Bass Warm-Ups

[Bass Freak]

Does anyone out there know anything that could help my bass playing? I know lead guitarists play scales like mad, and I dont think its the same for a bass. So anybody know of any good warm-ups that would make my fingers move faster?

I am also wondering about a walking bass part. I listen to alot of jazz and old school rock and roll, and all I hear is bum bum bum bum bum bum bum, but I cant ever figure any of it out.

Thanks

Fox

 

[Wide Awake]

There is a series of books out called "Building Walking Basslines" by Ed Friedland. He writes for Bass Player magazine and they are excellent books, especially if you like blues and jazz.

Also do a search on the internet, and you can probably find some good information on scales, arpeggios, and walking bass lines.

 

[DeadPoet]

Actually I never warm up, but some years ago someone learned me sumthing I did for a while... he called it the spider:
(quarter notes) F - B - F - B going up, Ab - E - C - G# going down, playing each note with a different (LH) finger, thus going in a diagonal way over your fretboard ... errr... if you get what I mean.
This pattern must be played going up a halftone, until you get to the octave (12th fret) and then go down again.

Other patterns can be used to, but they get kinda difficult. Lets call the original 1234 (meaning:1stnote 1st fret, 2nd note 2nd fret,...). Maybe you try 1423 or 4312 or whatever gets your fingers twisted.

Scales work to imo

Herwig

 

[Bass Master "K"]

If your looking at walking bass, scales are a must. Arpeggio's are also helpful although maybe not to the same degree as for guitar players, but you should have the major, natural and harmonic minor scales, blues scale, and pentatonic scale under your control. When you are comfy with those then you can look to the modes and some hybrid scales, but as a bass player scales are really important.

Also chord structure is very important, so try to educate yourself on that as well, they are important in the big picture.

If your concerned with speed, look at your physical playing style and try to economize your motion in playing. In other words, with your fingering (the fretboard) hand, don't lift your fingers up more than you need to and with your playing hand keep the motion short and concise. Sure it looks cool to majorly move your fingers while pulling at the strings, but that's only gonna work in slow passages. Think of your fingers as sprinters....sprinters don't run down the track flailing their arms and legs, the are compact, with quick motions and no unneeded motions.

Practice practice practice...