Need Some Advice About Gettomg Started

[SvartSno]

Hey everybody...this is my second post, as my first post was on the Newbie board.

OK, as of right now, I'm an intermediate level drummer, but I have always loved the sound of bass guitar. Now, I finally have one, but know nothing about playing it. I'm mostly into rock , extreme rock, and some Punk/Hardcore type stuff, and have been into it for about 20 years.

My cousin is a drummer, and he jams with a couple of real cool guys who play guitar, so they want me to help them out with the bass. I'm totally cool with that, but I can't afford lessons, so I have no idea where to start. Should I even try jamming with them, or do I have to wait for like....a whole frakkin' year while I try to learn the basics!??

[oxygenbass]

Learn the basics mate

What would you rather be - an essential, valuable sound or a poser!

Im sick of going to gigs and seeing/hearing the bassist be the weekest link in the band!

Im really fed up of it! - the bass is simple to start but after that its a complex piece of machinery - if you want to sound bass then i suggest learn!



you should know the fretboard - or some of it!

[magnusdeus123]

a whole frakkin' year is not what'll you'll need to get started bro' . I started a bit over 2 months ago , and can hold my own for any form of mid-level Alternative Rock , Punk , Blues and some simple Funk . Just keep at it , learn the RIGHT stuff , practice the right stuff , including scales , finger tech's , keeping in time , and all of that stuff you might not find that interesting daily , and you'll be fine .

It's goes very similar to that old saying for Comercial artists : The first 10,000 drawings are going to be horrible , so better get them out of the way as fast as possible....

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by oxygenbass

Learn the basics mate

+ 1

If you REALLY want to play bass then this is a must. You give the impression of being in a big hurry. Slow down and learn from the bas(s)ics up. It will pay dividends in the long run. A good start might be to listen closely to the bass lines in the music you are interested in to get an idea and a feel for where the bass fits in. Then you could try playing along to some of the simpler songs. There are some good websites for teaching the basics e.g. www.studybass.com

[SvartSno]

Thanx alot guys, I really, really appreciate all your advice.

Yeah, I must admit that I'm a bit impatient, which is one of my bigger downfalls. I guess I just hate to go from knowing how to sit down at the drum set and kick out a decent beat, to knowing pretty much nothing.

A lot of the stuff I listen to has good 'standout' basslines, yet is fairly simple and repetetive, so I have a lot of stuff to practice to. On the plus side, we don't really play fast Hardcore/Thrash type stuff, so I don't have to worry about being hyper fast. It's kinda just basic, hard/alternative rock, much of it just made up right on the spot.

I think I'm going to start by having my dad show me some really basic stuff. Heck....he played guitar before I was even born, and I'm in my 30's now.