The thing about the bass is unlike something like the sax that has no concrete fingering-note rule, you've got nice symmetrical strings. You only need to learn the scales in one key and remember the shape. Learn the notes of your fretboard and suddenly you know your scales in all keys. Play a G major, then slide your hand up 2 frets and do the same thing and now you're playing A major. Or take a G minor, bring it up a string now it's C minor. All keys have the same intervals, just different note namesThanks for the replies folks, very appreciated.
faulknersj, to be honest, my knowledge of the major and minor scales is EXTREMELY lacking. I've been trying to search for a website that lists all of them in each key but no luck. I'm pretty much ignorant of all scales besides the G and E. And I have two examples of songs I'm having trouble with. One is Sublime's Pawn Shop, where I have trouble playing the main lick in D the second time. Another is Bill Withers' Lonely Day, where string skipping isn't the issue, but getting to a certain fret in time is (second to fourth fret on the A string). I'm trying to finally ditch tabs altogether and learn songs by ear, even if it takes slowing them down, but at times I have trouble finding which fingering of the notes is best for the song. Thank you for your suggestions, I'll definitely try the pinky exercise.
Also, I'm only 18 but I've sat in at a few open mic jams and had planned to start getting up there and doing my thing; unfortunately the regular open mic night at the bar was shut down a couple months after it started.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
In a funk (not the good kind, either)
- Thread starter Waspinators
- Start date
I'm a pretty mediocre player too - I have a thread about being awestruck by a kid half my age in my daughter's jazz band somewhere on this forum.
Just remember: play because you like it, not to be better than (or even as good as) anybody else. Let better players teach you and inspire you but right now play the way you play NOW. It's about making music, not scoring points.
Also, do whatever you can to play with other people regularly. Get a band together, put out a craigslist ad for jam partners, whatever. Bass works best in the context of a band and you'll feel a lot better about your playing when you hear yourself starting to synch with a drummer laying down that low end for the other players.
It sounds like you're a bit of a perfectionist. The good thing about perfectionists is that they usually keep striving to be better. The bad thing about them is that they sometimes give up and quit when their work isn't perfect. Just remember that in creative fields, there is no such thing as "perfect." There is no "perfect bassist," not even Victor Wooten. Even he is still learning and finding new things. Let your mantra be "practice makes progress," not "practice makes perfect."
Just remember: play because you like it, not to be better than (or even as good as) anybody else. Let better players teach you and inspire you but right now play the way you play NOW. It's about making music, not scoring points.
Also, do whatever you can to play with other people regularly. Get a band together, put out a craigslist ad for jam partners, whatever. Bass works best in the context of a band and you'll feel a lot better about your playing when you hear yourself starting to synch with a drummer laying down that low end for the other players.
It sounds like you're a bit of a perfectionist. The good thing about perfectionists is that they usually keep striving to be better. The bad thing about them is that they sometimes give up and quit when their work isn't perfect. Just remember that in creative fields, there is no such thing as "perfect." There is no "perfect bassist," not even Victor Wooten. Even he is still learning and finding new things. Let your mantra be "practice makes progress," not "practice makes perfect."
Good advice hrodbert! Waspinators, I am going to find you some links that will help you tremendously when I get home today or tomorrow. I will also try to shoot and post some video lessons for you as well, stuff specifically focused on what would help you most. If I took the time to shoot some video lessons specifically for you, would you promise to put some practice time in? I will teach you excersises to get your fingers working much better, teach you how to play scales, and get you up to speed on 'Pawn Shop' and 'Lovely Day'. Lemme know amigo!
hrodbert696, you are very right. Music and art in general is about expressing one's self, not impressing other people. You see, there are wonderful ideas I hear in my head but once they pass through my arms and into my fingers, they ain't so wonderful anymore! 
And faulknersj, if you can find the time to shoot some videos/post some links, that'd be a tremendous help not just for me, but for anyone else who's dealing with similar issues as me. No pressure, but if you do post 'em up, you know I'll be putting in some serious prac-time!
And faulknersj, if you can find the time to shoot some videos/post some links, that'd be a tremendous help not just for me, but for anyone else who's dealing with similar issues as me. No pressure, but if you do post 'em up, you know I'll be putting in some serious prac-time!
It sounds like an over simplification, but the key to getting better really is doing it a lot, playing with others, and most importantly having fun and not beating yourself up.
It's really hard to progress when you're down on yourself and worried, it shatters your mental focus, and it's hard to play well when your mind is racing and you're probably tensing up from nerves which is why you biff some of your fills and seize up over all.
I used to get like this, especially when under pressure in music school where you are constantly judged by people who hear everything, but about half way through I had an epiphany of sorts, "Yo me, wait a minute...i really don't care what other folks are thinking of me or my playing, and this is one of my favorite things in the world to do and I'll be damned if im not going to enjoy it, mistakes, average chops and general dumbassedness and all". You miss a break-away layup? Well whoop-de-doo, everybody lives. Nelson from the Simpson's might point and laugh, but he's an ******* so who cares. Did this mental shift make me a virtuoso now? Not even close, but I can hang with most players, I play the way i want and like the sounds I make even with the imperfections, and I love to play every time I get a chance. I'm 35 and still practically run home some days to practice or play.
It's your thing. do what ya wanna do. Check the Lou Donaldson version of that one on youtube for some serious funk, organ bass no less...good luck man.
It's really hard to progress when you're down on yourself and worried, it shatters your mental focus, and it's hard to play well when your mind is racing and you're probably tensing up from nerves which is why you biff some of your fills and seize up over all.
