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Beginner Lessons for the Advanced Bassist

Baird6869

Baird6869

Feb 16, 2007
16,717
5,037
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
#1
Fellow TBers....

I need some advice.:)

I have been playing bass for over 20 years (played guitar for 10 years before that).

I am self taught and consider myself to be an advanced bassist. I consider myself an advanced bassist only because I have a good ear and can play almost anything if I take the time. I am in 2 gigging bands and play everything from blues to metal to reggae to funk, etc.

I am happy gigging and learning new stuff from ear or using a bit of TAB but I am starting to feel that I am hitting a wall. I really don't think I can progress any more as a bassist. This is due to me not being able to read music or having even a basic comcept of musical theory.

So, my question is this.... as a 39 year old guy that can play the bass pretty well, does it make sense to find a good music teacher and learn "Bass 101"?

I am starting to play with more technical musicians and it is frustrating when asked to play a flat 7th or whatever and not have a clue what they mean. Ask me to play a Bb or F# or any note, I can play it immediately (I am also good at following guitards as I know visually what the chords are) but theory-wise, I am out to lunch.

Lastly, I have no desire to quit my day job and try to be a rock star. I play for fun and just want to take my playing to the next level.

Thanks!
 
#2
You've answered your own question, take the time to learn some theory. There are so many free places online and you can even go to your local bookstore or guitar shop and buy books on bass theory.

It really will help your playing to a level you didn't even imagine.
 
#3
justincest said:
You've answered your own question, take the time to learn some theory. There are so many free places online and you can even go to your local bookstore or guitar shop and buy books on bass theory.

It really will help your playing to a level you didn't even imagine.
Click to expand...

That is a good point I forgot to add.

Just buying a few theory books is another option but I like the structure and regularity of lessons potentially.
 
#7
Lessons aren't that expensive especially if you're just looking for music theory. I'm not sure if this will apply for you (since I've been playing for under a year), but you learn a lot from learning the theory. It can be a little daunting at first, but being able to look at a piece of music and come up with a walking bass line for it is very satisfying. I'm sure if you can already play bass very well then it shouldn't take you very long to get you to that level. It's rewarding to be taught by an actual human by the way. It doesn't really even need to be somebody who can play bass too well.
 
#8
Baird6869 said:
Fellow TBers....
So, my question is this.... as a 39 year old guy that can play the bass pretty well, does it make sense to find a good music teacher and learn "Bass 101"?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but apart from the fact that I'm 40:hiding:, I'm in a very similar situation. I have always played by ear and I'm coming to the realisation that I need to learn some theory too...
Are there any books in particular any of you guys would recommend?
Cheers,
Jan
 
#9
Someone here on TB turned me on to www.musictheory.net a few weeks ago. Organized really well with exercises for interval training, forming chords, recognizing keys, etc. Also, great thing about this site is that you can download the whole site so that it runs on your PC without being connected to the internet. So you can take it anywhere on your laptop.
You're not alone brothers, I'm 42. Us old guys need to keep our minds sharp, so let's go!!!

BTW/ just remembered another site:
www.teoria.com
 
#10
Hey there is nothing wrong with 40!! I just turned and I also just started playing bass. The only other thing I have played is the bagpipes and I to am learning theory. A teacher is the best but I use 3 things. The studybass.com site is good, I also bought the idoits book for theory it go over stuff in laymans terms and has a cd to go with it, and then of course my teacher.
 
#12
Hey I'm in the same boat. I'm 38 and started playing bass a few years ago in church as noboday wanted to play the bass. They had an amp, and I bought a MIM P-Bass and it was off to the races. I had played the guitar for 15+ years so I could at least play the root notes. I then started running into the same stuff "...hey man, that's a dominant 7th there, not a major 7th..." and I was left standing looking stupid.

So I purchased the "Idiot's Guide to Playing Bass Guitar", available in almost any Border's. It was great as it was STRUCTURED and it really got you through the basics.

The coolest thing about it was that it seemed to explain what "freedoms" you had inside various chord structures or progressions and focused on hooking all that up into a "bass line". In a couple of weeks I knew my triads, inversions, etc and was really humming along. I still split time to my 6 string so my bass improvisation isn't super, but if I sit down and commit to arranging my "own" bass line to a song I can usually come up with a good one.

Sorry to ramble, but there are options for you and it won't take you long to get the basics.

Enjoy!!
 
#13
Hi man, I’m in exactly the same boat. I’m 39 and after playing since high school, I just started lessons.
The big advantage to me is that having a teacher keeps me from rushing through the stuff “I think” I already know. Also, it helps to have the accountability of having to nail my lesson by next week instead of glancing through a book for ten minutes and then launching into a Led Zeppelin medley for an hour and a half.
My first lesson started with him asking me if I knew my open strings, and I thought, boy, this is going to be a long road. But it is very very cool to start learning the Whys and Hows of all the stuff I’ve been doing for twenty years. I’m having a lot of fun. Just find a teacher that understands what you are looking to achieve, and knows how to teach an adult.
 
