A method for at least partly coating an electrically conductive substrate with an electrocoat material, comprising at least a step: contacting the electrically conductive substrate, connected as cathode, with an aqueous coating composition comprising at least one cathodically depositable binder and optionally at least one crosslinking agent, the coating composition having a pH in a range from 4.0 to 6.5, and comprising a total amount of at least 130 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, including at least 30 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, in a form in which it is in solution in the coating composition, and at least 100 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, in a form in which it is not in solution in the coating composition, wherein the mol% fraction of component within the total amount of bismuth present in the coating composition is greater than the mol% fraction of component, and the coating composition further comprises at least one at least bidentate complexing agent suitable for complexing bismuth, the at least one complexing agent being present in the aqueous coating composition in a fraction of at least 5 mol%, based on the total amount of the bismuth present in the coating composition, step being carried out in at least two successive stages and: at an applied voltage in a range from 1 to 50 V, which is applied over a duration of at least 5 seconds, and at an applied voltage in a range from 50 to 400 V, with the proviso that the voltage applied in stage is greater by at least 10 V than the voltage applied in stage. contacting the electrically conductive substrate, connected as cathode, with an aqueous coating composition comprising at least one cathodically depositable binder and optionally at least one crosslinking agent, the coating composition having a pH in a range from 4.0 to 6.5, and comprising a total amount of at least 130 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, including at least 30 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, in a form in which it is in solution in the coating composition, and at least 100 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, in a form in which it is not in solution in the coating composition, wherein the mol% fraction of component within the total amount of bismuth present in the coating composition is greater than the mol% fraction of component, and the coating composition further comprises at least one at least bidentate complexing agent suitable for complexing bismuth, the at least one complexing agent being present in the aqueous coating composition in a fraction of at least 5 mol%, based on the total amount of the bismuth present in the coating composition, step being carried out in at least two successive stages and: at an applied voltage in a range from 1 to 50 V, which is applied over a duration of at least 5 seconds, and at an applied voltage in a range from 50 to 400 V, with the proviso that the voltage applied in stage is greater by at least 10 V than the voltage applied in stage. at least one cathodically depositable binder and optionally at least one crosslinking agent, at least 30 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, in a form in which it is in solution in the coating composition, and at least 100 ppm of bismuth, based on the total weight of the coating composition, in a form in which it is not in solution in the coating composition, at an applied voltage in a range from 1 to 50 V, which is applied over a duration of at least 5 seconds, and at an applied voltage in a range from 50 to 400 V, with the proviso that the voltage applied in stage is greater by at least 10 V than the voltage applied in stage.