Help Needed: How to play the bass instead of the notes?

[IotaNet]

To the Group -

I have been playing in church for the last 18 months or so. It's been a true blessing but I need to take the next step.

I usually play twice a month -- First Sunday and some fill-in later in the month. I generally will have my song list 2-3 weeks in advance and I practice the songs that I need to know. that's cool but I need to progress past that.

I need to know what I should be practicing when I don't have any songs to learn. And let me say this ...

It's easy to say "learn every scale and every mode, yada, yada, yada." Unfortunately, that's not realistic -- I don't have the time for that (Busy working 60 hours a week), and I question how productive it is.

On the other hand, I play in a Traditional Black Baptist Church. We play a lot of Chicago Mass Choir, Georgia Mass Choir, Hymns, and Standards (Think:  Down at the Cross/The Blood Will Never Lose/Pass Me not/One Step.)

90% of the songs are in F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db. I would guess that 60-70% of the songs have some form of a 6-2-5-1 turnaround. I would guess that 30-40% of the songs have some sort of shout lick somewhere in them.

I'm trying to figure out what to practice in order to get comfortable working with those keys and those motifs to be able to play comfortably -- even if I don't know the songs themselves.

Are there certain scales I need to be practicing. (i.e. "Dwayne - If you're in Eb Major then the Minor key is X -- you need to know that and be able to have that readily under your fingers.")

Are there certain specific modes that are common to Gospel music that I  ought to have down pat?

I guess what I'm asking is how can I move from playing the notes to playing the bass. I realize that there are no shortcuts but on the other hand, I need to focus on the areas that will have the most impact on Sunday.

Help?

[blacklw234]

Iota,

I am not real clear on your question. What I think you were trying to say, and you can correct me if I am wrong, was, You want to be able to here a pattern of a song and fall right in and play. If so, that is in so many words called "ear developement".  And the songs you mentioned are basic 1-4 patterns. You just have to develope your ears to ear them. Also, these songs sound real good with walking basslines. In other words, if you know the pattern, try to develope the pattern into walking basslines. What I mean by that is, every note you play you will have walked to it. I hope this helps

[floaded27]

Iota,

I am not real clear on your question. What I think you were trying to say, and you can correct me if I am wrong, was, You want to be able to here a pattern of a song and fall right in and play. If so, that is in so many words called "ear developement".  And the songs you mentioned are basic 1-4 patterns. You just have to develope your ears to ear them. Also, these songs sound real good with walking basslines. In other words, if you know the pattern, try to develope the pattern into walking basslines. What I mean by that is, every note you play you will have walked to it. I hope this helps

i agree. now a good way to do this is to pick a song u dont know and sit down and try to learn it. switch it up, sometimes something in the ballpark of the songs u normally play, sometimes something u dont usually play. that'll keep your ear constantly developing and you'll hear stuff that u may not normally hear. Another way, if you have access, is to play with other keyboardists/organists that isnt ur regular one. you'd be surprised how a song is played can vary from person to person. same structure different sound, now your ear can identify more.

now if you want to practice variety, doing different and new things while playing, i suggest you pick a practice song. you always practice this song and you work on your different movements. dont pick anything complicated or something u dont know very well, because you arent trying to learn/remember the song so that shouldnt be ur focus at all. this song is strictly for experimenting. I use "Emmanuel" by Norman Hutchins. other good songs are "Open the flood gates" by Paul Morton, "How Great is Our God" by anybody, or other songs like that. simple pattern and include BOTH major AND minor chords. so you have a chance to practice major and minor patterns.

[mjl422]

I would suggest practicing playing through changes. 

For instance:  you said that most of the songs are 6-2-5-1,  get some 6-2-5-1 loops (1-4-5 any common progressions you can get your hands on),  practice playing through them until you can play through them effortlessly.  The goal is to get to the point where you don't have to think about what you want to play, to get to the point where you can play what you feel.

[musicmandan]

It's easy to say "learn every scale and every mode, yada, yada, yada." Unfortunately, that's not realistic -- I don't have the time for that

Are there certain scales I need to be practicing. (i.e. "Dwayne - If you're in Eb Major then the Minor key is X -- you need to know that and be able to have that readily under your fingers.")

The only way you are going to be able to do part B is if you do part A!  If you don't know the modes of the major, melodic and harmonic minor scales how can you get them under your fingers and in your ear? You don't have to do everything at once, and you can study without your instrument. For example use your ipod or car stereo to record and playback different progressions or ear training intervals. On your breaks and lunches write out all the arpeggios and notes of a given scale. Someone in another forum had developed some flash cards. Time management is an issue for all of us, but you will make time for something you really want to do.

[superjaay]

It is a lot of work. I have played instruments and sang my whole life but I am new to the bass. I have been at it for 7 months and have only learned majors, minors, and pentatonics (several different shapes....) They're not fun but once you can hear them, learning new songs gets a lot easier. I mix up diferent genres of music when I have the time old school motown, classic rock, alternative, contemporary jazz basically whatever I can get my hands on. The truth is modern gospel, praise and worship, or whatever type of christian music you run into today is made of elements from all those other types of music. A whole bunch of the Israel Houghton stuff we are doing at my church are just eigth note rock box patterns. I got comfortable with that playing along with some old recordings by Sting and the police. And don't be afraid to put your funk on it. You've got to experiment in order to invent. Hope this helps.

