Bass Beginner Octave Video

[JonPol]

Hey guys, my friend just bought a jazz and wants to learn how to play bass. I've been looking for a good video that shows how to use octaves to play simple jams that sound great, but all of the ones I find cover things that I think would seem overwhelming or confusing for a beginner. Does anyone know any good vids I can show my beginner friend that keeps it simple for the newbie?

[oniman7]

I don't know of any videos, but I was taught a very simplified version of "Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers that uses just roots and octaves for the main riff (and a couple embellishments on the chorus and such)

The tab would be

G---------9----------9--------------------
D---------------------------------------
A----7-7----7-7-7-7---------------------------
E----------------------------------------

G--------7---------7-----------------------
D--------------------------------------
A---5-5---5-5-5-5---5--------------------------
E---------------------------------------

G-------4----------4-------------------
D------------------------------------
A--2-2----2-2-2-2---2-----------------------
E-------------------------------------



G------5----------5------------------
D----------------------------------
A-3-3----3-3-3-3---3----------------------
E-----------------------------------

As you can see, it's just E, D, B, C with an octave above, and you can get a little fancier with it as you get more comfortable. But I find that's a very easy riff to play that goes along with the song very well.

HOpe this helps.

[dalconthenovice]

can't stop's bass rhythm is actually fairly complicated, this is a stripped down version of the rhythm but its still accurate to the point

[fearceol]

To an absolute beginner, playing octaves can be very hard, physically, until the hand develops strength and dexterity, especially the left hand in this case. IMO it would be best to concentrate on all round technique first, instead of jumping straight into trying to play octaves from the get go. A good all round DVD on technique is Todd Johnson's "Technique Builders". Below is a clip from it showing how to play octaves. If your friend is serious about learning the bass, then he should start at the beginning, and work his way up to playing octaves.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...7124982033181#

[oniman7]

Originally Posted by dalconthenovice

can't stop's bass rhythm is actually fairly complicated, this is a stripped down version of the rhythm but its still accurate to the point

As I said "...a very simplified version.". It's not true to what Flea plays, but it goes pretty well with the song. And who's to say a live audience would know the difference...?

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by JonPol

Hey guys, my friend just bought a jazz and wants to learn how to play bass. I've been looking for a good video that shows how to use octaves to play simple jams that sound great, but all of the ones I find cover things that I think would seem overwhelming or confusing for a beginner. Does anyone know any good vids I can show my beginner friend that keeps it simple for the newbie?

Can you help your friend with how to hold the bass, how to tune it, how to get sound from it. Things like that first. If not www.studybass.com is time well spent.

Introduce your friend - I'm going to assume its a he - to the major scale box pattern and a few words on how to use it would get him started. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867. Here is the fretboard http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg 5 string if you need that http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CDEQ9QEwAQ

Let Google pull up some fake chord sheet music on some songs he likes and show him how to play from fake chord. Just roots at first. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obFcsEtFIKA

Help him play along to this backing track. Just roots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUK5pE5x_6A Notice it's all open strings. Four roots to a measure.

Here is what he will be shooting for http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g35zS1tVO3o Reason for this video - See how effective one simple generic bass line played over the entire song can be. It need not be rocket science.

Get him playing from fake chord or lead sheet music. If he knows how to play chord tones (notes) over chord charts this can keep him busy for years plus introduce him to hundreds of songs.

Good luck.