Help for complete beginner

[BassIsFun17]

I think my biggest piece of advice to a beginner, is just don't be afraid to dive right in and learn your favorite songs. That is what is going to keep you interested in practicing. Try to follow the sounds in your head, try to write music, even if you have no idea what sounds "good" yet. That is all great practice, and its the most fun.

 

[Nighttrain1127]

My Advice is fill out your profile so we know where you are and could possibly recommend a good teacher . Learning on your own is not as much fun as having a good teacher and getting to actually learn songs and play with someone. Makes it much more interesting and I found I progressed faster than I did trying to learn on my own.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I'm a old guy who's never played an instrument in his life. Love all types of Rock and Roll, favorite bassists are Geezer and Steve Harris. Just bought a Fender standard P, and Rumble 100. I have no idea how to even hold it.
Looking for general advice: what to learn first, exercises, what to worry about later, good sites and YouTube channels, any good Android apps, etc.....
Thanks in advanced. I feel like a 16 year old who's getting ready to get laid for the first time!!!

Welcome to TB.
Lots of good advice given already, so not much I can add.
I played a little bit when I was in Middle School/High School.
Never really learned properly or understood what it was all about.
I think that contributed to my not staying with it.

Fast forward four decades and the bug bit me again.
So I was kind of where you are now a couple or three years ago.

There are so many good, and easy to access resources today that one would be hard pressed not to be able to tackle this if you put in some effort. I understand so much more now, thanks to those resources, than I ever did before. Take advantage of those resources, practice regularly, and have fun.

BTW, you're starting out with some good gear.
How about posting some pics of your bass?
We like to see what everyone else is playing.

Wishing you well on your journey.

 

[esoxhntr]

Thanks in advanced. I feel like a 16 year old who's getting ready to get laid for the first time!!!

Good news - this should last longer.

 

[4SG]

Welcome. There's a lot of good advice in the above responses about videos to watch, books to buy, and practicing tips. The bit I agree with most is finding a sympathetic teacher. You'll avoid mistakes, learn proper technique and have a routine to follow and look forward to. In the meantime, choose some songs with bass parts you like that aren't too busy or complicated and play along as best you can. It's a fun way to practice and will help you learn to keep in time with the drummer. The bass is made to be played with other instruments so you may as well start thinking of yourself as a potential band member. Again, welcome and best of luck with The Most Important Instrument In The Band!

 

[lbbc]

My kids bought me the book "Bass Guitar for Dummies" a few years ago as a joke for my birthday. I actually use it and refer to it....a great read for newbies and seasoned players too. I have checked out scottsbasslessons online...great. I also have a yearly membership with Jamplay.com for both bass and guitar lessons.
A private teacher would be my first choice, but all the others have their merit too!

 

[Mr.Ace]

I used to always have my bass in my hands. Hold it while you watch tv. Keep it out on a stand not in it's case. It will get more use that way. Become one with the bass

 

[ZenG]

This has to be a joke.

If it's not, completely ignore it. You can start playing right away. There are plenty of online resources available to show you how to hold the instrument and how to get a few basic exercises. Start by learning some scales because bass playing is often about outlining chords. Don't even worry if you don't understand how 'scales' relate to the chords the guitar player is playing. Just learn to play a major scale and a minor scale. Then learn a walking bass line for the 12 bar blues.

A decent teacher should be able to give you enough material in 1 one hour lesson to keep you going for several weeks.

I have tons of tabs and teaching materials in pdf form. Contact me via PM if you want me to send you some.

It is....sort of..

 

[ZenG]

You forgot to add

O.K.. I added a few to my post.

 

[Bthebassplayer]

I just wanna say that it's pretty cool that you start playing bass at an older age!! If you like it, you will learn..... and remember...

DO OR DO NOT
THERE IS NO TRY

Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[Lobster11]

Bass was also my first-ever instrument when I picked one up for the first time in my early 40s. I didn't get a teacher, but I took my self-teaching seriously. I realized that one advantage of starting completely from scratch -- and without unrealistic dreams or expectations -- was that it was an opportunity to learn to do it the right way (or at least not a wrong way) from the very beginning. I bought a handful of beginner books and videos and worked through them fairly systematically -- focusing especially on fundamentals such as how to hold the bass and position my hands and wrists, basic fretting and plucking techniques, learning the fretboard, and so forth -- before ever trying to play songs. I strongly recommend that you do the same, to avoid developing bad (and potentially injurious) habits that will interfere with your progress later on. A little patience at the beginning of the process -- and remember, it's a process -- will pay big dividends. If I'd started when I was a kid I don't think I would had the maturity or patience to do it this way, so I'm really glad it worked out the way it did.

All that was about 17 years ago. Within a few months I was having little jams with guitarist friends, and a few months later I became the bassist in a hobby band with some other friends. I've been playing more or less weekly in at least one hobby band -- and for the last 6 or 7 years in two -- ever since, and I've never had so much fun.

Good luck, keep us posted, and let us know if and when we can be of any help!

