Starting out.

[JBCustomBasses]

Hello guys, Ive been playing bass a few months now and am really enjoying, Just got a few issues

I currently own:

A James Johnson (Biffy Clyro) Jazz bass
A CHEAP P-Bass
Ibanez Practice Amp

So here are the questions:

I've ran into £100 What do i need or should buy next?

Keep getting fretting hand cramps while using the J-Bass, Any
ideas how to stop it?

Next bass to buy? ( I think i prefer P-Bass)

Could someone explain Effects pedals to me?

Thanks in Advance, JB

[Kwesi]

Buy nothing and force thoughts of gear out of your head. Practice, practice and practice more until you feel like you have earned a new instrument and by then you will have saved enough money to get some nicer stuff.

And when you finally get to that point the first thing you should upgrade is your amp. The greatest bass in the world will sound like crap through an amp that isn't up to snuff but a good amp can make even the worst of basses sound decent.

Unfortunately, I'm a terrible teacher of technique so it'd be best to take that to the technique forum or check out some youtube vids on bass techniques. Just to drive the point home For now don't think of any gear that might get you to sound better, think of ways for YOU to make you sound better.

[arsie]

Yeah, Kwesi pretty much said everything.

By the looks of things, your amp is the first thing you might wanna change. 100 quid is not going to get you very far, so you might as well save up till you can at least get a 100watt 1x15" or 2x10" combo or amp & cab. Buy used when you can, amps last forever.

Your James Johnson jazz bass is pretty good and will last you for a long long time. Definitely no need to look for an upgrade there anytime soon.

The cramps are very likely from poor position and technique. Like Kwesi said, check out the technique subforum. To add, taking pictures of your hand position will also help people pinpoint your problem.

Do not worry about effects pedals till the need for an effects pedal affects you (need to cover a specific song or band that uses an effect).

[Matthew_84]

I've had issues with my hands when I started out, there's a bunch of hand exercises I do before and after I play.

1) crack my knuckles
2) open my hands wide and then close them into a fist, repeat 20 times
3) extend my arm straight with my palm facing up, then I take my other hand, put it on the tips of my the fingers on my extended arm, and bend the extended arm's wrist down so my fingers are pointing downwards (Do NOT force it though, it's just a stretch, do only what's comfortable). Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat with the other wrist.
4) Repeat step 2
5) Make "the spider on the mirror" with hands, by putting the tip of my fingers (thumb to thumb, index to index, middle to middle, etc.) and slightly push them together for 20 seconds.
6) Repeat step 2
7) Take each individual finger and pull them back in a stretch for about 15- 20 seconds.
8) Repeat step 2
9) Bring one hand up in front of you, about level with your face, with your fingers pointing up and your thumb pointing to your nose; take your other hand and grab the pointing thumb and pull it down so you're bending your wrist down (opposite angle of step 3, and as with step 3, be careful. Don't force it). Hold for 20 seconds and repeat with other wrist.
10) Repeat step 2
11) Interlock your fingers together and extend them so the palms are facing out, then raise them up over your head so they're straight up in the air. This is good for your shoulders as well. Hold for 20 seconds at least. Sometimes I do this one for 40.
12) Repeat step 2.

I know this seems very tedious, but trust me, it's worth it. Your hands get a good stretch and they get warmed up. Doing this with proper technique will help with possible issues of tendinitis and carpel tunnel syndrome. Repeat these after you're done playing too. And trust me, I started doing these a year or two after, and I noticed after a couple of weeks my fingers and hands moved more fluently, quickly, and smoothly.

As for technique, there's some great videos for this on Youtube, and posting some pictures would help us out. Most important thing is to try and keep your wrist straight. If you're doing the floating thumb technique on your plucking hand, put your elbow in a 90 degree angle but sticking it out horizontally from you're body, this should keep your wrist relatively straight, and as you move up and down the strings you simply lift or drop your shoulder with it.

The Fretting hand is a bit different. If you haven't already, hike up your bass by tightening up your strap. You should be plucking around your belly button (I'm even a bit higher), this will drastically help out that wrist. Try to keep your thumb the on center of the back of the neck, and your fingers should arch over the fretboard nicely until they're on the strings. This may be awkward at first, but it will help with speed, eventually none of this will be uncomfortable, it will second nature. But again look on youtube, and try out different positions and find what works best for you, but try to always keep your wrists straight. If they're on a 90 degree bend and you're playing some quick changes then you have a bad technique forming. I can't stress it enough, keep your wrist straight.

