5 Tips to Improve Your Practicing

It can be difficult to stay focused and productive when practicing, especially if you're working on a lot of music. Here are 5 of my favorite tips to help you work better.
Happy practicing!
Download my Practice Guide
lauren-pierce....
In it, we cover:
•Foundations and Routines
•Identifying the Type of Practicer You Are
•Planning Your Practice Session
•Tinkering
•Slow Practice
•And How I Use A Practice Journal
I use these exact approaches with my students in my signature program, The Virtuosity Blueprint.
laurenpierce.l...

[@Ahrtros]

I just discovered your channel and I am absolutelly amazed by how you play double bass, you look like an amazing person by the way Keep up doing what you love, my darling ♡

[@patrickthedoublebassist5505]

Hey, Lauren I never truly understood breaking up the music into small chunks up until I started working on the bourees and it has been amazing with memorization and fingering and bowings. It is really fun to learn new music now, thank you.

[@WizardMaster66]

Very useful advice! I'm an undergrad bass student and I just love your playing and all your videos, they are so helpful, thank you :)

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Jonathan Ingram Aw thanks! Glad I could help. Where are you going to school?

[@WizardMaster66]

+Lauren Pierce I go to school at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, Fl

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Jonathan Ingram That's great. Best of luck! :)

[@WizardMaster66]

+Lauren Pierce Thank you so much Lauren :)

[@jonbrooks1955]

Thanks for sharing your musical expertise. I love your videos!

[@daveroberts2378]

Great tips, Lauren, thanks!

[@Bajero2]

Me gustó el último consejo; ese lo tendré más presente al momento de practicar. Muchas gracias por los consejos y que tengas hermosos momentos.

[@michaelanderson001]

I'm a relative beginner and am playing in two local community orchestras (neither of them has another double bass player, so they were keen to have me play with them). The problem I had is that in the run-in to concert performances for both of them I was very much concentrating on practising the pieces of music that I'd be playing in front of the audiences, to the detriment of playing regular scales and other practice techniques. This dilemma won't go away quickly; as both orchestras are introducing new music to their repertoire.

[@EndOfExistence1337]

Not sure if I understood this correctly, but what I like to do is warm up with scales first, put some extra into those that are relevant to the piece, and then move on to the piece. It's good to remember scales are everywhere.

[@vinceclarkmusic]

Thank you for your videos. Very inspiring . I noticed on some of your videos you use light hair bow and dark on others for soloing. What are your reasons for that? Also, what strings do you recommend for great tone?

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Vincent Clark Hey Vincent, white hair is generally considered lighter and finer than black hair, which is much coarser. Coarser hair tends to grip better and give a bit of an edge to the sound, while white hair can be really nice for a "smoother" sound without an overbearing quality. You can also get a mix of black and white - "salt and pepper" - if you want something in between. It all depends on what you like. I've gone back and forth between the two for the past several years. I have black hair now but I'll probably go back to white hair the next time I get a rehair, just for something different. Strings are somewhat the same - it all depends on what you're looking for and what sound the strings make with your instrument. My favorites are Pirastro's Original Flatchrome. I use solos, but they come in regular tuning also. I'm really loving Pirastro's Permanents as well. The Flatchromes are really bright, which matches well with my instrument, but the Permanents have a bit of a darker edge, which is really nice too. You mostly want to make sure you're using the right strings for the type of music you're going to be playing. If you're playing orchestral music, Bel Cantos are where it's at. Spirocores are great for jazz, but I'm not a huge fan of their bowed tone. In the same vein, the Flatchromes aren't great when plucked. (They're actually terrible. Seriously, don't use these if you're plucking.) However, I say all of this knowing how these strings affect MY bass - it changes for everyone depending on your instrument and tastes. (Except what I said about the Flatchromes. They really are terrible for pizz.) Have you been on Talkbass.com? There are tons of product reviews there and I bet you could find some information and playing examples of a bunch of different strings. You can also buy used strings there, which is great because strings are so expensive, one reason why I haven't changed strings in lord knows how long! Good luck! :)

[@livioamaglio5824]

Lauren, your tips are always so helpful! How should a beginner study everyday, in your experience?

