Can't comment on guitar but for the bass, the most important element to me is timing so I start from there.

I normally start with setting my internal rhythm. On some days I just start a metronome and listen to its tempo. I find that very soon my natural sense of timing improves. During the week I practice timing the countdown of the traffic lights while crossing the roads to make sure my "metronome" is set properly, silly huh.

My playing style is percussive in nature so I normally try and emulate the drums. Pop for snare, Slap for Floor tom, raking for rolls and ringing notes for crashes. It is then easy for me cos then everything to me is merely rhythms, beats and sounds. I just fit in notes to the timing and that's it.

Making sure I warm up me fingers with simple exercises first, I don't know alot of scales. Just the major scale and 2 forms of pentatonics. (now learning me modes hahaha) What I try to do in solos is merely syncopating the notes to add variety to the limited scales I know and making sure that the notes are appropriate to the feel and the direction the drummer and guitarists are going.

A short expose on my limited "technique."

Don't know how I actually sound but guessing from the last gathering, no shoes were flung at me, that must be a good sign.... wait a minute all the shoes were kept outside...eeek!

Keep on practising ya! You can learn tons on how to shred...just ask the "Trio of Terror"!!!! [add scary echo effect!]




edited: for typo and horrible grammar

This post has been edited by stefanong: Oct 16 2006, 08:58 PM

Hmm.. everdying has an excellent point. Not everyone can shred a bazillion notes per minute. Some people are really great in shredding but bad at improv. Some at improv but suck at sight playing. Maybe it's all about finding what you're good at/your niche and excelling in it.

Who knows maybe guitar isn't your instrument but the bass....hmmm think about it