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My $.02....You might want to work on one song at a time. In the beginning it can be daunting to try and work up more than a few at a time and really nail them. I also think it's important to learn songs as recorded, it's great for technique, ear training, theory etc. How we learn to build our own bass lines comes from how we hear and play what we like initially. And it feels cool to play that thing we heard so and so do that we dig.
Each new thing you'll learn adds more to work into your repertoire and voice as a musician. I'd also start with some super simple stuff and learn each song in it's entirety. Something with a couple chord changes and a groove like Green Onions, Sunshine Of Your Love, or Cissy Strut. They may seem easier than they actually are and having those down will teach a lot about feel. Take it slow, learn each bar or phrase until you can play it like a boss and move to the next. This builds confidence to learn and it's better to walk before running. As you progress this process gets easier.
Learning new tunes can be exciting and frustrating at any level. When starting out it can be discouraging and make you feel like giving up. You might want to figure out what your practice session will look like and add working on that whatever song to running all those fun scales and arpeggio drills. And of course, have fun. Pick something you want to learn because you love it and enjoy breaking it apart.
Each new thing you'll learn adds more to work into your repertoire and voice as a musician. I'd also start with some super simple stuff and learn each song in it's entirety. Something with a couple chord changes and a groove like Green Onions, Sunshine Of Your Love, or Cissy Strut. They may seem easier than they actually are and having those down will teach a lot about feel. Take it slow, learn each bar or phrase until you can play it like a boss and move to the next. This builds confidence to learn and it's better to walk before running. As you progress this process gets easier.
Learning new tunes can be exciting and frustrating at any level. When starting out it can be discouraging and make you feel like giving up. You might want to figure out what your practice session will look like and add working on that whatever song to running all those fun scales and arpeggio drills. And of course, have fun. Pick something you want to learn because you love it and enjoy breaking it apart.
I think it a good list to start. Sounds like your new instructor want you to step up your game. You up for the challenge? Go get 'me tiger!
I think it depends on what you've accomplished in the couple of years and where are you on the overall music feel side of things. A couple of dead easy songs that you enjoy and can completely nail down will let you focus on developing some other skills, like listening to the rest of the band, or changing keys. But then always, the way to grow is to bite off more than you can chew.
I think that's a pretty good list. I've played most of those, and most as a beginner (e.g. Money was the first song I ever learned, You Give Love a Bad Name was second, and so on).
Paranoid will be about speed, the notes aren't terribly hard but nailing it at 160 bpm was challenging for me as a beginner.
Another Metallica song you could add to your list that isn't terribly hard but is fun is Enter Sandman. As a beginner I found some of the RHCP to be harder, not because of speed, but because of hammer ons, pull offs, weird timing, etc. An easier RCHP song is Adventures of Raindance Maggy, I nailed that one as a beginner.
As someone else mentioned, Billie Jean will be about getting through it without cramping your hand. The notes (if not playing it with the thumb over top of the neck on the e string) aren't terribly hard.
Good list, get at it!
Who knows what you can chew before you're able to swallow...or you begin to choke...
Keep at it and try some different songs. Don't get discouraged however progress and put forth the effort, discipline and determination.
Ask Google to call up some fake chord sheet music on a song you like. Use these search words, chords, name of the song.
You are given the lyrics and the chords that are active over those lyrics. You follow the chords and draw your bass line from the notes of the active chord. Root first, then any of the other chord tones you think fit. The ole generic R-5-8-5 over each chord for example. You are given the active chords and you fake the rest.
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Just tell them okay, then focus on "Nobody weird like me" by RHCP, nail it, kick over the amp and walk.
Seriously though, anyone can learn any song note for note, but to play it accurately, at tempo, is accomplished by taking small bites to eat the Apple.
You CAN do it. Good luck.
Seriously though, anyone can learn any song note for note, but to play it accurately, at tempo, is accomplished by taking small bites to eat the Apple.
You CAN do it. Good luck.
You can do it. If you commit the time and effort and decide in your own mind that you're going to do it... then you will achieve it. Achievement starts in your own mind. No go out there and kick a$$ one song at a time.
