Totally new to bass but...

[I-Flux]

My parents are strict and won't let me get a bass lesson. I have basic knowledge about basses, but have no experience with it. I borrowed the bass from a friend of mine.
I have played violin for 7.5 years or so, but I'm sure those skills are totally useless, I am a total beginner to Basses. I have briefly checked out the "bass for beginners", but most of them lack in videos, and I'm looking for one that is in videos.


I first have no idea how much noise the bass is supposed to make. It seems like no matter what kinda picking or plucking I do (with pick or fingers), it makes the strings shake too much that the shake hits the frets and makes noises (especially when I'm playing open strings). I also don't know how strong I should pick, I also have no idea how hard I should press down on my strings with my left fingers.
Even when I press down on the strings with my left finger, it makes noises of the string touching the frets, no matter how slowly i press down.

To know how much noises it's supposed to make or if it's not supposed to make any, I need a video and audio. I also need video and audio for how hard I should pick.



I'm also not sure where to begin. I'm sorry for being total idiotic noob, but I really don't know. And I'm far away from my friends and I can't ask them.

Could someone help me?

[Petro0Os]

First of all you need to setup your bass.
That's the reason it makes noises.
Check this out.
http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/
Since you're a beginner you'll probably have to take your bass to a technician.

I don't know any good videos for proper learning but you should rather look for books.
About the left hand you should put as much pressure you need to have a straight and descent sound of the note you're playing.
You need to have your hands relaxed.

Also check this:
http://www.angelfire.com/md/jcbassman/faq.html#book

Pick or fingers?
It's up to you.
What sound do you like the most?
For what it's worth i prefer playing with fingers.
Practice hard!
Good luck!

[nuotio]

There's a lot of videos too: http://learnbass.net/wordpress/

[Schlyder]

If you don't like the sound of the frets, and being a violinist also, I think you should go fretless.
And you can read music yes? I assume so from 7.5 years of violin. It won't be too hard to get used to bass clef.
Yes and once your bass is adjusted and set up properly. You don't need to be aggressive with the right hand to produce good tone. And left hand finger pressure should be pretty much the same as your violin.
I would say you already have a good foundation of music, and with the right work you will make a fine bassist. Welcome to the club.

[Petro0Os]

Originally Posted by Schlyder

If you don't like the sound of the frets, and being a violinist also, I think you should go fretless.
And you can read music yes? I assume so from 7.5 years of violin. It won't be too hard to get used to bass clef.
Yes and once your bass is adjusted and set up properly. You don't need to be aggressive with the right hand to produce good tone. And left hand finger pressure should be pretty much the same as your violin.
I would say you already have a good foundation of music, and with the right work you will make a fine bassist. Welcome to the club.

Agreed but i think that he should first get used to the fretboard of a fretted bass and then go fretless.

[sleepytime]

Playing live, a song with wide dynamics may involve plucking barely enough to vibrate the strings at one extreme, to tugging them pretty good at the other. Where your normal plucking falls in this range is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people like the dynamic thump of hard plucking, some prefer the smooth, even tone of softer plucking. Getting rid of the extraneous noise is a matter of technique, and will take a while to achieve.

Lessons would really help, but if you ever have a chance to talk to an experienced player, don't be afraid to ask questions or for a demonstration. Learn by watching. When I learned, there were no videos (or even VCRs for that matter), no Internet, nothing but lps and cassettes and the occasional TV show. It seems like there were a lot more good players back then. It can be done.

[Schlyder]

I don't know, he should understand intonation well enough already, and have to have developed an ear for it. If there are good side dots, and if he needs landmarks, put on a few stickers, and I think he'd be fine. And a lined fretless isn't a sin. I just think his ear has developed with a fretless tone already, and that is kind of what he may be trying to hear in his sound. I definately suggest trying a fretless, and seeing if that is the sound you are searching for.

[MalcolmAmos]

I-Flex -- remember all those cats that were trapped in your fiddle? You finally got rid of them. Well the bass is the same way - the notes are sustained unless we mute them. Muting is a fact of life, sure it helps to have your bass set up, but, learning how to mute the unused strings is a skill that must be learned.

