What now ???

mdsmith · #1 12-15-2010, 05:26 AM

I've been playing guitar for about 5 years now, and have been starting to learn the bass on and off for a couple of years, but always went back to the guitar.Recently I've been making a serious attempt to stick with the bass, and lean all of the things I missed when learning guitar, ie. notes on the fretboard, basic theory, improvising, ect. I started doing the same thing with the bass that I did with the guitar, get some tab and learn a song. I'm afraid this will leave me the same place it did with the guitar, being able to play songs, but having no idea what I'm doing. So, last night I came up with the idea of using my guitar tabs to learn songs on the bass. Basically at this point I'm just following the chord changes on the tab and finding and playing the root note on the bass. In the process, I'm finding the root in more than one place on the neck, and deciding which one sound the best, and makes the most sense playability wise. I've also been locating the octave of each note that I find I'm finding this to be both fun and rewarding. After only one night of this I know 5-6 notes in a couple different locations. My question is now what? What would be the next logical step to get past just playing the roots?

MalcolmAmos · #2 12-15-2010, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdsmith

I've been playing guitar for about 5 years now, and have been starting to learn the bass on and off for a couple of years, but always went back to the guitar.Recently I've been making a serious attempt to stick with the bass, and lean all of the things I missed when learning guitar, ie. notes on the fretboard, basic theory, improvising, ect. I started doing the same thing with the bass that I did with the guitar, get some tab and learn a song. I'm afraid this will leave me the same place it did with the guitar, being able to play songs, but having no idea what I'm doing. So, last night I came up with the idea of using my guitar tabs to learn songs on the bass. Basically at this point I'm just following the chord changes on the tab and finding and playing the root note on the bass. In the process, I'm finding the root in more than one place on the neck, and deciding which one sound the best, and makes the most sense playability wise. I've also been locating the octave of each note that I find I'm finding this to be both fun and rewarding. After only one night of this I know 5-6 notes in a couple different locations. My question is now what? What would be the next logical step to get past just playing the roots?

First - forget about tabs. Get yourself some real sheet music and play from that. OK standard notation means you have to read standard notation and finding standard notation sheet music with the bass cleft shown is pretty hard with Pop, Rock and Country. So this leaves you with lead sheet and fake chord. Both of those will give you the chord name and how you play that is left up to you.

Yes roots and 8's along with 5's will build a lot of bass lines. Why? Well every chord will have a root, and an 8 is just the root an octave higher. All basic chords will have a 5 so those three notes will work with any chord in the song. So a good generic R-R-5-8 bass line moved with the chord changes will let you hold your own. Just roots if they build a groove is OK. R-5-6-8 is another good generic bass line; the 6 is neutral and fits with all the chords in the progression.

Some candy.
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867

http://www.cyberfretbass.com/scales/basic/page2.php

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...eat-sheet.html

HeadyVan Halen · #3 12-15-2010, 06:20 AM

Blues.
Best musical knowledge you can get on the job. Cue up some SRV, BB, Albert Collins, etc. and get to work.

In 2010, there is no way someone can't learn an instrument..Youtube, StevieSnacks, GuitarTube etc.

Eminentbass · #4 12-15-2010, 06:23 AM

Learn the basic chord types and their arpeggios. Sing them as well to help get your ear accustomed to the characteristics of each. Also, practice them in all keys(identifying the notes as you go rather than just learning shapes), this will do wonders for your knowledge of the fingerboard. Chord tones are great for constructing lines. While scale and chromatic notes help join the dots, it's the chord tones that define the tonality or flavour of what you're playing.

probert · #5 12-15-2010, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

First - forget about tabs. Get yourself some real sheet music and play from that. OK standard notation means you have to read standard notation and finding standard notation sheet music with the bass cleft shown is pretty hard with Pop, Rock and Country. So this leaves you with lead sheet and fake chord. Both of those will give you the chord name and how you play that is left up to you.

you can use guitar pro, sometimes there is a score for bass + tab + midi to play along to. Actually I'm relearning (I learned when I was a child but have allready forgotten it) to read with this.

mcm · #6 12-15-2010, 06:27 AM

do like ALL the greats of all instruments, learn blues first. muddy waters, howlin wolf, sonny boy williamson 2, etc.

JTE · #7 12-15-2010, 08:39 AM

First, understand the bass' role. That's two things- connect the rhythm to the harmonic/melodic part of the music, and to define the harmony. That means we've got a rhythmic function that's vital to creating the pace, feel, groove, swing, whatever. So, be able to play precisely with great time. Second we can't define the harmony if we don't KNOW the harmony.

So, for the rhythmic stuff. Get a metronome. If you already have a drum machine, then set it so the only thing you hear is the snare hit on 2 and 4. If you use a 'nome, set it for the same thing. You only want the 'nome or drum machine to give you 2 and 4, because your job is to KEEP time, not rely on someone else to keep time. A full blown drum pattern hides a lot of sins, and a 'nome clicking away on every beat will keep you in line even when you start to wander. But if all you've got is 2 and 4, then you're naked on 1 and 3. You'll find this harder than you think, but persevere. It WILL help your sense of time tremendously. Set aside part of your practice time to work on things you can already execute well as your timing exercises. You don't want to be figuring out fingerings at the same time you're working on your time.

For the harmonic aspect- start with knowing the basics of the diatonic major scale, how chords come from that scale, how to build chords, and how to find 'em on the bass. See, a guitarist can get away with just knowing that this shape is a G chord. But we have to own the G chord, we gotta know WHY it's a G and not a G minor, and what notes are critical for the sound of the G. Also we can't define the harmony if we don't know where it's going. So not only do we need to own the G chord, we have to own the chord in front of it and the one after it. That's why studying progressions is more important than modes.

And use songs you know to analyze what you're learning. One big revelation for me that put theory into practice was the first time I was able to "SEE" the Amin arpeggio in Jack Bruce's line for "Badge". Play stuff you know, and see how it hangs on the framework of theory.

Sift through the threads on this forum, there's a lot of long threads about this very subject- things like "where do I go from here", "progression of theory", etc. Find stuff by Stumbo, Malcom Amos, Chris K, mambo4, and Richard Lindsey.

John