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I need some serious help

N

Nope 1988

Guest
May 25, 2017
11
14
#1
I apologize in advanced for this post, please don't bother reading if you don't like complainers.

Hi everyone. I am here asking for help. I have been trying to "play" bass since 2010. My partner plays guitar and we were supposed to have a band together but I just can't do it. For the life of me I cannot learn this instrument and it's making me feel like there's something wrong with me. I don't know one note. I've watched numerous youtube videos and explanations of why notes and scales and tabs and stuff are great and important, but it just makes no sense. None. Not an ounce. It's like I have dyslexia of music.

I can't play one song. All I want to do is play along and I can't. It's the most discouraging thing and I end up throwing the thing on the ground and not picking it up for another month. I end up hating it. I can't hit a single matching note and when I think I do, apparently it's still wrong. I don't want to learn by playing to songs. I need to come up with original stuff that goes with the songs that my partner had already written.

So, how does a completely inept backwards person learn how to play the bass to existing songs? How do I even know if it goes? How do I even like playing the bass anymore if I haven't been able to come up with anything in 7 years? God. It is just the worst.
 
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#4
DirtDog said:
Once a month is not enough. Do you own a tuner and know how to use it?

The fastest way to learn is to play along to songs. Sorry. Why is your partner not showing you the basics?
Click to expand...

I do have a tuner!
I've been trying to play everyday after work for the past few weeks, so that's a better start than one a month at least. Still nothing. And almost every time we try playing together we end up fighting. Like,I'll stop to figure out what sound I want and where to find it, and he'll get mad if I stop and yell at me to "just play". But how the eff can I "just play" if I can't play?
 
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#7
Welcome to Talk Bass!

Relax. Take a breath. You're among friends. We got this. We'll figure it out.

Have you tried lessons? I used to teach lessons. I would start from the basics. You have to train your fingers FIRST BEFORE you start trying to apply music to it. You need to do a few weeks of boring finder exercises to get your brain and your fingers to communicate.

Have you found any of these on-line? I would start there. If you don't find any hit me up either here or PM. I can walk you through a few. But understand that they are boring. In fact, I would suggest you do them with an unplugged bass while watching TV. THAT boring. But once you get your fingers talking to your head we can go from there.

Take another breath. A deep one. :D

Tell your partner to give us a few weeks (couple months maybe). Then we'll jam. :bassist:
 
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#9
Two fingers:

You give me hope! I wasn't even expecting anyone to reply here but I was surely mistaken,you guys are awesome. I didn't know about the finger exercises. I have really small hands so I've got an Ibanez mikro (in Walnut flat). I'll be sure to research some on YouTube.

Dave W: I wouldn't mind professional lessons, I don't have much $$ though. And I try to practice for as long as I can, usually a half hour lol. I have a hard time paying attention to, well, anything really.
 
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#10
Lessons are a good start, or more importantly for you some kind of mentor.

If you don't know what you're doing, then you are wasting your time, there's no direction in just plucking notes.

As was mentioned, youtube is a good place to start if you can't find someone to closely monitor you.

It's not necessary, but some theory can help through lessons.
B.
 
#12
Nope 1988 said:
I apologize in advanced for this post, please don't bother reading if you don't like complainers.

Hi everyone. I am here asking for help. I have been trying to "play" bass since 2010. My partner plays guitar and we were supposed to have a band together but I just can't do it. For the life of me I cannot learn this instrument and it's making me feel like there's something wrong with me. I don't know one note. I've watched numerous youtube videos and explanations of why notes and scales and tabs and stuff are great and important, but it just makes no sense. None. Not an ounce. It's like I have dyslexia of music.

I can't play one song. All I want to do is play along and I can't. It's the most discouraging thing and I end up throwing the thing on the ground and not picking it up for another month. I end up hating it. I can't hit a single matching note and when I think I do, apparently it's still wrong. I don't want to learn by playing to songs. I need to come up with original stuff that goes with the songs that my partner had already written.

