Playing different styles

rahul_2092 · #1 05-26-2009, 05:39 AM

Hey Justin, I hope the tour is going alright

. Remember the advice you gave me about learning to play different styles of music early? How do you suggest i go about that? As i am a total beginner, How would you suggest i start learning the instrument?

Thanks

P.S:- If any1 else wants to pitch in ideas it would be great

jmjbassplayer · #2 05-26-2009, 09:42 AM

Just pick up some classic records and perhaps have a musician friend get you started and teach you a few tunes. You know: rock, R&B, punk, whatever. I started out learning basslines from the Beatles, Motown, Stax, Zeppelin, Pistols, U2, Floyd, ELO, Queen, CSNY, anything from Joe Osborn, PIL, Stranglers, Gang of Four, Bowie, whatever. I just picked up the bass and started, but if you feel inclined, just get an amigo to groove you in a little bit.

JMJ

JimmyM · #3 05-26-2009, 03:39 PM

Immersing yourself in the music you want to play is really the only way to learn the stylistic finer points of a given genre, but despite there being some dudes like Justin who excel despite not having lessons or formal training past playing the sax in the high school band, it doesn't happen that way for most folks, so I would highly recommend hooking up with a teacher who can teach you some things about music and theory (long sentence, sorry). It really makes things easier to figure out and can save you many hours of fumbling around till you figure things out on your own.

jmjbassplayer · #4 05-26-2009, 04:17 PM

Word up.

JimmyM · #5 05-26-2009, 04:46 PM

Hey bro, it's good to see a self-taught dude who appreciates the value of more formal training. You wouldn't believe how defensive some people on here get at the mere mention of taking a few lessons. I have no frame of reference for it since I started playing bass knowing basic theory, but I honestly don't think I'd have ever figured it out otherwise.

tomhanzo · #6 05-26-2009, 10:30 PM

Umm i think everyone here knows how to play Whole Lotta Love by Zep

. The first song i ever learned on bass was Brain Stew by Green Day.

I agree with Jimmy. Just find out what music you want to play and just learn all you can. I am gonna say this, strike me dead if you please Justin, that tabs can help you do this. Just take what you learn and apply it everywhere you can. Get a feeling for how the artist does it.

I have been trying my hardest to master Robert Levon Been's style. I love his fills.

rahul_2092 · #7 05-26-2009, 10:44 PM

thanks a lot guys

...any advice on starting to play stuff by ear? I love all kinds except Hip Hop

cant stand it. I am mainly into Rock,Metal,Hard Rock,Trance and House Music

jmjbassplayer · #8 05-26-2009, 10:49 PM

I really don't care about tabs or not. I've never read them myself, so I wouldn't know. The only thing that really gets me is dudes who study jazz theory or whatever for years, then they try to take that to a band scenario and rock out. Epic, embarrasing fail. Especially when their still rocking their driftwood 6 string bulls*(t with the strap way up high. Boooo!!!!

Other than that man, anything goes. If you study, balance it with real-world application. If you only have playing in bands as your mode of learning, balance that with some sort of other learning so you're not left in the dust, UNLESS you just flat out don't need it. Not everyone can be Geezer Butler or Mike Dirnt, just to name two excellent examples.

Balance.

That's all I'm sayin'.

JMJ

tomhanzo · #9 05-26-2009, 11:35 PM

Tabs are easy and they help you get a feel for playing by ear. I have been playing for going on 3 years and am just now getting to play by ear.

Tabs help you get an idea of what something sounds and looks like.

JimmyM · #10 05-27-2009, 02:38 AM

Tom, if you can learn how to read tabs, you can learn how to read music. And then you can get the complete story about the music you're trying to read, rather than just numbers and having to try to piece together the rhythms on your own. Plus then you can communicate with your non-string playing brethren.

I have seen dudes do the epic fail overly schooled jazzer slumming at rock thing, but fortunately I took lessons from Dave LaRue, who understands looking like you belong there when you play rock. Not everyone who teaches is like that, though, so yeah, balance, most definitely. You don't want to turn into a scale-running wanker, that's for sure!

rahul_2092 · #11 05-27-2009, 04:38 AM

Thanx for all the advice guys

.I have got one more question for you. How important is it to learn the fretboard? Any tips or suggestions on how to learn it?

superfunk47 · #12 05-27-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rahul_2092

Thanx for all the advice guys

.I have got one more question for you. How important is it to learn the fretboard? Any tips or suggestions on how to learn it?

Play all of your scales in every position all over the fretboard, and say (or even sing, if you're feeling daring) the note names as you're playing them.

D flat, E flat, E natural...

And yes, start getting into minor, diminished, augmented, modes, everything, once you're comfortable with your major scales. You'll be killing two birds with one stone.

tomhanzo · #13 05-27-2009, 01:36 PM

Well I started by reading tabs. Now i have moved on and know the minor and major scales. I can read sheet music but not fluently.

I didnt mean tabs are all you need. Its just a good start in a direction.

You have to learn your freatboard. Superfunk is right, thats how i learned them.

rahul_2092 · #14 05-30-2009, 12:25 AM

thanks guys