New to musical instruments

[StankZappa]

Hello all I am new to musical instruments, and after many hours of listen to many types of instruments I have decided to learn the bass guitar. Mainly for the slap technique. I was wondering where to start :-) maybe a really informative book or website specifically for newbies. I did a lot of bass guitar research and decided to go with Yamaha RBX170, what is your opinion on the choice? If you had one tip for a beginner let me know. Thanks for aal the future help, I'm sure ill be all over these forums specially because I have the app right on my a Android cell phone!

[LiamPodmore]

I personally highly reccommend the book "Bass Guitar For Dummies" as it covers alot of incredibly useful things, and as the name suggest, in an easy to understand format. Also, i think you've made a good choice with your bass, Yamahas are solid instruments and should last you a while. Good luck with your playing for the future.

Liam

[MalcolmAmos]

Bass Guitar for Dummies is well written and the charts are great. It gives you a little of everything you will need. I'd bet your public library will have a copy. I'd also point you to Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com.

Spend some time here. http://www.studybass.com/lessons/common-bass-patterns/

I also have a Yamaha, it does everything I ask it to do.

Have fun.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by StankZappa

If you had one tip for a beginner let me know.

Two actually...make sure your technique for both hands is good. Make sure your timing is up to scratch. A metronome is a good investment for this.

[hrodbert696]

Welcome!

Well, since no one has already stated the obvious -- get a teacher. If you can possibly afford one, this is the best way to learn. Teaching yourself is possible (it's how I learned) but a lot of people burn out or get distracted or just develop poor technique, some of which can hamper your playing or even cause injuries down the line.

Apart from a human teacher, websites that you should look at (besides TB) would be Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com and Chris K | Shakin' the grounds - this latter is the best I know for preventing health problems.

Yamaha makes great basses -- I have a BB415 and love it. The RBX170 is their entry-level instrument, I haven't played one myself but it should be good - the company has a good reputation. Have fun!

[AcidFripp]

Thirding Bass Guitar for Dummies. It's really good!

The only thing it's lacking is sight-reading practice stuff. But there are other books for that.

[Papa Dangerous]

Yamaha is solid brand. I never actually played them, and for a while I would never recommend anything they made. Not because they are a bad company, but because they make EVERYTHING. From motorcycles to instruments. I always thought a company that did everything never perfected anything, but lemme tell you what! They make a decent acoustic guitar and bass for a small amount of money, and they make some stunning keyboards that run over 3,000 beans. As for lessons, I would definitely start with something very simple as a book. Check out your local music store and see what kind of books they offer. Check the piano section for theory books. Get to know the staff line, tabs, but most important learn by ear as well. Check out the most basic of information on theory and build your way up. Yesterday, I posted a thread covering some basics, and with some good info. It had a few errors I corrected and the rest should be pretty much correct. I recommend you check that you and see how it works for you!
Here is the link: Fretboard Logic via Intervals, Scales and Chords. This is your one spot!

[fryBASS]

The RBX170 is a solid bass, I still have mine from 5 years ago, still use it.

[bluesdogblues]

I'm sure any fellow TBers here can give you some good advices about learning to play bass, but since you said that you are new to musical instrument, I'd like to give you my different opinion that maybe you won't like it.
It is to also learn other instrument than bass (I strongly recommend piano, better if ypu can take some lesson from a good teacher) at least just for the 'basic', so you'll get a good grasp of basic musical theory which will give you a much better understanding and hopefully make you better when you play/learn your bass guitar.

Just my two cents..

[PhiDeck]

All slap all the time becomes tedious in a hurry. Don't limit yourself. In fact, it may be better to learn pick and finger-style first, then add slap.

I like this book:
Amazon.com: Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 and 3 Bound Together in One Easy-to-Use Volume! (9780793563838): Ed Friedland: Books
Ed Friedland also has one of the better slap books.

[StankZappa]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I took a look at the Bass Lessons Site mentioned above and learned A LOT about music theory, tabs etc. To be honest I didn't know as much as I thought I did! I will not have enough money to get a teacher but I figure as long as I do not rush learning, and try to be accurate instead of fast I will be able to teach myself. I am moving away from video games for a hobby and leaning towards something that might do more for me in the future. I plan on learning all kinds of bass techniques but slap is what pushed me towards the bass. I will be getting the Yamaha RBX170 tomorrow, and am hitting the library today to see what books are available.

[pilmat]

A metronome is always a good tool, especially when practicing by yourself.

Are you getting an amp too or just the bass to start? Obviously the bass is the first necessity but you will develop some really bad habits trying to play it "acoustically". Without the amp you will be playing too hard so you can hear the notes. You'll be amazed at how much softer you need to play with the pickups doing the work for you. A cheap little practice amp is enough to get you started.

[Papa Dangerous]

A lot of people suggest metronomes. I do as well, but I also believe that they can get very very boring quickly. Use a nome first, but I would really rely on drum loops. Even investing in a cheap Yamaha PSR E223 keyboard (i think that is right) would cost like 100 bucks. You get a metronome, a set of drum styles, and the ability to see how those theoretical ideas work out. Plus, you can learn to tune by ear. Play the note, and match it. That skill, to just know the right pitch, will prove to be very useful.

[Stumbo]

Check out the link in my sig below for some great TB info to help you along your bass learning journey.

[Marty Forrer]

+1 for the drum machine (or keyboard) idea. Way better than a standard click.

[JimmyM]

The bass you use is immaterial. The Yammy is as good a bass as any to play. The most important thing is to get a teacher who knows jazz, and if you are serious about wanting to get good, learn to read, learn about chords, and make the investment in time to learn it well. Slap is something you can learn easily once you get the knowledge of playing music down.

[bluesdogblues]

IMHO metronome and drum loops/drum machine each has their own and different purpose and result in practice.
However boring metronome is, one still very need it to practice with (esp. For the beginners).
Yes sometime it's boring, but so there'll very probably always be boredness in any stage of practice & learn bass. One has to fight over it to become good player.

[h0bbes73]

sry to ask but isn't the Yamaha RBX170 an action bass??

[Electricblue]

The Yamaha is a bulletproof bass. Sounds real good too.

Get used to playing a pick first, then fingerstyle, then slap.

[Thunder Pulse]

Originally Posted by h0bbes73

sry to ask but isn't the Yamaha RBX170 an action bass??

What's an 'action bass'?