How should a beginner go about practicing a 6 string bass?

[micguy]

OK, I'm game: I only have 12 chromatic notes in most of my octaves; what are the other three major scales I have been missing?

Those who play in only 12 keys clearly don't own a fretless.

 

[phillipkregg]

Bad idea if you know you want to end up on a 6. To a beginner a 6 is really no harder than a 4, but once you are accustomed to a 4 it will feel like moving to a different instrument when you do go to a 6. And you’ll only adding to the difficulty you will have in transitioning to a 6 the more you use the 4.

Exactly.

If you think you'll eventually want to play a 6, just go ahead and get a 6.

You don't learn how to ride a bike by first getting a unicycle.

 

[RBrownBass]

As a beginner myself, and having no interest in joining a band in the near future I plan on playing a 6 string to solo and record my own sounds/ experiment.
What I am wondering is what is the best way to learn on the 6 string compared to a 4 for a complete beginner?
Most practice material online I see is for a 4, and I want to make use of all 6 strings.
So, if I could get some suggestions, or ideas on what some good practices would be to learn the 6 string, or maybe a place to learn on it, or something I can read up on I would greatly appreciate it.
It is what I see myself ending up playing.

Kudos on not thinking of a 6 as "a step up", or some sort of mutant to be taken up only when you've "mastered" a 4 or 5. They're here, and they have the range of the 4 and 5 included, so there's no real need for having a four (I have fours, fives and a couple of sixes). The most important thing you can do is not ask "why?" (Why do I have a bass at all? Why do I want to play music? None of those are questions to be asked here), and you've already jumped that hurdle.

Find music that's been written for/with the instrument (most of that will be modern. Let's face it- folks generally write for the instruments they have, not the ones that came later, so a lot of older stuff will require only four strings) and go.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Good luck..I've been playing 4 string for 40 years and I'm still learning...

 

[Watchootognbout]

Personally I would take the top and bottom strings off.

I realize that doesn't help at all.

Sorry

Kind of

A post like this irritates the "Feldercarb" out of me!
He wants to play a six string bass and the first reply is to take two strings off?
That's not what he wants!

 

[Neal Brakey]

I really appreciate everyone who gave me help on what to do, and replied to this posting, I will be sure to go through and use everyone's replies into my practicing, and look up stuff myself for the most part until I get better, but I am in no rush and plan to practice every day when I get the chance.
The main reason I got into bass was through inspiration of music. I started on bass, gave up at first, went to guitar and found that wasn't for me. Heck I even tried out drums for a bit, but my journey has led me back to bass, and I find it is what drives me the most.
Me personally I simply want to play a 6 string bass, and I see no difference in playing more or less strings as far as a beginner. I don't see why anyone would have to start at 4 only to go to 7 or 8, or 12 when they could have learned on that all along making it easier, and that brings me back to the 6, the 6 is where I want to be and end up. I see no reason to slowly get there.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

Well ...

As for technique well 2 fingers then thumb and three finger as it will be very helpfull and also work on your muting. You may also need taping technique.

Then the rest is music theory ...

Don't be affraid of playing music not intended for bass player like classical guitar stuff or whatever the instrument... this is a problem with bass player they get stuck on playing the bass if they would be musician maybe we would have more interesting stuff.

Then you need a lot of creativity

anyway







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Here is one of mine

 

[eJake]

A post like this irritates the $&^# out of me!
He wants to play a six string bass and the first reply is to take two strings off?
That's not what he wants!

Unfortunately this forum is a place of many opinions which inherently cause offense. Please reference the last 3 words of my previous post.

 

[Watchootognbout]

OK, I'm game: I only have 12 chromatic notes in most of my octaves; what are the other three major scales I have been missing?

Microtones!
Get a fretless and try some Arabic Maqams.

 

[Ekulati]

Be a musician first and a bassist second...

Yeah, I was gonna say learn music first, then pick an instrument. But ok, bass, allright... You know a bass is a bass, no matter how many strings it has, right? How about learning what the bass DOES in a musical context before deciding you need to solo, and solo only on a six string? Cart/horse?

 

[Wasnex]

Yeah, I was gonna say learn music first, then pick an instrument. But ok, bass, allright... You know a bass is a bass, no matter how many strings it has, right? How about learning what the bass DOES in a musical context before deciding you need to solo, and solo only on a six string? Cart/horse?

Cart/horse? I don't know anyone who studied music theory before learning to play an instrument.

I think @Neal Brakey should be encouraged for having relatively realistic and clear goals. IMHO 6-string bass is a fine vehicle for a musical journey, but not for everyone.

I encourage the idea of augmenting eventual musical studies with piano/keyboard. This is not to become a pianist or keyboardist, but rather to become a well rounded musician and gain a better grasp of theory, composition, and how music fits together. It can even help you solo better on 6-string bass if that is your goal.

 

[saabfender]

OK, I'm game: I only have 12 chromatic notes in most of my octaves; what are the other three major scales I have been missing?

G# and Ab are not organically the same pitch. For convenience, equal temperament has made them so.

