BASS
EXPANDING YOUR IDEAS USING CONTRARY MOTION | Adam Nitti
As I have alluded to before , my belief is that relying solely on patterns and shapes in lieu of developing your ear-training can keep you at a level of disconnection from your instrument . In my observation , it seems the biggest problem that plagues many bass and other stringed instrument players is that they play more using their eyes than their ears . For this reason , years ago I augmented my use of memorized patterns within the scope of my own studies and with my students , emphasizing their greater importance as ear-training exercises and not just for learning shapes and fingerings . The idea is that the more time you can spend making the unfamiliar become familiar on your bass , the more power you will have in your ability to spontaneously play what you hear in the moment . The challenge in the practice shed then becomes the routine of creating and practicing ear training exercises that can be internalized . True internalization means there is no need for any sort of translation process or lag time when you go to express yourself on your bass spontaneously .
To develop this effectively , you must spend a lot of time working on phrases that are not yet familiar to you . You can ’ t simply rehash the same ideas repeatedly just because they are in your comfort zone . I really enjoy taking the time to work out new phrasing ideas on the bass that outline a particular harmonic concept or strategy . In order to accomplish this , I ’ ve utilized everything from basic academic components such as arpeggios and scale fragments , to pure geometric or symmetric shapes on the fingerboard , to hybrid combinations of random shapes within a tonality .
One example of a concept that I have successfully applied in my own playing is what I refer to as ‘ contrary motion ’.
Contrary motion refers to the idea that you are incorporating the alternation of both ascending and descending movements within the context of a musical phrase or exercise . Its unique character and effectiveness come from the fact that it allows phrases to take on a shape that simultaneously rises and falls , and this is especially interesting for the listener as well . For those of you interested in developing your ear training and improvisational skills , you will quickly learn that an approach like this can take ordinary symmetric pattern exercises and make them sound much more sophisticated . It is a strategy that also helps to promote melodicism and will even better your technical ability .
Intervallic and sequencing exercises are both great examples of approaches that can be used to apply contrary motion exercises . For example , a typical example of how you might play a G major scale in intervallic 3rds in a single octave is shown in Example 1 .
As you can see , this exercise is based on the idea that you are playing intervallic 3rds in an ascending direction , played from each degree of the G major scale . When you get to the top of the octave , you then play descending 3rds from each scale degree as you head back towards the root .
Example 2 demonstrates how you might use contrary motion applied to the same scale , using intervallic 3rds .
Notice that in this example , you are playing only descending intervallic 3rds as you ascend through the octave . Once you get to the top of the octave , you then play ascending intervallic 3rds as you descend towards the root . That contrast in direction between the shape and direction you are headed is what constitutes the contrary motion .
I put together a handful of contrary motion exercises that you can work on and use to inspire your own new ideas . A few of exercises are based on very common scale and arpeggio forms , but of course the possibilities are limitless . I have included a couple that will hopefully stretch your ears and your hands a bit . In addition to exploring how you might apply this to scales and arpeggios , try creating
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2