On a very small new years party, the song “The Pot” by Tool came up, and a friend asked me if I could play that.
So here I am, struggling to try to play that heavily syncopated weird rhythm stuff.
Which surprisingly works better than I would have thought, Josh has prepared me well.
Though I have to admit I play this stuff only by feel, I can’t tap my foot to that.
But I just can’t get it up to song speed right now, which seems to be something I struggle in general: There are many songs out there that are just too fast for me.
I’ve been like that on bass, sax and trumpet over the years. In the words of one instructor I had “so play slow stuff”.
We all have our limits. I push myself with some songs with faster passages little by little. It all takes loads of time when you are older. Slower learning/reaction time/learning our noggins to move our fingers.
To speed up plucking and fingerboard moves takes time, patience, more time and even more patience. Advances often are a matter of months, not of days or some weeks.
I reduce the speed of critical sections down to a speed I can play, mostly 80 percent of the original speed. I do not increase until I can played it relaxed, than 85, 90, 95…
‘music speed changer’ is a great app to practice songs with reduced speed without losing the sound /pitch
I am already playing with a pick. I always try to use the picking method the creator of the original bass line used.
I think my main problem might be to do up- and downpicking while also crossing strings and fretting the notes, right and left hand seem to desync.
@thomas yes, I think that is a very good way to get up to speed. Start out with a speed where you can play it flawlessly. Then gradually speed it up. As soon as mistakes are coming in, slow it down again. I think I too often tend to speed it up too fast and do not take enough time to play slow.
Patience is key, which I often don’t have enough of!
@sshoihet yeah, 45%, that is a speed I also seem to use more often than not!
Problem then is sometimes: It it slow enough for me to play, but I just can’t feel the rhythm anymore.
No sweat! That leaves you more steps to increase speed… I also have… huh… long term projects that are out of reach right now.
The most important thing is to avoid frustration. Put the bass line aside for a week or two, learn something else, than tackle it again. Helps me to stay positive.
They used the technique that worked best for them. A different technique might work better for you. I would try it the way it was originally done but there is no way I would stick to that if I found a better way for me.
If I’m attempting to play a cover, I would try to play it the same way (pick vs fingers) as the original artist did, @howard
One thing that happened to me after finishing the course though, was that I failed miserably when trying to use a pick. There can be a significant difference in sound between pick vs fingers and I really wanted to work on that.
At least I can say that my fingering technique vastly improved!
I learned the pick by committing to it. I stopped plucking and just used a pick. Once I didn’t have a fallback I had to push through the issues which were mostly muting. Try just a pick for a few weeks.
Picking up a guitar also improves your picking on bass
I also play slowly and pay special attention to my fretting and alternate picking. You can get away with stuff slow you just can’t do fast, so I work on efficiency early to build up muscle memory.
I find Billie Jean and Under Pressure two great songs to practice alternate picking. And Come As you are. But Hound Dog is where I learned alternate picking with string crossing
For me, I struggle fretting more than I do plucking but I also haven’t had any time to practice thanks to my work hours and the wife is always finding stuff for me to do at home. I’m lucking to get 15 minutes after 9pm.
Still better than 0 minutes.
Maybe you could cut back on other hobbies or only going on the BB forum every other day would give you some additional practice time
LOL oddly enough, I’m on the forum from my work computer. The Postal Service limits what we can view but this forum is one that’s approved. As for other hobbies, I’ve already stopped doing them (I build model cars) already. For me, it’s mostly TV with the wife that takes most of my night. That’s why I have to wait until 9pm.
I hear you on that one but after 50 years of marriage this April, yes to the same woman before you ask, I can usually get at least an hour or two of practice in somewhere during the day.
I guess my main advantage would be that I am retired.
+1 here too.
I have been working on two songs I will only play with a pick, and want to get them cover ready. I just keep going and my palm muting starts to work like its supposed to on its own, etc. it’s getting there. It would be interesting to go through B2B again, but only with a pick.
I also have… huh… long term projects that are out of reach right now.
There can be a significant difference in sound between pick vs fingers and I really wanted to work on that.
