beginner bassist with some specific questions

[hayden06f4i]

ok guys, im 26, just got a bass, had one in HS, but never played it, and never learned anything. i have had this one a month, and been playing and learning as much as possible from all sources, i have a few questions on some tips/pointers if you guys dont mind..

#1 - my pinky, and the E string, my pinky is fairly short by comparision. and i have trouble on the E string with it, on the A,D and G strings its fine, it needs to be stronger, but its fine. any tips on my pinky and the E string?

#2 - as far as practice goes i have been trying to spend an hour a night practicing/playing. for the fun side i have been trying to learn some songs from tabs/GuitarPro.....but i know for the technical/theory part of it, i need to also learn scales......i know the major and minor scales, and last nite started learning the blues scale. i guess my question here is, how do i maximize the practice time i do have, and are there any songs i should learn that will improve my bass playing and technique alot, while having fun?

sorry for the long winded post, but im a noob with lots of questions, and i have no choice but to go about this learning process WITHOUT a teacher, so that comment can be skipped...

[jmac]

I recommend reading through all of the sticky posts in this forum. They will help you.

[AxtoOx]

#1 Learn to use that pinky, I use mine more than my ring finger. Just keep at it. It'll stretch.

#2 Not an insult, but get lessons. They will pay off many fold in the long run, even if you just learn the basics.

[debassr]

A lot of people don't know that your pinky is actually stronger than your ring finger. It'll come with time and practice. Scales are good to practice forward and back and will increase your strength as long as you use the correct fingering when you practice them. Playing along with songs is a great way to practice, just don't get stuck in a rut practicing the same ones - learn it and immediately move on to the next. Also, change music styles frequently too - I found that when I got good enough to play mostly rock progressions, moving to Motown forced me to get much better, I then moved to Reggae. Now, every night I practice a bunch of different styles. It helps a lot. Learn the notes on your fretboard so you can call them out without thinking. Transcribe some songs yourself, practice with some drum tracks, write your own material. Record your practices whenever possible and review your technique - judge yourself harshly! Keep your gear in a place where you'll see it every day. Watching TV? Play along with the commercials. When you get more experienced start looking for people to jam with, the drive to not suck will make you a much better player - FAST.

Hope some of this helps.

[hayden06f4i]

debasser....thank you for the detailed post, i really appreciate it....

i have learned some "rock" songs (which obviously are easy ones). what "beginner" bass motown/blues and reggae songs are their that you can recommend that i try learning to improve technique/rythm? for example i figured out that the RHCP song "Snow" is good practice for my pinky because the main riff requires use of it over and over. any blues or reggae songs that are good for beginners that would do the same?

with my pinky, its more the fact its not "long enough" and not so much the fact of strength (although that is some of it) i think its getting it to stretch like i want it to is what needs the practice.

[skank_r1]

I started playing in 7th grade and had the same pinky prob. I rocked the 12 bar blues in g until i got used to using my pinky. It's a pretty basic scale that you can mix up some variations and groove to some cool jams. Just my $.02. Here's a tab link if you don't know it. I would do a g-c-d progression, but you can rock that scale anywhere. Hope it helps.

http://www.azchords.com/t/theme-tabs...abs-92669.html

[sevenyearsdown]

I recommend you browse thru the lessons at http://www.studybass.com

Start at the beginning and take them as far as you can. Follow the fingering suggestions, and a teacher is never a bad thing.

[dmrogers]

Whatever you do, don't let the practice/study get boring! There are tons of resources available, plus you will get lots of great tips on this forum. Keep working with the pinky, I use it all the time!

Some nights, I will practice new songs, focusing on timing, getting the runs right, landing on the right note consistently, etc..... Next night, I'll practice running through scales while saying the notes out loud. I also practice on site reading, something I need a lot of work on. Should have stuck
with it when I was a kid.

Sometimes, I will read theory and not pick up the bass.

It is always good to practice understanding the relationship of scale positions and how they link together.

Good luck!

P.S. One thing I like to do that is really fun and helps me a ton:
Work on a song until you get it down pretty good, then record yourself while playing along. It helps if you can go through a mixer (or something like garage band etc...) and tune out as much of the original bass as possible. It is amazing how much this will help with your playing. Any problems you have will be glaringly obvious when you listen to the tape/recording.

[hayden06f4i]

you guys have given me some awesome ideas, im seriously a sponge ill take all the info i can get. i have spent HOURS on studybass.com and learned alot musically and theory wise, because i have useless hours on end at work with nothing to do, however, i (obviously) am not able to have my bass here when im reading it. so i need to maximize the time i have at home to practice the important things. just need to know what the most important things ARE!

r1 that 12 bar blues in G tab you posted is exactly what i needed, it looks like it will help my pinky

by the way is that "r1" as in yamaha r1?

