Introduction and a few Q's

[10thumbs]

Yes, 10thumbs.
Until just lately thats what I swore I had.
Then, I seem to hit some practicing landmark and my hands started working together and hitting the same strings.
I am hooked.
I have been using the "search" option and finding alot of info but still have some Q's.
I can figure out tab to some extent, and that is what my so called practicing so far has consisted of. Also, the demanlamius post in this forum has given me enough initial success to keep me going.
I'm just wondering if there was a common consensus on a book or website for newbies (even 39 yo ones) for the "from scratch" crowd of which I surely am one of.
I don't have any plans for joining a band or anything, but fumbling through, what I think are called "walking bass" and the few tab I kinda have a grip on have certainly given me enough pleasure to want to keep playing/learning.
Thanks ahead of time for any wisdom and I'll keep searching around and enjoying the site.
K

[fearceol]

A "from scratch" book I'd recommend is "Bass Guitar for Dummies" (ignore the "D" word, it's a great book ). It covers everything to do with playing bass, and comes with a cd. A good web site to check out is : www.studybass.com

Some general advice FWIW. Tabs are ok up to a point, but I would not rely entirely on them. Try picking out tunes by ear. As you say you are a "from scratch" player, I'd recommend focusing on good technique for starters. That way you avoid bad habits, that you may have to "unlearn" later. There are lots of clips on You Tube about left/right hand technique. Here are some links.

Right hand : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU


Left hand : http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_03.shtml



One more thing, if you can afford a few lessons from a teacher it would be money well spent IMO.

Hope this helps, and good luck with it.

[pbd]

welcome, I'm glad to hear you are having good luck with the search feature

Todd

[MalcolmAmos]

If you are wanting to play riffs and provide the background beat that holds everything together. Here are a few hints:
Here is the major scale pattern”

D|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
G|---6---|-------|---7---|---1---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---1---|-------|---2---|4th string


If you place the 1 on the 4th string 3rd fret it will automatically place the notes of the G major scale under your fingertips G, A, B, C, D, E, F#. Place the 1 on the 4th string 5th fret and the A major scale notes are waiting for you A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A. Yep at the 8th fret and the C major scale notes are there C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Figure out why 3rd fret gives G scale, 5th fret gives the A scale and 8th fret gives the C scales. Yes, it has to do with what note you placed the pattern on.


Here are some easy riff patterns to get you started.

Root – 5 for each (any) chord used, or…
|-------|-------|-------|---5---|
|-------|---1---|-------|-------|
Place the 1 on the note you want and it's 5th will always be waiting for you as shown above.


Root-3-5-3 for each (any) chord used.
|---3---|-------|-------|---5---|
|-------|---1---|-------|-------|
These patterns are generic and can be moved all over the fretboard. You need to memorize the notes on the 4th and 3rd string and use them to spot your patterns on the specific note you are looking for. Once spotted the pattern takes over.

A Root-5 or the Root-3-5-3 riff pattern will let you play bass to just about any song.

Now the beat or groove you gotta hear that. Practice your patterns while listening to songs.

Ask specific questions.......

Good luck

[Vendele197]

First of all, welcome. This is a great site, and I'm sure you'll find an infinite amount of good information on here. In regards to books, my favorite is Bass Fitness by Josquin des Pres. It's a great book full of exercises to last you your whole life. I've been playing for 3 years and have only seriously worked on about 1/10th of the material in there.

In regards to your "walking bass" comment, I would suggest looking at this page: https://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=90

On it are 5 lessons, in no particular order on the list, called "Walk With Me", by Mauro Battisti. At your level of playing and musical knowledge, some of the concepts might escape you, but if you put some serious time into understanding what he's trying to teach, you will be well rewarded. To me, walking bass lines are a great form of improvisation; in a band, you're usually the only one playing a walking bass line, and you're usually "making it up" as you go, so it's like a having a solo without having the spotlight on you, IMO. Learning to walk is a lot of fun, and also will help you learn your fretboard and learn a number of left hand techniques such as positioning, shifting, etc.

Hope this helps.

[Stumbo]

You might want to check out the links in my sig. below for some info that may help you along the way.

Good luck.

[10thumbs]

Thanks for the "welcomes"
Much appreciated.
sadly enough, a lot of what is going on in the above posts is over my head.
For now.
I truly believe I'll be picking up that dummy book.
And
I'll search for a terms glossary around here somewhere also.
Now, to find a good music store in Tampa.
A friend advised I check out Aaarvark Music.
Anyone here in the Tampa area?
K
Stumbo I'm making my way thru you sig line posts, Thanks.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by 10thumbs

sadly enough, a lot of what is going on in the above posts is over my head.


I truly believe I'll be picking up that dummy book.

