Where to go now? I wanna get better!

I just picked up bass last weekend, and learned Pink Floyd's Money. Other than that, I know the pattern for Major Scales, but that's it. I've got a musical background (i.e. percussion), but nothing with a stringed instrument. So I'd like to get better. Not just being able to play songs, but also theory, and improv. Are there any basic warmups or practice routines that anyone has that would help? Basically, what practice habits should I get into, and which should I avoid?

I'm guessing, since this is your first stringed instrument, you don't have a lot of finger strength (well, atleast in your ring finger/ pinky)

A warm-up/routine I like to do is basically start on the E string, and play the frets 1-4 with different fingers. So tabbed out...

G|-----------------------------1-2-3-4--l--2-3-4-5-------------------------------l-------------------
D|-------------------1-2-3-4------------l------------2-3-4-5---------------------l--------------------
A|----------1-2-3-4---------------------l----------------------2-3-4-5-----------l--------------------
E|-1-2-3-4------------------------------l--------------------------------2-3-4-5-l--3-4-5-6--------- And so on...
---^ Index finger
-----^Middle finger
--------^Ring finger
----------^Pinky

And just see how far I can get down the fretboard before getting some pain in my fingertips xD

You can do these any speed. Doing them slow will test your finger strength and fast will give you the speed for your fingers. ( I had to learn to do it fast when I was being taught to play guitar >.< )

Don't forget to do your Hand and tendon exercises!

Hope that helps

Garth, I'm going to slightly disagree with that 1-2-3-4 system....

It's ok, but start it at around the 8th fret. Watch this video, it'll explain why it's a bad idea to start it from the beginning of the neck:



Theory, I'll throw some links up later...

Improvisation, I believe is something that comes naturally. It's a mix of the theory you know, what you've played & know, what you're feeling at the time... So that'll come to you But there's no reason not to try it! Just put a drum beat on (dman has some on his site) and play... See what comes out

Exercises, whatever you do, be sure to start them at a position on the neck where it feels comfortable!

Take the major scale, as you already know that one, and play the first note, skip a note & play the third note. Then, play the second note, skip a note to the fourth note etc. till you reach the end. Then the same backwards

You can do that with any combination, so you could play notes one, two & three, then two, three & four, then four , five & six etc.

Really good stuff on davemarks Bad Habits For Bass. Really worth checking out. Thanks Smaz.

Agreed, that is a good explaination on why not to start at the top, but I still believe you should start somewhere in the middle and work your way down as you get more comfortable, it helps stretch out the hand.. just don't do it off the bat.

Oops!

Yeah my bad, basically I was taught that 1234 exercise on the guitar and just brought it over to the bass xD

Thanks for clearing that up! Phew.

Probably the only resource you need for learning basic/intermediate theory:

http://www.studybass.com/