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08-16-2010, 05:45 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Dublin, Ireland | | | Learning Songs
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I'm fairly new to the bass. How do you guys learn songs you want to cover?
I can't read music or figure it out by ear so is tab the only option?
Thanks  |
08-16-2010, 05:54 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: alabama | | Tab can be a beginner`s ally or enemy. Tab is great...when it`s right. So much of it out there is horrible. If your ear isn`t developed to some degree, you won`t know what`s right or wrong. As well, tab doesn`t give you the rhythm. When I started I bought a few tab books (no `net then  ) They were dependable, albeit simplified versions - they worked great for me. There is a fairly new website called Songster, I think. It shows the tab in real time as a MIDI version of the song plays. I`ve checked it out a couple times - seems pretty accurate. I think they have some sort of subscription plan that allows you to slow the songs down, loop sections, etc. Learning tunes in the beginning is what keeps the fire alive in your learning process, but don`t neglect learning the basics through lessons or books. Hope that helps ! 
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08-16-2010, 06:00 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Charlotte NC | | Quote:
Originally Posted by thorn94 I'm fairly new to the bass. How do you guys learn songs you want to cover?
I can't read music or figure it out by ear so is tab the only option?
Thanks | I figure out the roots to the chords and work from there.
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08-16-2010, 06:06 PM
| | | | Develop your ear.
It might take you 6 hours to work out your first rock cover but it only gets quicker, and it's invaluable to have if you're playing live and someone does something unexpected |
08-16-2010, 06:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Dublin, Ireland | | | Thanks! Songsters pretty cool. |
08-16-2010, 06:16 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: NYC | | Quote:
Originally Posted by puddin tame Develop your ear. | best bit of musical advice . . . PERIOD!
I hate being defeated by a tune - I'll figure something out no matter how long it takes. Once your ear gets trained it gets easier, as will playing bass. Start with really simple tunes/melodies . . . |
08-16-2010, 06:16 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Appalachian State University | | | Powertab.
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08-16-2010, 06:21 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Australia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Billnc I figure out the roots to the chords and work from there. | *facepalm* Quote:
Originally Posted by I<34080 guitar pro | all fixed. no cost. your welcome.
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08-16-2010, 06:24 PM
|  | The Funkfather
Endorsing Artist: Kohlman Bassworks | | Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia | | | I developed my ear right from the onset by listening to records and radio and playing what I heard. Then taught myself to read although I already knew how from taking piano and violin lessons. I strongly suggest you develop your ear. I am totally against using tab! |
08-16-2010, 06:50 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Deep East Texas Piney Woods | | Quote:
Originally Posted by thorn94 I'm fairly new to the bass. How do you guys learn songs you want to cover?
I can't read music or figure it out by ear so is tab the only option?
Thanks | Tab will let you memorize 8 1/2 songs and then you start forgetting the first ones. Forget tab it's a dead end. That leaves you several options. - Read standard notation. Even if you could read standard notation finding bass clef on the songs you want to play is hit or miss.
- Play by ear. Good luck with that - long time coming.
- Find some fake chord or lead sheet music on the songs you like to play and play chord tone interval numbers, i.e. build your own bass lines. Chord shown is C major. Bunch of C's would work R-R-R-R or R-R-8-8 or R-3-5-3 whatever fits the groove best.
- Get some basic theory under your belt, grab a cookie cutter chord progression, watch the rhythm guitar's hands, change chords when he does and jamm away - with your own bass lines.
- Combine all of the above.
Yep, use a little of each. Pick one and get started.
Last edited by MalcolmAmos : 08-16-2010 at 07:11 PM.
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08-16-2010, 07:17 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Dublin, Ireland | | | So I guess the consensus is knuckle down and play by ear.
Thanks guys! |
08-16-2010, 07:54 PM
| | The Funkfather
Endorsing Artist: Kohlman Bassworks | | Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos Play by ear. Good luck with that - long time coming. | Maybe, maybe not! Depends on how good an ear he may (or may not) develop. I was good enough after a year of learning by ear, to play in a band....a good band! |
08-16-2010, 08:05 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Deep East Texas Piney Woods | | Quote:
Originally Posted by DWBass Maybe, maybe not! Depends on how good an ear he may (or may not) develop. I was good enough after a year of learning by ear, to play in a band....a good band! | Took a whole year. My point exactly.
Last edited by MalcolmAmos : 08-16-2010 at 08:11 PM.
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08-17-2010, 05:51 AM
| | The Funkfather
Endorsing Artist: Kohlman Bassworks | | Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos Took a whole year. My point exactly. | I don't think a year is a long time actually to become proficient enough to play out. I was probably good enough at 6 months but that's me. Everyone has a different learning curve. |
08-17-2010, 06:46 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: S.W.Side of Chicago-U.P. Mich. | | Órale,
If you want QUICK gratification, but will in the end, not develope your ear, which in my opinion, is the most important ally you'll have aside from learning to READ REAL MUSIC, not tab( junk), and develope your sense of timing and groove, and developing a work ethic you'll carry with you your whole playing career, than tab away...  but if you want the proper tool's, than grab your disc's and player, MP3's, album's(?) and dig in!
Now you have youtube...to visually see hand placement, picking technique, notes on neck, ect...can you tell I'm fitty year's old?
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08-17-2010, 06:54 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Kolkata (Calcutta), India | | Initially, I was on the tabs bandwagon. Soon, though, I began to realize how plain wrong most of the tabs are. That's the major reason why I detest tabs. Ears FTW!
Using ears to learn songs may take a little time, but, simply put, with tabs you'll never really understand how to play according to what you hear. This will be a massive hindrance when playing with others.
Just my 0.02
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Last edited by champbassist : 08-17-2010 at 06:58 AM.
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