In many ways, playing solos are when we feel most free. A solo is an opportunity for a different kind of self-expression, a brief absolution for playing fast, busily, or with a harmonically adventurous spirit. Yet, like the sailor who goes on a long-awaited shore-leave bender (and ends up in the brig because of it!), a lot of bass players abuse their furlough, hacking through every trick in their book, getting it all out while they can. Obviously, this is a problem. A solo should be musically valid and intriguing, flowing organically from within the musical context. This implies that a solo is not in fact a totally free event; your musical sensibility dictates limits, as do objective standards of harmony, rhythm, and musicality.

If you tend to be a kitchen-sink soloist, I’ve got an idea for you: Try practicing your solos under extreme limitations. For example, take the simple 12-bar blues below. I’ve written a solo, but I’ve limited myself to using only the 2nd and 6th diatonically relative to the root of each chord. I haven’t imposed any rhythmic or range limitations; just that I use only these two scale degrees. In doing so, I’m prevented from going to my usual trick-bag, and I’m forced to think of subtler qualities, like phrasing, melody, and movement. Try your own, and come up with your own set of limiting rules. You’ll see how limitations can be liberating.