is there any similar experience to mine out there ?

[tangentmusic]

Had people encouraged me to keep playing football I wouldn't be the musician I am. And I'd have wasted a signicant portion of my life.

Who knows... You coulda been Tim Tebow! Or Ryan Leaf...

Each of us should deside for ourselves what we should or should not do.

I would never encourage anyone to quit any endeavor that they may get personal satisfaction from (except any activity that could be illegal or cause anyone harm)

 

[TortugaDaPipah]

This is how I learned:

Play with people. Just play roots, get a rhythm and feel for playing. Don't bother with bass lines or tabs or learning parts/riffs. Just play the roots.

Once you can play along using the root notes fairly well, check out[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] He's a member here and almost solely responsible for my musical education regarding bass. His explanations make so much sense. He makes some complex stuff very understandable.

Once you understand the theory behind it, everything else comes a lot easier.

 

[R&B]

Noob here to add a little encouragement to the OP.

+1 on daily practice, even a few minutes is better than nothing. If sensitive neighbors or family members are an issue, plug in headphones to your practice amp or get one of the little headphone amps that plugs into your bass.

+1 on getting the right instructor. Mine corrected my hand position in the first 10 minutes, provides tons of immediate feedback, and really bugs me to study theory and practice scales/intervals/rhythms. He also models things on a second bass. Helpful.

Direction-wise, there are any number of self-contained courses that you can work through while looking for an instructor. I like the Hal Leonard Bass Method. The DVD starring Ed Friedland is great but moves really fast. The book has lots of exercises and little tunes. The CD that comes with the book is nice because it has more instrumental material for you to play along. It is cleverly designed to teach you important patterns, which I am starting to appreciate after 2 months of study.

Never stop doing something you enjoy!

P.S. Thanks to others for the links to the Scott Devine site and for the Music Theory PDF.

 

[mambo4]

This is how I learned:

Play with people. Just play roots, get a rhythm and feel for playing. Don't bother with bass lines or tabs or learning parts/riffs. Just play the roots.

I'm gonna +1 this, because playing songs with others is without a doubt the fastest route to building practical skills.(Especially if you play with people who have knowledge to share) It will automatically give you direction and validate progress.

That said, lessons and self motivated practice are still to be pursued.

 

[DBCrocky]

I would recommend you go with guitar for now. It's much easier to be able to play guitar and sing songs solo. Bass Guitar is an instrument for playing in bands, not so much solo.

Daily Practice. 15 minutes per day minimum.

Beginners make the mistake of worrying about their left hand, but they should start with the right hand. (I am assuming you are right handed). Learn how to strum. Get a metronome or some kind of click to play along to.

Once you can strum, work on changing chords with your left hand. Use simple open chords like G, D, A, E, C and Dm, Am, Em.

Once you can change chords while keeping the strumming rhythm solid, you can play songs. Find chord books for songs/bands you like at your local music store, or find em online for free. Learn songs and work on being able to sing them with your strumming.

Now you can perform. More importantly, you've learned how to learn. Now move on to what new challenges interest you as a musician.

 

[catcauphonic]

Noob here to add a little encouragement to the OP.

+1 on daily practice, even a few minutes is better than nothing. If sensitive neighbors or family members are an issue, plug in headphones to your practice amp or get one of the little headphone amps that plugs into your bass.

+1 on getting the right instructor. Mine corrected my hand position in the first 10 minutes, provides tons of immediate feedback, and really bugs me to study theory and practice scales/intervals/rhythms. He also models things on a second bass. Helpful.

Direction-wise, there are any number of self-contained courses that you can work through while looking for an instructor. I like the Hal Leonard Bass Method. The DVD starring Ed Friedland is great but moves really fast. The book has lots of exercises and little tunes. The CD that comes with the book is nice because it has more instrumental material for you to play along. It is cleverly designed to teach you important patterns, which I am starting to appreciate after 2 months of study.

Never stop doing something you enjoy!

P.S. Thanks to others for the links to the Scott Devine site and for the Music Theory PDF.

I picked up my first instrument (bass) at 42. I've been playing for less than a year doing EXACTLY all the above, & a noticeable progress usually happens every few days... which keeps me excited! Make a little time each day. Keep it out on a stand. Practice while you're watching TV. & yes, if you have any musician friends - people love to share what they know. ROCK ON!

 

[Jhengsman]

I'm gonna +1 this, because playing songs with others is without a doubt the fastest route to building practical skills.(Especially if you play with people who have knowledge to share) It will automatically give you direction and validate progress.

That said, lessons and self motivated practice are still to be pursued.

+2
beyond developing skills it makes you a musician and not a bedroom finger exerciser. This is a social hobby, we share what we do with others or what is the point?

 

[lancimouspitt]

Have you played along to any songs?
When I started out my favorite thing to do was turn my speakers way up,and play along to a song I loved. It doesn't have to be anything complicated,but just something fun and simple. If your not jamming with other people at least do the next best thing. Find some good drum beats,samples,loops,etc,whatever you want to call them and play along with just the drums. You'll be surprised how much different your bass can sound when playing with just the drums. I've done that hours on end and it never gets boring.
And of course as most others have mentioned find some people to play along with.
Nothing beats having other musicians in the room.