[spikings]

This is my first time on this forum and I just need some advice. I played an upright bass in high school and on gigs when I was young. It's been forty years since I've even touched another bass. I would like to buy one to just fool around with at home. I looked on e-bay and saw a posting for a new Bachmeier 3/4 upright bass selling for $500 with free shipping. That's about what I'd want to pay but I don't want to spend that amount of money and be real disappointed in its sound or performance. Does anyone know anything about a Bachmeier upright bass? I know it sounds inexpensive but I'm not going to play it anywhere but at home. Any advice? Thanks.

[hayden06f4i]

um, i don't know what that has to do with my thread.....if you want an answer you'd be better off to start a new thread.....

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by hayden06f4i

um, i don't know what that has to do with my thread.....if you want an answer you'd be better off to start a new thread.....

+1

Spikings needs to go over to the DB (Double Bass) side of TB. They will help, plus there are stickies about cheap uprights...

Correct thumb and left hand position/shape allow for easier access to the E string. Get a good teacher.

[TomB]

You've gotten great advice already. Here are some similar suggestions:

Forget tab. If you want to communicate w/other musicians, start learning to read music. There's a world of music out there to access. Any theory you can delve into will help (find a piano to help you understand chords).

Find a Real Book and look into what notes are in the chords you find there (again, find that piano);

Keep practicing! With the right exercises that you can find in numerous books that pinky will strengthen over time to become one of your favorite fingers;

Learn every note on the finger board and how to find a given note in 2 or 3 octaves & multiple locations instantly w/out looking at your fingerboard;

When you get tired of reading exercises and theory study, play along with anything and everything you hear on the radio or your own playlist... just have fun training your ears and your fingers, especially regarding time & note length.

These are the things that will get you work, if that's what you want.

I wish you the best!

[backline112]

been playing and learning as much as possible from all sources

That's good. Keep doing it.

#1 - my pinky, and the E string, my pinky is fairly short by comparision.

Well... Mine is also very short by comparison to the E string, it is pretty common among human beings...

Seriously, just use it.

#2 - as far as practice goes i have been trying to spend an hour a night practicing/playing. for the fun side i have been trying to learn some songs from tabs/GuitarPro.....but i know for the technical/theory part of it, i need to also learn scales......i know the major and minor scales, and last nite started learning the blues scale. i guess my question here is, how do i maximize the practice time i do have, and are there any songs i should learn that will improve my bass playing and technique alot, while having fun?

Make a schedule of your day that includes that hour of bass playing, and maybe dissect that hour into other things like, playing songs, transcribing, reading, or whatever you want. But since it is only an hour, maybe you can schedule "Days of..." arpeggios, scales, chords, songs, improv, etc.

And yeah, lose the TABS. Guitar pro is ok, but maybe hide the TABS and don't look at them, not even a little bit. I am guilty of using them in the past, but man, I couldn't describe the importance of learning Music Grammar (Theory), at least reading.

Use the search function.

[hayden06f4i]

i appreciate all the help, and the words of encouragement guys.....really the hour of practice is an hour "with my bass" i have significantly more free time with just myself and a computer (or book if need be). so i guess when i say i have an hour a day to practice, thats an hour to play. i will study more other times....


......if only i could take my bass to work....lol.

[ultrabass6]

Alot of times I will use my ring finger and pinky together. This is probably a bad habit from double bass but it gets the job done. For right now just do what is comfortable.
As for practicing, play along with a cd or the radio. Just try to play along. It will help your ear, your timing, your intonation, it will teach you about song structure, and is more fun that just scales. (learn your scales too)

[Rich Guastella]

on the E string you can allways hook your thumb.and never, ever give up on the pinky finger you'll restrict yourself to be a mediocre Bass player at best...Stanley wouldn't sound like that on electric Bass..if it weren't for that little finger...but Stanley's little finger is probably as long as my middle finger....he's got spider hands...Love his music...check it out for some inspiration..
Rich

[HelloJerk]

Pinky strength comes from practice over time -- I know that no one wants to hear this, but it is the truith -- there is no quick fix.

As far as practice is concerned, my advice to you is to learn songs. Learn as many songs as possible. Learning songs will help you put theory into context.

[Stumbo]

Here's a post that has many links that might help you out:
Hey, Am N00b

[hayden06f4i]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Here's a post that has many links that might help you out:
Hey, Am N00b

oh my......

WOW, awesome, thanks so much man!