Learning The Bass!!

[jbc_ast]

I've just picked up the bass. I want to know how long will it take someone like me, who knows nothing about music to learn. Thanks for letting me in. I'm looking forward to talking to as many great and teachers as I can.

[becker4567]

First off, welcome to the club! As to your question, it depends on your determination, god given talent, and desire. Playing guitar (any guitar) is a lonely, frustrating business. You will not feel confident for a long time, you will want to put it in your closet and close the door, and you will feel like your fingers are fat, slow and stupid......did I say welcome to the club? Find a good teacher to give you the basics, and practice my friend, and practice alot. It will pay off........guaranteed!

[251]

Originally Posted by jbc_ast

I've just picked up the bass. I want to know how long will it take someone like me, who knows nothing about music to learn. Thanks for letting me in. I'm looking forward to talking to as many great and teachers as I can.

Learning the bass can take just a few months, especially if you're working with an alert music tutor, practice 7 or 8 hours a week & listen to music 7 or 8 hours a week. If you plan to teach yourself, this could take longer.

Learning to play & create music, learning to play in a group... it's been 12 years for me & I am still learning.

What is your plan & what are your goals?

[FranR]

Hello and welcome

[jbc_ast]

Thank you for the warm welcome! I feel good knowing that I will not be alone in this long and struggling journey of learning the bass. I bought Alex Sampson DVD's the Fretboard Formula, but I will need hands on from a teacher and the encouranging words from the nice people at TB. I have a four string Crestwood Bass, but the neck is warped and right now that is all I have, but I am determined to learn. I've just started, but for some reason I want a six string. I must do what an older gentlemen told me, and that is to Pray, Practice and Play and Pray some more.

[becker4567]

Hmmmmmm, why do you want a 6 string? There is certainly nothing wrong with either a 5 or a 6'er, but being a bit old school (well, maybe more than just a bit), I tend to stick to the more standard 4. My suggestion is to get the fundamentals down, get comfy with playing (and do most of your practicing standing up rather than sitting in a chair), and then decide what you what you want. As for learning on a bass with a warped neck, my first bass was actually an old Fender strat strung with bass strings. My best friends brother cobbled it together for me, and taught me how to play it. When I got a proper bass (1966 Gibson EB3), it was like heaven. Good Luck!

[chadhargis]

I'm a rank newbie too. Took my second lesson yesterday.

I like to relate learning to play bass to anything else that requires skill. I'm an avid motorcyclist. I started riding seriously about 9 years ago. It took about three years of regular riding before I was really comfortable and never had to think about the motorcycle again. I just rode from "feel". I knew what was going on based on how things felt or sounded. From there, things really opened up. I took some racing classes, put lots of miles on the racetrack, and eventually reached a point where I am a very good, competent rider. I'm not the best, nor will I ever be. But riding is one of those things where if you push too hard, you end up hurt or dead. You have to stay in your comfort zone and take little baby steps. You can't go right out and drop a knee at 120mph. You have to first take the proper line at 50mph and learn the technique.

I feel playing the bass will be the same way. I'll spend years thinking about every note I play. Worrying where I put my fingers and constantly struggling to use proper technique to avoid developing bad habits. Then at some point, the light switch will come on and I'll say, "Humm, I just played an entire song and never once thought about my hands. I just played what 'felt' right".

I don't know exactly how long it will take to get there, and at this point, I know it's a long way off. I sit and play scales for hours. Resisting the temptation to go on You Tube and learn a slap technique or something beyond what I'm ready to play. I want to keep in mind those baby steps, and that there are no short cuts. It takes lots of practice.

The main thing for me is that even though I can't play a song, can't jam with a band, can't even think of gigging right now, I love the feel of my bass. I love the sound it makes. Nothing thrills me like a deep full note that rattles things in my house. Even if it's just scales or excercises at this point. I do little things like put on a drum track in GarageBand and play scales to a rhythm. Anything to break up the monotony and make it fun while still practicing what my instructor shows me.

I am starting out on a 5 string. I love the long B string. Love players like Jimmy Johnson. Even though the learning curve is a bit steeper, I am willing to put up with it to get comfortable from the beginning with that B string being there. Learning the "wandering thumb" technique and having to work around that low string. Getting my hand stretched out to cover all four frets on that string starting at the first fret. I have huge hands, and it's still not easy, but I keep at it so I can develop my "stretch".

I used to play basketball, and I had a coach that used to run the first few practices without using any basketballs. We worked on footwork, offensive and defensive movement, communication, picks, and other things that didn't require the ball. To me, the "ball" is the music. Before you can make music, you need to have all the fundamentals in place. How long will it be before I an pick up the ball and start playing? I don't know. My goal is to be able to play well enough to jam with a group of people within a year. Not to gig mind you, just to be able to confidently play root notes or roots, octaves, and fifths without fouling up too much. In two years I hope to be able to play in my church band. Goals are important to me, and I think those are attainable goals.

Within 3 years, I hope to be playing entirely from "feel" without having to think about where notes are on the fretboard or what string I'm plucking etc.

When I practice, I try to put in at least an hour. That's not always possible and I travel a lot for work, so practicing every day is not possible. Because of this, I know it will take me a lot longer than someone who has lots of free time.

In the end, it comes down to the fact that I've loved bass since I was a kid. Loved the sound. Loved the "feel" it adds to music. I'm looking forward to being a lifetime learner.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

..... I travel a lot for work, so practicing every day is not possible...

There are a lot of things to do while you're traveling that will help your musicianship.

-Memorize the fret board

-sing and memorize songs(starting with rhymes and standards(e.g. Star Spangled Banner, and so on). I find old music books cheap (in used book stores)with lots of tunes in them. My local library has a volunteer group that collects books and sells them for .25c to $1. I've found enough music books there to keep busy for years and only spent a few dollars.