No one has mentioned www.studybass.com yet - it has a segment on how to mute. http://www.studybass.com/lessons/bas...ique/plucking/

Let your amp generate the volume. We need not attack the strings. One more hint -- when fretting the strings place your finger right over the fret, i.e. not in the middle of the fret space - right over the fret - cuts down on the fret buzz.

Good luck.

[Petro0Os]

Originally Posted by Schlyder

I don't know, he should understand intonation well enough already, and have to have developed an ear for it. If there are good side dots, and if he needs landmarks, put on a few stickers, and I think he'd be fine. And a lined fretless isn't a sin. I just think his ear has developed with a fretless tone already, and that is kind of what he may be trying to hear in his sound. I definately suggest trying a fretless, and seeing if that is the sound you are searching for.

That's for sure.
Im just saying it because a friend of mine had a fretless for his first bass and had big trouble getting used to it.
Im a fan of fretless basses and i find their sound more original.

[DMusci96]

I exteremly recommend free online lessons by Dmanlamius: A LOT of Free Lessons, how to's and other stuff from me!

they help me alot

[Minotauros]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

One more hint -- when fretting the strings place your finger right over the fret, i.e. not in the middle of the fret space - right over the fret - cuts down on the fret buzz.

Good luck.

I didn't know that. Right over, as in "on", the fret? That's totally contrary to playing guitar (I know, two different animals). So is that for a played string or a non-played string?

[cbrophy]

I'm really curious as to why his parents won't allow him to take Bass lessons! If he's taken Violin lessons for 7.5 years (and yes, those skills are transferrable!) he's shown that he can commit to something. Unless they are afraid his school studies would suffer, I can't see any parent discouraging their child from pursuing a goal(unless they wanted to be a bank robber, or crack dealer!) I-Flux, can you expand on why they won't let you take a lesson or two? In the meantime, check out www.studybass.com

[Mr. Mig]

Originally Posted by cbrophy

I'm really curious as to why his parents won't allow him to take Bass lessons! If he's taken Violin lessons for 7.5 years (and yes, those skills are transferrable!) he's shown that he can commit to something. Unless they are afraid his school studies would suffer, I can't see any parent discouraging their child from pursuing a goal(unless they wanted to be a bank robber, or crack dealer!) I-Flux, can you expand on why they won't let you take a lesson or two? In the meantime, check out www.studybass.com

+1

[Chupacabra]

Originally Posted by Minotauros

I didn't know that. Right over, as in "on", the fret? That's totally contrary to playing guitar (I know, two different animals). So is that for a played string or a non-played string?

I wouldn't go directly over the fret, just very slightly behind it. The rounded shape of your finger would be over the fret, but the center line of your finger would be slightly back from the fret.

Hope that makes sense w/out a pic/diagram

[MrTAteMyBalls]

Originally Posted by cbrophy

I'm really curious as to why his parents won't allow him to take Bass lessons! If he's taken Violin lessons for 7.5 years (and yes, those skills are transferrable!) he's shown that he can commit to something. Unless they are afraid his school studies would suffer, I can't see any parent discouraging their child from pursuing a goal(unless they wanted to be a bank robber, or crack dealer!) I-Flux, can you expand on why they won't let you take a lesson or two? In the meantime, check out www.studybass.com

when i was in high school one of my bandmates(guitarist) also played violin. his parents were super pissed that he was playing rock music and guitar so they would punish him by not letting him go to gigs. this was before cell phones so he just randomly would not be there. i'd get a call the next day that he got a bad grade or missed a violin lesson and his parents wouldn't let him come. i understand the need to teach your child but in a band situation you are screwing other people over that are relying on you. his folks did not care.

anyway, point being they might think that playing classical violin is the only thing of worth and that playing bass is a distraction from that.

[Minotauros]

Originally Posted by Chupacabra

I wouldn't go directly over the fret, just very slightly behind it. The rounded shape of your finger would be over the fret, but the center line of your finger would be slightly back from the fret.

