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A newb in need of advice

Rhysr98

Rhysr98

Oct 9, 2014
11
0
28
#1
Hello Forum,
This is my first thread so lets see how this goes :).
I got gifted a bass guitar for christmas 2 years ago and to be honest I can just tell I am playing it all wrong. I can play some basic songs like Foo Fighters - Everlong for example. Today I tried to play Jamiroquai - Runaway (My favourite bass song), I know this is probably the worst choice for a newbie like me but I wanted to ask a couple of questions about how to play properly.

First off when i play occasionaly my bass makes a noise from the string as if its vibrating against one of the frets. Is this me playing wrong or something wrong with the guitar?

Secondly, I cant reach notes that are far away from me and get kafuffled at changing from string to string. Does this have something to do with the way I'm holding the guitar or is it just me needing to practice more?

Lastly, how did you learn how to play the bass when you first started playing as I'd like to try out some of your ideas

Sorry if this is painful to read but I'd rather finally learn to play properly rather than thinking I can play when in truth I'm awful.

Thanks a bunch,
Rhysr
PS. I understand there is a sticky at the top of the page but there is a lot of information to take in there that I would rather do when I have hours to waste
 
#2
Rhysr98 said:
Hello Forum,
This is my first thread so lets see how this goes :).
I got gifted a bass guitar for christmas 2 years ago and to be honest I can just tell I am playing it all wrong. I can play some basic songs like Foo Fighters - Everlong for example. Today I tried to play Jamiroquai - Runaway (My favourite bass song), I know this is probably the worst choice for a newbie like me but I wanted to ask a couple of questions about how to play properly.

First off when i play occasionaly my bass makes a noise from the string as if its vibrating against one of the frets. Is this me playing wrong or something wrong with the guitar?

Secondly, I cant reach notes that are far away from me and get kafuffled at changing from string to string. Does this have something to do with the way I'm holding the guitar or is it just me needing to practice more?

Lastly, how did you learn how to play the bass when you first started playing as I'd like to try out some of your ideas

Sorry if this is painful to read but I'd rather finally learn to play properly rather than thinking I can play when in truth I'm awful.

Thanks a bunch,
Rhysr
PS. I understand there is a sticky at the top of the page but there is a lot of information to take in there that I would rather do when I have hours to waste
Click to expand...

There are a lot of ways you can go here, and you probably will get a lot of good advice from people here on TB. A structured option for you would be to get a book such as The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Bass Guitar. It will answer all the questions you posed above and a lot more. You may or may not want to learn more about music theory right now, but it is very helpful to learn, and that's in the book too. From the book, you can go on to many other sources of information that will be helpful to you. Of course, if you can get a teacher, that can really help a lot! But not everybody can or wants to do that.

Keep gathering information and keep practicing. It's wise of you to seek out information in the beginning of your journey on bass, before you develop bad habits that can be hard to break.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
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#3
Thanks a lot, will have to see about picking up that book. Unfortunately hiring a teacher isn't an option at the moment due to money hence why I'm trying to train myself. Thanks again, where would I go about learning music theory if you don't mind me asking and I'm guessing the time I put into learning it would be worth it.
 
#4
I'm certainly not a pro and I'm not in anywhere near the league of most on here, but, I have a couple questions for you and then a little of what I, personally, do.

First: Do you play by ear? After reading your post I get the impression you're a "play along" person ( me too! ) and that is both good and bad.

Second: Do you know how to set your bass up? If not I would highly recommend you search and find the excellent info on doing that. It may well be the issue your hearing. If nothing else you could take it in to a local luthier who could dial it in for you and make a new friend along the way.



When learning a more challenging song I like to have a good old fashioned cassette ( I'm a dinosaur ... ) mostly because I can stop, rewind, listen, and try again. More importantly I can break a song down bit by bit, slow it down, and with with a handy metronome app learn the part that's kicking my tail note for note and played correctly. As you become more comfortable just up the speed until you are at the songs correct time sig. You'd be surprised how effective doing that can be. It alleviates a lot of frustration that playing at full speed and fudging notes can bring.

Again I'm not a pro and I'm certain others with a great back ground can give further advice. Good luck on your further bass adventures and welcome to TB!
 
#5
As hard as it may be - if you're serious about playing bass you need to get a tutor. They can show you how to improve week after week and tell you where you're going wrong. If you didn't go, you may never realise you're playing a certain part wrong.
 
