Starting out on bass...

[jdrum10j]

I would like to learn how to play bass better than I am now. I've played percussion for years and bass for about 2 years now, so I can read music and keep time without any problem. I can read tabs and such, but I've never been really "serious" about bass. Lessons are not available to me, so I was wondering what I can do to learn on my own, in addition to practicing. I want to be able to play fills and improvise and groove and just play more than root notes. Any book or movie reccomendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Deacon_Blues]

IMO, being able to play music requires two things:

- Technique, i.e. knowledge on how to play an instrument
- "Knowledge of music"

The first comes from practicing left and right hand technique, scales, arpeggios etc. The second comes from
listening to music,
playing music,
knowing music theory,
analyzing music (chord progressions, scales/modes used etc.),
transcribing music,
etc etc etc etc....

Regarding instruction books and videos, do a search. You'll find lots of recommendations here. But for you, I'll start with listening to music you like and analyze what the bassists are playing and try to do it yourself. Play along to records is also a good way to learn new things.

Good luck!

[jdrum10j]

Any websites or books in mind that focus on those aspects of playing?

[ric1312]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

IMO, being able to play music requires two things:

- Technique, i.e. knowledge on how to play an instrument
- "Knowledge of music"

The first comes from practicing left and right hand technique, scales, arpeggios etc. The second comes from
listening to music,
playing music,
knowing music theory,
analyzing music (chord progressions, scales/modes used etc.),
transcribing music,
etc etc etc etc....

Regarding instruction books and videos, do a search. You'll find lots of recommendations here. But for you, I'll start with listening to music you like and analyze what the bassists are playing and try to do it yourself. Play along to records is also a good way to learn new things.

Good luck!

What he said is all good, but when I started I tried to learn all the techniques and theory stuff first, thinking it would just come together.

I think it's best to learn songs from music or tab. When I started learning songs it came together a lot quicker. I think writing your own songs is even better. Then all the scales and theory actually seem to fit somewhere.

[Deacon_Blues]

Originally Posted by jdrum10j

Any websites or books in mind that focus on those aspects of playing?

Sorry, not really. Most of what I said above is things I've come to realize over the years as I've gotten better. I've never been too keen to search for new things on my own on the internet and I discovered talkbass only a few months ago. But I've seen tons of links and book recommendations here already. Search, and you shall find!

[Deacon_Blues]

Originally Posted by ric1312

What he said is all good, but when I started I tried to learn all the techniques and theory stuff first, thinking it would just come together.

I think it's best to learn songs from music or tab. When I started learning songs it came together a lot quicker. I think writing your own songs is even better. Then all the scales and theory actually seem to fit somewhere.

I started by learning playing with lead sheets showing the chords over the lyrics. Most of those I made myself, since it was hard to find correct transcriptions on the internet in the keys I wanted and I never liked tabs. In the beginning it was kind of a struggle, but as I got better at recognizing various chord progressions, the transcriptioning went easier.

I started playing guitar around the mid/early 90's, switched to bass about 6 years ago. It wasn't until my first bass lessons 2 years ago that I started to focus on technique issues. Then I realized what a good technique has to offer you.

I'd say learning songs AND technique simultaneously is the best way to get better.

[dTune]

I'd find the kind of music that has the stuff you want to play, and listen to it ant then learn it by ear. Tabs such are an option, but i don't think they help in any way except saving the "trouble" of listening.

And, of course, all kinds of technical excersises and theory are important.

[AlphaMale]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue0ofgkkeFE

That's a video I made on youtube a long time ago when I was playing for only a month. This will teach you how to use scales for things you can apply these techniques into adding fills.

Learn your Major, Minor, and Blues Scale by the way.

[uturnbass]

Without an instructor I had to find everything out on my own.
My dad was there to help, but I was mostly on my own.

What I did was I just played songs, I'd have a chord chart, music, tabs whatever and I'd just play and play till I perfected that song.

Learning fills, and groove will come from playing songs and picking up from other bassist.
I bought a lot of books with tabbed/notated music in the genres of Funk and Rock and I learned those songs.
Here they are:
http://www.amazon.com/Funk-Bass-Play...0419031&sr=1-8
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Bass-Play...0419031&sr=1-8

I also had a lot of praise and worship songs on burnt cds, and my dad had charts, so I would listen to those and transcribe the bass line which has helped my ear a lot.

So just playing and playing what your ears like will fit for fills, you'll be able to tell when something doen'st work (I hope).
Later on you can learn music theory to understand why your fill/lick/run works and why some of them don't.

Improvisation is going to come with experience, and later on music theory and playing with other musicians will greatly boost this ability. For now, Improv may just be playing a bunch of licks you have learned, and that's really all it is. Your arsenal increases, and you just play what you feel should be played.
Theory and scales will help make this more defined later on, but just knowing what the root/octave, third, and fifth is can easily make a good groove.
All my improvisation books going into some nasty theory, so you might not be interested in just that, yet.

I'd recommend learning the major scale, minor scale, pentatonic major/minor and your 1-3-5 triads, and extensions (1-3-5-7, 1-3-5-7-9 etc..)

And let that be your guidline for now until you become pretty serious.

Just find your favorite band/basslines, and try to play along and learn the bass line. Either that or play with other people where you have no guidline and it's all your creativity flowing.