Very frusterated re-beginner :(

[hecTr0n]

hi all, im new here and with lots and lots of unsuccessful searches online, ive decided to come to the place which makes most sense. i recently re-started playing an instrument. i played guitar on and off for years. Im an intimidate player but recently decided bass was more for me.

what im having trouble on is finding music to play. im fine finding rock music to play, which is the main type of music i like but i need something more. i play hard stuff like mudvayne, tool, etc. i really like the groove of jazz funk but, have no idea where to learn this from. ive gone on wikipedia.com and searched for artist but either their tabs arent available or the music they play is just repetitive basslines. im looking for something like this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmk-PIy4xg
i like the jazzy funk groove to it, kool tempos and i can really get into playing stuff like this since it is very fun. i just dont know where to look to.

ive tired stuff like old r&b tabs but again, just repetitive basslines. i know all songs have a "hook" to them but i notice some jazzy funk stuff have more to it than just the basslines you hear on the radio and sort of just jam. any help at all, actual link to tabs, or artist you might recommend to someone relearning the instrument would be helpful. thanks in advanced all !

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by hecTr0n

hi all, im new here and with lots and lots of unsuccessful searches online, ive decided to come to the place which makes most sense. i recently re-started playing an instrument. i played guitar on and off for years. Im an intimidate player but recently decided bass was more for me.

what im having trouble on is finding music to play. im fine finding rock music to play, which is the main type of music i like but i need something more. i play hard stuff like mudvayne, tool, etc. i really like the groove of jazz funk but, have no idea where to learn this from. ive gone on wikipedia.com and searched for artist but either their tabs arent available or the music they play is just repetitive basslines. im looking for something like this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmk-PIy4xg
i like the jazzy funk groove to it, kool tempos and i can really get into playing stuff like this since it is very fun. i just dont know where to look to.

ive tired stuff like old r&b tabs but again, just repetitive basslines. i know all songs have a "hook" to them but i notice some jazzy funk stuff have more to it than just the basslines you hear on the radio and sort of just jam. any help at all, actual link to tabs, or artist you might recommend to someone relearning the instrument would be helpful. thanks in advanced all !

Tabs are a dead end. We do play repetitive bass lines. OK now that I have your attention

What you are going to be able to find is lead sheet and fake cord sheet music. This will give you the chord name and the lyrics plus the treble clef if it's a lead sheet -- finding tabs or standard notation will be hit or miss. So, learn how to play from fake chord or lead sheet. That means learn how to see the chord progression and make your bass lines from that.

• See a major chord and know that a:
• R-3-5-8 or any combination of those notes will work in your bass line, i.e. those notes are generic to a Major Chord. Yep, we play chord tones one note at a time.
• See a minor chord and know that a:
• R-b3-5-8 or any combination of those notes will work in a groove because those notes are generic to any minor chord.
• Should you run across the F#m7b5 diminished chord - then R-b3-b5-b7 or any combination of those notes will work for a diminished chord.
• The 6th note of the chord's scale is neutral and can be added just about anytime.
• The 2 and 4 degree of the chord's scale are generic passing notes, i.e. will work with major or minor if you use them as passing notes.
• The 3, b3, 7 and b7 are not generic and have a specific job to do. The 3 and 7 work with major chords. The b3 and b7 work with minor chords. Yes the b7 also works with dominant seventh chords.
• Yep, we work with chord tones, one note at a time, and no that does not get boring if you understand why you are doing what you are doing. In fact as you learn more there are hundreds of bass lines you could compose.

Work toward being able to look at a chord and then lay down a bass line that will lead to a groove. To do that you gotta get some generic bass lines into muscle memory. Start with R-3-5-3. Place R on the 3rd string and work a I IV V from there. Went over your head I bet - as an old 6 string guy you know about I IV V - go figure out the R on the 3rd string part. You'll get there, grab your box pattern and start putting some bass lines into muscle memory.

Here are some sites that will help with this.
www.studybass.com Perhaps the best free bass lesson on the Internet.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867 The box pattern is what I want you to look at on this site. Plus once your root note is placed your 5th is going to always be in the same location waiting on you. Where is the 3rd? Yep, same spot it always is. Take that R-3-5-3 to a G-C-D progression. G on the 3rd string-where is that going to be? How about 3rd string 10th fret. Do your R-3-5-3 for the G chord. Where is C? Right above the G, where is D? Right below the G. Piece of cake! You just became a bass player. When that's comfortable move to C-F-G.... how about D-G-A...
http://www.cyberfretbass.com/scales/basic/page2.php Here are the other box patterns.
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg gotta know where the notes are.
http://www.smithfowler.org/music/Chord_Formulas.htm This will explain all that R-3-5-b7 stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groove_(music) something on grooves - those repetitive bass lines --

Ask specific questions someone will always jump on it. BTW, welcome.

[dave64o]

Have you thought about lessons? It seems like a lot of people scoff at lessons and say things like "they don't want to be forced to learn any rules that will kill their creativity". A lot of people also seem to equate lessons with high school, implying you struggle to sit still and stay awake while some idiot lectures (interpreted as "yells") at you, tests on on stupid stuff no one would ever need, and then yells at you for failing. All I can say about the people who say things like that is that they either never took lessons, they had an awful instructor, their laziness and/or bad attitude got in the way of making any progress, or some combination of all of them.

After trying it on my own for about 8 years I finally started lessons about a year and a half ago. Even though I didn't think the instructor was all that great, I made noticeable improvements relatively quickly. Then last spring I started with a new instructor who *really* knows what he's doing (both playing AND teaching) and I can't believe how much I've improved with him. My lessons are NOTHING like high school. They're HIGHLY interactive, we talk far more than we play, and if I don't get all the way through an assignment, well, who cares?! I'm 46 years old and have a job and family. Life sometimes gets in the way.

So to sum it up, maybe try finding a good instructor, someone with real skills, real experience, and whose goal is to use his skills and experience to make you a better MUSICIAN (as opposed to a bassist). Then work as a team to help you accomplish what you want to accomplish.

[CameronPutnam]

+1 to both statements

[Chris K]

If you have the opportunity, join a band. IMHO it's the best way to get on track.

[major10th]

Also, you might want to checkout the many YouTube slap bass videos from MarloweDK and YouPlayAlong

[Stumbo]

I watched the video. It's some repetitive slap/pop bass lines.

Here are few links you may want to check out:
TB slap bass references/links
Video lessons w/Dmanlamius

Books/Videos from
F. R. Prestia/Tower of Power(check out ToP recordings)
Anthony Vitti
Alex Sklarevski
Bill Dickens
Tony Oppenheim
Larry Graham

You also may want to check out the link in my sig. below for more xlnt TB info that may help you out, especially the "Bass Styles".

[bassybill]

Lessons could be useful. But whether or not you choose to get some, the main thing you're going to have to do is just spend some time with that bass and work on getting the sounds you want out of it. Once that process is started, then tips and advice become valuable. But not before.

Sometimes I think beginners believe that if someone shows them what to do, then they'll be able to do it. But there's a lot more to learning than that. Once you've been shown what to do, you really have to work at being able to do it. Best advice I can give is just pick up your bass and start playing it. You'll get there.