As a complete beginner, I need lots of help regarding everything help

[Tori]

I just learning bass and by just started I mean like a week ago. I don't understand practically everything. I've been watching and reading lots of things to try to understand but people keep talking in terms that I don't know. So here are some big questions I have.

1. HEADPHONES - these are important to me bc I mostly have time to practice at night. For headphones, I know I can plug it into an amp, but is there a way to have the music from my computer play while I'm playing the bass? I want to play along to the music but if my headphones are on then I can't hear it.

2. What is a DI box and why do I need it? Or do I? I don't really understand

3. How would you record? I'm the type of person who likes to go back on what I did and fix it so I would like to record my bass audio. Would I just stick a mic in front of my amp? What program should I use?

4. I'm getting tons of fret buzz. I know it has something to do with the action but can someone explain in greater detail what I should do...

5. Ways to produce a clearer sound please. When I switch from frets, the noises of me going up and down the strings are really loud. Also, when I press down the clicky noise is really noticeable. I know I need to practice but are there any ways to make a clearer sound?

6. What kind of equipment does a bass player usually have? I'm not saying I'm going to buy these anytime soon, but it would nice to know what a standard bass player has.

7. Slap bass is so cool. How.

Please explain everything, including terms that you're using bc I am a noob and I don't understand quite a lot. If you could help shed some light I would be so grateful! Thanks!

EDIT

Wow ! You guys are all so helpful, a bit background into why I haven't gotten a teacher and why I'm hesitant as to setting up the bass. 1) I need to save up money for multiple reasons. 2) I'm more in the experimental stage, my uncle is a music teacher and therefore I borrowed his bass to try it out. I always thought bass players were really cool so I wanted to try it out and so far its really fun (with the simple things my uncle has taught me).

Since the bass isnt mine, I would rather not mess with it too much. Even though my uncle is a music teacher, he's more piano kind of person and his bass is just part of his multitudes of instruments that he owns. I don't think he knows how to play that much other than simple things.

Ive looked up things multiple times before I wrote this thread BC i couldnt find clear answers on them. Usually the answers I get are filled with words I don't understand or long videos. I made this thread bc I needed a concise answer!

And thank you so much! You guys are helping so much, I know I'm a newbie. As for the slap bass, yeah, I know I know I'm going to need to practice. Anyways, if anyone else has stuff to add go ahead.
But wow seriously so helpful thanks you guys even gave me links

Also now I'm curious as to what "bad habits" I should avoid. Thoughts?

 

[Art Araya]

You need a teacher.

 

[Baird6869]

Use the search function. TONS of info regarding every item above.

 

[devinp17]

I'm just gonna let others chime in for the rest of the questions, as they would probably know more than me... But for question #5, I would suggest getting some flatwound strings. They will really help with that, but you might not like the sound of them.

 

[ZenG]

It sounds like you just bought your bass......and...it has roundwounds on it...and.....maybe it hasn't had a good "setup" yet.

Roundwounds make fingernoise............and "clicky" on the frets...especially if the guitar is straight from the factory and hasn't been correctly adjusted and the strings are sloppy.

Where I live the music stores do the setup for free when you buy a bass.

"Flatwound" strings cut way down on finger slide noise...almost non-existent.......but it may not be the best style of string for you if you want to get slap-happy.....

 

[hookgrip]

I had the same question a few months ago so I'll take a stab at question #1: I bought myself a Rumble 15 practice amp. It has three jacks- one for your bass, one for your headphones, and an aux jack that you can plug your iPod into. You can play music through your amp at the same time that you play your bass. If you use headphones, both the music and the bass will be heard in your headphones.

As for the fret buzz, you have to place your finger as close to the fret as possible. Like almost literally on top of it, but not spilling over into the next space. It will take practice to get this just right.

 

[ptleftybass]

1. Get a teacher. (Try not to develop bad habits)
2. Get your bass set up.

 

[ZenG]

Question #6:-

Just like snowflakes, no two bass players are exactly alike.............don't go by what others own or you'll be spending thousands of dollars needlessly.......

A bass and an amp is all you need to start with.....headphones if you want to play without bothering anybody........metronome or timing device...........if you can afford a teacher, great.....if you can't there's loads of free advice and lessons on YouTube.......(some better than others)..............