 

[tsheldon]

As a beginner myself, and having no interest in joining a band in the near future I plan on playing a 6 string to solo and record my own sounds/ experiment.
What I am wondering is what is the best way to learn on the 6 string compared to a 4 for a complete beginner?
Most practice material online I see is for a 4, and I want to make use of all 6 strings.
So, if I could get some suggestions, or ideas on what some good practices would be to learn the 6 string, or maybe a place to learn on it, or something I can read up on I would greatly appreciate it.
It is what I see myself ending up playing.[

1. Scales and arpeggios all over the instrument paying extra attention to making sure open strings are always muted when you don’t want them to sound. Most 6 string players aren’t very good at this.

2. For a beginner just learn to function as a bass player. The 6 gives you the ability to play chords and counterpoint lines simultaneously with the bass line but playing bass lines with good time and tone is hard enough at first.

 

[DrayMiles]

Cart/horse? I don't know anyone who studied music theory before learning to play an instrument.

I think @Neal Brakey should be encouraged for having relatively realistic and clear goals. IMHO 6-string bass is a fine vehicle for a musical journey, but not for everyone.

I encourage the idea of augmenting eventual musical studies with piano/keyboard. This is not to become a pianist or keyboardist, but rather to become a well rounded musician and gain a better grasp of theory, composition, and how music fits together. It can even help you solo better on 6-string bass if that is your goal.

I’ve been playing the six since 1995. I studied with Gerald Veasley and have used the six on numerous recordings. I believe that just having technical ability is a mistake. There are a lot of players that can shred but are boring and are not pleasant to listen to.

 

[Wasnex]

I’ve been playing the six since 1995. I studied with Gerald Veasley and have used the six on numerous recordings. I believe that just having technical ability is a mistake. There are a lot of players that can shred but are boring and are not pleasant to listen to.

I totally agree! The good news is the OP has expressed an interest in learning music theory and counterpoint.

 

[DrayMiles]

I totally agree! The good news is the OP has expressed an interest in learning music theory and counterpoint.

That is definitely a good thing. I hate boring bass solos. Because of the nature of our instrument, when we take a solo it really needs to go somewhere.

 

[DrayMiles]

I wish we focused on melody more... Myself included. Horn players and pianists have the thought concept ingrained in their DNA and preparatory training. If not careful, young bassists will have technical proficiency and little melodicism. That translates into an audience filled with musicians that usually will complain about club entrance fees and alcohol prices if relevant. There's no shame in wanting to reach a wider audience of common, everyday folks.

 

[Wasnex]

I wish we focused on melody more... Myself included. Horn players and pianists have the thought concept ingrained in their DNA and preparatory training. If not careful, young bassists will have technical proficiency and little melodicism. That translates into an audience filled with musicians that usually will complain about club entrance fees and alcohol prices if relevant. There's no shame in wanting to reach a wider audience of common, everyday folks.

I used to double a lot of tuba parts in concert bands on string bass. The lines were often very functional and mind numbingly boring...mostly root and fifth. Much more interesting when we played orchestral transcripts where the bass lines were very melodic.

IMHO, if you think playing melodically is important, then study and play more melodically...but bass is often expected to fill a functional roll that cannot be abandoned at a whim. So choose an ensemble and audience where playing melodically is appreciated.

Usually all music majors learn music fundamentals in the same class room. No reason why a bass player cannot study, transcribe, and practice music written for/performed by piano, saxophone, cello, xylophone, etc.

IMHO the unhappy musician syndrome comes from the fact that there is insufficient commercial demand for highly qualified musicians or the highly sophisticated music they tend to prefer. Many musicians think they should be appreciated for pursuing lofty artistic dreams, rather than making any effort to give the audience what they want.

Common, every day folks tend to prefer simple, unsophisticated music that is easier for them to relate to and understand, rather than the high-art that gives competent musicians a sense of validation and fulfillment. Perhaps the trick as a bass player is to integrate tasty and sophisticated ideas in a way that does not take a way from the simple bass lines that many audiences prefer.

When I used to listen to Stanley Clarke solo, IMHO he sounded bored and uninspired; but when he played a simple bass line in some random pop chart, there was typically so much going on that I found it incredible...I doubt most people even noticed.

I remember reading several magazine interviews back in the day that documented Stanley's disillusionment with overly technical music.

 

[Nashrakh]

Don't be affraid of playing music not intended for bass player like classical guitar stuff or whatever the instrument... this is a problem with bass player they get stuck on playing the bass if they would be musician maybe we would have more interesting stuff.

I would tend to agree, but then the harsh reality may be that you're stuck being a basement musician because, let's face it, most bands don't seek those qualities in a bass player. So maybe the fault lies less with the bass players themselves and more with the band landscape and music consumption in general (see Wasnex's post). Unless you're lucky and have a supportive band, it's meat and potatoes for most of us. With some gravy on top, at best.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I would tend to agree, but then the harsh reality may be that you're stuck being a basement musician because, let's face it, most bands don't seek those qualities in a bass player. So maybe the fault lies less with the bass players themselves and more with the band landscape and music consumption in general (see Wasnex's post). Unless you're lucky and have a supportive band, it's meat and potatoes for most of us. With some gravy on top, at best.

There is a world outside of playing 50years old cover in a cover band for a pitance.

You can do solo music on youtube

You can play in a death metal band or jazz fusion band and do stuff on youtube

You can ditch the whole band and just do stuff by yourself