I used to get like this, especially when under pressure in music school where you are constantly judged by people who hear everything, but about half way through I had an epiphany of sorts, "Yo me, wait a minute...i really don't care what other folks are thinking of me or my playing, and this is one of my favorite things in the world to do and I'll be damned if im not going to enjoy it, mistakes, average chops and general dumbassedness and all". You miss a break-away layup? Well whoop-de-doo, everybody lives. Nelson from the Simpson's might point and laugh, but he's an ******* so who cares. Did this mental shift make me a virtuoso now? Not even close, but I can hang with most players, I play the way i want and like the sounds I make even with the imperfections, and I love to play every time I get a chance. I'm 35 and still practically run home some days to practice or play.
It's your thing. do what ya wanna do. Check the Lou Donaldson version of that one on youtube for some serious funk, organ bass no less...good luck man.
after three years i was still playing bass by myself in my room, after five years i played in a jazz band (a good place to start if you can read), and then took a ten year break and then started playing in an original band. i am much better now than when i was playing in school. i think it has to do with creation of my own bass lines, which for me translated into me actually beginning to really understand musical theory.
I think that I'll never reach a level that would make me consider my playing "good". Playing music is about music - and not about winning competitions. I am not trying to out-play anybody (maybe I'm going to leave that to guitar and sax players,,, 
), but I consider myself a permanent student of the art of music.
Well... maybe this is due to me starting to play bass at 34. Never played an instrument before, so I had to say good bye to the idea of ever becoming a really good musician. Hard to get 10.000 cumulative hours of practice when having a day job, a partner, other hobbies, sports, cooking, friends and all that. My dream would be to learn to play jazz, and be a member of some piano trio after my retirement... in some 25 years.
However, all of the really great musicians I had the chance to talk to were considering themselves students of the art. Even a master, if it is a true master of the art, remains a student.
So, imho, I'd suggest do concentrate on music. Not on how good others may play in your view.
Just my two cents.
), but I consider myself a permanent student of the art of music.Well... maybe this is due to me starting to play bass at 34. Never played an instrument before, so I had to say good bye to the idea of ever becoming a really good musician. Hard to get 10.000 cumulative hours of practice when having a day job, a partner, other hobbies, sports, cooking, friends and all that. My dream would be to learn to play jazz, and be a member of some piano trio after my retirement... in some 25 years.
However, all of the really great musicians I had the chance to talk to were considering themselves students of the art. Even a master, if it is a true master of the art, remains a student.
So, imho, I'd suggest do concentrate on music. Not on how good others may play in your view.
Just my two cents.
Try this site. http://www.studybass.com/
Chord tones > Scales. I have learned a lot from this guy and I have been playing for twenty years.
It will come. Practice and playing with a group will make you better.
Chord tones > Scales. I have learned a lot from this guy and I have been playing for twenty years.
It will come. Practice and playing with a group will make you better.
The insight contained here is really quite good. With an attitude like this, it's hard to go wrong.
Cool Waspinators....I'll put some vids and links together for you asap. I know I can help guide you with some simple excersises in time.
Man there is some awesome advice here for the op and others in his situation. I'm really starting to like this place!
There's no substitute to playing with a band. I was fortunate enough to learn in a band situation with a good friend. I literally had no experience what so ever (I didn't know what tuning was) but they sat there and taught me. Now he introduces me as one of the best musicians he knows! How frigging cool is that!?!
I just crammed and learned everything I could from other people. I really don't know theory so I learned by trial and error. Does this sound right? Oh ok I need to do this differently. Take it slow, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT MESSING UP, and most importantly have fun! Because that's what it's about.
There's no substitute to playing with a band. I was fortunate enough to learn in a band situation with a good friend. I literally had no experience what so ever (I didn't know what tuning was) but they sat there and taught me. Now he introduces me as one of the best musicians he knows! How frigging cool is that!?!
I just crammed and learned everything I could from other people. I really don't know theory so I learned by trial and error. Does this sound right? Oh ok I need to do this differently. Take it slow, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT MESSING UP, and most importantly have fun! Because that's what it's about.
You have youth on your side, you have no idea how much it means.Next time you jam with someone,see if they want to get together again. Learn covers, make that time you spend practicing worth while.Try and learn 3 songs a week.
Me I don't have youth on my side.I am at the oposite side of the spectrum.I have been playing for over 40 years and now no band wants me any more.
I know some of this stuff seems boring, but dude, this basic stuff is crucial to getting you on the way to where you need to be! Whenever you are at home, watching TV or whatever, hold your bass in your hands and run these excersises OVER and OVER!
Here are some links to some helpful video's:
This excersise will get all your fingers working properly and increase dexterity. Start slow and speed it up. Also, alternate your index (I) and middle (M) fingers on your right hand while doing this....I M I M I M etc.. This excersise will get all of the fingers in your left hand working better together, especially that danged pinky!!
I hope some of this helps.
I will try to make you a couple of custom video's soon.
Here are some links to some helpful video's:
This excersise will get all your fingers working properly and increase dexterity. Start slow and speed it up. Also, alternate your index (I) and middle (M) fingers on your right hand while doing this....I M I M I M etc.. This excersise will get all of the fingers in your left hand working better together, especially that danged pinky!!
I hope some of this helps.
I will try to make you a couple of custom video's soon.
Thank you faulknersj! The major scale video definitely lit the 'obvious' lightbulb in my head and I think coming up with lines will be a bit easier now. As far as Pawn Shop, I really just had to practice it with the backing track a bit more, I believe I've got it now despite occasional hiccups.