-Keep a file/notebook of all the lyrics of all the songs you can sing all the way through from memory.

-sing your bass lines

-record yourself singing so you can improve.

-learn standard notation/music theory

-learn rhythm

-lots of music/bass interweb sites to keep you busy.

-check the links in my sig. below for some great TB threads that will give a sense of what's available.

Good luck.

Btw, waiting to learn songs until some level of expertise is attained, IMO, can lead to boredom and defeat. Based on a whole bunch of TB threads I've read, most guys learn some tunes, get in a band all the while continuing their studies. It seems that playing in a band and gigging are great ways to do the social thing with music, have fun and learn at the same time.

There's a thread on that topic in my "Being in a Band" link that you might want to check out.

[CrazyJayYeah13!]

Yeah, mon! I am a beginner bass player! 60 years olde kind of a hippy living in Alaska. The Great Land! Just like anything else , practice makes perfect. Wish me LUCK, mon!
Crazy Jay
jayl@mtaonline.net

[jbc_ast]

Thank you Chadhargis for that great analogy. I really don't have time to practice myself because of my job, but I am going to take the great and wonderful advice of Stumbo. Stumbo you have great treads. Keep them coming. Thanks guys, for all the support. CrazyJayYeah13! welcome to TB, I read one of the tread and it said practicing will not make you perfect, but you will not suck. I tend to agree in the sense that learning music is a life long journey and many folks who have been playing for 45-50 years are still not perfect but are still learning. Many blessings to come out of learning and playing.

[chadhargis]

Practice will make you perfect at what you practice. But I don't think anyone is going to want to watch me play a gig of scales. LOL!

Right now, my practice is on two fronts. Physical practice, to me able to physically make the note sing out on the bass without buzz and with a consistent tone. Playing scales up and down gets boring, but it's a physical exercise that will help me develop muscle memory.

The mental part that I'm undertaking is memorizing the natural notes on the fret board. From there I should be able to find the sharps and flats. I printed out a chart, and I'm going to color the natural notes so they stand out from one another.

Then I'll connect my physical practice to my mental practice and work on playing every scale. That will give me the tools to look at some tab or music and be able to play it.

[Already In Use]

Brand new here. Picked up my bass 12/31. Had 2 lessons so far. Know a few scales. learning the fret board. Learning triads in a few different keys. I am practicing 1-2 hours per day. I am going over stuff in my head when away from bass. I have been using a few online sources that have play alongs. I have been plugging into my mier and playing with songs I like...err...should I say TRYING to play!

Like the guy above I am a avid motorcyclist. After 40 years of riding and a stint at pro racing...well..I'm also pretty good.

At 50 years old I figure I have a good 20 years in me to learn the bass. I have found writing things out as I try to learn them helps...like the fretboard w/all the notes.

[FranR]

Originally Posted by jbc_ast

Thank you for the warm welcome! I feel good knowing that I will not be alone in this long and struggling journey of learning the bass. I bought Alex Sampson DVD's the Fretboard Formula, but I will need hands on from a teacher and the encouranging words from the nice people at TB.

Cool, I've just started on his BGS home study course. I'm looking forward to hearing how you're enjoying the fretboard formula since I'm wondering whether to get it or not.

I'm enjoying the course so far - just a lot to digest with all those degrees, modes etc. I don't easily memorize things no matter how handy the diagrams are

[chadhargis]

Ah, another motorcyclist! For some reason there are a lot of pilots and musicians who ride, especially at the track where you find the highest speeds and highest skill level required. I'll tell ya, nothing quite like coming downhill into turn 5 at Barber or down the hill into 10A at Road Atlanta, hard on the brakes.

Playing bass is my next challenge. Something I can push myself and always strive to get better. I'm hoping that within the next couple of years I can be good enough to play in church and maybe join a little band for fun.

[MalcolmAmos]

If you get stuck www.studybass.com will normally have the answer.

Good luck.

[FranR]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

If you get stuck www.studybass.com will normally have the answer.

Good luck.

+1

Yeah that's a very good link. One of my first links I visited after signing up here

[chadhargis]

I love the Study Bass site. I have learned quite a bit from there. Really enjoy the exercises.

[Already In Use]

Originally Posted by chadhargis

Ah, another motorcyclist! For some reason there are a lot of pilots and musicians who ride, especially at the track where you find the highest speeds and highest skill level required. I'll tell ya, nothing quite like coming downhill into turn 5 at Barber or down the hill into 10A at Road Atlanta, hard on the brakes.

Playing bass is my next challenge. Something I can push myself and always strive to get better. I'm hoping that within the next couple of years I can be good enough to play in church and maybe join a little band for fun.

I came from motocross...onto drag racing where I raced pro for a short time and now back to dirt...off road desert riding. Long time ago I came to a fork in the road. I was playing guitar, bass and keyboards. My childhood friend, Mark Kramer was helping me learn. I was also riding dirt bikes. I went all out on the motorcycle passion and dropped everything else. Mark went on to do really well in the music biz. Me...I still ride dirt bikes!

Back at the bass like a rabid coyote chasing a 3 legged deer.

[chadhargis]

I've never done much dirt riding. Mostly street and road race stuff.

I've always loved music, but never excelled at playing anything. My brother has "the gift". He can literally pick up an instrument he's never played and plink around on it for a couple of days and he can play it from that point on. It's sickening. Can't read a note of music. Doesn't have any music theory training. Just picks up stuff and plays it like he's been practicing for years.

But he can't do this! LOL!

[Already In Use]

Suzuki man! We can get along..Heres a pic of my drag bike...sold a few years ago..8 second street bike. Had a guy riding it towards the end. My buddy Ken..



Heres a sample of where we go now...