s a “muscle” that you have to work out. And the more you do it the more you find you can “feel” the beat and find the “1” unconsciously, and you don’t have to intentionally count in your head as much.
If you have a problem counting the songs you know then there’s some work to do. If you have problems with new songs then no worries.
You may need to slow it done a few clicks but not too slow, which would be even harder,
We can, well most of us can walk and chew gum at the same time add juggling in the mix then all of the sudden it’s much harder especially if you are new to juggling. What you need is to separate the activities, when you learn there’s no time, no counting.
Listen to that music (piece) until you know it by heart. Play along with the song on a bass but don’t plug it in or turn down the volume, like lip sync on the bass once you got all in time then turn up the bass volume. Josh can look at the notes and start playing along because he puts in enough hours to make it look easy.
Are you trying to count-out the beat numbers while also playing, and not managing that? Or you just can’t follow the rhythm at all?
I had lots of music and dance background before bass. I basically can’t count a beat and play simultaneously. I can follow complex rhythms, but I have to think of them in terms other than numbers “1e&a2e&a…” I typically use movement sensations or phonetic ones (whether gibberish or words).
I can follow the rhythm but as soon as I start counting the beat, the first two bars are okay but then I feel distracted by trying to manage counting and playing and, I either lose the beat or mess the notes (sometimes both aha)
In that case - you are very much not alone. That is very normal. That isn’t even a “this point in the course” thing. I’ve completed the course. I’ve got a band. I can sing while playing (simpler songs). I can play complex latin and hip-hop rhythms. I feel exactly like you trying to count out numbers and play at the same time.
Stop counting and start trusting your ability to be in time. It sounds like you’re more focused on counting and it’s distracting you from being in tune with the song. If you want to work with a metronome then try that but counting is only worthwhile if it’s not taking you away from being locked in to the music. Everyone has rhythmic ability. If you can tap a pencil in rhythm then you can pluck a string in rhythm. It sounds like you’re putting training wheels on a dirt bike. Hop on that thing and let it flow.
I use my free metronome, we all have one, it’s attached to the bottom of your leg, it’s the foot. Establish the beat with your foot and never stop tapping your foot, NEVER, even if you make a mistake, keep the foot tapping, this will also help preventing you from going back to correct an error, right after making that error, it’s a terrible habit that must be avoided, it will throw off the beat every time, you have to play thru the error to maintain the beat which is way more important. You can cuss yourself out for making the mistake at the time but just keep the beat and play on.
Once you do that for a while, the foot will keep going without you thinking about it, feet learn very quickly all by themselves it seems.
