This article is written by Toru Hoshino, a jazz bassist and instructor based in Japan who teaches online lessons to students worldwide.
A while back, I put out a call in my newsletter asking readers and students to let me write about their daily practice routines on the blog. I was delighted to get lots of people willing to share.
Most of my readers and students are working adults or students, so I thought it would be valuable to show how real, everyday people fit bass practice into their busy lives.
Today is number three in the series — meet Aki!
Contents
Aki’s Profile
Nickname:
Aki
Age:
38
Job:
Social welfare / care sector
Favorite genres:
90s Visual Kei, 80s–90s J-Pop, Jazz
Favorite artists:
LUNA SEA, Marcus Miller, F-Chopper KOGA
How long he’s been playing bass:
Bought his first bass 25 years ago. Seriously playing bass for 5–6 years; before that, bouncing between keyboards and guitar.
Basses he plays:
4-string: Fender Japan Jazz Bass
6-string: Atelier Z Beta6 / 32″
(That Atelier Z is seriously cool!!)
What got him started:
Inspired by the bass heroes of the 90s Visual Kei era — X JAPAN, LUNA SEA, Kuroyume, L’Arc-en-Ciel, GLAY, Lacrimosa Christie — and the way those bassists moved and grooved on stage.
(We’re the same kind of people — the secret handshake is “Mechanical Dance”!)
What he loves about bass:
The fact that you can’t keep playing unless you stay dedicated to it.
Current activity:
Attending jazz sessions a few times a month on guitar. Planning to eventually make his bass debut at sessions.
What he’s practicing:
Basic walking bass patterns, major scale and pentatonic exercises, working on jazz standard melodies (themes).
A word from Aki:
“Right now I’m enjoying music life with guitar as my main instrument, but I’m slowly going back to my roots and restarting bass practice. I use your blog as a reference for both bass and guitar — thank you so much!”
Thank YOU, Aki! He’s been a regular reader of my blog. A multi-instrumentalist who plays both bass and guitar. He also came to a jazz session night I hosted — that meant a lot.
Same generation as me, both fallen deep into 90s Visual Kei — we totally get each other.
Aki’s Two-Week Practice Log
Reference books he was using:
“Introduction to Jazz Bass” (Japanese instructional book)
“Walking Bass Super-Beginner’s Guide” (Japanese instructional book)
Day 1 (Mon)
Day off from practice right out of the gate — had to read the new volume of Blue Giant (a jazz manga).
Day 2 (Tue)
9:00–10:15 — Tried playing bass lines to every song he knows, but on guitar.
Day 3 (Wed)
10:00–11:00 — Checked out the sound of harmonic minor using the blog. Then used the “Introduction to Jazz Bass” book to try playing root-only bass lines to “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Autumn Leaves.”
Day 4 (Thu)
10:00–11:00 — Focused on guitar comping practice. Realised that thinking consciously about bass lines actually shed new light on how guitar comping should work.
Day 5 (Fri)
9:00–10:15 — “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Autumn Leaves,” mixing in some passing tones alongside the root.
Day 6 (Sat)
Work in the morning, then drinks afterward — no practice.
Day 7 (Sun)
Attended a jazz session on guitar. Watched a great bassist very closely and listened hard to every note. On the way home, impulsively bought a second-hand guitar — without telling his wife…
Day 8 (Mon)
22:00–23:00 — Spent the night obsessively playing the guitar he bought yesterday. No bass practice.
Day 9 (Tue)
Unusually had an early shift when he normally works late; came home exhausted. Lazily played through a backing track by feel. Got to touch the bass, but didn’t feel like he got anything done.
Day 10 (Wed)
10:00–11:00 — Used the “Introduction to Jazz Bass” book to try songs beyond “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Autumn Leaves.” Blues felt natural right away; other songs — even ones he knows on guitar — just wouldn’t come out in his hands. Decided to narrow focus down to three songs for now: “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Autumn Leaves,” and blues.
Day 11 (Thu)
Couldn’t shake some workplace frustrations — no motivation. Escaped into reading a stack of manga that had arrived.
Day 12 (Fri)
22:00–22:30 — Tried playing bass standing up. Completely lost his grip on the fretboard — was shocked that things he could do sitting down suddenly didn’t work.
Day 13 (Sat)
Day off, but caught up in household chores — only managed a little guitar. Just did some prep for the next day’s session.
Day 14 (Sun)
Attended a jazz session on guitar. Was hoping to get a chance to play bass too, but there were unusually many bassists, so he never found the right moment to step in. On the way out, though, he managed to tell the host “I’ll play bass next time” — a small but meaningful step.
Summary from Aki:
“This year my shift schedule has me starting work late, so being able to practice in the mornings is a huge help. (The work itself is tough, though.) Guitar is my main focus, but I’m running bass alongside it, so the time I dedicate specifically to bass is short. I’m hoping the two instruments can lift each other up.”
Thank you so much, Aki!
Reading through this log, you really get a vivid picture of someone’s life — which I love.
For all of us, real life comes first, and practice fits in around it. There will be days when nothing happens. That’s okay — don’t drag it with you. Just keep enjoying bass at whatever pace you can!
Thank you again, Aki!
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.