Rebuilding technique

[Mal]

For someone returning to the bass after more than ten years, can anyone recommend a good practice routine that will not be too hard on my poor old fingers to get started on? I figure maybe an hour a day in two thirty minute sessions for, maybe, the first month, then gradually building up from there.

Thanks,
Mal

[Bass_Snake]

I' d say listen to any music you like and listen to the bass lines. Then try to play what you hear. It' s okay if they are wrong notes.

Also watching YouTube will be a great help. Hope this somehow helps. Listening and watching other bassist play really helps.

And yeah, play an hour a day. That' s what I do if not longer.

Fred

[roscoestring]

I don't just play bass. I play guitar, dobro, banjo, and mandolin too. But I don't just play for an hour a day. On week days I generally play an average of 4 hours a day. On weekends I probally play an average of 8 - 12 hours a day. Mostly depends on the weather. If it's rainy I play more. I'd say play as much as you can.

[Mal]

Thanks for the responses. I definitely intend practising more than an hour a day once my hands loosen up a bit. My left hand pinkie gets very tired at the moment though due mainly to an ailment called Dupuytren's contracture which is a shortening and thickening of the palm's tissue that results in clawing of the fingers. It isn't too serious and has only affected the one finger. In a way it does have an advantage because that finger doesn't fly away from the fingerboard - it can't. The finger can be straightened either through injections of steroids or surgery, however, there's a chance that I won't be able to bend it again so I'll just deal with the lesser problem. A decent bass would probably help too!

Cheers,
Mal