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Originally Posted by burrncrisis  reading sheet music finding the rhythm was the hardest part. |
I'd have to agree from experience, and I am still learning myself. But I have definitely noticed an improvement in my own rhythmic awareness -even when i'm not reading - as a result of what I have learned so far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by burrncrisis i've only just played along with songs so i don't know scales or theory or anything but are there basics that i should know? any books i should get that will help my playing? |
I'll paste my standard response to to this type of question -apologies for taking up so much space here :
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Theory can seem like a quagmire to those who are starting out, and it's often difficult to know just
how important a particular aspect of it is. I will say that learning how chords are built from scales is the most important aspect of theory. It is far more useful to
understand chord construction than to memorize all those "Scales A and B go with chord X" formulas.
I'd say the logical progression learning music theory is kinda like this:
1.) learn the major scale, and how it's constructed
2.) learn the minor scale and the dominant scale and how it relates to the major scale (i.e.; its the V and vi mode)
3.) understand how other 4 modes of the major scale are derived (less important to
memorize these other modes at first)
4.) Learn how to harmonize the notes of a major and minor scale by building chords / stacking thirds.
5.) Learn to look at common chord progressions as "numerals" (eg, I-IV-V ect) to understand how the chords relate to the song's key.
7.) Learn arppegios/chord tones, and pentatonic scales for major/minor/dominant scales.
8.) dive back into modes for more detailed ideas about what "goes" with what chord.
Bass playing is basically a matter of knowing what to play over various chords. It may seem daunting at first, but my practical experience (bass in pop/rock) has been that I mostly use Major, Minor, and Dominant 7 related bassline patterns, usually based on chord tones and pentatonics.
Even if you're playing some guitar oriented riff-rock, each riff is going to imply a chord of some kind.
85%+ of the time, you will be going from root note to root note as the chords change. The trick learning is how to do it with a groove and feel that is stylistically appropriate to the song. The best way to reach stylistic understanding is to learn songs you like and pick them apart to see how the bassline relates to the chords.
If Jazz is your thing, you will probably be learning theory forever.
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since you identified Metal as your main thang, you will probably want to explore the Natural minor (aka Aeolian), minoir pentatonic, as well as Phrygian and Locrian Modes. Also understanding Metal songs in terms of chord relationships can be challenging since a lot of it is more based around riffs than chord progressions. More folky or pop-ish stuff lends itself to simple harmonic analyses better...
Also, +1 to Stumbo, check the general instruction links sticky
The importance of rhythm in bass playing can't be overstated. It's worth it to practice reading music while ignoring the pitch -just tap the rhythms notated. check these exercises out for practicing reading just rhythm:
