Help to become less beginner

[TallicaDeth]

Ive played guitar for about 9 months and when i played bass for the first time, i relized i was born to play bass. so far ive been playing bass for 3 months.

i have found that there are certain things in songs or bass exercises that help you become better.

for example, -------2-4-5-4-2-0---
----------------2-4-----------------

the more i played this, the faster i was able to get. this little bit has helped me be able to play a little faster.

so, is there anything that has helped you play a little faster or a little better, any songs or licks that have helped you be closer to intermediate and farther from beginner?

 

[yehongxiang]

I've only been playing two weeks but practising with this has made my left hand faster:

G--------------------------|-------7---5-----5-7------|
D-------7---5-----5-7------|---------7---7-7-----7-5--|
A---------7---7-7-----7-5--|---5-5--------------------|
E---5-5--------------------|--------------------------|


G--------------------------|-------5---3-----3-5------|
D-------5---3-----3-5------|---------5---5-5-----5-3--|
A---------5---5-5-----5-3--|---3-3--------------------|
E---3-3--------------------|--------------------------|


G--------------------------|-------4-----4-4-4-4-------------------------------------|
D-------3---1-----1-3------|-----4---4-4-------------2---2-2-2-2---2-2-4-4-5-5-6-6---|
A---------3---3-3-----3-1--|---2-----------------------2---------2-------------------|
E---1-1--------------------|---------------------0-0---------------------------------|

Reference video:

 

[MalcolmAmos]

.....so, is there anything that has helped you play a little faster or a little better, any songs or licks that have helped you be closer to intermediate and farther from beginner?

Know your fretboard.

The Major Scale Root on the 4th string.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

The Major Scale Root on the 3rd string.
G|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---| 1st string
D|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
A|-------|---R----|------|---2---|
E|-------|---5----|------|---6---|4th string

Where is the 5th? Up a string and over two frets from the Root. Yep 5ths are up a string and over two frets from the root all over your fretboard.
Where is the 3rd? Up a string and back one fret.
Where is the 2nd? Same string over two.
Where is the 4th? Up a string.
Where is the 6th? Up two strings and back one. Over the 3rd.
Where is the 7th? Up two strings and over one fret.
Where is the octave (8)? Up two strings and over two frets.

Yep, your 5th is always up a string and over two frets, or if you place your root on the 3rd string the 5th is on the same fret but on the 4th string -- as well as up a string and over two frets, i.e. take your choice. If you place your root on the 3rd string where is your 4th? Where is the 5th? Is that great or what? Check it out your intervals are always in the same spot just waiting on you.

Now using that lets get some bass line riffs into muscle memory, i.e. Root-5 or R-3-5-3 perhaps R-3-5-b7 and then the major pentatonic R-2-3-5-6 always comes in handy. Playing 8's how about R-R-3-3-5-5-6-5. Five or six go to riffs can get you started. What the heck here is the blues scale R, b3, 4, #4, 5, b7 go have fun with that. I know you are working with tabs right now. Why?

Next listen to enough music that you can predict the chord changes. Let backing tracks help you with that.

Next use all that and jamm over backing tracks.



Good luck.

 

[TallicaDeth]

thanks for this. i never learned anything about roots and all the numbers, i have only used tabs. i read this for about 20 minutes, and i copied down the major scale thingy on that website. now i somewhat get it. but i have more questions

when would i use this, and how would i use this?
how do you use this?
and do you have anything else that can help me?

 

[MalcolmAmos]

...... now i somewhat get it. but i have more questions. When would i use this, and how would i use this?
how do you use this?
and do you have anything else that can help me?

Well understand first our job is to lay down a steady bass beat that holds everything together. That is done if we play chord tones (the notes of the chord). Look here:

Notice he is playing that same riff over and over I suspect it is R-2-3-5-6 the major pentatonic scale over and over. That's how you use all this.


I'll stick around - go do that and then come back.

The Mavs are starting, I'll check back tomorrow.

 

[ksandvik]

Link Removed

There are also other similar 'spider walk' exercises for bass playing, most if not all of them will get you become a better bass player + good for warmup before a set.

 

[Rudreax]

There are three main things I would suggest to learn to play faster and apply the speed:

1) Learn your fretboard.
2) Learn songs that have progressively higher tempos.
3) Learn the improvise.

 

[TallicaDeth]

ok, thanks. i got my mom to help me. she played violin. u name it i can play it. Amaj7 u got it. im gonna have to learn other scales later, but at least i know where to start now. i think im a way better bass player now than at the start of today.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Great. Here is one more thing.
http://www.smithfowler.org/music/Chord_Formulas.htm

Great that your Mom plays a stringed instrument. She will be a big help.

