Being an excellent bass player requires a lot of dedication. Several hours of practice a week, a love for music, and commitment will take you far.

Below you can read how to make the most out of practice sessions to become a great bassist.

Learn to Transcribe

Learn to listen to a music track to understand its nuances and play it. Write it down on a score, too. Learn to exercise listening and hearing musicwith your ears.

Use the Metronome

For a bass player, a sense of timing and consistency is essential. This is whyit is useful to have a metronome and to learn how to use it. Take your time to learn and count to stay on beat.

Practice Over and Over Again

Use a song you know and practice it repeatedly. Learn to use your fingers to tap the strings instead of using a pick.

Sing

When you’re learning to play a song with a bass, sing it at the same time. This is a technique used by many jazz musicians. When you sing it, you will make sense of the bass beat and the speed of the lyrics. The rhythm and the melody always go hand in hand.

New Method for the Double Bass

The New Method for the Double Bass is a book by F. Simandl that explains the classic double bass method that everyone uses. No famous bassist has ever learned to play the bass guitar without reading this book.

Manipulate the Attack

One of the great skills of any great bass player is the manipulation of the attack. It takes time and practice knowing how to physically hit the string to produce the sound you like.

Keep these tips in mind and take your time. With perseverance, you’ll become a quality bass player preparing your own garage band.