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Beginner Question

K

Koats

May 17, 2009
2
0
#1
Well I been playing bass for my church for about a year and a half and all I've been doing is playing basic chords. I never move past the 5th fret or the E&A string. How do you guys mix things up like work up the fret board to the next note?

All I do is strum like G/C/D or like the root chord of all songs and it's really boring and generic sounding.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 
#7
Something that is easy to put in practice is incorporate 5 and 8, you can not go wrong with those notes, ex: Root - 5 - 8 ( C-G-C)

Learn how chords are built and scales will help u alot about what notes you can play.

I good book to read is Building Walking Bass Lines by Ed Friedland
 
#8
Hey bud,
We were just talking about that in "The Mediocre BASS players club" I'm not saying your a mediocre BASS player by any means. It's just that I agree totally with what someone else said in that thread. My hands seldom venture below the 5th fret on my BASS Neck!

Back to your topic, I'd branch out, find other people to practice with. Have a good time.

See ya soon,
Jim
 
#10
Howdy.

Are you playing the contemporary suff like Tomlin, Crowder, Smith etc.

IF you're readiing charts.. learn them... then put them down... listen closely to the music --- if you get it on an mp3.. listen closely..

Bass for church is normally very up front.. not all that flashy many times, there are contra harmonies that are played on high notes when the band is supposed to be "cut"

Don't beat your self up - remember much of this is octaves on the 8ths
 
#11
If it helps.. listening and prep are critical

I'm a paid session guy - I'll commonly listen to the material for 3-5 hours in repetition.. only play through 2x with a bass... then go live..

The listening is to sing a bass note.

Remember for churches... your basic role is to support 200 untrained singers... a good basic root helps some dude in the back sing harmony.... if you go disco nuts, they can't follow you
 
#13
Learn your scales and internalize the intervals. For me It's helped tremendously to think in terms of scale degress and intervals rather than Note names.

Major and Minor pentatonic scales were life savers for me, as well as learning how to arpegiate minor and major chords...

Within the context of the major scale. Say for instance a song is in the key of C:

C = 1, d = 2 , e=3, F = 4, G = 5, a = 6, b = 7

Once you learn the Major and Minor pentatonic shapes. The Capital lettered notes above are Major, and the lowercase a minor.

Use the appropriate scale when the songs progression moves to that particular chord.

check these out:
http://www.youtube.com/Torch7
http://www.youtube.com/gospelbasslines

Hope these help. If not IM me, and ask questions where things aren't clear.

What sort of church do you attend, what type of music is being played? Maybe I can help you further if you share those details with me.
 

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