Bass Playing Ruts

Are you in a rut with your bass playing? It’s ok. Sometimes you get in a rut. Maybe you’re not motivated. Maybe you don’t know what to practice or don’t feel creative. It could be many things. At these times I suggest shaking things up a little. Force yourself into doing and experiencing new things.

Here are some ways you could get out of your bass playing rut:

• Listen to a radio station you never listen to.
• Go see some live bands you’ve never seen.
• Investigate an unfamiliar style of music.
• Listen to famous bassists you’ve never heard.
• Tune your bass in an unfamiliar way.
• Take a lesson from a different teacher – it doesn’t have to be a bass teacher or even a music teacher!
• Travel somewhere.
• Don’t listen to any music or play any bass at all for a week. Completely avoid music. Then pick up your bass and see what happens. Just make sure you don’t quit playing bass altogether!
• Play music written for other instruments or voice on your bass.
• Play something on another instrument and then try to play it on your bass.
• Play your favorite basslines backwards.
• Write out some music – chords or notes – that you can’t imagine what they might sound like and play or compose around them.
• Play in the dark.
• Play in an unusual place.
• Stare at a painting while you play.
• Play notes on your bass using strange objects instead of your fingers or a pick.
• Find some new musicians to play with.