Hey! I'm pretty new to bass, only been playing about a year. To give a little back story, I'd say I'm about as good as you'd expect someone to be after a year starting on metal and punk, then slowly moving toward modern ska. For the most part, I've been learning by teaching myself songs I liekd with basslines I liked, but I think it's time I actually learned some theory.

As far as the theory I DO know goes, I pretty much know a couple basic shapes that can be moved around the bass, one of which I think I read somewhere is the basic major scale? Theres a couple others, but thats about it. Also, I know the notes on the neck of the bass (more or less), but I can't read music, and I'm not really interested in learning to read it unless I need to so that I can read more advanced lessons/books/etc.

Anyway! ON TO THE MAIN SUBJECT (emphasized for those who don't wanna read the back story). I'm looking for a guide to music theory that can get me most of what I need to know to construct a decent bassline on my own, hopefully within about 2 months. Preferably for free, and preferably one that doesn't require me to know how to read music. If anyone knows of such a guide, could you perhaps point me in the right direction?

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56761

http://www.teoria.com/

http://www.musictheory.net/

If you just look at bass reference sites you should pick that kinda stuff up. www.activebass.com has tons of lessons mostly bad but some good.

I'll try and help a bit. Heres a scale (learn your major and minor scales first) So here's a scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (the numbers represent the note in the scale 3= third note in scale)

A major chord is made up of 1, 3, and 5 of a major scale. For example C Major (C D E F G A B C) is C E and G. If you guitarist or keyboard player was play a C major chord of any type and you played some form of C E and G. It would probably sound pretty good.

A minor chord is the same thing 1 3 and 5. If you would look at the shapes the major triad (thats what these are called btw) and a minor triad look similar besides that the third fret is one half step lower.

The other notes of the scale can be used in a bass line as well. 1 and 5 are the most powerful notes of the chord. The other notes want to 'pull' as some would say to 1 and 5 or pull to notes that in turn will want to pull to 1 and 5. 3 is a chord tone however if you play 1 and then 3 and let it hang on three.. it sounds like it wants to go somewhere and if you use your ear you should be able to figure these things out..

Work with that first. Then you'll need to figure out how to make chord progressions. I hope I helped you if you couldnt find a book.

I have this book (click) (http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Made-Easy-Reference/dp/0918321999) and I recommend it for a very basic understanding. It's probably the smallest book (+ audio CD) I have seen on the subject that isn't completely useless. It teaches you enough to jam with practice.

I also have to give http://www.activebass.com a solid +1.

When I taught I used this:

http://www.amazon.com/Edlys-Music-Theory-Practical-People/dp/0966161602/sr=1-1/qid=1167359850/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7935131-8343930?ie=UTF8&s=books

I would say you should learn to read music before you start theory. In our music theory class in high school that was the first thing that was taught. Its very important in analyzing chords and learning chords. People might not agree with me but I think Reading music is a HUGE factor in theory.

and preferably one that doesn't require me to know how to read music.

I really believe that reading music should be your very first step in learning theory. IMO, it's pretty basic. It doesn't take that long to read music and it's really not that hard.

+1 for http://www.musictheory.net

Joe

www.studybass.com

Has some good basics, can get you going on some ideas.

Bottom line...if you can't read music, you can't understand theory, and every song that involves new concepts will be like learning a new language. Why do people resist reading music? It's not that hard. My wife just started playing piano on Christmas day and she's learned how to read music already. She's not great at it but she understands the concepts and can work things out. And she's had no prior musical training at all. So you non-readers out there get off your lazy butts!