Hope that makes sense w/out a pic/diagram

Yeah, it makes sense. I think I got it. Thanks.

[I-Flux]

Thanks guys for so much meaningful replies.

In fact, I had my bass setup by the friend who lent me it. I'm not really sure about "correctness" of bass setup, and I don't have an amplifier neither. I haven't used amplifier, I'm just playing electric bass without it.

When I go to youtube, it looks like they are plucking very strong when playing, but even when I pluck it lightly, the shake of the string (especially the lower string) hits the frets making a "bzzzzzzzz" sound of metal constantly touching each other.

Originally Posted by cbrophy

I'm really curious as to why his parents won't allow him to take Bass lessons! If he's taken Violin lessons for 7.5 years (and yes, those skills are transferrable!) he's shown that he can commit to something. Unless they are afraid his school studies would suffer, I can't see any parent discouraging their child from pursuing a goal(unless they wanted to be a bank robber, or crack dealer!) I-Flux, can you expand on why they won't let you take a lesson or two? In the meantime, check out www.studybass.com

Well I was 5 when I decided I wanted to play Violin. My parents said I should practice for at least 10 years as a return. I stopped playing for while and that when I went to USA (I'm Jap) and started playing again, but I got tired of how my parents have to tell me this and that, and felt like I'm not doing music, but playing for my parents (and not for myself) it was no longer a hobby. I met Rock after that, then Heavy Metal, and I was heavily influenced by it, and I decided I won't do violin anymore.

Honestly, I'm 18 right now, and I know I broke promises, but I wish they could just accept that hobbies and likes change. 5 year old self me probably don't know what I would like in the future. I regret making that choice. I could have just begin with a bass. And my parents are also pretty strict as well. They basically don't accept anything other than Classics, Jazz, and Pop. I listen to Rock and Metal.

[Rudreax]

What kind of bass do you have? Could you possible take a picture and post it here?

Instruments that rely on amplification for sound will naturally sound different when you try to play them without amplification, so it can be hard to diagnose the problem without knowing what we're dealing with.

[I-Flux]

Here's the video of the problem I'm having and the problems during I play a short song.
I know I really suck. But I don't know what exactly I suck in.

I'm Japanese so I might have a bad pronunciation but I think you might wanna leave that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZISX3K3cN0c
I would really appreciate if someone could help me.

[Buslady7803]

Hi I-Flux
I'm a beginner playing bass, it's a ton of fun once you get going at it.
The fret buzz is annoying, bugs the crud out of me but I gotta get over it. I put my fingers just behind the fret and hold that sucker down good.
You really should get an amp, specifically one for a bass. I saw this video on you tube this guy hooked a bass to a guitar amp, it was so sad sounding hahah! Once you hear the sounds out of an amp, you'll see the difference. You'll get weird little noises but what comes out of the amp counts. As you learn it gets better. The biggest annoyance for me is the ongoing unwanted resonating sounds..gotta mute those, i'm working on developing that skill. I learned about these sympathetic vibrations from the guys here, they're a huge help.

Im watching your video, strings are going to vibrate like that. It's not like the violin or a guitar. The E could be a little loose tho, it's hard to tell. I'm not a total expert like the guys here. Tapping on the fretboard, that's normal stuff. I fool around when I take a short break just tapping on mine and being a dork hahaah I like seeing what weird noises i can make.
Oh wow yeah I think the E needs help LOL! I think it needs to be set up or just checked, and the strings tuned up.
You really need to have a teacher or watch videos like crazy, study other's tech - my favorite to watch is Marco Hietala - look him up on you tube, there's a lot of concert vids and a couple music vids with some cool shots of him playing. Anyways a teacher is the best bet, cos they can show you the basics, get you working on the fretboard the right way, going step at a time. You can read music already like I can, it REALLY helps. You just gotta learn bass clef and to read tab.

I hope you can convince your parents you want to play it and you need a few things to start up. That's a nice Shecter by the way.