Just found on YouTube copy of Jaco Pastorius “Modern Electric Bass” instructional video. I recommend to everyone to save all parts of it using “Download Helper“, because legitimate of this video there is questionable.
Finally, I think I got it. The difference between standing and sitting position is not only in angle of neck, position of bass itself… Just do this: sit down with your bass. Do you see the fretboard? The whole fretboard? Yes? This is the problem. Stand up and check what you see now. This is only 4th (5th, 6th) string and small dots on the side of the neck. Maybe part of fretboard. The problem is in this lengthwise angle. Remember it and practice sitting with the same angle.
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what is wrong - leg, angle of bass towards horizon, height… I tried to maintain this things the same while sitting and standing and failed again and again. I’m standing up and my speed and accuracy reduces. And I’m doomed to practice it from the beginning. And finally I got it. I’m happy.
This is repost from my old blog, but I think it will be useful here.
This week I asked on talkbass.com about sitting position. Today I’ve reviewed several videos and here is answer of bass pros.
All of them (except Gary Willis. He keeps bass on central position) use right leg.
thelibster:bass is the great site with tons of transcriptions, lessons and sounds. Excellent reading, chord and ghost notes lessons. I spent a lot of time with them and all lessons, exercises and samples are perfect and balanced. They are leading you to success step by step. There are also a lot transcriptions of bass lines with mp3 samples.
I cannot remember any other site with such selected and carefully presented free material. Be patient and attentive and you’ll definitely increase your skills.
Everyone, ok, almost everyone know about “Spider” from John Patitucci, this is nice exercise which increases your speed and dexterity, but you can enable your own creativity to create your own exercises based on it.