Ok,
Heres me playing Blue Monk.
Please tell me whats working and whats not.
Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBMHMTATmo4

Utube is still chewing on it, sorry

Congratulations Steve

You played something that very few people can. Your timing was really good. As far as what is next, I think you already know. Your a jazzer. So you want to get off the mixo and add more variety, color and dissonance. As a person coming from bass myself I can tell you that soloing on the stick in this register is really liberating. A bassist will often solo very much in the tonality because its harder to play "outside" when the notes are so low, they clash a lot more. So spread your wings and play more altered and bebop licks with the stick.
Believe me you are well on your way. I think you have climbed the first hurdle and thats the hardest one. I found that I learn out of disgust with my playing. I just get so sick of the way I play that I beat myself up about it and try to break through to a new plateau. Keep working on your phrasing in the right hand IT WILL COME.
Comping wise since it Monk add some flava try a 13th chord voicing. the easiest is Ab D G low to high (all within a 2 fret) spread for the Bb7 chord its a killer.------------------------
------------G----------
-------------D---------
--------Ab-------------

Great job
Its workin

Brett

Thanks Brett!

Everything you suggested helped get me to this point. What other scales do you recommend over this form?

Oh and yea, I got so sick of the mud too, bass has such a limited range!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Wow, great progress! It's been really fun to watch your improvement. I guess lots of hours of practice pays off. You've been playing fewer months than me but probably 10 times more hours of actual practice time. I gotta find more time...

-Eric

Sounds pretty cool. I just realized your in MN, maybe you could hook up with japhlet. He is a jazz wizard and has a good grasp of it applied to the stick.

Way to go Steve! Great feel on the bluesy walking bass against the melody. Wow...if you keep progressing like you are, in a short time the Stick playing world will have another monster to inspire the rest of us.

Thanks guys!
I think their should be some warning label for the stick, its extremely addictive,! My basses are gathering dust!

Yea, my 6 string bass had been dying a slow death. I feel guilty sometimes as my skills on bass have leveled off now. I had practiced it for many years so I have these bass chops laying dorment most of the time. Surprisingly it seems the basic skill comes back like riding a bike. Although with less speed maybe, and endurance. But after not playing for a while new fresh ideas can emerge, even though I hated when people said to take a break for inspiration. I also did an insane amount of tapping practice though on the 6er, which paved the way for Stickland. People used to say that tapping was only a special effect, and I always bit my tougue cause I knew this was an equally valid style of playing. And some players seemed to think I was trying to show off by tapping, which made me feel uncomfortable as I am already way too self conscious. Yeah anyhow is moorhead near Minneapolis? Louis and Japhlet are stickist in that realm, and there is a sticknight there coming up. Maybe you could play. Peace.