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Yeah, but there's a certain amount of stuff a new player needs to get down, before they start trying to jam so they don't go messing it up for everybody else. He should at least be solid on some basic tunes before doing that. Once he shows he can be solid, the group will teach him the rest. He can't show up and be all tentative. Everyone hates that in a bass player. Confidence is way more important than playing certain notes.
My opinion anyway.
s0c9
Supporting Member
I haven't read the entire thread, and if it hasn't been mentioned before -
time to join a band.
That will stretch you and give you direction and goals..
then you can jam when you can work with others..
time to join a band.
That will stretch you and give you direction and goals..
then you can jam when you can work with others..
Yes.Are you playing polka or country?
Hahahaha! I'm glad this got funny.
Yes, once I can "play along" I'll be joining my wife's acoustic band. (If they'll have me)
Yes, once I can "play along" I'll be joining my wife's acoustic band. (If they'll have me)
I'm still learning too, every day. I practiced about 15 hrs this week so far.
I did the math a while back and I gigged something like 3,000 nights or >12,000 live sets. Back in the day we worked 5 - 6 nights/week & 4 - 5 sets/night.
I am improving at 61 - faster than ever. Understand more theory and have much better ears.
Jazz taught me a lot. If I would recommend anything, it's learn standards, chords, how they relate to each other and of course... Improvisation! Have fun and good luck.
I have a cool "Jazz Funk Soul Radio" station on Pandora
I also have Jaco, Victor Wooten, & Brian Bromberg but that stuff gets frustrating...In a good way.
Hmm, your wife plays guitar? So you are learning songs on your own and bass from your teacher; now it is time to learn how to play with a guitar player by jamming with her.
Step 1; have her play a simpler song that you don't know.
Step 2; play along with her by copying what her lowest note is doing and then try to make it musical.
Step 3; if you feel successful at this, she can play a slightly more complex song and rinse/repeat.
Step 4; if at any time you get stuck or have trouble playing parts that sound like developing basslines, bring the song into your teacher and ask how to bridge the gap.
Reminders: music IS a language, as some have said earlier (the opera analogy was perfect and I'm gonna steal). Therefore you should learn to 'talk' to your wife. It is A-OK if you are using baby-talk at first!
You like Pantera? Dimebag Darrell's technique for writing guitar harmonies was "dick around with the notes and move your fingers up a few frets until it sounds good". You can give yourself permission to do the same when trying to figure out how to make basslines fit the music.
stop practicing scales and all that baloney immediately. go join 4 bands off craigslist and start rehearsing and writing music and jamming with them.
then practice along with recordings of bass heros of yours copping licks and learning how to groove, rock, etc.
you can do the noodly scale stuff later
then practice along with recordings of bass heros of yours copping licks and learning how to groove, rock, etc.
you can do the noodly scale stuff later
You're gonna be fine then. Of course you're underwhelmed if that's what you like! But I'm a big believer in shooting for the stars; even if you don't leave the solar system you'll still get some good altitude in the attempt
You should emphasize to us what your instructor does with you. It doesn't sound any good if he just asks what you want to do. I'm a teacher myself and I always come to a lesson with something that is going to challenge the student. I spend about half the lessons having students warm up, tune, play scales from memory, play technically challenging etudes, and then the other half of the lesson working on songs they want to learn. And those songs are not easy; it always had to be something that pushes an ability they have yet to improve.
Sorry, that's exactly what he does. It's the "other half of the lesson working on songs they want to learn" There's too many darn songs out there. I need to carry a notepad or something.
(I just sent him a text to see if he can come by tonight)
p.s. He's not a computer guy but he's familiar with TB, thinks it's great and has friends here.
My instructor's in the school of learning the hard stuff, not...
--------------------------------------------------------------
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--3-----3-----3-----3----0--2--3-----3------3-----3----0--2-
-----3-----3-----3-----3----------3------3-----3------3------
That example made me laugh! Pretty funny.
Where to go from there is learn some of the AMAZING Jeff Ament bass lines to those songs.
Music lessons are not something you justify the cost as in can you make your money back or break even. Professional athletes still need coaches. Many of your favourite professional musicians have a teacher 'on retainer' so to speak, to at least to bounce ideas off.
If it was me I'd ask to play some famous riffs. Stranglehold. Iron Man. Walking on the Moon. The list goes on and on. From there you can decide which ones are best to try to learn the whole song or not.
Look at any one of the '____ favourite bassist' or 'best bassist for ___' or 'great bassists that do ____' that are scattered all over TB. You are going to find the same names over and over.
Bootsy
Connorford
Lemmy
Jaco
Geezer
McCartney
again, the list goes on and on. Learn something from each of them in your future lessons. have him analyze for you what you're stronger at or not. Some songs I play fingered that I know were originally played picked. Others vice versa. Maybe you were made to be a riff rocker and not practicing pick technique you'd never know. Lemmy & Geezer would cure you of that for sure.
He's just a little passive aggressive about it. I miss old Jeff.
Tell the teacher you want to be able to play a bass line to a drum beat; With a few chord changes so my guitar friends can improvise over me?
Not every Bass player or musician spends a lot of time listening to music in their spare time, So I understand when you have no idea what songs etc** to learn.
Playing 1-3-4 block pentatonic scales over and over won't get you anywhere....So ask you're teacher how to come up with grooves and play within a band setting OR you can pick a difficult
song and even if it takes you until the end of the year to master it, open that guitar software program or TAB/CD and tackle that song every day...After 6 weeks...you will be happy
Not every Bass player or musician spends a lot of time listening to music in their spare time, So I understand when you have no idea what songs etc** to learn.
Playing 1-3-4 block pentatonic scales over and over won't get you anywhere....So ask you're teacher how to come up with grooves and play within a band setting OR you can pick a difficult
song and even if it takes you until the end of the year to master it, open that guitar software program or TAB/CD and tackle that song every day...After 6 weeks...you will be happy
Next time, don't decline. Play. Let me edit a little bit. I assume your friend is fairly competent at the guitar. Have him guide you along the roots and chord changes. The root just means the actual note of the chord. Once you get his rhythm, you can start doing other things. But have him guide you along. He knows you aren't a pro. Besides, if you're just at his place, you might as well take the opportunity to play with other people, which is what the bass is for, and which will be really helpful in learning how to listen to your future bandmates. I know. It sucks not knowing what you're doing when everybody else seems to be a whiz, but that's how you learn, and how you're spurred to get better.I knew that was going to be the first reply
I want to keep having fun and if someone asks me if I want to play along with them I want to be able to. Last weekend at my friend's house he asked if I wanted to play and I declined cuz I didn't know what to do.
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I spend a LOT of time listening to music.....My problem is that I like an enormous amount of what I listen to and when asked what I'd like to learn I go completely blank and am reduced to blurting "EVERYTHING!"