As for gear, the only thing that I can recommend to get first is an amp. A lot of people will tell you to play with a light touch, do not smack the strings, but this requires a practice amp of at least 30 watts (I'd say), so that you can turn it up loud enough, while playing softly to jam out with over an ipod.

And another tip for GAS (Gear Acquisition syndrome) is to get off Talkbass. I've been on here since November and since then have spent $2300.00.

[nukes_da_bass]

...And a setup. Technique is imperative (where your thumb is behind the neck) but if you do not have a good setup and the action is half an inch or more above the fingerboard, theres yer cramp mate!

String action should be low enough to play like butta, but not so low everything sounds like fretbuzz.

The amp is good advice too- eventually you want something that will cut through a drumkit- that practice amp wont.

[JBCustomBasses]

Thanks guys , Will take your advice, Any amp recommendations?... The place where we practice has a BIG Marshall bass amp that i use... Is it still somthing i need?.. Would a five string bass be any use? .

Also another Quick question, Could anyone show me a nice blusey bass lick?

Thanks again guys

[Matthew_84]

How often can you use the Marshall amp? If the practice amp is at home, and you play by yourself, then I'd strive for about 30 watts and save up for something bigger for down the road. You should eventually own all of your own gear.

But I'd say for now 30 watts is all you need if you're playing too an ipod. I spent a couple years on a 10 watter, trying to play loud enough over an ipod, where i really had to smack the strings and clank them all over the place trying to play loud enough. It was not good for my technique.

A 5 sting bass is useful to many, not really me, though I see it's use. What's good about is that you can play a song with a dropped tuning without having to re-tune anything, you could play an E Aeolian scale without changing the typical pattern, and you could essentially move your hands five frets closer to you, and rarely have to play the G string, which I haven't played a good G string since that time in Honolulu (Sorry couldn't resist).

But personally, I don't like the idea of 5-strings, just personal preference. All of my favourite bassists get by with 4 strings. And a big consideration when you have a 5 is your amp/rig setup, you need something which can play that low B string well, which isn't an easy task. And personally, I find the low B to be quiet muddy in most recordings I hear, but that could be because of the player's amp. Again just my preference, a lot of people will boast how their 5-string sounds awesome, and to be honest, I've never tried one, but the urge has just never been there.

And as for a good blues lick, there's many other better people to ask is me. Check out Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com, great site!

Good luck

[nukes_da_bass]

this guys doin it just watch this video and the drum machine cant be beat its a human beatbox!

YouTube - 12 bar blues on bass

[hrodbert696]

Don't buy gear just because you have the money. Buy gear when you know what you want and what it's going to do for you. The amp probably is the place to think about upgrading, especially if you're going to play with other people, but as others have said, you're probably best off for now saving that money until you can add to it, and in the meantime hang around music shops and learn more about what different amps can do.

I saw you asked about effects in the effects forum. You can get a cheap multi-effects box for fun. I did that, but after a while I felt like it was basically a toy. I never use it in a band setting any more. Most bass playing is not as effects-heavy as guitar playing. Concentrate on technique.

If you're more comfortable playing your P than your J, then by all means favor your P. The hand cramps are probably a technique issue, so watch what you're doing. It may be that you're letting your hand close in a squeeze too tight because of the J's thinner neck; try to have a natural, open hand position. But others know more about this than I do -- check out ChrisK's site, Chris K | Shakin' the grounds. And +1000 to stretching your hands and wrists out before playing. I was headed toward carpal tunnel, and you'll see a lot of guys talking about the evils of tendonitis. Decent stretching, and good technique, can alleviate that.

[minorthreat]

If the money is burning a hole in your pocket, here are some less expensive items that are quite helpful (really indispensable):
-chromatic tuner
-metronome
-a good, solid stand for the bass you play regularly
-recordings that include your favorite (or soon to be favorite) bass players
-books with scale and chord progressions
-live music
-good set of strings (look for recommendations on TB and elsewhere); can make a huge difference
-basic tools needed to setup your bass (here's a handy guide: http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/)

[JBCustomBasses]

Was thinking about a acoustic bass?.... I have a 30W Amp i discovered... I wouldnt mind a nice acoustic...

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by JBCustomBasses

Was thinking about a acoustic bass?.... I have a 30W Amp i discovered... I wouldnt mind a nice acoustic...

So you have pretty much everyone telling you not to buy MORE basses and another guy that suggested a very useful list of non bass/amp gear that you should look into and you ask if you should buy a bass... really ?

[JBCustomBasses]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

So you have pretty much everyone telling you not to buy MORE basses and another guy that suggested a very useful list of non bass/amp gear that you should look into and you ask if you should buy a bass... really ?

Sorry, Only just noticed that post :L