Yes the rest is easy, but memorising chord shapes and then actually switching between them is a real SOB when your first starting out. Guitarist are just as into it all the time as the bassist is. I play both.
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How did you start of learning?
- Thread starter ADU
- Start date
So do I & I can play guitar and sing at the same time easily (at least, when the chords are among the handful I've memorized). Bass & guitar at the same time... not so easy.
Sure the initial learning curve on guitar is steeper because of the chord shape memorization, but once you get past that, bass is far more engaging in most band situations.
Sure the initial learning curve on guitar is steeper because of the chord shape memorization, but once you get past that, bass is far more engaging in most band situations.
eh, acoustic guitar will indeed build your fingers up but if you're ultimately planning to play bass as your primary instrument then i say go straight to that...
i had it easy, with two older bass-playing brothers in the house, i used to sneak in their rooms and play their stuff... i eventually picked up a nylon string classical acoustic guitar and have learned to play tons of songs on it over the years... but that came much later..
You're really going to say that? Dude, I suck at bass, and I can play and sing. Les Claypool. Geddy Lee. Sting. Jack Bruce. Obviously, I could go on. I highly recomend you go rethink your point of view.
hey, I want to tell my guitarist about how a larger part of my brain is engaged in that act of playing bass... Do you have a link to the scientific study where you got that information? I'd love to see it.
...and lastly, I don't solo the entire time my band is playing. I actually play a lot of roots. It is classic rock and a lot of it has to be played as it was written. So, I guess I'm like a guitarist and not as "engaged" as you are. Then again, I already said, I suck at bass....
The trick to this is to get a lefty guitar and a right handed bass, or vice versa, or else you really don't stand a chance.
I would say learn both acoustic and bass at the same time. They compliment each other yet are so different. The nice thing about guitar is you can strum complete chords. Never hurts to play more than one instrument!
I started on DB in grade school. In jr hi picked up BG and later dropped DB. Dropping DB was not a wise choice (for me), but no regrets!
I started on DB in grade school. In jr hi picked up BG and later dropped DB. Dropping DB was not a wise choice (for me), but no regrets!
Yeah youve got a handful. Your a rent-a-guitarist. Youll do fine in punk and classic rock. You prolly wont stick in metal very well, and you have no shot at neo-classical at all. Not a dis, because guitar is obviously not a focus for you and your probably a better bass player than I am. There are way more chords on a guitar than a handful. Try memorising all of them and successfully singing over them. Anyone can play and sing over 2 or 3 chords man.
I started because of a combination of three factors:
1. My wife kept pestering me to tell her what I wanted for Christmas, and I didn't really want or need anything ... esp. nothing that would go unused but take up valuable space in our apartment.
2. A friend kept griping about his bass player never being able to make practice. He then told me it would be a breeze for me to play bass. (Hah!)
3. At least once or twice a year, I have a dream in which I'm back in high school and unable to play my instrument (baritone sax) and unable to read music.
So now I'm learning on a Squier P-bass and wondering if I'll ever get my pinky finger to not dangle so uselessly, let alone spread out a fret's-width from my ring finger.
Other than the technical issues -- which are coming along, slowly -- the biggest problem for me early on was/is to think of notes moving side-to-side (from string to string) as well as up and down the individual strings. Basic, I know. But my music experience was with saxophones and the clarinet ... and on both, the notes progress in one dimension: up-down. On the bass they progress up-down AND side-to-side. I'm just now starting to shake myself of that way of thinking.
Just lately, I've really found the countless beats I have in Garageband (I horded all the free download beats I found over the years) are a big help in developing my ability as far as the bass player's role in a band. It's one thing to play with a metronome, quite another to have a beat to play along with. When I can't meet up with my aforementioned friend, Garageband is a fairly good stand-in. And it keeps better time than he does when he decides to venture behind the drum set.
1. My wife kept pestering me to tell her what I wanted for Christmas, and I didn't really want or need anything ... esp. nothing that would go unused but take up valuable space in our apartment.
2. A friend kept griping about his bass player never being able to make practice. He then told me it would be a breeze for me to play bass. (Hah!)
3. At least once or twice a year, I have a dream in which I'm back in high school and unable to play my instrument (baritone sax) and unable to read music.
So now I'm learning on a Squier P-bass and wondering if I'll ever get my pinky finger to not dangle so uselessly, let alone spread out a fret's-width from my ring finger.
Other than the technical issues -- which are coming along, slowly -- the biggest problem for me early on was/is to think of notes moving side-to-side (from string to string) as well as up and down the individual strings. Basic, I know. But my music experience was with saxophones and the clarinet ... and on both, the notes progress in one dimension: up-down. On the bass they progress up-down AND side-to-side. I'm just now starting to shake myself of that way of thinking.
Just lately, I've really found the countless beats I have in Garageband (I horded all the free download beats I found over the years) are a big help in developing my ability as far as the bass player's role in a band. It's one thing to play with a metronome, quite another to have a beat to play along with. When I can't meet up with my aforementioned friend, Garageband is a fairly good stand-in. And it keeps better time than he does when he decides to venture behind the drum set.
I picked up NOFX's maximum rock and roll album
and loved how the bass sounded on zeppelin II
saved 100$ bought a bass and the zepplelin I & II song book, then never looked back.
and loved how the bass sounded on zeppelin II
saved 100$ bought a bass and the zepplelin I & II song book, then never looked back.
pinky strength tip:
Get a tight rubber band between your thumb and pinky, and pull them apart and back down throughout the day. Thats how I got mine stong.
Get a tight rubber band between your thumb and pinky, and pull them apart and back down throughout the day. Thats how I got mine stong.
And good to take time up at work, i'm going to get right on that, my pinkys are weak sauce.
I learned by transcribing and trying the reproduce tones of players I like. I learned slap the same way plus looking at videos of Alain Caron I saw here and there. It's much easier now with youtube.
I'd say transcribing and reproducing tones of players without knowing their gear and how they actually play is the best thing I've done. I like to think I've developped a good range of tones using just my hands. An exemple is trying to get Tony Levin's chopstick tone without knowing he's using sticks.
I started bass in febuary and had percussions lessons the next september for the high school band. This helped a lot with rythm as well as some principles of playing an instrument like keeping the wrist straight, economy of motion and music in general like phrasing.
I'd say transcribing and reproducing tones of players without knowing their gear and how they actually play is the best thing I've done. I like to think I've developped a good range of tones using just my hands. An exemple is trying to get Tony Levin's chopstick tone without knowing he's using sticks.
I started bass in febuary and had percussions lessons the next september for the high school band. This helped a lot with rythm as well as some principles of playing an instrument like keeping the wrist straight, economy of motion and music in general like phrasing.
When I was nineteen, I got laid off and spent six months unemployed. I used the little money I had to rent a room off a friend, and he played bass.
He was out working most of the time, as were most of my friends, so I was stuck in a tiny little room in his flat with a television and his Fender Jazz Bass. And I can't even begin to describe how bad daytime television was in Great Britain in the 1980's.
When I rented that room, I couldn't play a note. By the time I got a job and left, I was pretty good.
No lessons, no music theory, no nothing. Just me, a bass guitar and an awful lot of spare time.
He was out working most of the time, as were most of my friends, so I was stuck in a tiny little room in his flat with a television and his Fender Jazz Bass. And I can't even begin to describe how bad daytime television was in Great Britain in the 1980's.
When I rented that room, I couldn't play a note. By the time I got a job and left, I was pretty good.
No lessons, no music theory, no nothing. Just me, a bass guitar and an awful lot of spare time.
Subjective - but in my opinion learning the basics of music - how to read it (Treble and Bass clefs) how to understand it and getting the fundamentals in order is a very good way to start. It doesn't matter much on what instrument, but I'd say piano has got to be the best gateway instrument. Once you get piano under your fingers, learning other instruments is just a matter of learning new techniques - the music is all the same.
As for learning bass quickly - get really into the music you love to listen to and learn it. Put on a song, listen, figure it out, play it. Then get yourself into a band with friends. Nothing like having goals like learning a full set of covers to move you right along.
As for learning bass quickly - get really into the music you love to listen to and learn it. Put on a song, listen, figure it out, play it. Then get yourself into a band with friends. Nothing like having goals like learning a full set of covers to move you right along.
I just picked up the school bass and accedentally played portrait of tracy followed by birdland and then thought hell im quite good at this
jks, started in a band, learnt pop rock and grunge and chilis songs wen i was 11 then just kept getting better and stopped playing chilis ever
jks, started in a band, learnt pop rock and grunge and chilis songs wen i was 11 then just kept getting better and stopped playing chilis ever
