Hello I am a drummer who is interested in bass please help guide me.

well the first step is to play the bass, and not the drums. that is the most basic element.
but seriously.
i think youre gonna need to be a little more specific with your request. if there was an answer we could give you that would automatically send you on the right path, then everyone would be a master bassist.
try and play stuff you hear on the radio, sit down and work it out by ear, play with other musicians as much as you can, get a beginner bass book and work through it cover to cover, learn how to read music, study theory, listen to great bassists, Jaco, Jack Bruce, Victor, Ron Carter, Paul Jackson, Flea, learn basslines to songs that you already know on drums, hang around talkbass and learn from others on here, ask specific questions, read about bass online.

but most of all just play the thing

 

Well I would buy a technique DVD to learn the proper way to play.

I would read EVERYTHING on http://studybass.com which is a great introduction to the instrument, it's role and how to begin building lines.

Then I would start by learning the major and minor scales then chords/arpeggios and then other scales and modes.

I assume your are pretty solid on rhythm and reading rhythm, but you might want to learn to read music, if nothing else it will get you familiar with the notes on the neck.

Also you should get some tabs or sheet music and start learning some songs to keep it exciting and see some real world application. When you are learning a new song pay attention to the chord progression and how the bass players note choices relate to it.

Also if you are really serious I would take at least a few months worth of lessons, so that you know that your technique is solid and so that you can learn basic music theory.

 

you said this.....

I guess that really goes to dexterity of the fingers.


----------

that is true!

build your dexterity here...

30 day bass workout


its a book and dvd, 23.95 at guitar center....



where are you located>?


maybe a lesson or two, and hanging with another bass player....

you have alot to offer, we as bass players are always trying to follow you/interact with you.

I am always chasing that dang kick drum! hehehehe



good luck!

Al

 

Kenny, I also used to be a drummer. You already know to play the pocket, so rythm and locking with the drummer should be easy. All you need to know (to get started) are which notes to play. Don't think fancy, just try to lay down a good groove.

Here's what I did.

1. Get a bass, anything will do at first.
2. Start learning the fretboard, especially the first 5 frets.
3. Download Band-in-a-box. It's a play-along tuitorial....and it's free.

Practice playing right along with BiaB. It will tell you what note to play during each bar of the song. My favorite songs were: Pale Blues, Circumventor, Twenty-Twenty, Hard Fought Blues, Quick Groove, Lady in Green, Enchanted Again, Gift of Flowers, Work the Sax.

This training will focus you on playing root notes, and mastering the fretboard.

4. From there, I learned 5ths, major and minor 3rds, and octaves. Pretty easy.
5. I learned what a I IV V progression is...the chord progression (movement) of a song.
6. Learn about approach notes, both diatonic or chromatic...again, very easy.
7. Learn the major and minor scales. They can be used to make quick little runs/fills. Just learn the fingering pattern, don't obsess knowing which notes they are, focus on fingering the root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and octave.

8. For practice today, I download chord sheets from www.iwillworship.com and play along with youtube.

I am still learning, but can hold my own with the band. Oh yeah, that's probably the single best thing you can do to ACCELERATE your learning. "Necessity is the mother of all invention!" After playing the bass for 4 weeks, there was an opening in my church's band. I got the nod, and was forced to improve very quickly. Yes, the first few Sundays were rough, but that's progress. The point is, get into a band soon. Even if you think you're not ready.

 

Get a teacher who knows what he is doing... Smartest thing i SHOULD have done... i got one that didn't know to much about bass, great left hand (fretting) skills, could not teach me jack $h!# about the right hand though..

He always would say play with a pick, my response "NO YOU MOTHER PLUCKER!"

 

From a beginner's perspective, I have found that the bass and guitar far more different than they are similar. I find that immediate fun and satisfaction helps lead me to the more technical stuff. Playing along with root note pattern songs, like the Ramones and similar, helped my timing, finger strength, and coordination as well as just being fun. I have been practicing with both a pick and fingers depending on how the original song was performed. From there I have started trying to learn the notes on the fretboard, theory, and other techniques. I am kind of a late beginner with limited free time though.

 

cool u are on your way!


u can use a pick, but that is another story all together!

 

Get a group together.