 

[InhumanResource]

Yeah, I thought the "join a band" comment a little ambitious for a true beginner. It's so easy to learn by playing along with your favorite tunes, especially these days. I've never found the need to eliminate the existing bass line when playing along, just turn yourself up a bit louder in the earphone mix. An inexpensive mixer makes this easy as pie these days. ...and it's a really fun supplement to learning the technical piece - it maintains interest. I believe you'll know when it's time to jam with others.

There's all kinds of goofy stuff in this thread. My man says he needs to learn how to HOLD the bass and people are making recommendations on repertoire and favorite (though sometimes questionable) practice routines. Let the dude be excited and learn the ground floor!

 

[BassSquatch]

Welcome to TalkBass!!!!!

Roughly where are you. Answers to questions in Houston will be different than answers for say.... Ecuador or Lower Slombovia.

California

 

[jamro217]

Apparently metronomes have just been outlawed on TalkBass...so don't bother buying one..

Do not take bass lessons...because nobody knows how to teach bass.

Study jazz theory and classical...because that's where it all started.

You won't need to touch a bass string until you've studied music for about about three years at least.

Music is a language ...and anybody can speak it...except when they get into really odd time signatures..

Ouch! Sounds like you've been reading some of the content on a thread by a recently re-admitted member.

 

[Chicory Blue]

There are few substitutes for a good instructor- Online resources can show you good posture, but they can't tell you whether or not you're doing it right, y'know?

But, then, if you're a normal person with limited funds and time, nobody said you have to see that instructor every week. When I started, I took two or three professional lessons to make sure I was holding the instrument safely and practicing good habits, and never took another one after that.

--^@

 

[jamro217]

Welcome to TB. There are lots of knowledgeable people here who are willing to help you. It may take you a while to train your hand muscles, so don't give up too soon, it'll eventually come to you. Place your fretting finger in front of (towards the headstock) and not on top of the fret, don't let it up until you're ready to play the next note. The bass is tuned low to high E,A,D,G. You may find different types and gauges of strings you like better than what's on the bass now. It's okay to use either fingers or a pick, many players prefer the fingers. The P bass has a wide tonal range, despite its single pickup and simple controls. Have fun exploring that. Learning basic music theory will definitely help you become a better bassist, musician and person. Learn your fingerboard. Make sure you check in here often and become part of our community. Have a great day.

 

[kobass]

Three pages into this thread and no mention of the GOLDEN RULE???

"GET A TORT PICKGUARD ON THAT P-BASS"



Oh yeah, welcome to Talkbass!

 

[Jay2U]

Welcome!
Try Scott's YT channel: Scott's Bass Lessons
If you want to start simple, try a few Ramones songs.
Plus, muting unused strings is something beginners should practise till it becomes second nature.

 

[Whippet]

whatever you do, I hope you don't get GAS. LOL

Get Hal Leonard Bass Methods and Bass Aerobics.

Once you're done with Bass Methods, start the Aerobics along with the Building Walking Bass Lines by Ed Friedland.

When you get halfway done with Aerobics, then join Ari's Bass Blog.

After you complete all the above, then join Scotts Bass thingy or anything resembling it. Until you complete Ari's Bass Blog, many of the sites will be useless to you. You'll burn through money and time trying to figure out where you stand in the vast sea of music. I could go on and on but unless you have time to go back to school to study music, your best bet is Ariane Cap. There are others, but few offer a syllabus. Direction and waypoint is what you need. Not bags of tricks and drawers full of magic.

If someone had told me to do this in this order, I would not have wasted so much money on books.

BTW a teacher is an excellent idea. Also Bass for Dummies is rather dry (for me at least) but it is useful when you want an alternate explanation when things get too complicated.

Trust me. Been there done that, wait.... still doing it.

One last thing. If you have the money, get the Singular Sound BeatBuddy and a tuner like the Sonic Research ST300 or TC Polytune 2 that will display the notes AND still allow the amp to produce the notes. I forget the name of this ability. Just look up Sonic Research and you'll get what I am talking about. These two tools will make everything so much more enjoyable and easier. BTW. YouTube is your friend.

 

[Frampton]

Hi, welcome and congratulations.
There is thousands of materials on web but this is a hard work to find good and reliable ones so i suggest you get membership of biggest online Bass Academy. Scott devine is a great teacher and he record courses with best players in the world. Invalid Link Removed

This is an amazing resource. The courses range from the earliest beginner to seasoned professional. Tons of guest instructors including some of the best in the world. Live video feeds every week. Flexible programs that allow you to study laterally until you're feeling comfortable, and then bounce around to the stuff that interests you most.

Whether or not you use Scott, get some lessons so you don't develop bad habits that you will eventually have to relearn. I made this mistake, and then Wasted a ton of time correcting bad habits. By the way, I made the same mistake learning golf.

There are tons of great free resources on YouTube, etc. The problem with them is that they don't provide an organized structure within which to learn, which I think is important to your development as a musician.