Dont worry ! It is all explained in an easy to understand way in that "dummy book".

[10thumbs]

Hit the book store today (Barnes and Noble) could not find it.
They looked it up in their database, no dice.
Checking Amazon next.
DAMN........wanted it in my grubby fingers before the workweek started.
Tabs.....really frowned on hunh?
I have to admit, they are keeping me interested and was my launching place.
I'm sure I'll move forward, but for a newb.....they sure are fun!!
K

[10thumbs]

Ok............another newb Q.
MalcolmAmos...
On that 1st scale pattern why does it go
D
G
A
E
I have mine tuned
G
D
A
E
Do I have mine tuned improperly??
K

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by 10thumbs

Hit the book store today (Barnes and Noble) could not find it.
DAMN........wanted it in my grubby fingers before the workweek started.
Tabs.....really frowned on hunh?

Not really. They can be great fun to learn a song. It's just that it's more beneficial in the long run to try and work things out by ear.

Try ebay for the book.

Originally Posted by 10thumbs

Ok............another newb Q.
MalcolmAmos...
On that 1st scale pattern why does it go
D
G
A
E
I have mine tuned
G
D
A
E
Do I have mine tuned improperly??
K

Yes. Your bass is tuned correctly, E (4th) being the thickest, and G (1st) string being the thinnest.

The diagrams above in the other post show where the notes of a major scale are on the fretboard, ( 1 being the first note, 2 the second ect ), but they dont show the fingering.

When playing a major scale, you start with your 2nd finger. It's important to get the fingering right. Here is a link that includes this, among a lot of other basic info.

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-play-ba...ar-for-newbies

These can be a good stretch for the fingers at first. So I'd advise you to look at the L/H technique link I gave you earlier. Also, before you pick up the bass, do some gentle stretching of the fingers first (look up L/H bass warm up exercises on You Tube ). Take it easy and dont over do it 'till your fingers get used to this new work being asked of them.

Dont forget to check out the "Study Bass" site for info on this also.

[Rudreax]

http://musictheory.net/

Check it out.

[10thumbs]

Gotcha.......I think.
I'm sure my Q's will get more specific as I learn the terminology and at least some of what is going on.
As for now, keeping my eyes and ears open and having fun.
Wish I woulda picked one of these up 20 years ago!
K

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by 10thumbs

Gotcha.......I think.
I'm sure my Q's will get more specific as I learn the terminology and at least some of what is going on.
As for now, keeping my eyes and ears open and having fun.
Wish I woulda picked one of these up 20 years ago!
K

This link shows similar diagrams to the ones in the earlier post. This time the numbers correspond to your FINGERS. So you would start the scale on the 2nd fret, E string, using your 2nd finger, then 4th finger ect.


http://www.harmony-central.com/Bass/...with_the_Bass/




Dont worry about terminology for now. You'll pick that up as you go along. Be patient, and learn at your own pace. Pick out some simple songs, listen to the bass lines and try to play along. Apart from the actual notes played, this will give you a sense of timing and groove, which is what playing the bass is all about.

As for your last sentence : I'm older than you, and I only picked up the bass a few years ago.

Better late than never, eh ?

[10thumbs]

Studybass.com.........another cool site.
Thanks for the heads up.
Yep Fearceol, I concur
better late than never.
Thanks for the input.
K
p.s.
Picked up a Fender Standard Jazz MIM off Ebay Monday.
Should be here on Thurs.
Should I take it somewhere to have it looked at?
All this talk abt "getting it set up properly" has me wondering
Thanks,
K

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by 10thumbs

p.s.
Picked up a Fender Standard Jazz MIM off Ebay Monday.
Should be here on Thurs.
Should I take it somewhere to have it looked at?
All this talk abt "getting it set up properly" has me wondering
Thanks,
K

They are a nice bass.

Wait and see how it feels and plays. It may not need a set up, as some are set up before shipping. Personally, I prefer the action ( how high the strings are off the fretboard ) low. It's easier to play this way. Others like it higher. You'll soon come to know your own preferences. If you do have any issues with it, then bring it to an expert to have it looked at. Later, when you become more familiar with the instrument you could do a basic set up yourself ( a lot cheaper). Hopefully, you will be happy with it straight out of the box. Report back, and let us know your opinions on the bass.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by 10thumbs

Picked up a Fender Standard Jazz MIM off Ebay

Post some pics when you have time.

Activebass.com is a cool site. All kinds of lessons and lesson backing tracks.

Don't worry about the tab thing. Just keep learning and progressing. I also suggest you practicing singing and memorizing lyrics/melodies.

You might want to look up some of the ear training sites/software to speed up your progress in hearing the notes and how they fit in the chords.

For an overview, check out Wikipedia.