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Any Advice!?

H

Holiwud

Oct 1, 2008
3
0
#1
So i recently joined a band that only needed a bassist, And I volunteered. Needless to say I had never played bass before, although I am very good at guitar and i also drum. SO we have been jamming for about 6 weeks now and have 6 originals recorded. So just revently we got a gig at a local night club and im just a little stressed about my lack of bass knowledge.

Any advice for a 1st timer? Is it okay to use a pick? I have a crappy $200 yahmaha bass btw.:bassist:
 
#3
Holiwud said:
So i recently joined a band that only needed a bassist, And I volunteered. Needless to say I had never played bass before, although I am very good at guitar and i also drum. SO we have been jamming for about 6 weeks now and have 6 originals recorded. So just revently we got a gig at a local night club and im just a little stressed about my lack of bass knowledge.

Any advice for a 1st timer? Is it okay to use a pick? I have a crappy $200 yahmaha bass btw.:bassist:
Click to expand...

Just do what you do at rehearsal. If it sounds good there then it should sound good at the gig. If you're nervous I'd suggest picturing everyone in their underwear in your mind.

As far as picks go, there's no rules saying you can't so go ahead, Chris Squire did it.
 
#4
picks are a preference (i rarely use em i find they take away some bottom endness and can be too trebly if not eq'd right) but hey its ur tone and ur bass its up to u. regarding the gig, if theres a sound guy u can usually trust him. if not u obviously need to turn up but maintain the volume ratio amongst the instruments. i was nervous at my first gig, but theres nothing like showing ur talent to the public :hyper:
 
#5
Practice alone, rehearse with band, know your songs, and stick with it. Start listening to different bassists and pick out a few you really like(I personally love Myung and Geddy Lee). Find out if they use pics or fingerstyle. That will help you determine which way to go regarding using the pic. I saw that Geddy and Myung use fingers, so I decided that was what I wanted to do. However, I also love the basssist in Tool and he uses pick.
 
#9
All eighth notes all the time.

But seriously, one and three are good beats to play on, but use a leading note or ghost note occasionally, and don't be afraid to syncopate if the spirit moves you. Throw in a walk-up every now and then, perhaps an arpeggio or two, and make sure to end EVERY song with a GIANT glissando sliding down the E string. You'll sound like a pro.
 

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