Late last month, the New York Times ran a piece on an area of psychology and behavior that has been gaining more steam in recent years called monotasking. Monotasking is the act of doing a singular activity without distraction. Seems straight forward enough, right? How hard is it to do just one activity at a time. Apparently, very challenging. The Times article begins by … [Read more...] about Monotasking Music: Practicing Music In a World of Distractions
Practice
I Had $2,000 Worth of Bass Gear Stolen. Here Are 5 Things I Learned
It happened. I had my gear stolen. After years and years of playing gigs in some less than questionable places in New England and surviving each and every one of them, this past Thursday it finally happened. Someone broke into my car and stole a good chunk of my gear including: Markbass CMD 102P 2×10 bass combo amp BOSS ODB-3 Bass Overdrive (not pictured) Morely … [Read more...] about I Had $2,000 Worth of Bass Gear Stolen. Here Are 5 Things I Learned
Bass Guitar Exercises: 11 16th Note Accent Warm Ups
Whether finger funk or high speed metal, some notes need a little more punch than others. That's why, it's important for bassists, just as much as any other instrument, to understand accent notes and the value they provide to your bass lines. Accents are just like what they sound like. Accented notes are punctuated with a bit more emphasis than a 'regularly' played note. To … [Read more...] about Bass Guitar Exercises: 11 16th Note Accent Warm Ups
Developing a Practice Routine Pt. 2: Make Good Practice Habits Easily
Bad habits. We all got them. Whether you have a candy addiction that you know gives you cavities and makes you sick or you practice bass with the TV on and you know you should't, habits are something we can't escape. Luckily, there are ways to eliminate bad practice habits. Though self discipline is a large component of making this happen, the rewards to be reaped are one … [Read more...] about Developing a Practice Routine Pt. 2: Make Good Practice Habits Easily
Download 10 Bass Guitar Backing Tracks to Help Develop Your Groove
Quick: if given the choice between practicing with a metronome or a drum track which would you choose? Most would opt for the metronome at first pass - and rightfully so. It’s cheap, quick, portable and serves the most basic function of music: keeps time reliably. But if you had another second to consider the question, I would make the case for the drum tracks and here's … [Read more...] about Download 10 Bass Guitar Backing Tracks to Help Develop Your Groove
Why Most Problems on Bass Can Be Solved With Practice
The Internet really is the modern day wild, wild west. Information - both good and bad, useful and not - flourishes in a wide span of capacities. Some people buy it - many of us don't. But one irk to me is anyone saying they have the secrets to learning bass. Why? Because we have grown very, very cynical when it comes to some of the services that are provided online. And … [Read more...] about Why Most Problems on Bass Can Be Solved With Practice
Learn How to Set SMART Goals for Musicians
Goal setting in music and goal setting for musicians is something that I wish I personally invested more time in developing early on as a budding bass player. To have had even one or two goals in mind of where I wanted to be as a bass player and musician after a period of time would have done a tremendous service for me. It would have added focus for me and given me a spear … [Read more...] about Learn How to Set SMART Goals for Musicians
How I Accidently Developed a Good Musical Ear and How You Can, Too
Playing bass by ear for me came as the result of simple adolescent ignorance. When I first started out on bass, I tried using books and using exercises from the Internet and in print. But for me, it seemed pretty boring and I wasn't getting a lot out of it. Heck, I didn't even really feel like I was learning bass - I felt like I was reading about how to get better at bass … [Read more...] about How I Accidently Developed a Good Musical Ear and How You Can, Too
Practice Routine: Quality Over Quantity
I'll be honest, when it comes to developing and keeping to a practice routine for bass, I keep mine pretty to the point: practice for as much time as I need while incorporating what I'm trying learn into my playing style. And that's generally it. It seems pretty simple - but it is very effective and yields the results that I am personally trying to achieve as a … [Read more...] about Practice Routine: Quality Over Quantity
How to Develop Strong, Lasting Practice Habits
For all of us, a strong practicing routine or practice habit can be the most difficult aspect of playing the instrument. Often times, our personal lives have become so jammed with so many activities including, but not at all limited to, family, friends and of course, work and out employment commitments. Odds are, there is a tough life/fun balance always tugging away at you … [Read more...] about How to Develop Strong, Lasting Practice Habits