#6
Funky Ghost: I'm not going to lie, I kinda just follow the bass tab I'm reading then jam along with the song but I have the amp loud enough that I can hear what I'm playing which in some songs what I'm playing is good and others awful.
Dannybob: My current plan is to learn the basics then hopefully have enough money to pay for a tutor but at the moment being in college without a job, its going to be quite hard.
I appreciate all of the help guys, Thanks a lot.
 
#8
Oh and Funky I don't quite understand what you mean by setting it up, if you mean tuning it then I believe I do but I may be wrong, I just use a normal electric guitar tuner to do it I may be wrong but I believe it has a bass setting on it which I use
 
#10
Hey there, welcome!

Rhysr98 said:
First off when i play occasionaly my bass makes a noise from the string as if its vibrating against one of the frets. Is this me playing wrong or something wrong with the guitar?
Click to expand...

Could be one or the other, or even both. Make sure your fretting finger is close to the fret (the one on which the string sits on), if it is too far you'll start to have fret buzz and you will have to press harder on the string to get a clean note. Your bass may be in need of a good set-up too. Everybody can do it, but I strongly suggest taking your bass to a professional at first. A badly set-up bass can be a major obstacle in your learning!

Rhysr98 said:
Secondly, I cant reach notes that are far away from me and get kafuffled at changing from string to string. Does this have something to do with the way I'm holding the guitar or is it just me needing to practice more?
Click to expand...

Well if you have a bad fretting hand position you will have trouble with some techniques, but keep in mind that string crossing is tricky and definitely requires a lot of practice to get consistently. There are plenty of resources on left hand technique out there.

Rhysr98 said:
Lastly, how did you learn how to play the bass when you first started playing as I'd like to try out some of your ideas
Click to expand...

I picked up a bass and played it for hours every day, basically! I learned and still am learning on my own. My two cents: just try to have fun and play every day, even if it's for 15 minutes.
 
Last edited:
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#11
Rhysr98 said:
Most of the videos I've seen Mark don't seem to help me if I'm honest.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised to hear this. IMO, Youtube is a game-changer. When I learned in the '80s, I had to screw up my wrists before I realized I should take lessons -- there was no free/cheap option like Youtube.

Try the following list. I'm sure you'll find some helpful tips. Most important thing is to not develop bad habits which will lead to tendinitis/carpal tunnel issues, so I'd focus on the clips that specifically address how not to hurt yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bass techniques for beginners
 
#12
Without seeing either your bass, or you playing, it's hard to give advice, but:

1. If it is hard to play, take the bass to a guitar shop and see if a setup is needed - or look here and youtube for information on doing that. "Setup" means:
- height of strings - the closer the strings are to the fretboard, the easier it is to play, but too low results in string buzz against the frets
- intonation - the bridge (where the strings end on the body of the bass) can be adjusted for fine tuning
- truss rod - there is a steel rod inside the neck to keep the neck straight under the tension of the strings, or the neck would look like a bow to shoot arrows

All these can be adjusted to make the bass easier to play, and sound better

2. If nothing else, talk to friends who play guitar or bass, who can give you an idea if there are issues with your technique.

But youtube is a wonderful thing for lessons. Take an evening and search it out. Not as good as in person lessons, but a great way to learn.
 
#13
Thanks Jarobi, To be honest I play the note in the middle of the two frets and it sounds just like a buzz like you said so that's probably my fault. I wish I could play my bass for hours every day like you did but I get frustrated with myself (not in an angry why in like a "damn" way) therefore put it down for a bit.
 
#14
Rhysr98 said:
Oh and Funky I don't quite understand what you mean by setting it up, if you mean tuning it then I believe I do but I may be wrong, I just use a normal electric guitar tuner to do it I may be wrong but I believe it has a bass setting on it which I use
Click to expand...

No he's not talking about tuning. A bass, like every instrument, needs to be set up to provide playing comfort, good intonation and desired tone: strings height, pickup(s) height, truss rod adjustment, saddles height/position.
 
#16
squidtastic said:
I'm surprised to hear this. IMO, Youtube is a game-changer. When I learned in the '80s, I had to screw up my wrists before I realized I should take lessons -- there was no free/cheap options like Youtube.

Try the following list. I'm sure you'll find some helpful tips. Most important thing is to not develop bad habits which will lead to tendinitis/carpal tunnel issues, so I'd focus on the clips that specifically address how not to hurt yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bass techniques for beginners
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link mate.
I think I'll take the bass to a shop on the weekend and get a hand with setting it up etc. No point in me wasting my time trying to play it if it isn't even setup properly lol
 

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