Advancing as a bassist...next step?

[LotusCarsLtd52]

So it's been about a year now and here's the progress I've made:

1) More accuracy, greater speed, better ability to play more complex riffs;

2) Have the fingerings for the major scales down, but only a rough idea of the different notes for a particular scale (i.e. I know all the notes in the C scale are regular notes, but I also know there are a few sharp notes in the F scale, just not sure what they are);

3) I only have a so-so idea of how to read music. I do choir so I can see a piece of music and get a basic idea of how the song goes but I still haven't tried reading a piece sheet of music with no tabs and trying to play it on bass;

4) I've learned a couple of different songs including Money and Seven Nation Army along with composing a ton of riffs for songs I or my band wrote.

So where to next? I want to learn how to read music for bass (so I don't have to rely on tabs) while also learning theory (I don't even fully understand the concept of things like fourths, fifths, triads, ionian, etc.) and I want to understand it for my own sake as a musician. I hear people say "you don't need to know how to read sheet music to do rock" and I fully agree, but I still want to know it to make me a better musician.

But I also want to improve my technique and my ability to play more complex, more interesting basslines than the typical lo-fi basslines consisting of only a few 8th notes here and there (when I say "more interesting" think "No Reply at All" by Genesis). But my big aim is to essentially be a jazz bassist who does lo-fi rock...skilled, talented, with a high emphasis on musicianship/virtuosity but playing a style of music not necessarily focused on those things.

Thanks!

[Billnc]

Study and hone up on the reading, learn the chord tones and how to walk. Your technique will automatically improve learning these skills. Read bass lines, a student of mine came in with a Hal Leonard book, Easy Bass lines or Songs, or something like that, all standard notation and not a bit of tabs. The tunes include Paranoid (yes you are learning if you can't read well and work on that) Ticket to Ride Etc. Kudos to them for doing that. Also Ed Friedlands Books, Ed Fuqua, for walking and reading. Carol Kaye has some good stuff for reading too.

Dump the tabs now, and don't look back.

I can read well, I can't sight read everything all that great yet. An interesting observation, I've never met or heard a musician who could sight read fly droppings and didn't play really well. Some can't improvise yes but they can all play.

[Elrend]

get rid of the tabs and read more theory.


(Btw, the are no sharps in F major, there is one flat, specifically on B, thus making the note Bb)

[MalcolmAmos]

I think it's time for the instructor. Get a live one or one of the DVD's. You know stuff, but some of it is wrong. Probably a month's worth of lessons will get you started down the right road. After a month re-evaluate and go from there. What does a month of lessons cost? In my neck of the woods about $75. First one should be spent showing your instructor what you already know - and don't know. And let him know what you want to know.

In a month he will give you enough stuff to keep you busy for two months. Lay out catch up then go back for more.

[codeinedreams]

my advice:
-learn the minor scales and arpeggios/be able to distinguish between major and minor at the very least
-recognize the common time signatures (4/4, 3/4...) if you haven't already
-be able to identify all the notes on sheet music (treble and bass clef) and their corresponding location on the fretboard
-learn some jazz standards
-find songs with interesting challenging bass lines appropriate for your level and learn them
-practice learning songs by ear by listening to recordings and picking out the bass line...

[crucislancer]

Originally Posted by LotusCarsLtd52

1) More accuracy, greater speed, better ability to play more complex riffs;

This is good, but don't forget the other side of the coin. It can often be difficult to play dead slow as well, slow the metronome down and try to play a quarter, half, and whole notes.

[LotusCarsLtd52]

Some disclaimers to help guide this discussion:

I lack money right now so I can't pay for lessons but if I get money I definitely want to get a teacher again. As for DVDs I don't have a player and my netbook doesn't have a CD drive (but I can probably get an external if need be).

Given these circumstances what should I do now?

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by LotusCarsLtd52

Some disclaimers to help guide this discussion: I lack money right now so I can't pay for lessons but if I get money I definitely want to get a teacher again. As for DVDs I don't have a player and my netbook doesn't have a CD drive (but I can probably get an external if need be). Given these circumstances what should I do now?

Start with www.studybass.com it's free and very good.

[andre66]

The link below is by a young pianist who has Free music theory lesson's on Youtube, he is a bit awkward in his presentation but the information he provides is very helpful when you combine it with reading.

I am using the book "Music theory for Dummies" and was having a difficult time with the circle of fifths but watching his video about it really helped clear up the difficulties i had with it. Studybass.com is also a very useful site, lots of free info to help.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Lypur#g/c/B585CE43B02669C3
Andre

[pbass2]

Play every kind of music and with every kind of musician you can. Listen to how the bass works in as many genres as possible. Speed is useful but not necessary in the pro world unless you're gonna be a guy who does "bass solo" music(but those aren't the guys you see doing all the sessions and tours). And for heaven's sake, don't just listen to the bass---be a student of MUSIC and not just the bass!

[Chris K]

Before doing what all the other guys said: learn to play from written music. There are books on practically everything you might want to work on. Many of them show both notes and tabs, but IMHO, once you can playread, you'll learn very, very much quicker from notes.

[Stumbo]

Check out the link in my sig. below for some great TB info that will help you reach your goals.

Good luck.