No Bass Yet, Still Want to Practice

Late Boomer · #1 11-18-2006, 09:37 AM

Santa's bringing me my very first bass guitar this year. I'm looking for ideas for what to do between now and when I get my bass on Christmas, to set myself up for success with it. How can I practice and learn without actually having a bass in my hands?

What to do with 40 hours of practice time between now and when I actually get my very first bass?

Some background:
I've never played bass before. I've got some music experience. 4 years of piano and 10 years in choirs and glee clubs (tragic results of a mis-spent youth) mean I've got a reasonable appreciation of harmony. That was all more than 25 years ago, though. I sing baritone, so I'm already comfortable with the idea of bass singing a supporting harmony, and remember the day when I could read the notes of the bass clef. I seem to have some native ability to find good harmonies when singing, though I can't tell you if I'm singing a 3d or a 5th or the root or whatever. There's some music theory knowledge still rattling around in the back of my head, but it's got a thick layer of dust on it. I can hold a beat, I can syncopate. I've never played a stringed instrument. It already seems to me that the fretboard makes transposition much simpler than a keyboard (god, how vexing I found key signatures back in my youth, "crap, that should've been a sharp", that sort of thing).

I'm considering just spending some time on ear training work and reviewing some basic theory. I've recorded some of my favorite songs (all of which, not coincidentally, have lots of interesting bass going on), which I listen to daily while driving to and from work or working around the house.

Any other ideas? I want to be as prepared as possible for when I've actually unwrap my bass. No, I'm not expecting to instantly start jamming on it. I just want to lay the foundation for successful productive practice time going forward.

spudmaster34 · #2 11-18-2006, 10:01 AM

spend some time getting prepared with learning bass cleff, good luck.

Falcynn · #3 11-18-2006, 11:02 AM

Yeah, just try learning things that don't absolutely require a bass like reading bass clef and brushing off your chord/scale theory so that you'll have a grasp of it by the time you get your bass. The Lessons/Articles section linked at the top of the page has some pretty cool lessons. If you've already had piano/choir then you should actually know most of the basics already.

anonymous38457747 · #4 11-18-2006, 11:14 AM

Go to your local GC or other music store and try to find one of those callus builders. If they don't have one buy a heavy bass string and cut it down to like 5 inch pieces that you can roll between you thumb and index, middle and ring fingers.

It will do you well to start building your calluses now so that you don't suffer from raw finger tips when the bass is actually with you.

steveb98 · #5 11-18-2006, 11:15 AM

Like the others said work on your bass clef and brush up on theory and ear training. I would also suggest work on reading rhythms, most bass lines are very syncopated. Get something like the Louis Bellison book on Reading 4/4 and start clapping the rhythms to a metronome. Even take some of the bass lines you're listening to and transcribe the rhythms of the lines. You do that and you'll be tearin' it up on bass in no time once Santa hooks you up.

jsbass · #6 11-19-2006, 02:26 PM

Just brush up on previous music you've learned and maybe try to pickout the bass parts in songs you like to listen to. Could help.

Late Boomer · #7 12-23-2006, 07:14 AM

Santa brings my bass tomorrow. We'll see my side of the family on Christmas Eve, so I'll get my Christmas bass the night before.

I thought I'd post a follow-up to all the great advice above, in the interest of posterity. Someone else may come across this thread some day and wonder "hey, what worked?"

This advice seemed the most mundane when I read it, but, man, I'm already glad I took it:

Quote:

Originally Posted by schillzilla

Go to your local GC or other music store and try to find one of those callus builders. ... It will do you well to start building your calluses now so that you don't suffer from raw finger tips when the bass is actually with you.

I got some "ruff rider" grips from Musician's Friend, and put them on an old Gripmaster hand exerciser I had at home. They stung a lot the first 3 days, but now I've got some decent callus build up so I can devote a lot of time to practice right away.

I bought the Belleson book, and a metronome. Ye gods, that stuff gets complicated fast. I've worked through some of it, but I want to get each of his rythyms nailed. It's hard work, but an interesting challenge. I imagine that it'll be a lot more fun with an actual instrument, rather than clapping to myself.

I've spent some time brushing up on music theory, but not too much. Just enough to recall the vocabulary a bit. I have devoted a little time to working on chord theory, especially.

Most of all, though, I've been listening to a lot of music. Browsing around talkbass I've discovered some music I'd never have heard othewise. How did I make it to 40 year of age without ever hearing the Meters?

So, the bass arrives from Santa's workshop tomorrow. From his woodshed to mine. Thanks for the great advice, talkbass.

WillBuckingham · #8 12-23-2006, 09:59 AM

Just spend the time listening to music. Listening time is just as valuable as practice time IMO. I mean actually sitting and listening though, not just having music on while you jog, read, etc.

Demon · #9 12-23-2006, 10:08 AM

Tap your fingers on the table

I did when iwas waiting for my first bass. I used my table as a bassguitar

steveb98 · #10 12-23-2006, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Late Boomer

I bought the Belleson book, and a metronome. Ye gods, that stuff gets complicated fast. I've worked through some of it, but I want to get each of his rythyms nailed. It's hard work, but an interesting challenge. I imagine that it'll be a lot more fun with an actual instrument, rather than clapping to myself.

The thing to focus on getting to working with a rhythms book like Bellison (with or without your instrument.) First to train your eye to look at a measure of music and see were each beat is. Where is one, two, three, four. Whether that be a quarter or syncopated sixteenths. You see each beat.

Second is learn to look at rhythms like looking at the words in this message. You don't and read by thinking r, h, y, t, h, m oh that is rhythm. No you have looked at the word enough to recognize as a whole not a string of letters. You need to do the same with reading music. Learn to look at a rhythms the same way, this ties in to see the beats in a measure. Initaillay you will work on seeing beats, then to look at measures and two parts 1 and 2 then 3 and 4. Sightreading is about practicing reading to where you see a rhythm and instantly know the sound of that rhythm. As time goes on you will start doing the same with the pitches. Are they a scale fragment, is it a chord (every other note) a fifth and so on.

Enjoy your new bass first you've earned it.

Merry Christmas y'all!

MarkTAW · #11 12-23-2006, 01:33 PM

Pushups. On your fingers.

No, seriously.

Okay, not seriously.

SilverTurtle · #12 12-23-2006, 03:33 PM

There's lots of good advice here, so I just wanted to add:

Congrats on the new bass, from one Columbus bass player to another!

arbarnhart · #13 12-23-2006, 04:38 PM

Search YouTube and Google video for "bass guitar" or "bass guitar lessons" and watch some. Poke around here some in the technique section, going back a few pages, and you'll find some threads that make good reading and link elsewhere. I would prepare more mentally than physcailly; really mostly killing time until it comes.

<EDIT> Oh yeah - and spend some time with your family on Christmas Eve! After all, come Christmas morning you are probably going to become a bass playing zombie for days...