where do i begin?

[vivalajazz]

I have been playing bass for about a year though i have only been serious about it for a month or two. I have been trying to learn without a teacher and mostly through books and internet, and i should mention that I'm a teenager and i get sidetracked easily. I would like to learn a lot more about music theory because my technique is already pretty good. My main source of music theory knowledge is bass guitar for dummies, though I still have alot more to learn, i think.

Simply put I am getting alot of mixed information from my "sources" and I would just like to pointed in the right direction on where to start, i.e. ear training, reading sn, scales/chords etc. Which one first?

Thank you in advance for your help, i know there is probably already another thread out there talking about this but I've searched for the past few weeks and can't find anything.

[Jason Carota]

Getting a teacher is vital. Even if you are able to go only once a month, your knowledge will grow by leaps and bounds and any mixed information/confusion will disappear.

[RedV]

I can't agree with the above more. You can ask just about any question on here and I GUARANTEE you're not going to get the same answer from everyone, therefore adding to your mixed information.

Look around for a teacher, preferably someone you feel comfortable with, and get learning!

Good luck.

Alex

[brentf]

My main source of music theory knowledge is bass guitar for dummies, though I still have alot more to learn, i think.

I tried bass guitar for dummies - either I'm a complete and utter dunce or not a dummy, cos I couldn't make head nor tail of where they were coming from. It seemed to jump all over the place, not completing any one thing at a time.
Starting from the point of scales didn't work for me - specially since it doesn't tell you that scales are to be played in more than one key!! and how to therefore play them in another key.
Get a teacher, it really does work.

Enjoy.

[MeYHymN]

Me, personally, I really enjoyed the bass players handbook. It covers equipment,technique and other stuff. I'd ;love to put a link, but apparently the fotum software isn't very pda friendly. Also, check out Reading Everything Music, should b a link under the GI book list at the top of this forum.

[tmart937]

I am in the same situation you are in as far as playing time. When I get stuck on theory and technique I just learn a new song by tab and try to apply that with what I have learned. It breaks the routine of scales and theory. I also learned just when you think you are on solid ground you learn something new and the floor disappears!!! Fun and frustrating all in one!

[joe ryan]

i am just starting with the bass, though i am a bit older (not by much

i have had many years of formal training on other instruments and i would say that learning music theory is vital to a performer's development. i feel like the discipline required to be a true musician can only be developed with the help of an instructor. i am at the point on the strings now where if i don't have an instructor, my bad habits are gonna affect my development.

if all a person does is play from tabs and learns no music theory, then what's gonna happen if they walk into a jam session with their tab in their head and everyone else says, hey, let's try it in a different key?