[phbrown]

if you know the pattern, try to develope the pattern into walking basslines. What I mean by that is, every note you play you will have walked to it. I hope this helps

You know I always knew what it meant to walk into a note, and I have even played walking bass lines. But I never connected the two until now.

Its like a light bulb finally turned on in my head.

Hey Thanks Iota for asking this question.

I know one thing I like to do is to take a song I know but play it using a different shape.

For example if the pattern is a 1-3-6-2-5-1. I might keep some notes on the same string just for fun. For example instead of playing the 3 on the next string I will slide my hand towards the pickups to play the 3. This helped me realize that even though I am playing the same note it can sound different.

[Bullitt]

(i.e. "Dwayne - If you're in Eb Major then the Minor key is X -- you need to know that and be able to have that readily under your fingers.")[/i]

I know you were just using this as an example but If you're in Eb Major, the relative minor key would be C minor.  If you know what key you're in (assuming it's major and you know the major scale) then just go to "6" and that will be your relative minor. 

Ex: Key (Ab)

Major Scale: Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab
 The 6th note of Ab major is F.  Therefore, your relative minor key is F minor.
 

This also works in reverse.  If you're in a minor key, the "3" of your minor key will be the relative major....

Take F minor for example:

F-G-Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F

Notice that the 3rd note of F minor is "Ab".....


Notice that all the notes in both examples are exactly the same.  The only thing that changed is where you start.  Hope this helps!


-J

[T-Block]

What helped me to get good at bass (and keys) was to open up my song player, hit Random, and play along with whatever song came on.

If you go through that process for a few months, you will start to notice that a lot of the same changes keep coming up over and over again. Once you're alert to those changes, take the changes themselves out and just practice it in every position on your bass.

Another thing you can do is while listening to those random songs, take liberty and play the song like u want to. You don't have to be a carbon copy of what ur hearing. Play the song the way u feel and see if it works with the song.

A lot of times I would be listening to a song and learning the keys part. The song would do one set of voicings runs, then I would do my own set of voicings runs. U never know what u can come up with.

[IotaNet]

Fellas -

LOTS of great suggestions here! I'm in the process of revamping my practice routine and I'll be using a lot of the ideas in this thread.

Thanks!

[ddwilkins]

What helped me to get good at bass (and keys) was to open up my song player, hit Random, and play along with whatever song came on.

If you go through that process for a few months, you will start to notice that a lot of the same changes keep coming up over and over again. Once you're alert to those changes, take the changes themselves out and just practice it in every position on your bass.

Another thing you can do is while listening to those random songs, take liberty and play the song like u want to. You don't have to be a carbon copy of what ur hearing. Play the song the way u feel and see if it works with the song.

A lot of times I would be listening to a song and learning the keys part. The song would do one set of voicings runs, then I would do my own set of voicings runs. U never know what u can come up with.

+1

[justbass]

Ok, I know my major and I know how to find the relative minor,what do I do with this info?

[Wesley16]

Ok, I know my major and I know how to find the relative minor,what do I do with this info?

I would like to add to this question, could someone give an exercise example that shows playing a major
scale, then after playing the 6th note going into the relative minor scale. I tried to make it musical sounding, hmm, does anybody have a song suggestion? I really need help with this. Thanks!!
 

[justbass]

Let's just say I'm playing "he's the greatest" by John P Kee,and let's say I'm in C major and the relative minor is "A", what do I do,what does that mean?

Can someone help me understand?

Thank you!

[floaded27]

I would like to add to this question, could someone give an exercise example that shows playing a major
scale, then after playing the 6th note going into the relative minor scale. I tried to make it musical sounding, hmm, does anybody have a song suggestion? I really need help with this. Thanks!!

heres a song suggestion (there are many that follow this)

play "How Great is Our God" (any version, but the Jonathan Nelson version is the one i play to)

lets say key of C

                        C
1st part => How great is our God

                        A
2nd part => How great is our God

                        F
3rd part => How great

                        G
4th part => How great

                         C
5th part => is our God



now for that first part you can play the C major scale. for the second part it goes to the sixth which is A and now you can play the A minor scale (which is the relative minor of C)

[justbass]

heres a song suggestion (there are many that follow this)

play "How Great is Our God" (any version, but the Jonathan Nelson version is the one i play to)

lets say key of C

                        C
1st part => How great is our God

                        A
2nd part => How great is our God

                        F
3rd part => How great

                        G
4th part => How great

                         C
5th part => is our God



now for that first part you can play the C major scale. for the second part it goes to the sixth which is A and now you can play the A minor scale (which is the relative minor of C)

when going to the "A" is that like playing one of the modes, (Aeolian)

[mjl422]

when going to the "A" is that like playing one of the modes, (Aeolian)

The Aeolian mode is the minor scale.