How do I build a bass practice routine?

Build a bass practice routine around how you actually operate. I start with 15 minutes of focused, intentional work, like running a scale over and over, then let myself play along to tunes for 10 to 15 minutes, then switch back to real practice. Alternating hard focus with free form keeps a short attention span in check.

How should I structure a bass practice session?

I tailor practice time and routine based on my own personal attention span and needs, and I'd tell you to do the same. I have the problem of getting bored quickly when playing by myself. I need interaction to keep my interest up, so I break my practice up rather than grinding on one thing for an hour straight.

Here's the actual shape of it: I start with 15 minutes of very intentional, focused practice. For example, running a scale over and over again. After those 15 minutes, I allow myself to just play along to some tunes or do whatever I feel like doing, musically speaking, for 10 to 15 minutes. Then I switch gears and get back to real practice again for another 15. Rinse and repeat, ideally getting a few hours in each day.

For me, alternating back and forth between a hard focus and free form keeps my short attention span in check. If you're just starting out, I'd recommend working with a teacher to figure out your needs or deficiencies on the instrument, and then simply buckling down and working hard without distraction for at least an hour a day.

Should I practice scales or arpeggios first on bass?

I started with scales and got overwhelmed by the myriad of different scales once I realized I should learn the modes of the major scale, melodic minor, harmonic minor, and a million other exotic scales. It was too much. Eventually I decided it made far more sense, at least for how my mind works, to start with arpeggios.

When you start learning arpeggios, what you really wind up doing is learning the primary chord tones for every chord type. These are the foundations of the harmony, and as bass players, this is where you live much of the time. Being able to outline the chord qualities when I play makes it sound like I'm really playing the tune, and I can hear the song in my improvisations far more than when I was just ripping scales up and down.

I still see scales as a great way to learn your fretboard and internalize the relationships between intervals, but they don't sound all that musical to my ears. Once you have those four notes down (1, 3, 5, 7 for every chord type), you only have three more scale tones to get comfortable with before you've got some ultra-functional chord scales for any occasion.

What should I practice when I don't have any gigs?

Whenever I've found myself not that busy, or moved to a new town before making my connections, I had to remind myself it was a blessing in disguise. Having the time to focus solely on what you need to work on to develop, without the distraction of learning tunes you might not even like for gigs, can reap huge rewards.

So think hard and long about who you want to be as a musician. Imagine yourself in your dream scenario. What does that look like, and what does that sound like? Then mold your practice regimen around that ideal musical identity. When I did this, I realized my ideal identity was the 'gun for hire' with jazz and funk leanings, which told me to put my energy into jazz harmony, playing changes, reading, and odd meters.

And don't forget that learning bass lines and melodic ideas through transcription is one of the best ways to get a feel for how to actually use this stuff musically.

How do I memorize a set of tunes for a gig?

What you need to work on makes a difference. When I'm learning tunes for a gig, I just repeat the songs over and over again for hours until I have them, and I do it daily to keep them fresh. When I was memorizing a set for a pop tour in Canada, I spent a few hours every single day running the set.

The trick I use is a cheat sheet. I start by making a cheat sheet for myself, then slowly erase bits and pieces from it until it's down to just the set-list. I'm a visual learner, so I wind up with an almost photographic image of the music in my head, which eventually leads to me simply knowing the material.

The important thing is to know how you operate. That method works for me, but some people operate better if they learn the material by ear and internalize it that way. Once you discover what methods work best for you, it's up to you to get creative and develop your own routines. That's exactly the kind of thing I go deeper on inside my lessons at basseducation.com.

Step by step

1. Tailor the routine to how you learn. Before anything else, figure out how you operate. Tailor your practice time and routine to your own attention span and needs. If you're just starting, work with a teacher to identify your deficiencies on the instrument first.
2. Start with 15 minutes of focused practice. Begin each block with 15 minutes of very intentional, focused work, like running a single scale over and over again. This is the hard-focus portion where real development happens.
3. Switch to 10 to 15 minutes of free play. After the focused block, let your creative side have some fun. Play along to some tunes or do whatever you feel like musically. Alternating hard focus with free form keeps a short attention span in check.
4. Rinse and repeat toward a few hours a day. Switch gears back to another 15 minutes of real practice, then more free play, cycling through. Ideally get a few hours in each day, or at least one focused hour a day without distraction if you're starting out.
5. Prioritize arpeggios and chord tones. Spend your focused blocks learning the primary chord tones (1, 3, 5, 7) for every chord type. These are the foundations of harmony and where bass players live. Then add the three remaining scale tones to build functional chord scales.
6. Learn gig sets with a shrinking cheat sheet. When memorizing tunes for a gig, repeat the songs for hours daily to keep them fresh. Make a cheat sheet, then slowly erase bits and pieces until it's down to just the set-list and you simply know the material.
7. Transcribe to make it musical. Round out your routine with transcription. Learning bass lines and melodic ideas by transcribing them is one of the best ways to get a feel for how to use this harmonic material musically.

Common questions

How long should I practice bass each day?

Ideally I get a few hours in each day, broken into alternating blocks of focused practice and free play so I don't burn out or get bored. If you're just starting out, aim for at least one hour a day of buckling down and working hard without distraction. The consistency matters more than marathon sessions.

Why does Damian Erskine practice arpeggios before scales?

Because learning arpeggios means learning the primary chord tones for every chord type, which are the foundations of harmony and where bass players live much of the time. Outlining chord qualities makes it sound like you're really playing the tune. Scales are great for learning the fretboard, but to my ears they don't sound as musical on their own.

What are target notes in bass playing?

Target notes are landing points you choose ahead of time. I often decide where I'm going to land before I get there, then figure out how to get there. Knowing your chord tones gives you solid target notes for bass lines and solos, because understanding how the note you land on affects everything around it in the band is crucial for a bass player.

What should I practice when I have no gigs lined up?

Treat it as a blessing in disguise and use the time to focus solely on developing, without the distraction of learning tunes you don't even like. Visualize who you want to be as a musician, then mold your practice regimen around that identity. Transcription is one of the best ways to learn how to use harmonic ideas musically.

How do I memorize a whole set of songs for a gig?

Repeat the songs over and over for hours until you have them, and do it daily to keep them fresh. The method I use is making a cheat sheet, then slowly erasing bits and pieces from it until it's down to just the set-list. As a visual learner, I end up with an almost photographic image of the music in my head.

How do I stop getting overwhelmed in the practice room?

Take things one at a time. I got overwhelmed early on trying to learn every mode and every exotic scale at once. Focus and work systematically, starting with the four chord tones (1, 3, 5, 7) before worrying about the rest. It'll come quicker than you think if you don't try to swallow it all at once.

Alternating back and forth between a hard focus and free form keeps my short attention span in check.