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I've been playing bass for a Whole year now. Any tips going forwards?

#81
i found (and find) trying to learn good players' parts by EAR (ween off the tabs) and playing along to be a great exercise, both with the hands as well as the brain/ear. I keep a spotify playlist of songs that have interesting bass parts that will push me and maybe broaden my instincts and chops. From Jamerson to Carol Kaye to JPJ, to the Clash and Rancid to lots of Pino Palladino...
I can't name a bunch of scales and my sight-reading is pretty rusty, but I think can find the pocket and construct a tasteful groove better than your average player.
 
#83
also, regarding GAS and gear. An older friend told me when I was in high school and lusting after his cool gear that I should get a job a couple hours a week and buy some gear while i was a student and largely free of any real bills/expenses (yeah put some in savings etc etc). But that worked well for me ages 14-18--i was a groundscrew at a little league softball field and got paid under the table, that helped me get and upgrade gear as needed
 
#87
The3fingerteers said:
21st September 2016 is when I started. It's now my 2nd year playing bass (Sadly also 20 years since we lost Jaco).

Anything I should consider looking forward?



EDIT: 30 years
Click to expand...
My advice is to Check out as much music as you can. Set a goal to learn something from every bass player you can find footage or audio of. You can learn something from everyone, even players that are terrible you can look for what they are doing wrong and learn what not to do.

Something I've learned from Watching Janek Gwizdala videos (he's a great source for learning btw) is to be honest with yourself, celebrate your mistakes instead of blowing them off. Because your mistakes give you something to practice. And if you have mistakes to conquer you're going to continue improving. If you make a mistake make a mental note of it and work on it when you're practicing. Think of it like fixing a hole in a leaking bucket. As you play longer and longer, particularly if you get into music that is more difficult to play . There will be more holes in the bucket along the way. One by one fix those holes. Because each hole that you fix you'll be getting that much better
 
#88
You might want to check up on your technique to make sure you haven't picked up any bad habits over that time. Think of it as a yearly review...sometimes I notice that I jump around the fretboard with my index finger instead of fingering the proper way. Working on that...

Also, if you have any aches or pains in your wrist/hand/shoulder while playing it would be a good time to make adjustments there, too
 
#89
I suggest you to learn harmony, from a to z. Bass is a pencil, and harmony the canvas. Theres is several texts. Fingerboard harmony from Gary Willis is one of them. Jazzology is another one. Think like a musician, not only as a bassist. Every single step taken learning harmony is gonna lead you new roads.
 
#90
I am a professional bass player. I learned by listening to other bass players. I had the ability to hear, then translate that to the fretboard. It came easily but at a cost. I played within scales and developed some skills, but neglected learning even the most basic theory and how scales until I had already developed some bad form, limiting my natural abilities. There are some great on-line resources out there. I personally love Scott's Bass lessons, I have benefited a great deal from his web site. I would encourage any player, especially a beginning player to take advantage of a resource like this to cut years off of the learning curve.
 
#92
  1. If your school offers a harmony/arranging class, TAKE IT!
  2. Get a cheap metronome (or there are plenty of phone apps, I have Metronome Beats). USE the doggone thing, for at least 15 minutes straight at a sitting.
  3. I used to say "tape is a cruel master", but that dates me! I started recording myself playing embarrassingly late in life, and holy MOLY did I find out a ton of stuff in a big fat hurry. Start now! Record yourself every time you play, including with the band, and LISTEN BACK to what it sounds like. Listen to the whole band, and decide whether what you did actually made it sound better.
 
#93
Make sure you have a bass that sounds good to you and feels good to play. If you don't enjoy what you hear or how it plays, you won't keep at it. My first bass sucked and I wasn't motivated. Bought a very expensive bass before I was good enough for it and it sounded and felt so good I practiced all the time. Often you will play up to the instrument (or amp). Also, when you start gigging, even if you are just holding down a simple bass line, if it sounds great, it will often be perceived as better than someone playing cooler lines that don't cut through anyway or sound lame.
 
#94
UNICORN BASS said:
I didn't play any musical instrument until my very late forties. Kept dreaming vividly about playing bass (really well) with original tunes no less......true story. So finally i took the plunge and bought a bass. Well the dreams went away for the most part and i'm not a very good player, but i enjoy myself, i call that a result.
Click to expand...

That's a great place to be in. There are so many new things for you to learn and experience to gain.
 
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#95
The3fingerteers said:
21st September 2016 is when I started. It's now my 2nd year playing bass (Sadly also 20 years since we lost Jaco).

Anything I should consider looking forward?



EDIT: 30 years
Click to expand...

Keep practicing ang gig as much as possible, and since you quoted Jaco. It took him 9 years to master "Donna Lee" so you still have a long way to go. Enjoy the ride as much as the destination.
 

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