Self Teaching Help

zombieXcore · #1 01-24-2007, 09:59 PM

I'm a beginning bass player with no experience whatsoever. And I'm looking for some tips as to how to self teach myself to play the bass. Any suggestions or tips would be really appreciated. Maybe even a few things I could practice to get my hand control in better condition. Thanks for any feedback.

Perretje · #2 01-25-2007, 05:34 AM

You do know how to read tablature I suppose?
Find some easy stuff to play. Listen to easy songs like "In Bloom" by Nirvana, and more of the simple stuff.
Once you can play a couple of very easy lines smoothly, try songs like Pink Floyd's "Money". Songs with a little more variation.

In between the songs, try doing simple exercises like this one:

E|1--2--3--4-------------------------------------
A|------------1--2--3--4-------------------------
D|-------------------------1--2--3--4------------
G|-------------------------------------1--2--3--4

And the same thing backwards.
And remember:
It's not about speed. Get the right technique first. Make it sound right. Then build up your speed slowly!

dlloyd · #3 01-25-2007, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombieXcore

I'm a beginning bass player with no experience whatsoever. And I'm looking for some tips as to how to self teach myself to play the bass. Any suggestions or tips would be really appreciated. Maybe even a few things I could practice to get my hand control in better condition. Thanks for any feedback.

The best possible thing you could do is to abandon the notion of self-teaching. I'm not saying that to sound harsh...you can expect to progress far quicker with a good teacher than you can by yourself.

Paulb7664 · #4 01-25-2007, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perretje

You do know how to read tablature I suppose?

In between the songs, try doing simple exercises like this one:

E|1--2--3--4-------------------------------------
A|------------1--2--3--4-------------------------
D|-------------------------1--2--3--4------------
G|-------------------------------------1--2--3--4

And the same thing backwards.
And remember:
It's not about speed. Get the right technique first. Make it sound right. Then build up your speed slowly!

+1 on this!

Then do this one. OUCH!!

E|1-------------------------4------
A|---2-------------------3---------
D|-------3-----------2-------------
G|----------4----1-----------------

Then for the Right hand. The hardest thing I found was getting then to work independent of each other.
Try playing A on the E string and with your first two fingers and play 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1 2, 2. Then play A on the E string and the A on the D string keeping the 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1 2, 2. going all the time.
Then Root and fifth etc.
I think drummers call them paradiddles, Right, Left, Right, Right, Left, Right, Left, Left.
I hope this helps.

Paul

tjh · #5 01-25-2007, 10:31 AM

you may also want to check out the "if only I knew then, what I know now' thread on this forum ... lots of experienced folk here wish someone would have shared this stuff when they were at your point in the learning process ...

Edit to add: +1 with finding a good instructor ... but take it a step farther, and do that in conjunction with the self teaching you are considering ... it will expedite your learning process, as well as increase the communication and understanding of what your instructor is trying to accomplish

tZer · #6 01-25-2007, 10:48 AM

Find a teacher to get you started. There is nothing worse than starting off with bad habits and having to un-learn them later. Do yourself the biggest favor you can and find a good instructor to help you NOT develop bad habits.

You can read these posts ad inf. but how will you know for sure if you are actually understanding and executing these suggestions unless there is someone there who know who can watch you and correct you if you are not. You may be completely convinced that you "get it" and be completely wrong.

That said, there are a lot of good suggests here and in other threads. So if you cannot find a good instructor, go slow, be sure you understand what the point of the exercise is and good luck! If you are not completely clear on the exercise, ask, take pictures, be as descriptive about what you are trying to do as you can and hopefully the good folks here will be able to help you at a distance.

arbarnhart · #7 01-25-2007, 10:50 AM

While I agree that learning from a teacher or from another player is best, I assume you have financial or logistical realities that make that difficult. Take a look at this set of videos:

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...Essential+Bass

This site:

http://keepvid.com/

will allow you to download those as FLV files and has a link to a free FLV player so you watch them while disconnected. I also find that videos behave better once you have them offline (moving back and forth, pausing for long periods, etc).

drumsnbass · #8 01-26-2007, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombieXcore

I'm a beginning bass player with no experience whatsoever. And I'm looking for some tips as to how to self teach myself to play the bass. Any suggestions or tips would be really appreciated. Maybe even a few things I could practice to get my hand control in better condition. Thanks for any feedback.

i started where you are, and went a lot further once i got a teacher. BUT, if you cannot get a teacher for some reason,
there is still pleanty you can learn on your own. if jazz is of interest to you, i can recomment a few GREAT books, and send you a few pointers that will saved you weeks of discouragement.

Paulb7664 · #9 01-26-2007, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drumsnbass

if jazz is of interest to you, i can recomment a few GREAT books, and send you a few pointers that will saved you weeks of discouragement.

Hi
I know nothing about Jazz but would love to learn. What are the books and Pointers you talk about???

Thanks

Paul.

Bruce Lindfield · #10 01-26-2007, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombieXcore

I'm a beginning bass player with no experience whatsoever. And I'm looking for some tips as to how to self teach myself to play the bass.

If anybody gives you help - then it won't really be self teaching then, will it - more like distance learning!

YogSothoth · #11 01-26-2007, 07:20 PM

I highly recommend David Overthrow's Electric Bass Guitar series. There are three in the series: beginning, intermediate and advanced. It's got everything you need to know about theory and slap bass, scales/modes, everything.

I believe you can get the entire series in one volume called the Complete Electric Bass Method or something. Check it out.

vindy500 · #12 01-26-2007, 07:21 PM

get a teacher, even if for just one lesson.

Silver Moon · #13 01-29-2007, 08:25 AM

Hi ZombieXcore,

I am teaching myself bass also. I don't really have the $$ for a teacher... However my father plays guitar and he shows me tips and tricks from time to time...

... What I usually do at the time being is learn and play songs by ear. I listen to my favorite songs and favorite basslines. At first I just learn the notes... Then the patterns... Then I concentrate on the other details later which can be quite difficult!!

To help control my fingers, I play scales a lot too. They are pretty boring, but you can just play them if you want to take a break from a song... Or just do something to stretch your fingers or whatever...

Sometimes I will also just play single notes and just concentrate on how I'm fingering, and how to get the best sound from every note.

Also, if I am having a lot of trouble playing a line or a song... I play it very slow at first and get it perfect at that speed... Then a bit faster, then a bit faster. It may take you a while to learn at the speed you want... But then again, time flies sometimes, and in a few weeks you may realize you can play it pretty well!

... These are just a few of the tips & tricks I use!

-K-

iBass88 · #14 01-30-2007, 05:23 PM

self teaching takes a lot of seld discipline.. if u got the will u got the power.. otherwise if u cant pay a teacher, just become great friends with a great player.. :P

pretaanluxis · #15 03-01-2007, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Moon

Sometimes I will also just play single notes and just concentrate on how I'm fingering, and how to get the best sound from every note.

I find this is very important to do

Angus · #16 03-03-2007, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perretje

You do know how to read tablature I suppose?

Screw that- if you want to learn to be a proper musician, the best thing you do for yourself to learn to read real music notation. Tablature is for the lazy.

Get a teacher, though, seriously. You'll progress much faster and be a much better player for it.