CORE COMPETENCIES Throughout the years , many a music educator has established a core list of musical competencies that they feel should ultimately be included in a comprehensive program of study . I am no exception , and although you will find many variations of music competency lists out there , most of them are based around some general key categories . I personally like to break these down into a list of seven or eight main ones , but truthfully there will always be some overlap between them . Here are the seven primary competencies that I focus on and use at my bass education website ,
www . AdamNittiMusicEducation . com :
• Technique
• Ear Training
• Improvisation
• Applied Harmony & Theory
• Groove & Timekeeping
• Reading
• Styles & Repertoire
This column focuses on the technique competency , but all aspects of bass playing and musicianship are worthy of study and should not be ignored . We will continue to hit on a variety of core competencies in this column moving forward !
WHY IS TECHNIQUE IMPORTANT ? For some reason , I sometimes hear musicians downplay the importance of needing to have great technique . Although no player ' s approach should be solely evaluated based on technical elements , it is important to recognize technique ’ s value in pursuing excellence on your instrument . It can be summed up in the following statement :
If your hands can ' t deliver what your mind , heart , and soul are trying to communicate , your listeners will never hear your message . This is the fundamental reason for pursuing technical mastery on the bass . The elimination of technical obstacles frees you up to focus on the more inspirational and communicative aspects of playing bass without being restrained by mechanical limitations . I like to think of it as “ developing headroom ”. With respect to your technique , having headroom means having more technique than you will need for the musical challenge at hand . When you have headroom , that challenge is no longer a challenge . It is well within the threshold of your comfort zone . This is what practicing and pursuing excellence is all about ! Why does being in a comfort zone matter when it comes to creating or performing music ? Because the closer a groove , musical passage or line brings you to your limitations , the more likely the execution of that passage will be compromised .
A great analogy is this . Imagine two different vehicles traveling down the highway at 60 miles per hour . One vehicle has 800 horsepower and the other has 90 horsepower . Which vehicle will work harder to maintain 60mph ? The one with 90 horsepower will be struggling much more to maintain speed , because it is relying on the majority of its horsepower to do so . On the other hand , the car with 800 horsepower barely has to make an effort to maintain the same highway speed , because it is using such a small amount of its power . This is what headroom does for you . The more you have , the easier it is to cruise on your instrument in a comfort zone . I hope that speaks to you and motivates you to improve your technique , regardless of your level of proficiency . However , let ’ s “ shift gears ” now and talk about things to be careful with when you get serious about your technique in the practice shed .
THE BIG PICTURE Some of you will be aware of this already , but it is worth mentioning , regardless . If you feel your technique is not up to snuff with your other skills on the bass , don ’ t suddenly drop the other competencies to work solely on your technique for weeks and weeks . Consuming your practice time with an exclusively technical approach can often lead you to a dead end , especially if you only utilize things like scales , patterns , and other shape-based exercises . Because many pattern or shape-based approaches prove to be quite effective in the development of technique , we can often become overly concerned with what I call ' playing the math ', instead of the music . Players that have limited their development to a mastery of patterns usually don ' t have the tools necessary in order to communicate on a deeper musical level . Unfortunately , this is heavily reflected in their performances . For example , much of what they might play in an open improvisational setting might sound as if they were merely chaining various exercises together .
Because we need to sometimes detach ourselves from the discipline of methodical exercises in order to become more aware and seasoned players , I feel that we should respect technique for what it is : a means for acquiring greater skill and facility to express ourselves spontaneously and without limitations , but it does not build musicianship on its own . You also have to use your developed technique to push yourself creatively in ways that are unique and inspiring when you practice . I can ’ t stress this enough . Pattern-based or ' mathematic ' exercises will always be a great place to start when building headroom in the practice shed , but they are just the beginning of technical development . It is vitally important to also practice the application of your developed technique even if you are simply ‘ practicing performing ’ as part of your practice routine .
Remember this : The ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of translation that occurs between inspiration and its delivery through your hands to the listener . Keep this concept in mind as you practice , and you will successfully keep your skills in balance !
Adam Nitti Nashville-based Adam Nitti balances his roles as a solo artist , sideman , and educator . He has filled the bass chair for Kenny Loggins , Carrie Underwood , Dave Weckl Band , Michael McDonald , Susan Tedeschi , Steven Curtis Chapman , Mike Stern , Brent Mason , Wayne Krantz , and Christopher Cross , while also releasing five solo CDs to date . As a Nashville session bassist he has played on multiple Grammywinning and Grammy-nominated albums , and is also the founder of ...
AdamNittiMusicEducation . com