So, how does a completely inept backwards person learn how to play the bass to existing songs? How do I even know if it goes? How do I even like playing the bass anymore if I haven't been able to come up with anything in 7 years? God. It is just the worst.
Click to expand...
The great thing about playing the bass, is that a lot of the time, it's completely appropriate to strike one note and hold it for four Beats before hitting the next note, and then holding it for four Beats! My advice probably doesn't add up to much, but for what it's worth , I would get a metronome and maybe just play a pattern to the metronome, repetitively of G ,C , & D, holding each note four four beats, to train your fingers and your mind to think in that rhythmic and harmonic way. Trust me man, anyone can learn to play the bass, it's mostly just played one note at a time! Don't get too frustrated, just try to master playing one note at a time consistently to a beat and build up slowly from there.
 
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#13
Nope 1988 said:
I do have a tuner!
I've been trying to play everyday after work for the past few weeks, so that's a better start than one a month at least. Still nothing. And almost every time we try playing together we end up fighting. Like,I'll stop to figure out what sound I want and where to find it, and he'll get mad if I stop and yell at me to "just play". But how the eff can I "just play" if I can't play?
Click to expand...

That sucks that your partner is undermining your confidence here. Sounds like you're a ways off from playing together without friction, honestly. Some face to face lessons with a real teacher might help break thru the barrier. If you can spare $25 once a week for a half hour lesson - for maybe a month or two - that'll get you going.

Thinking back to when I taught myself to play about 35 years ago, the hardest thing was coordinating the left and right hands - getting left hand in position to fret the note I was looking for and then making sure I was plucking the string with my right hand at the right time. That's basic mechanics that you kind of take for granted once you figure it out - at which point your brain will have the space to figure out where to put your fingers on the fret board. Trying to do both at the same time is frustrating when you're first starting out. There's exercises you can do for get the mechanics down if you haven't figured that out yet.
 
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#15
I can't throw a football.

I don't know why, maybe a bad habit I got into as a kid? Was told I throw from my elbow and I need to throw from my shoulder. Well meaning people spent a lot of time showing me how. I practiced. I still can't throw a football half the distance of your average 12 year old girl. I'd like to be able to throw a football, but I have some sort of mental block, and for some reason I just don't have the motivation to really get it down. This is a true story.

I play a kickass bass.

I quit trying to play football.
 
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#16
Learn some songs. It will help get your fingers working together and get your ears tuned in a bit. When I started playing I got Mel Bays Bass method and went at it. Im sure there are better books out there now plus videos and YouTube is a tremendous wealth of information.

If you get stuck there are plenty of people right here that are more than willing to try to help. Good luck and stick with it. You'll get it!
 
#18
I think in-person lessons are extremely valuable. Do you live by a community college or university? Go to the school's music department and check out bulletin boards for postings for bass guitar lessons. Often the students don't charge as much for lessons as an older pro. My first instructor was a 22 yr old music major. He was a great instructor for a young guy. He taught me how to LISTEN, how to read, and how to play. I just thought I would share that info because it worked for me. Later I enrolled in some music classes at the community college like ear training, sight reading, jazz combo, jazz improvisation, another private instructor (1st one moved). All of that was due to my first teacher pushing me to explore. Best of luck to you.
 
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#19
I taught skiing for many years. Anytime we saw a couple on the hill with the husband trying to teach his wife, we had a very special word for it......we called it a divorce. Learning any new endeavor, especial a physical one is a process and takes time. The reason you need lessons is that you need to learn from someone who knows how to teach. That in itself is an art. Lessons will break down the complex into small simple attainable steps. If you want to learn how to play and express yourself on a bass, you will be able to with lessons. Go to your nearest music store, and ask about lessons or teachers in the area. If your partner begrudges you for this, be true to yourself and tell him you are doing this for you.

You can do this. Its a process not an event. Good luck.
 
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#20
Joe Nerve said:
I can't throw a football.

I don't know why, maybe a bad habit I got into as a kid? Was told I throw from my elbow and I need to throw from my shoulder. Well meaning people spent a lot of time showing me how. I practiced. I still can't throw a football half the distance of your average 12 year old girl. I'd like to be able to throw a football, but I have some sort of mental block, and for some reason I just don't have the motivation to really get it down. This is a true story.

I play a kickass bass.

I quit trying to play football.
Click to expand...
I see exactly what you are saying. I'm glad you're not my psychiatrist though. (I could start a thread on him . . .)
 

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