How to Play Bass Guitar for Newbie Lesson 6 : Practicing

Lesson 6 : Practicing

Learning to play an instrument involves a large amount of practice and personal commitment, and the bass guitar is no different. Knowing how and what to play is only half the story. You also have to spend the time it takes (and it does take a lot) to learn all of the possible notes, scales and patterns as well as understanding the role of the bass and how it fits in with the other instruments in a band.

Here are some tips and suggestions for making your practice sessions more productive and useful:

1. Set out a few minutes each day (15 - 30 minutes) to practice in an environment that allows you to fully concentrate on your playing. Don't have the television on and don't have music playing in the background (unless you are trying to learn a song).

2. Stretch out your fingers, hands and arms before playing. When you first start learning the bass, your fingers and wrists may begin to hurt (because they aren't used to the strain of having to hold down strings). This is normal. The more you play, the stronger your fingers and wrists will be.

3. When practicing, start out with the easiest exercises first and then move gradually into more difficult patterns. If you start out with the toughest pieces first, you may get frustrated and not want to continue.

4. Make sure to pay attention to your posture when practicing and try not to slouch over your bass. Because of the weight and size of the bass, many bass players develop back problems after years of practice because of the bad posture habits that they developed when they were starting out.

5. Make sure that you have a strong grasp of the concepts in each lesson before moving on to the next one. While you may be tempted to skip or rush through the simpler lessons in order to get to the more interesting and difficult ones, mastering the simpler concepts and skills is typically necessary before learning more complex ones.