 

[northpaul]

Best tip is get a teacher. Bad habits are hard to break. If you can't afford one or whatever, make sure your left hand fingers are curved (no buckling joints) and that your pinky isn't flying all over the place. Use youtube and look for guys who talk about technique.

 

[BazzTard]

all your questions can be answered in a one hour session.......on the INTERNET. Sounds like you need to start at lesson 1.01 .

Seriously. "Slap bass is so cool. How." ? and you expect to be taught how to slap? well, you slap, then you pop.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

2. What is a DI box and why do I need it? Or do I? I don't really understand

In simple terms, it takes the signal from your instrument and converts it to one more usable by a recording device or PA system. The two practical uses are:

1. Use instead of an amp/mic for recording
2. Use to send your signal to the PA system for live playing

3. How would you record? I'm the type of person who likes to go back on what I did and fix it so I would like to record my bass audio. Would I just stick a mic in front of my amp?

Here's where the DI comes into play. It's much easier to record bass using that rather than an amp and mic. But before you buy one, check your amp. There's a good chance it has one built in. Look for a jack that looks like this:

6. What kind of equipment does a bass player usually have? I'm not saying I'm going to buy these anytime soon, but it would nice to know what a standard bass player has.

Mainly you just need a bass, an amp, a strap, a tuner, and a couple of cables. Everything else is gravy. Having spare strings around is never a bad thing, either.

For questions 4, 5, and 7, I agree that you should get a teacher.

 

[96tbird]

YouTube HAS TO HAVE lessons with tips for beginners. I just checked, yep there's lots. Next best to a live teacher.

Get a setup done by a pro. It's important that you're not hurting your hand too much. I've bought lots of stuff from people that quit because it hurt to play bass. They tried because they thought 4 strings would be easy. It isn't. Persist Tori!

A DI is a box you plug a instrument cable into and it matches the electric music signal to the needs of a sound mixing console. It brings it to the same electronic levels as microphones are so it doesn't distort. You don't need one until you play live into a PA or a recording console.
There's a couple of answers. Keep at it.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

Oh, and you'll need a cable like this to get from the DI to the computer:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[NightCat]

As for #1. I'd keep it simple and use the Vox Amplug. I use it with my phone. Plugs right into your bass and any halfway decent headphones will do.

 

[AciDBatH666]

You kind of opened a can of worms here, but since I've got nothing really to do I'll chime in on each one.
For future reference, use the search for each of these. This forum is chocked full of information that's pretty easy to search through. Coming in and saying "Please explain everything!" is like me walking up to a neurosurgeon and asking "Hey, how does the nervous system, brain, spinal cord, and periperal nerves all work? Like EVERYTHING... Just type it all out for me bro."

1. HEADPHONES - these are important to me bc I mostly have time to practice at night. For headphones, I know I can plug it into an amp, but is there a way to have the music from my computer play while I'm playing the bass? I want to play along to the music but if my headphones are on then I can't hear it.
I had a VOX unit that I used to use. It worked pretty awesome till it sort of fell apart. They're about $40-50 and will allow you to plug any audio device into it to play along with, and then plug into your bass. Works pretty well for practicing. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/vox-amplug-bass-headphone-amp

2. What is a DI box and why do I need it? Or do I? I don't really understand
DI is a term for "DIRECT OUT". A lot of amps have DI outputs on the amp itself, some higher end pedals have them. It takes an XLR cable (Microphone cable), and goes into whatever device you've got.

3. How would you record? I'm the type of person who likes to go back on what I did and fix it so I would like to record my bass audio. Would I just stick a mic in front of my amp? What program should I use?
I record with a Presonus USB Interface ( http://www.presonus.com/products/AudioBox-USB ) , it's about $150 and comes with Studio One. It'll allow you to record tracks individually, and make some edits to them. For the price, it's a great interface. I make youtube videos with mine and then sync the video with the DI'd audio.

4. I'm getting tons of fret buzz. I know it has something to do with the action but can someone explain in greater detail what I should do...
Fret buzz means that your action is too low. If it's buzzing below the 6th fret, I believe the truss rod needs adjustment. If it's above the 6th, you should look at the bridge height adjustment (I could have that backwards, or wrong).... Setting up a bass takes isn't that complicated, you just need to understand how it's adjusted. The truss rod can be turned to make the neck flatter or with more of a bow, the nut can be heightened, and the bridge saddles can be raise or lowered. Do some research on this before messing with too much.