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Would you be willing to post up what you'd consider a great example for any of his songs here? As a beginner myself, I'd like to see this and try to fumble through this method myself. I'm trying to learn the notes, but it is slow in coming.
Just Google: paranoid chords
You see a page with the guitar chords at the top and the chord progression above the lyrics. There are verse, chorus, bridge, etc. Different sections of the song are laid out with the chords you need to know.
You wouldn't need tabs on a song like that. Just fake it with the chord chart, you know it's 1/8 notes and you know how it should sound.
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Chords)
While learning how to play from fake chord forget about the sheet music being capo at the 2nd fret and just play as written.
Follow the chords and pound out roots. When you can do that then add the 5 for a R on the first beat and the 5 on the 3rd beat (I'm taking for granted Billie Jean is in 4/4 time) After that you might throw in a 3 with the major chords or a b3 for the minor chords, R-3-5-8 or R-b3-5-8. After that throw in some fills and runs as the song gives you a void that needs filling.
If you play from fake chord sheet music you will be able to put together an acceptable bass line to songs you have never heard before - if someone is singing the lyrics, and you have the chord changes needed. This way you can keep up with where in the song you need to be.
It's not rocket science.
I actually don't know Paranoid all that well...
...but to start with the e minor chord doing @MalcolmAmos R-5-8, you'd be on E, G, and E again before moving to D? Probably too busy for a song this quickly, but that concept? Is that the gist?
If so, I guess I've done that fooling around, without really being intentional about what I'm trying to do...
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Yes pound roots until you can add some of the other chord tones. You gotta start somewhere. The Em chord, start by just pounding the E note, later add the b3 to call attention to it being a minor chord. From there the 5th and 7th or b7 could round out your bass line.
Now about the beat. We are to call attention to the root and keep the beat. If you have a drummer follow his kick drum beat pounding out notes of the chord. Root first. Then use the other notes of the chord as best fits the progression.
If you do not have a drummer, sing the lyrics under your breath and the beat will probably follow the lyric syllable - Hap-py Birth-day would each get two beats then the words To & You would get one beat each as they are single syllable words. Singing the lyrics will help with what beat is needed. If your fake chord has a time signature given use that, i.e. 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, etc.
Eat this monster one bite at a time. Have fun.
Now about the beat. We are to call attention to the root and keep the beat. If you have a drummer follow his kick drum beat pounding out notes of the chord. Root first. Then use the other notes of the chord as best fits the progression.
If you do not have a drummer, sing the lyrics under your breath and the beat will probably follow the lyric syllable - Hap-py Birth-day would each get two beats then the words To & You would get one beat each as they are single syllable words. Singing the lyrics will help with what beat is needed. If your fake chord has a time signature given use that, i.e. 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, etc.
Eat this monster one bite at a time. Have fun.
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Paranoid is "pounding root notes". Just keep the beat, the chord is the note you should be playing.
On other songs you'd add more like Malcolm is saying. Once you know what chord the guitar is playing, your job is root and then add more notes that fit correctly. Basic music theory helps you know what fits and why -- this why TAB is criticized, it isn't teaching how/why the notes work together so you can fake it (which isn't really faking at that point).
I think that's a pretty good list. I've played most of those, and most as a beginner (e.g. Money was the first song I ever learned, You Give Love a Bad Name was second, and so on).
Paranoid will be about speed, the notes aren't terribly hard but nailing it at 160 bpm was challenging for me as a beginner.
Another Metallica song you could add to your list that isn't terribly hard but is fun is Enter Sandman. As a beginner I found some of the RHCP to be harder, not because of speed, but because of hammer ons, pull offs, weird timing, etc. An easier RCHP song is Adventures of Raindance Maggy, I nailed that one as a beginner.
As someone else mentioned, Billie Jean will be about getting through it without cramping your hand. The notes (if not playing it with the thumb over top of the neck on the e string) aren't terribly hard.
Good list, get at it!
I blow off the E string with the thumb pressing F; too uncomfortable.
I really wanted to stay off it this go-around when trying to learn/relearn. Tab was all I did 25 years ago. But then I got to some songs with some pretty specific basslines, and here I am again!
