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another new guy.....hello

R

rlt4life

Mar 18, 2011
6
0
#1
hello, my name is rick. I am almost 44 years old and have now decided that I want to learn how to play bass guitar. I have never played an instrument before so I know it is not going to be easy, but I really want to learn. I just bought a new bass today (a fender squier jazz bass). it came in a kit with bag,electronic tuner and a fender amp.I have musical experience (chorus back in high school) so i can read a little music. Now to my question.... what should I start learning first, how to pluck-pick-finger the strings or just start watching how to videos on youtube. Any and all comments and help will be greatly appreciated thanks.
 
#2
Hi Rick, I started to learn bass at 40 and your right, it's not easy. I'd recommend getting the Hal Leonard Bass Method book. It starts you out learning the notes on the strings and goes from there. I'd also recommend getting a qualified bass instructor to help you out. You'll also finds tons and tons of info on here on all aspects of the bass and bass playing. And if you ever have a question, there are plenty of qualified people on TB to answer it. And don't forget to practice. Welcome to the world of bass.
 
#3
Put the bass and amp somewhere where it's very much in view. Make a rule that when you go in or out of the room, you are to pick up the thing and just fiddle with it. It doesn't have to sound great - that's not the point. Just get used to picking it up and doodling. this of course isn't an ironclad rule.. If you're late for work, or the other half beckons... Well....

Anyway, if you get used to picking it up, it will become a habit to do so, and you're much more likely to get through the first few months where everything you try to play "sounds" like it "should" be easy, yet seems so hard.
 
#4
thanks guys. I've been sitting here the last couple hours just plucking the strings and trying to get it to "feel good" in my hands. One thing I seem to be having trouble with is where to "rest" my arm, or am I not supposed to do that. And where is the most common place to pluck strings, keep in mind that I don't know exactly what each part is called ie bridge, pickups etc.
 
#5
rlt4life said:
And where is the most common place to pluck strings, keep in mind that I don't know exactly what each part is called ie bridge, pickups etc.
Click to expand...

Well I, like alot of other people rest my thumb on the neck pick-up, that being the pick-up closest to the neck, and play the strings between the two pick-ups. This is not the only way to play but it's what feels most comfortable to me. Other people will chime in what works for them. You just have to try different positions and decide what works best for you. The good thing about an instructor is that he'll work with you to develop good habits that otherwise may cause pain or discomfort later. Good luck.
 
#7
rlt4life said:
thanks guys. I've been sitting here the last couple hours just plucking the strings and trying to get it to "feel good" in my hands. One thing I seem to be having trouble with is where to "rest" my arm, or am I not supposed to do that. And where is the most common place to pluck strings, keep in mind that I don't know exactly what each part is called ie bridge, pickups etc.
Click to expand...

Did your kit come with a strap? That'll be your key to figuring out "your" hand & arm positions when you play while standing up.
Dont worry about resting your arm-be comfortable. That'll make you keep wanting to come back & play more often.

Parts of the bass,
Bridge= metal piece at the "bottom" of the bass where the strings are anchored
Pickup(s)=located between the bridge and neck under the strings-usually black in color, often with silver dots under the strings. The dots are magnets that pick up the vibrations of the metal strings. Even if the pickup(s) is/are solid black, there are still magnets hidden under the plastic.
tuners=large "keys" or knobs at the end of the neck-turning them in one direction or the other allows you to tune the strings to correct pitch
frets= strips of wire laid across the neck-the frets define the actual notes on each string

Welcome to the low end of the musical pool and dont be afraid to ask more questions. :D
 
#8
neurotictim said:
I would humbly suggest finding an instructor. I don't care how old a person is when they pick up an instrument, if you have little or no musical background you can't go wrong with a good instructor.

Even if it's only for a few months to teach you good technique and a basic understanding of theory, I think it's the best way to start out.
Click to expand...

+1 and start with plucking technique. The left hand will work itself out on its own (for the most part) but you need to practice a lot plucking to get a nice round sound. By round, I mean a sound with even volume and no gaps between the notes. Even if you want a punchier sound (these terms are a bit silly, huh?), I strongly advise you to work on round first.
 
#11
colcifer said:
+1 and start with plucking technique. The left hand will work itself out on its own (for the most part) but you need to practice a lot plucking to get a nice round sound. By round, I mean a sound with even volume and no gaps between the notes. Even if you want a punchier sound (these terms are a bit silly, huh?), I strongly advise you to work on round first.
Click to expand...

I wish YOU were my teacher years ago.
 
#13
My advice is to work on your technique before you tackle anything else. If you get this right at the start, you will avoid having to "unlearn" any bad habits later on. Plus, it will pay dividends from a physical aspect, as you will avoid possible hand/wrist problems. A teacher would be best for this, but in the meantime, here are some links on R/H and L/H technique to get you started.

Best of luck with it. :bassist:

R/H :

YouTube - Todd Johnson Bass Guitar : Floating thumb technique



L/H:

YouTube - Beginner Bass Guitar Lesson: Left Hand Technique
 
#14
My advice:

On days you don't really "feel" it. Pick it up anyway and just pluck on it. Learn what notes sound like and where they are. Use this time to build hand and arm strength/stamina. Practice technique constantly. No matter what you are trying to learn from a book/youtube/video, remain concious of your technique. It's more important to make sure you're in the right position then actually hitting the notes and keeping on time. Eventually, correct technique will become second nature and you won't have to think about it. Then, learning everything else will come slightly easier.

