Calling All Bass Veterans

[ibassmonster]

Hey guys, I'm slightly new here. I was just looking for some advice. I don't mean to write my life story out here, but just let you guys know where I'm coming from before you give me much needed advice.

I started playing bass last year when I got one for christmas. Now I've been playing guitar for about 3 years before I got a bass. The only reason I got one is my friends and I started a band and we needed a bass player. So I was opted to play. So I got in the band and played, a month later the lead singer, one of my best friends, says the whole band, my other best friends, decided to kick me out. I wasn't good enough. I said yeah, no crap Ive been playing for a month and I atleast know our songs. But anyway that was awhile ago and it's fine because the genre we were playing I don't like anyway. Just enjoyed playing music with my friends. So I am currently 17. I have gotten much better. But still see MUCH room for improvement. I started playing with my sister's roomates, they are all in their early 20's. They have a whole room with drums, keyboards, guitars and amps. So this is really fun! They play the music I like a lot. But I still need to get better as they want me to play in their band as the bass player. But during practice the guitar player will ask me to play an A to a G or something and Ill panic and not know where that is exactly. I know a lot of guitar chords, but not the bass scale very well. I also would like to be able to outline chords, on the bass. I just really want to get better and jam without an awkward pause staring at the guitarist to see what he is playing and try to make a cool bass line. I figure one out then he changes up the chord progression. We play rock, like Dr. Dog if people knows who they are. So people always tell me to watch some bass players and whatever. But just some advice, like a scale I should practice, or something to help me outline chords, a video to watch. Anything to make me practice and get better on the fly and even just sitting down and writing a bass line. More complicated ones to not just the easy ones I write. So thats all any advice would be much appreciated.

My influences as far as music I like to play:

Dr. Dog
Tokyo Police Club
We Are Scientists
The Black Keys
Cold War Kids
Etc... These bands are stuff I like to.play. I listen to older rock as well.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Russell L]

Learning a little music theory would cure your woes. First, go back to your guitar and learn what the function of the notes are in the chords you know. That is, understand where the root, 3rd, and 5th are in each shape. Of course, then making sure that you also know what the names of the notes are on the fingerboard will help you know what notes make up whole chords. I guess maybe you better learn the fingerboard first, if you don't know it. But, otherwise, you need to understand where the roots are, at least. Anyway, your bass is just like your guitar as to what the note names are, like the four biggest strings on your guitar. Try to see your guitar chords there. Just make sure you understand what are roots, 3rds, and 5ths. (And 7ths and octaves).

Also this, on your guitar:

Play an open C chord. To play it higher on the neck, the first place is to barre the third fret and play what looks like an open A chord. Next, barre the fifth fret and play like an open G chord. Then, barre the eigth fret and play like an open E chord. Next, barre the tenth fret and play like and open D chord. And lastly, barre the twelfth fret and play like the open C chord you started with. Those shapes go in that order, no matter what you start with. (The frets may be different, depending on what the chord is, but the shape connection order is the same). Picture them on your bass.

 

[Barcode31]

To an extent I agree music theory would help but here's some down and dirty quick start. Its the same 4 strings as the top of the guitar. If the guitarist is playing a bar chord. The root note is the fret his index finger is pointing on. To do a little flash kind of stay on the chord he is on and play pretty much anything between the dots on the chord he is on if it sounds in key then it is. If it doesnt sound in key see if it sounds good. Watch some videos on youtube. Listen to what your playing see if it sounds like something else. As Wooten said "Music is a language. You don't learn to read and write, or what verbs or nouns are, before you learn to talk. And you learn to talk quick because you are jamming with professionals."

 

[dontay]

Go to TMBG.COM and thank me later. This is the best dvd instruction IMO. Roy Vogt is a master bass player and most IMPORTANTLY a great teacher. Being a good bass player and a good teacher is two different skills in IMO. Good Luck!

 

[pnut166]

studybass.com