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Post subject: can someone teach me how to improvise!!!
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:56 pm
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im starting a band with my mates but i havnt learnt how to improvise yet.

if anyone could at least give any ideas of anything about improvising.
it would help a lot!!! :D

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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:28 am
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Know your scales. Put fills in the right spots. Experiment, oh yeah, have fun. No point of doing all this with out having fun!!! :D

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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:25 am
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Listen to as many music styles as you can and practice , practice , practice !

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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:26 am
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PowerJazzBass wrote:
Know your scales. Put fills in the right spots. Experiment, oh yeah, have fun. No point of doing all this with out having fun!!! :D


+1

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Post subject: Re: can someone teach me how to improvise!!!
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:31 am
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camb113 wrote:
im starting a band with my mates but i havnt learnt how to improvise yet.

if anyone could at least give any ideas of anything about improvising.
it would help a lot!!! :D
hi you could take a look at alex sampson he covers just about everything,for bass.


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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:14 pm
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Improvising is really just taking ideas you have in your mind and translating them onto your bass's fretboard. I know a lot of people throw the word "feel" around as thow musicians ought to be able to play without thinking much, but the truth is that the best bass players are the ones who know exactly what sounds they want to make in their heads and then put them through their fingers on the fly.

Best advice I would give about learning to improvise, and what I've subscribed to, would be to set up some kind of drum track, maybe on your computer, and just lay down some scales. Get a feel for what sounds you can get our of your instrument, and just get your fingers moving. Once you feel comfortable with how you're playing, move things around a bit and try coming up with some little licks. Then just shake things up and keep it interesting. There is alot to improvising moreso than just throwing a bunch of notes around - change up your dynamics, try to get different volumes out of your bass without adjusting your bass or amplifier. Play the same licks with different plucking patterns, finger styles, etc. Just practice your $@! off and get to know your bass. Make practicing a job - do it for several hours a day, everyday. There's no better way to know whether you really want to be a good bass player than to play from eight in the afternoon until one in the morning, and still want to keep playing even after you've been yelled at by family members for being too loud too late. :D


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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:51 pm
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I remember a jazz seminar I attended at music college and the professor was a jazz trombone player from NY . He suggested turning the lights off and just play whatever pops in your mind .

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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:40 pm
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It's not the most sophisticated method.
Keep playing with your mates and anywhere else you can, People are always looking for bass players

Play what sounds good to you and don't play what doesn't.
Use the whole neck, Figure out different sounds.
Play along with songs, play what YOU think works. Great way to learn to keep time too.
Don't know about how it will work for you but it's worked for me the last 25 years. Didn't start out so hot but I kept at it and at it and at it. Developed a style of my own. Been told I don't totally suck. Thanks mom :D
Like my other Brother Bassmen have said. HAVE FUN!


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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:45 pm
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The way I learnt to improvies was to first, learn my scales, and then JAM A LOT!!!!!! Just play around with certain things, see what works and what doesn't. Remember, JAM JAM JAM JAM!!!!


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Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:57 pm
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go with the flow.......... don't think you have to follow any rules or theories to create your own songs.

just have fun at the end of the day 8)


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Post subject: inprov
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:24 pm
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:)practice your chromatic scale, and experiment with it becuase you need to become comfortable with all notes not just the notes in the chord. With enough practice you will be able to make the wrong note sound right. Also sing along with what your playing, what your singing and playing doesn't have to be right but it will help your phrasing. when you need to take a breath stop playing, like a sax player or trumpet ect. Just be sure you have fun with it.

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Post subject: Improvising Tip
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:44 pm
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The following advise came from Jazz Guitar legend Joe Pass:
(1) Learn all of your theory, scales, chords, etc.
(2) Forget all that
(3) Sit down in front of the t.v. and try to play along with commercials. This only gives you about 20 seconds to figure out what key they're in, etc. Then just as soon as you are tuned in, the next commercial will come on and so on.
(4) By the time you have gotten used to developing ear hand coordination, you'll be able to Jam (which is of course everyone's number one advise).


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:05 am
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Improvision comes from experience... Like many here has said already. You have to know your basic scales and a little theory. But, then you have to get together with other musicians and just play whatever comes into your heads. But, at the same time you pay attention to what you're doing. It's all trial and error sometimes. But, soon you'll know what works and what doesn't.

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