5. Ways to produce a clearer sound please. When I switch from frets, the noises of me going up and down the strings are really loud. Also, when I press down the clicky noise is really noticeable. I know I need to practice but are there any ways to make a clearer sound?
I'm not 100% on this one, I'm going to assume by "clicky" noise you mean that the strings are clanking the fretboard when you're striking the strings with your right hand. It just means your right hand attack is too strong, or your action is too low. Maybe move your right hand further back to see if it changes it. How and where you hit the strings plays a big part into how your tone will come out. As far as clanky, a lot of metal players play with this tone in mind. A lot of Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) bass lines have this clanky sound that punches through the mix where the bass can really be heard.

6. What kind of equipment does a bass player usually have? I'm not saying I'm going to buy these anytime soon, but it would nice to know what a standard bass player has.
Most bassists have a bass, amp, and cab. Your style and genre will determine what else you need. Some guys get away with just an amp and a bass. Some need effects and pedals. I play metal, so I have a Sansamp RBI and Darkglass B7K pedal as a preamp to help get my tone where I want... Along with a compressor, tuner and a couple of effects on my pedalboard. All depends on you.

7. Slap bass is so cool. How.
On your own here. There's plenty of tutorials all over the web about this.

Please explain everything, including terms that you're using bc I am a noob and I don't understand quite a lot. If you could help shed some light I would be so grateful! Thanks!

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

For the slap I'd look for some Victor Wooten instructional videos. He explains the many methods he knows, step by step.

 

[bassbully]

Youtube.

 

[basspraiser]

OK....for only 1 week you are asking WAY too much...take baby steps:

1) get your bass set up by a REALLY qualified luthier to make it more playable and get rid of the "clanking"

2) for practicing, you need a good amp and a bass....no need for a DI....these are only used if you go direct to a mixing board....

3) get a simple mixer or investigate Guitar Center (GC) or Musicians Friend (MF) for a good unit to use when "mixing" your bass and the computer

As for the rest...wait until you master basic playing techniques. many people have suggested taking a few lessons (GREAT idea)....wish I would have done that early on myself.

As for "terminology"...cruise he threads and you SHOULD be able to pick up some of the verbiage pretty quickly.

Bass is an EXCELLENT and fulfilling instrument and you are embarking on a life long journey (not a few weeks....)...learn something new every day and enjoy what you learn.

But take it in small steps....just like everything, becoming good takes time....

I have been playing 20+ years and still do not know how to slap well (don't really get much opportunity since I play in a church band)....would love to but not useful for my application.....learn to play what you need to to play the type of music you want to/need to play...slapping IS cool.....but few know how to do it well... (IMHO)

you have come to the right place to learn....and get ideas.....cruise the thread and investigate....

peace:

Doug

 

[BassDaddy77]

I'm curious now as to what sort of "bad habits" I should avoid, any thoughts?

Spending more time on these forums than practicing. I speak from experience!

 

[el murdoque]

4&5:
Do you get the fret buzz everytime on the same spot(s)?
A bassplayer needs quite a bit of strength in his fretting hand and the fingers have to be precisely in the right position.
So when the bass is buzzing, it might just come from bad technique or the lack of strength. Both will fade over time.
Only if you take a note, grab it firm enough in the right place and pluck the string and produce fretbuzz every time, then you will need adjustment.
The same goes for clicking and sliding noises. Instead of sliding around on the fretboard for long distances, you can jump to another string that might contain the note you want to play within your reach. Instead of sliding 6 frets up, just go one string higher and one fret up without sliding. As for the clicking - you need to apply the right amount of pressure to get the note ring true and clean.
Grab it too soft and you get buzz. Grab it too hard and it will click. Grab it just right and it will be almost noiseless.
These issues might come from a bad setup, but it's just as possible that your lack of strength and feeling are the cause - and that's easily remedied: Practice daily for a decade and you're there ;-)

Same goes for slapping. The cool bit about slapping is mixing the thumb and pop techniques from your plucking hand with hammer on, pull of and sliding techniques of your fretting hand, so you produce lots of notes in a very short time. Slapping is an advanced thing that needs a base to be built upon. Start walking before you try a running double backflip - or give it a shot, maybe you're a natural, but don't get frustrated if you have not mastered it within the week.