How can I improve?

[bluewine]

First of all your starting playing at the right age. That's more than half the battled.

There's another Hal Lenard book for Rythem & Blues bass that's good.


Don't stop playing.

Blue

[dadodetres]

Study rhythm. Practice with a (drum) stick or even tapping with your figures while listening to music.
Start with basic figures (whole, half, quarter, eighth).
Then practise rhythmic figures made with silences and eighth notes.


Learn to sing, (just sing along with songs you like and are in your register).


Play for hours your bass, doesnt matter WHAT, just became one with it.

[nitetrane98]

Originally Posted by alec

Playing with others is the best way to practise what you're learning. Ideally, find some people who are better than you and are prepared to take you on board as a beginner. Advertise locally looking for people to jam with. Blues is a great place to start. You can make it as simple or as complex as you can handle, and it provides a great foundation for most other styles of music.

Very good advice. We host a blues jam and it's amazing to see how the bedroom gods struggle when the speed is a few beats slower or faster, or the key is different than they are used to playing. You'll learn very little from players worse than you.

[nitetrane98]

Wherever you practice, leave that bass out and easy to pick up and play whenever you have a few spare minutes. You will not practice nearly as much if you have to dig it out of a case, tune it, hook up leads, fiddle with the amp etc. Turn it on and start playing.

[KissThaRing]

As someone who just started playing 5 months ago myself, the only advice I can give is patience and practice SLOWLY!

I been going through a bass beginner book myself, and there is many times where I get frustrated trying to play along because I'm just not ready to tackle that particular song or chord progression. I need to slow down, and practice it slowly, it sucks because I can hear it in my head, how it should sound, but the fingers just fumble and mumble, however, in time, and usually faster then you anticipate, it will click.

Also music theory.. yeah, good luck. Just try your best to "fake it" until it clicks. Alot of what your learn in those books won't make sense at first, but you just have to trust yourself that eventually it will make sense. It's just like learning a language, with time and patience, stuff will start falling together. I've experienced this recently with certain scales and songs that I been trying to learn, just a week ago I just had one of those epiphany moments where I was like "OH! its like THAT, okay, now I see how that works" and when you hit those moments it just motivates you to keep going.

As others have mentioned, you starting at a good age, I started late (Just turned 28) so I missed out on alot of those years when your mind is fresh and stress is less. Take advantage of this time son, you will be light years ahead of us by the time you get to our age!

[amablkm]

Start transcribing. I've only recently started and it has really helped. I originally became frustrated because some of the songs were difficult. I worked out a few U2 songs and it gave me the confidence to realize anyone can do it. It just takes time and practice.