#16
I'm 30, pretty much in the same boat, and when I started learning more theory I found myself slacking a bit when I tried to apply it just to bass. I'm just too much of a jammer when it comes to playing bass, and I'd end up listening, improvising, etc., instead of reading and paying attention.

I decided to take piano lessons instead, and it's helped tremendously, as I have to pay attention more because I don't have the physical knowledge of the instrument. So that's another direction that you might want to check out.
 
#17
There are all levels of teachers if you do have that strong of a background then get a teacher at the appropriate level. Even great players will take a lesson with a Master now and then for critique and new ideas.

Also watch out the the common pot hole experienced self taught or ear players fall into. Even though your playing is advanced your musical knowledge is like Swiss cheese and full of holes. Accept you have to fill in a lot hole in order to get to theory that matches your playing level. Many get frustrated because they are crawling at a theory level, and many quit. Those tend to be the ones posting who need theory, or knowing what your doing will kill your creativity and other lame old wife's tales. Hang in there a good teacher will be able to balance your lessons with some theory and some advanced bass technique or creativity work.

I've been playing bass and guitar since the 60's and still like to take a few lessons now and then when I find a really good player, teacher, or a master level teacher. It all about getting new ideas, different point of view, or inspiration.
 
#18
Baird6869 said:
Fellow TBers....

I need some advice.:)

I have been playing bass for over 20 years (played guitar for 10 years before that).

I am self taught and consider myself to be an advanced bassist. I consider myself an advanced bassist only because I have a good ear and can play almost anything if I take the time. I am in 2 gigging bands and play everything from blues to metal to reggae to funk, etc.

I am happy gigging and learning new stuff from ear or using a bit of TAB but I am starting to feel that I am hitting a wall. I really don't think I can progress any more as a bassist. This is due to me not being able to read music or having even a basic comcept of musical theory.

So, my question is this.... as a 39 year old guy that can play the bass pretty well, does it make sense to find a good music teacher and learn "Bass 101"?

I am starting to play with more technical musicians and it is frustrating when asked to play a flat 7th or whatever and not have a clue what they mean. Ask me to play a Bb or F# or any note, I can play it immediately (I am also good at following guitards as I know visually what the chords are) but theory-wise, I am out to lunch.

Lastly, I have no desire to quit my day job and try to be a rock star. I play for fun and just want to take my playing to the next level.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

With all due respect, and I am saying this because it all goes to how you look at the situation, you really can't consider yourself an advanced musician, bass player or other, if you don't have at least a working concept of theory. If you aren't able to progress you are limited.

Learn some relative theory, get some lessons if you can. If you do get some lessons make sure you get a teacher who is going to teach you about diatonic harmony and not just a bunch of scales and modes without explaining the context.

I have taught a lot of older players, and ones that have been playing for a while. The truth is that being older and learning theory has a lot of advantages since you already have some vague understandings of shapes and how things sound. I have also found that older more advanced students tend to practice more because they understand why they are learning certain things once they realise that not knowing them limits them as players. You will probably find yourself having those "ahhh" moments fairly quickly.
 
#19
mutedeity said:
With all due respect, and I am saying this because it all goes to how you look at the situation, you really can't consider yourself and advanced musician, bass player or other, if you don't have at least a working concept of theory. If you aren't able to progress you are limited.

Learn some relative theory, get some lessons if you can. If you do get some lessons make sure you get a teacher who is going to teach you about diatonic harmony and not just a bunch of scales and modes without explaining the context.

I have taught a lot of older players, and ones that have been playing for a while. The truth is that being older and learning theory has a lot of advantages since you already have some vague understandings of shapes and how things sound. I have also found that older more advanced students tend to practice more because they understand why they are learning certain things once they realise that not knowing them limits them as players. You will probably find yourself having those "ahhh" moments fairly quickly.
Click to expand...

Ooooh. Not good.

I call bullcrap on this.

You can be a very advanced musican and not know theory by the book.

I however, do not fit that mold. I need to learn to get better.

It just depends on how you want to measure I guess. I have had the pleasure of listening to and playing with very advanced musicians who don't know theory per se but can play phenomenally.

That's what it's all about, isn't it?

:D

Joe.
 
#20
Lowtonejoe said:
Ooooh. Not good.

I call bullcrap on this.

You can be a very advanced musican and not know theory by the book.

I however, do not fit that mold. I need to learn to get better.

It just depends on how you want to measure I guess. I have had the pleasure of listening to and playing with very advanced musicians who don't know theory per se but can play phenomenally.

That's what it's all about, isn't it?

:D

Joe.
Click to expand...

So really, given that you, by your own admission "do not fit that mold", how is it that you think you can "Bullcrap" on something that is said by someone with the benefit of the knowledge you lack?
 

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