When plucking around and learning what sounds are made where on the bass will help you later on as you begin to learn theory. This also is the first step to learning to play by ear. A good bass player is someone who can keep time, keep in key and knows their place in music. Fancy speed playing is respectable talent, but is generally pretty worthless in music. Focus your effort on simple rythms, technique and theory. That will take you further in this hobby then "NAMM style" bass playing.
 
#15
Plays_For_Dog said:
My advice:

On days you don't really "feel" it. Pick it up anyway and just pluck on it. Learn what notes sound like and where they are. Use this time to build hand and arm strength/stamina. Practice technique constantly. No matter what you are trying to learn from a book/youtube/video, remain concious of your technique. It's more important to make sure you're in the right position then actually hitting the notes and keeping on time. Eventually, correct technique will become second nature and you won't have to think about it. Then, learning everything else will come slightly easier.

When plucking around and learning what sounds are made where on the bass will help you later on as you begin to learn theory. This also is the first step to learning to play by ear. A good bass player is someone who can keep time, keep in key and knows their place in music. Fancy speed playing is respectable talent, but is generally pretty worthless in music. Focus your effort on simple rythms, technique and theory. That will take you further in this hobby then "NAMM style" bass playing.
Click to expand...

+1 to this.

I also agree about speed. Often, noobies concentrate on this, and become frustrated when it does not work out. The tip here is to practice slowly, then build up the speed gradually.
 
#16
I am 40, and started playing about 9 mos ago.

I would strongly suggest at least getting a few lessons even if you don't want the long term commitment. A lot of the time you won't know you're doing something wrong, and at least for me, having someone explain concepts is easier than just going out of a book. I am much further along than I would've been otherwise.

+1 on practicing at least a little every day. This will also help build your stamina etc. I am in pretty good shape, and it took a good month or so to get where my left hand and back weren't killing me after 30 min. I suggest learning good warmups and stretching excercises. The bass can be hard on us old farts!

It will be frustrating at times, but it is an awesome feeling when you have the little breakthroughs and something clicks.

Good Luck!
 
#17
Download a chart and learn the notes on the fretboard. As mentioned earlier Hal Leonard Bass Method will help alot. If you get bored find a few easy songs to play and put 'em on your ipod or computer and play along with them. Playing Blue Jean Blues by ZZ Top and Low by Cracker always boosted my confidence when I first started. If that's not your style of music I'm sure others can suggest some easy songs that you'd like to play along with.
 
#18
There is enough free stuff on the Internet to get you started. I always discount what they say about
if you teach yourself your instructor does not know what he is doing.
roflmao.gif
OK what do you need?
Print this off.
Link Removed

Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com is a friend, start on the first screen and take it one step at a time.
http://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-chord-patterns/
http://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-chord-patterns/one-octave-major-triad/exercises/

Look this over and ask specific questions.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f22/notes-fretboard-cheaters-673210/index2.html#post9372867

Go get some fake chord sheet music on some of your favorite songs and see what you can do. Ask specific questions, someone will always answer. Get some generic bass lines into muscle memory take them to your fake chord sheet music and make some noise.

Bass Patterns based upon the Major Scale box.

Major Scale Box.

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Basic Chords
Major Triad = R-3-5
Minor Triad = R-b3-5
Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5-b7

7th Chords
Maj7 = R-3-5-7
Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7 Harmonic minor and melodic minor will use the full bb7

Scales
Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6
Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7
Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7
Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7
Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7
Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7
Melodic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-6-7

Major modes
Ionian same as the Major Scale.
Lydian use the major scale and sharp the 4 - yes, it’s that simple.
Mixolydian use the major scale and flat the 7.

Minor Modes
Aeolian same as the Natural Minor scale.
Dorian use the Natural Minor scale and sharp the b6 back to a natural 6.
Phrygian use the Natural Minor scale and flat the 2.
Locrian use the Natural Minor scale and flat the 2 and the 5.

Generic Notes.
The root, five and eight are generic and fit most any chord. Remember the diminished has a flatted 5.
The 3 is generic to all major chords.
The b3 is generic to all minor chords.
The 7 is generic to all maj7 chords.
The b7 is generic to all dominant seventh and minor seventh chords.
The 6 is neutral and adds color, help yourself to 6’s.
The 2 and 4 make good passing notes. Don’t linger on them or stop on them, keep them passing.
In making your bass line help yourself to those notes, just use them correctly.
Roots, fives, eights and the correct 3 will play a lot of bass. So R-3-5-8 will let you play a lot of bass.
Start with just roots and change roots as the chord change in the progression, then move to R-5-R-5, when that get comfortable you will know what else to add by then.
Click to expand...

I think it helps to have the big picture of what you are working toward. One year from now........ F#m7b5 not a step for a stepper. R-b3-b5-b7 put the R on the F# note and work the box.

Good luck and welcome.
 

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