General Help

[JCogs94]

So I've had my bass for about 2-3 months and I don't know as much as I should about my bass and playing it. My New Years resolution was to commit to playing my bass every day that I could. So today I had a chance to sit and play my bass for a bit and it turned into like 2 hours! I know that I like bass, I just don't get places with it. I'm like most people who try and teach themselves and just shred through tabs. I was wanting to know the best free ways to teach myself scales, reading bass cleft, and pretty much anything to progress in skill. I know that lessons would be the easiest, but that's not an option for me right now. Any advice is very much appreciated!

[krunchy]

I can't say enough good things about the studybass website. The lessons are well laid out and it's written like they are having a conversation with you. It really helped me get a good foundation.

[fearceol]

To get the maximum benefit from a practice session, it needs to be focused and structured. The study bass site (www.studybass.com) mentioned above is very good. I know you said you were looking for "free" ways to learn, but IMO the Ed Friedland/Hal Leonard "Bass Method" book(s) is money (and it is not expensive) well spent. All three volumes can be got in one binding at a very reasonable price. Each volume has it's own play along cd, so you can put into practice the exercises you have learned.

Here is a link :

http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-M.../dp/0793563836

[JCogs94]

Originally Posted by fearceol

To get the maximum benefit from a practice session, it needs to be focused and structured. The study bass site (www.studybass.com) mentioned above is very good. I know you said you were looking for "free" ways to learn, but IMO the Ed Friedland/Hal Leonard "Bass Method" book(s) is money (and it is not expensive) well spent. All three volumes can be got in one binding at a very reasonable price. Each volume has it's own play along cd, so you can put into practice the exercises you have learned.

Here is a link :

http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-M.../dp/0793563836

Usually I would say no, but that is a reasonable price. I know that they have one for guitar and when I looked at that it helped... but then I realized that I'm a bass player. Lol. But yeah, I've heard of study bass before, but I haven't looked at it much. I will have to do that. Thanks to both of you!

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by JCogs94

So I've had my bass for about 2-3 months and I don't know as much as I should about my bass and playing it. My New Years resolution was to commit to playing my bass every day that I could. So today I had a chance to sit and play my bass for a bit and it turned into like 2 hours! I know that I like bass, I just don't get places with it. I'm like most people who try and teach themselves and just shred through tabs. I was wanting to know the best free ways to teach myself scales, reading bass cleft, and pretty much anything to progress in skill. I know that lessons would be the easiest, but that's not an option for me right now. Any advice is very much appreciated!

Tabs let you play something right now, however tabs also limit you in that you are captive to what is written on the page. OK to use tab as a tool, but, please do not rely upon tab as your only source. So what can you use?

Fake chord or lead sheet music will give you the chord name and tie that to the lyrics of the song - and let you play hundreds of songs right now.

O (G) me a home where the (C) buffalo roam.
Where the (G) deer and the antelope (D7) play.
Where (G) seldom is heard a dis-(C)-couraging word
and the (G) skies are not (D7) cloudy all (G) day.

How this works -- the rhythm guitar guys strum the chords and you play root notes of the chord (the chord's name) one note at a time so.... after the word "O" lay down a beat of G notes. When the song moves on to the word "buffalo" you change to C notes one note at a time in tempo with what is being sung (one C note per lyric word, buff-a-lo may take more than one C note). And yes when the song moves to the word "skies" you change to G root notes, etc, etc. Helps to sing the song under your breath. I know, but, you can chew gum and walk at the same time, it'll come.

When you can do that and keep the beat, we'll talk about some more stuff.

Yes www.studybass.com will be a friend.
Google is also. Google your fake chord music using these key words; Guitar chords, "name of the song".
Some stuff that will come in handy;
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg
The box pattern will help right at first. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867 From the root note the 5th note is always up a string and over two frets, some of that type of information is on this post and will need to be put to memory. Some box patterns beyond the Major scale. http://www.cyberfretbass.com/scales/basic/page2.php
Ask questions, someone will always jump on it.

Welcome to our World and have fun.

[Staccato]

Work on the first 15 pages here, and go slow at first. Spend lots of time repeating the same things. Combine these with learning the notes on the neck. Learn the relationship that the same note can be found two strings over, and two notes up (If you haven't run out of strings or frets).
Later, after lots of this, start the Pentatonic scales in place of the ones, above.


Print a chart of the notes on the neck, they are easy to find w/ google.

You can post your bigger challenges or frustrations in the General Instruction area of TB.