I can hear great bass lines in my head.. but can't play them...

[Aaiieeee]

I love listening to the blues (amongst others) and I can always sing or think up a really appropriate or good bass line that either replaces the current one or just compliments it. I can always get it on time and to me it always sounds good.

But I couldnt pick up a bass and even attempt to play anything on the fly.

Any advice for learning or starting to learn this kind of thing?

Ive been playing for about 2 years and am self taught, not in a band or anything and just play for my own enjoyment. But Id love to be able to just play along to things.

Any tips?

Also I can think up short bass riffs that sometimes sound so good but when I try and transcribe them it just never sounds quite the same. Its so frustrating!
I remember I went cycling once and I came up with the most amazing bass line and I just sang it in my head for about 7 miles of cycling hoping not to forget it.. then about 5 mins from home I got distracted and forgot it.. arrgh! (thats not really related to the topic but thats too bad as Ive typed it now)

Edit: Didnt capitalize an 'I'. Punctuation is for other people but I's have to be upper!

[CrazyArcher]

That sucks, happened to me too!
The thing that helped me is probably help you too. Yeah, you prol'ly guessed it right: study theory.

[neurotictim]

Study theory and practice. It will always happen, that's one of your motivations to improve.

[skaliwag66]

Ear training and knowing the fretboard inside out also helps.

[varunkapahi]

are you aware of the chord or the chord progression over which you can think of your bassline?
and yeah keep doing it; you will get better at it

[seamonkey]

Save them by trying to sing them into a recorder.
Carry a little recorder everywhere, because you're bound to come up with an idea when you're out driving. The singing doesn't need to be perfect, they are just memory joggers for when you get a chance to sit down and figure out the line on with your bass.

The good news is hearing these bass lines in your head is a major step in creativity. You're not just playing the patterns, you're creating the music. You just need to map this to motor skills out to your instrument. That will come with practice.

[251]

It really is practice. There are plenty of players who sing what they are playing as they play it. You just have to spend time doing it.

How much time, you ask? It depends on the individual. Some catch on faster than others. Allow it to take as much time as you need.

[mav]

Simplify your bass line in your head,feel the bass line..........ah, grass hopper

[Pacman]

You need ear training.

[meev992]

If you're shy about singing into a tape recorder, you can always hum the line and then play it on your bass. Many teachers encourage this.

[ThunderGod]

Originally Posted by Pacman

You need ear training.

+1

[bigthemat]

everyone is saying ear training, but let me be a little more specific. Know your intervals. Some are really easy to hear, like an octave, or P4, or a m2.

What helped me in my college classes were learning songs to associate the intervals (i.e. for a P4, here comes the bride, or a major 6 is the NBC theme, etc.)

that will really help with dictation. Once you sing em enough to yourself (the tricks for intervals) soon it will be second nature, and you will have no problem knowing a m7 from a M7.

[LP75]

Like playing the bass, the skill you want to learn comes with practice. Just be persistent, and figure out a way to do it every day. Just don't stop trying.

[Megavega4]

I agree with Bigthemat... once you are able to hear certain intervals.. knowing what key you're in is secondary... because what works in one key.. works in all of them. That's the beauty about the mathematical side of music. Math is a perfect fixed set of equations...

Learning theory will help also, because combined with ear training and knowing your intervals, you'll start to hear certain patterns, like playing the root and dropping down to the 3rd, then climbing up to the 5th in half steps. Or the famous Motown root - 6th -5th type of line. If you play blues, then there are definitely going to be certain lines and cliches that you MUST play, like the root- octave- flat 7th-5th line... just take it slow... don't pressure yourself or use someone elses development as a guide. Everyone develops at their own pace.