If u knew then what u know now! Bass Edition!

[faulknersj]

Lately, I have been thinking about all the things I wish I knew about bass at a younger age. A band I was in a while back got signed to RCA and we got to work with a multi platinum selling producer. When we got to the studio in Burbank, I hauled my SWR 8x10 Megoliath and Mesa Boogie 400+ into the studio, set it up and plugged in. Mudrock, the producer, walks in, takes one look at my rig and says 'what the hell are u planning to do with that?' After 3 weeks in the studio, I of course came to realize how rediculous that rig was in a studio environment, but it would take years more to grasp what I now consider very basic concepts. Those concepts include, the benefits of low stage volume, and the concept of EQ ing everything flat (at least at first). This is very basic stuff that I failed to grasp until I was in my 30's. I would love to hear from the rest of u guys on your own personal journey and growth as a bass player. What would you go back and tell your younger self if you could?

 

[jcburn]

When I first started playing I had crappy amps, and subsequently used to practice alot at home without going through the amp. I developed a very heavy handed style that when I first started playing through good amps didn't produce a very even/decent tone.
Also I wished I had learnt a little more theory to start with. I have never wanted to be a virtuoso but would like to improvise just a little better and I am getting to be a bit of an old dog trying to learn new tricks at this stage!

 

[Shakin-Slim]

I wish I had realised the importance of learning to read when I was younger and spent less time as a young teenager playing seven nation army over and over

 

[trunkshope6]

o man i wish i would of just boughten my stingray and never bought any of those fenders, wish i learned some motown to start with and also realized that i liked fat necks rather than jazz necks

 

[BlakeJustBlake]

I wish I would've realized that bass was a lot more fun than guitar. Maybe then I would have actually pursued that jazz studies degree rather than give up before I even applied.

 

[phatbass]

Buying realistically priced good gear is cheaper in the long run.

 

[can_v]

If I knew that I'd become finger player, I would never get into that fight that broke my right ring finger. Now I couldn't use it, too bad.

 

[Jon Moody]

The biggest thing I'd tell myself is to stop the mentality of "I'm a bass player playing music" and really learn what it is to say "I'm a musician playing bass." It's a completely different experience, and it took over 20 years to realize that. But once I did, wow!

 

[dincorcelles]

i wish i bought a five string for my first bass. Now i have to borrow a fiver to use for the kind of music i'm playing now.

 

[duckbutter]

I would have left my 77 Fender jazz stock.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

I wish I had someone to explain to me that I should take the time to get properly mated with a decent bass. I should had spent hours upon hours of time handling multiple brands/makes/styles to find the one instrument that fit me best. Then spend a little extra money once, instead of buying multiple POS/someone else's problem bass.

I really didn't have any friends/contacts to talk about this with.

I'm relieved that my son gets to benefit from my mistakes. I wish I had half the instrument he does, when i started......

 

[JimB52]

Have band practice without a bunch of girls watching.
Practice, practice, practice.
Don't modify that Telecaster Bass.
Buy that LPB Fender Bass VI for $265.
I'm still learning stuff all the time. I think that's the idea.

 

[Zolbol]

I'm a musician playing bass

Thanks Monkey

 

[PSPookie]

o man i wish i would of just boughten . . .

I don't typically jump on things like this, but wow, that was poor.

I wish you had stayed awake in English class

 

[audiophile21]

I wish that I knew to play a bass before I drop 300 bucks on it :/

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

I wish i´d never stopped learning upright bass...for 10 years

 

[PSPookie]

I wish that I knew to play a bass before I drop 300 bucks on it :/

Let the expense be part of your inspiration to learn. I dropped about $250 on a set up as a broke college student and I was determined to get my money's worth out of it.

It worked out pretty well.

 

[blendermassacre]

I wish that I knew to play a bass before I drop 300 bucks on it :/

I'm curious how one learns how to play bass before buying one.

Just play it like you stole it, and you'll get your money's worth. If you play daily thats < $1/ day for a year. People spend more than that on coffee, cigarettes, food...

 

[TheMutt]

I wish that I had learned that a heavy amp and a gigantic heavy pedalboard (both thankfully behind me now) are absolutely not necessary to play. My back wouldn't be paying the price now.

 

[Righteous Thunderer]

Y'know, part of me wishes that I'd picked up bass earlier and hadn't spent those years playing guitar only to figure out that I don't like it as much as bass. But at the same time, I recognize that by playing guitar I learned a different angle to view the music from, and that allows me to look at my playing a little different methinks.

In all honesty, my only wish is that I'd learned SOMETHING at a younger age than 18 (25 currently), whether it be guitar or bass or whatever, and actually spent the years learning the instrument instead of repeatedly playing intros and popular riffs. I'm finally going to do something after this deployment that I've never done, and wish I had earlier: Seek instruction from an experienced bass player.