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Livio Amaglio Thanks for watching Livio! For a beginner, you really need to focus on the basics. I would start by playing slow scales, focusing on bow control, intonation, and proper left hand technique. Take it slow - I would start with about 30 minutes each day. Consistency is key, too, so make sure try to play every day. Hope this helps! :) If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me: [e-mail]

[@livioamaglio5824]

Thank youuuuu! :)

[@leedefalco2999]

Your videos are very astute and informative, thanks for posting them. Can you recommend a good recital piece for an intermediate bass player?

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Brandon DeFalco Hi Brandon, nice to hear from you! What pieces have you played before, and what are you working on now? That will give me a better idea of what to recommend for you.

[@leedefalco2999]

Lauren Pierce Well, the most recent pieces I've performed are the Marcello sonata in E minor for double bass and piano, and Lorenziti's Gavotte. Currently I'm making my way the Simandl method book volume II

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Brandon DeFalco Have you played any of Rabbath's pieces before? They fit really well on the instrument and people love to hear them. I'm a big fan of Poucha Dass, but Iberian Peninsula and Ode D'Espagne are also really nice. The Koussevitzky Concerto could be good for you also - any of Koussevitzky's pieces, really. He has a set of short pieces that include Valse Miniature, Chanson Triste, and a couple other nice ones. The Eccles Sonata is a nice baroque piece that I have most of my students work on. The later movements are a bit more difficult, but I think it could be a good fit for you. Have you played any of Bottesini's works? I'm thinking specifically the Elegy and Reverie would be nice. They're both slow, romantic pieces that work as a nice addition to a program. Also, the Roumanian Folk Dances by Bartok are great. I love this set of pieces. They aren't too terribly difficult, but they are challenging and get you to use a bunch of off color techniques. They're really fun to play and people seem to enjoy them. Hope this helps! Let me know what you end up choosing :)

[@leedefalco2999]

+Lauren Pierce Wow, thanks so much for the detailed list. After listening to and assessing all of those, I think I'll be going with Bottesini's Elegy. I thought it was beautiful, and can't wait to start learning it. Thanks again -Brandon

[@LaurenPierceBass]

Glad I could help! :)

[@carlynbyrd6008]

This was really helpful! Thank you! I play cello!

[@vinceclarkmusic]

Thank you. I have another question if you don't mind. I'm on a new journey with the double bass after raising four kids. I have more time to devote to my passion. I really want to do more solo work. What method would you suggest for study and development (left hand, bowing)? Rabaath, Simandl...? I have books by both.

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+Vincent Clark Honestly, I think any method is great as long as you're consistent. Rabbath's method is going to be more focused on solo music, while Simandl will give you a good basis in the lower positions. Another method you might want to look into is my teacher, Jeff Bradetich's method. You can find his book here: www.stringemporium.com/bradetich-ultimate-bass-challenge.htm What I would recommend, however, is to get a teacher to help you along. I of course don't know your background, but if you're getting back into the instrument after a large break (and raising 4 kids is HUGE - wow!), having someone to monitor your progress and help you find the best ways of going about your journey is priceless. Another alternative is my lessons site - laurenpiercebasslessons.com - I have a very large archive of my video lessons and exercises that can help you. Feel free to shoot me an email with any questions you have as well: [e-mail] Best of luck! :)

[@alexanderDelarge]

+Lauren Pierce I'd like to ask you a few questions but it seems there is a problem with your mail, my messages came back with an error :(

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

Scotts Bass Lesson leads me here.

[@georgechristiansen6785]

Good stuff.

[@izzohood7172]

Well... "No pain No gain " : ))

[@ThatGamer-pr9wf]

I'm only 15 and I wanna be a master like you already 😟

[@LaurenPierceBass]

+ThatGamer2000 Keep practicing! That's how everyone gets better :)

[@BeeLife]

For me, the most difficult part about focusing is when your bass teacher is this gorgeous! I've learned more from listening to this lady talk about bass on the internet than I have anywhere else in real life. So wonderful. Great Teacher, Great Player.

[@lemonsvarog9208]

God damn, you strong, girl!!!!👏💚🎻👍

[@donnnavidad518]

You're beautiful.