If you’re like me, there are days when you only have 10 minutes to practice bass. Maybe work takes over, maybe family needs you, or maybe you’re simply low on energy. But even on those days, you can still make real progress, if your practice is structured and efficient.
One area I always return to is shape practice: intervals, triads, seventh chords, triad pairs, or small melodic cells. These are the building blocks of vocabulary, fretboard fluency, and ear training.
Here’s the problem: Most musicians practice shapes in only one direction (usually ascending), and only in one position.
But music doe