Teaching Myself

[dabigc5]

I am trying to teach myself with the help of my dad and other bass players I know, and have mainly just been learning songs via tabs on Ultimate Guitar's website. I want to find another source, whether it be book, magazine, DVD, or website. Anyone have any suggestions?

[MalcolmAmos]

Forget about tabs - they are a dead end. Why would I say that? How many songs can you put to memory note by note? How many songs could you play if you knew how to play from fake chord sheet music. I'd say thousands.

With all the musicians you have at your disposal after you get the basics under your fingertips they should be able to take you to the next level.

What are the basics?

• Know how to hold, tune, and make sound come from your bass.
• Decide if you are going to use fingers, thumb or a pick - don't limit yourself to just one.
• Know how to mute the beast. Ask Google for help.
• Know your fretboard, i.e. where are the notes.
• Understand the major scale box pattern, and be able to use that pattern in your playing.
• Understand how to take the major scale box pattern and some fake chord sheet music, compose a bass line, build a groove all while you are chewing gum and singing the song.
• Ask specific questions here.

http://www.studybass.com/ - Good place to start.
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg Your fretboard.
http://www.cyberfretbass.com/scales/basic/page2.php Gotta do your scales to get your fingers knowing where the notes are. Now it will be several months before you start using scales in your bass lines, but, as a warm up scales should be part of your practice routine. We play chord tones first, scales later. Put this with the box pattern that is given below.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867 The box pattern.
http://www.looknohands.com/chordhous.../index_rb.html Just in case.
http://www.smithfowler.org/music/Chord_Formulas.htm Again just in case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--l53mSuSlM Over view of what can be done right at first.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/vid...4A3D3E7688E4F6 Little more detailed bass line riffs.
Jamming 101 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUK5pE5x_6A see what you can do with this.

That should keep you busy. Ask specific questions.

Good luck.

[251]

Originally Posted by dabigc5

I am trying to teach myself with the help of my dad and other bass players I know, and have mainly just been learning songs via tabs on Ultimate Guitar's website. I want to find another source, whether it be book, magazine, DVD, or website. Anyone have any suggestions?

Here is a free, online book that will get you started with a minimum of bad habits.

http://wheatsbassbook.com/

Just remember, your primary teacher doesn't know what he is doing. As soon as you can, find a music tutor with whom you can spend at least 6 months.

[Dodg3r]

those links are really helpful!
Possible sticky?

[singlemalt]

Berklee Practice Method: BASS Get your Band Together. Easy units, CD disc.
Maybe $12 from Amazon.

Blues Improvisation Complete C Bass, also by Berklee press.

I've been pretty impressed by most of the Berklee stuff.

Learn to read music now, you'll be glad you did. Don't kill yourself over reading just do 30 minutes a day.

By all means, if you can find a good teacher, that works for you, take lessons.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by 251

Here is a free, online book that will get you started with a minimum of bad habits.

http://wheatsbassbook.com/

Just remember, your primary teacher doesn't know what he is doing. As soon as you can, find a music tutor with whom you can spend at least 6 months.

Great analogy -- That looks like a very helpful site.

[Slapper0202]

I would like to know if the Truefire.com, bass lessons are of any use? Slapper0202

[dabigc5]

Thanks guys! I've started looking at some of the sites, and will be taking some more time this weekend going through the sites, and working on picking stuff up.

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Forget about tabs - they are a dead end. Why would I say that? How many songs can you put to memory note by note? How many songs could you play if you knew how to play from fake chord sheet music. I'd say thousands.

Without being disrespectful, how should I learn songs without tabs? Although I would eventually like to be able to write my own stuff, covers are what I do right now. And if you ask anyone who knows me, you'll find that I don't have anywhere near perfect pitch - I can't figure a song out by just listening to it. At all. So, tips, pointers?

[MrLenny1]

Learn & play scales. Sing the notes out as you play them. This will help
with ear training in time.

[catyak]

apologies for hijacking the thread, but what is fake chord sheet music? i've seen fake books in the store but have never looked them.

---

oh, the web is a wonderful thing...

A fake book is a collection of musical lead sheets intended to help a performer quickly learn new songs. Each song in a fake book contains the melody line, basic chords, and lyrics - the minimal information needed by a musician to make an impromptu arrangement of a song, or "fake it."

The fake book is a central part of the culture of playing music in public, particularly in jazz, where improvisation is particularly valued.

Fake books are not intended for novices: the reader must follow and interpret the scant notation, and generally needs to have thorough familiarity with chords and sheet music. However, fake books can be an avenue to playing songs quickly; a few chords and a one-note melody line can allow even an amateur to play a passable version of any song with relative ease.

Despite the name, fake books are often unbound, consisting of a thick, loose stack of sheets.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by dabigc5

Without being disrespectful, how should I learn songs without tabs?

Listen closely to the song a few times, then try playing along. Work it out by ear. This is good ear training. Dont become too dependent on tabs. Learn to read music notation.

[ack]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Forget about tabs - they are a dead end. Why would I say that? How many songs can you put to memory note by note? How many songs could you play if you knew how to play from fake chord sheet music. I'd say thousands.

