10 a day

Still didn't make it over to Tim's this Wed. They end up doing some recording instead of doing some jamming. So I stayed around the parents place and jammed out to a few songs with dad. Been doing quite well with the minimum of 10 mins a day practice. I have noticed my ear getting better. I'm finding it easier to not get quite as lost as I used to. Still having lots of fun with it. :)

pop it like it's hot...

...and slap it like a red-headed step child, or whatever you feel like slapping. I was sitting at home last night, broke out my Ibanez and starting messing around for a bit. Did a few finger exercises, a couple bass runs I like to play, and started in on some pop/slap technique drills. Straight octaves, on the A and G strings, and trying the much harder E and D strings after a while. I'm starting to get the hang of it, but I often to to leave my thumb out there too long so it ends up muting the slap. It's getting much easier though, my fretting hand seems to be getting a bit faster too, which is nice. I want to be able to play super fast, when I want to. Not all the time, I'm not trying to go guitar solos on a bass. Although, that has it's time and place. :)
I'm hitting up a movie in Boston tonight, then it's off to jam night.

bailed

I ended up not jamming last night. Dad wasn't feeling too good, and I was starving, so I skipped out and went home for food. I played a little pogo, and tried to sleep. All in all a very UNproductive night. I need to get strings for all my guitars, the strat is sounding pretty dull right now. The Ibanez has the newest strings, and still sounds pretty good, but some new strings would definitely help. I'm a big fan of the DR Lowriders I've got on there. Sucks that they're $25 a set. That's the biggest drawback to playing bass over guitar. Strings are so much more expensive.

I'm still working out a plan on making a bass. It'll be a long time before it gets made, since it requires money, but I can still work on the shape I want, and figure out what pick-ups/bridge, etc. Got any advice, please drop me a comment. :) I've got a few different ideas for materials and shapes. So stay tuned.