Good luck.

 

[dvs20]

by all means throw some more input in here fellas I find this thread very useful

 

[MisterMagician]

Try chromatic runs up and down the fretboard at each fret.

That usually helps.

I know you are working with tabs right now. Why?

Also OP, never admit you use tabs around Bassists. Most of the root chugging they do allows extended practice room for theory and standard notation, so tabs are seen as evil evil evil low-class guitarist things.

 

[Stumbo]

Check out the links in my sig. below for some great TB info on learning bass.

Good luck.

 

[standupright]

check out www.studybass.com

 

[MalcolmAmos]

by all means throw some more input in here fellas I find this thread very useful

Deciding what bass line to use for this song. Look to the chords used.

• Root nothing is safe all the time. Boring, but, safe.
• R-5 is safe except when you are playing over a diminished (b5) chord and how often does this happen.
• The 3 or b3 is the next logical note to throw into the mix, i.e. R-3-5 over major chords or R-b3-5 over minor chords.
• The seventh now comes into play. b7 for the dominant chords (G7) or Gm7 and a natural 7 when playing over Gmaj7 chords i.e. R-3-5-7.
• The octave 8 is nice, i.e. you are using R-3-5 but you are in 4/4 time and need another note for the 4th beat - try the 8.
  
  Take a look at this - see/listen how it can be used.
  http://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-chord-patterns/one-octave-dominant-7th/exercises/

Over C7 try R-7-5-3 or R-2-3-3 notice I did not use the b7 I just went with the 7 and I mixed up the order.
Over F7 try R-2-3-5 or R-6-5-3 notice here I did not throw the 7th into the mix.
Let your ear tell you - your ear is the final judge. Where did I find this? Google pulled up some lead sheet music and I helped myself.

Good luck.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Biggest help - get yourself a good teacher. Nothing will hold you back like trying to figure this stuff out on your own, and then engraining your own bad habits over the course of years. Anyone who tells you lessons are a waste of time is fooling himself and trying to fool you. Don't fall for that.

 

[Already In Use]

I have been reading study bass for a bit over a week and have learned a lot. Been over at http://www.activemusician.com/Online-Bass-Lessons--t12i9 aslo. My lessons start tomorrow. WOOOoo HOOOooo! I feel like that robot Johnny 5 from short circuit. Can't get enough!

 

[Minotauros]

More beautiful tips. This goes into my notes.

Know your fretboard.

Where is the 5th? Up a string and over two frets from the Root. Yep 5ths are up a string and over two frets from the root all over your fretboard.

...

Where is the octave (8)? Up two strings and over two frets.

That's also exactly how you'd play a power chord. I play the octave also. R 5 8. The 8 is directly above the 5 @ the same fret, 1 string up. I even play these on 6 string acoustic. Not a bad sound, a little dark, but not bad.

 

[Minotauros]

Also OP, never admit you use tabs around Bassists. Most of the root chugging they do allows extended practice room for theory and standard notation, so tabs are seen as evil evil evil low-class guitarist things.

Haha good one... I'm a guitarist too, and sometimes I use tabs.

I'm into bass 1 month yesterday, and while I started by finding some tabs and trying them, I quickly found that they are really mostly, as Malcom says, R 3 5 etc.

I'm trying my hand at creating my own bass riffs based on the chord triads (I'm not ready to venture into b5b7 etc. yet), so I tab them out just for memory aids. But I'm also trying to burn into my memory the notes of the chord.

If I play a riff R 3 5 one time, then maybe inversions the next times, big deal... I'm still playing the chord notes. As long as I play C E G over a C chord in the rhythm, and not D F# A over a C chord, I'm good to go. And it's a hell of a lot of fun.

 

[robthegaff]

Learn to play songs. Songs teach you all the different styles bassists used, push your skills, and let you have a blast all at the same time. Try some Muse songs, the lines are pretty good and not too hard(unless you dont like Muse)

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Had another break through yesterday. Friend and I play a nursing home each Thursday. My friend is on rhythm guitar and sings, I back him up with the bass.

I found a post talking about the turn-a-round 7-3-6-2-5-1 first part of the week and used that in this gig.

Say you are playing in the key of C using 4th string 8th fret as your root. The 7-3-6-2-5-1 is B, E, A, D, G, C. Where are B, E, A, D? How about 4th string 7th fret and you already know where G and C are located -- is that neat or what. Yep, like that all over our fretboard.

Started using it as an ending to the song -- most country songs tag the last line to end. When he started the tag I would move into the turn-a-round. Worked great.

Give it a try, see what you think.

Anyone care to share their favorite ending riffs?