With all the musicians you have at your disposal after you get the basics under your fingertips they should be able to take you to the next level.

What are the basics?

• Know how to hold, tune, and make sound come from your bass.
• Decide if you are going to use fingers, thumb or a pick - don't limit yourself to just one.
• Know how to mute the beast. Ask Google for help.
• Know your fretboard, i.e. where are the notes.
• Understand the major scale box pattern, and be able to use that pattern in your playing.
• Understand how to take the major scale box pattern and some fake chord sheet music, compose a bass line, build a groove all while you are chewing gum and singing the song.
• Ask specific questions here.

http://www.studybass.com/ - Good place to start.
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg Your fretboard.
http://www.cyberfretbass.com/scales/basic/page2.php Gotta do your scales to get your fingers knowing where the notes are. Now it will be several months before you start using scales in your bass lines, but, as a warm up scales should be part of your practice routine. We play chord tones first, scales later. Put this with the box pattern that is given below.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867 The box pattern.
http://www.looknohands.com/chordhous.../index_rb.html Just in case.
http://www.smithfowler.org/music/Chord_Formulas.htm Again just in case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--l53mSuSlM Over view of what can be done right at first.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/vid...4A3D3E7688E4F6 Little more detailed bass line riffs.
Jamming 101 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUK5pE5x_6A see what you can do with this.

That should keep you busy. Ask specific questions.

Good luck.

An awesome post. Thanks.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by dabigc5

Without being disrespectful, how should I learn songs without tabs? Although I would eventually like to be able to write my own stuff, covers are what I do right now. And if you ask anyone who knows me, you'll find that I don't have anywhere near perfect pitch - I can't figure a song out by just listening to it. At all. So, tips, pointers?

Think of it this way. With tab you are captive to the sheet music. I'm not against tabs as a teaching tool, but, do believe they have their limitations and because of that limit our opportunities.

I personally think the route to go involves using fake chord and a little theory. It's that fish thing.

Step one. See a chord and know what to do with it.
Step two. Hear a chord and know what to do with it.

Good luck.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by catyak

apologies for hijacking the thread, but what is fake chord sheet music? i've seen fake books in the store but have never looked them. I know you answered your question.

Google will help you find fake chord.
Google these key words -- chords, "name of the song" for example;
Chords, "Cold, Cold, heart" http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/ww...dColdHeart.cpm
The first A7 - D is the intro. Grab a D chord and sing the song under your breath - gotta sing the song to know whey to change chords - OK you've got the D chord going - keep it active till the next chord change word which is "dream" at dream change to an A7 chord and keep going.

How much of the chord to use? Up to you. Just roots right at first will do, i.e. R-R-R-R. Then R-5-R-5 would be a little better - notice four notes, because you are playing in 4/4 time - 4 beats to the bar. That's it, it's not rocket science. I know playing and singing at the same time -- I bet you can walk and chew gum - it'll come.

Have fun.

[dabigc5]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Think of it this way. With tab you are captive to the sheet music. I'm not against tabs as a teaching tool, but, do believe they have their limitations and because of that limit our opportunities.

I personally think the route to go involves using fake chord and a little theory. It's that fish thing.

Step one. See a chord and know what to do with it.
Step two. Hear a chord and know what to do with it.

Good luck.

Thanks a ton man, I'll see about finding the songs I need as chords, and work through it!

[brickerenator]

A metronome or metronome app for you iPod

[MisterFabulous]

Originally Posted by Slapper0202

I would like to know if the Truefire.com, bass lessons are of any use? Slapper0202

I'm working through the Stu Hamm Bass Basics DVD by truefire.com and it's been very good for me. It's aimed at the absolute beginner level.

[eSmith]

Tab can show you how to play notes in songs you already know but if you never heard the song before, good luck getting there with tab alone.

Written music on the other hand has all of the information required to know how the song should sound as well as what notes to play. You can learn any song you have never heard before very easily if you read.

You don't have to sight read on the spot, that comes with a lot of time and practice but getting enough of the basics down to figure out written music isn't that much harder than learning songs through tab but is far more complete.

-eSmith.

[hrodbert696]

Just on tabs, I'd argue for a little moderation here. Tabs can be a great encouragement for a beginner (and I'm not sure I'm really out of the beginner category yet) because they can get you playing recognizable songs pretty fast. They help you figure out "how it's done" while you're learning your way around the instrument and there's nothing wrong with that.

But I would also say, don't JUST rely on tabs. Learn your theory and technique apart from them too. If you've learned a song from a tab, try rewriting the tab on a different part of the fretboard (so if your tab has you playing open string and second fret, etc., shift it to fifth and seventh frets on the next lower string, or vice versa). Then get just the chords for a song and figure out the bass line by ear. Then just figure one out by ear. And do your scales etc. separately.

[mambo4]

If you are just starting out...please don't dismiss learning to read notation.
nothing worth doing is easy, and few skills in music are as valuable as reading.
Don't stress about the perceived difficulty.
Grab some rudimentary reading material, spend a small chunk of your regular practice session on it, then move on to the "fun" stuff. Over time you'll see its usefulness.