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Learning Bass

D

DickyC

May 25, 2008
28
0
Sutton Bridge,Lincolnshire. UK
#1
Hello all, Right i need some help. Im 27 and have been playing drums on and off for about 15 years. Due to many factors i have decided to start playing bass. I have a little experiance of the bass as I have played before.

Im now at that barrier, I know where the notes are and i can play most tabs put in front of me. I now need to push through that "messing around with the bass" phase and go on to making my own bass lines etc etc. But how?

I would really like you all to share your little tricks to helping me learn!!!!!!

Many thanks

Rich.
 
#3
Well I started playing drums at the start of the year (with my son). I just started playing bass a week a go and was given a blues song with only the chords and a soundfile of the song (done with piano).

All I did was add notes to the root notes (if chord is C7 I start with C) and tie that to the next change (G7 or E or whatever). In the end the transitions have to connect and sound right. It was a lot of trial and error, trying one note, if that was wrong moving to the next, etc.

What I then did was write all the notes down (not tab) so I have something I can go back to, even if it's months from now, to remember what I played.

I have no schooling on music reading or theory, but this guy has written a fantastic learning Bass site and has a pdf of the fretboard notes and how they show up on the music staff:

http://www.studybass.com/lessons/reading-music/bass-clef-fretboard-notes/
 
#5
I think that in some way it is an advantage that you play drums.
Maybe I’m wrong but scales are not for everyone I studied classical doublebass
And when I try to make a line on bass it just sound like a scale; so what I do sometimes is that I record the drums first and then I make the bass line in my head and after I get the bass and try to play that.
And I’m not saying that I never use scales I do to but sometimes I just start messing around with them and good lines come out of that.
I guess you’ll have to try all kind of things cause everyone works in different ways.
Does it make sense?

Cheers
 
#8
Definitely think about getting an instructor. I took lessons for about 5 years and it never did any harm to my creativity. Other than that, just keep in mind that you should always watch a guitarists hands and figure out what the chords he's playing look like, so when he plays a "G" you can recognize it and play a "G" in return. A good rule of thumb for a beginner is to(if you play with a band that is) watch the guitarists hand. The you'll notice that if he plays a G, the finger highest(vertically, not tone-wise) on his fret board is on his top(E) string on the third fret, which is a G on your fretboard as well! So just watch whatever finger is highest on his board and mimick it.
 
#9
learn how chords are formed and the names of the notes on the fingerboard.

then use those chord tones as a staring point but feel free to play anything you hear...

best advice i ever got was to listen and just try and imitate what I hear in my head
 
#10
bassike said:
I think that in some way it is an advantage that you play drums.
Maybe I’m wrong but scales are not for everyone I studied classical doublebass
And when I try to make a line on bass it just sound like a scale; so what I do sometimes is that I record the drums first and then I make the bass line in my head and after I get the bass and try to play that.
And I’m not saying that I never use scales I do to but sometimes I just start messing around with them and good lines come out of that.
I guess you’ll have to try all kind of things cause everyone works in different ways eh
Does it make cense to you?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Yeah it does make sense. My only problem with scales is that although i am rhythmical i am not musical. ie. the rhythm is not a problem but understanding the notes and their relationships is.

A few guitar player friends have shown me some shapes but both were different from each other so im a little stuck really.

Can anyone explain them for me and show me the best ones to use and why?????
 
#11
Zoidberg523 said:
Definitely think about getting an instructor. I took lessons for about 5 years and it never did any harm to my creativity. Other than that, just keep in mind that you should always watch a guitarists hands and figure out what the chords he's playing look like, so when he plays a "G" you can recognize it and play a "G" in return. A good rule of thumb for a beginner is to(if you play with a band that is) watch the guitarists hand. The you'll notice that if he plays a G, the finger highest(vertically, not tone-wise) on his fret board is on his top(E) string on the third fret, which is a G on your fretboard as well! So just watch whatever finger is highest on his board and mimick it.
Click to expand...

generally works... but not all the time.

If you don't know what chord he's playing, ask
 
#12
DickyC said:
Yeah it does make sense. My only problem with scales is that although i am rhythmical i am not musical. ie. the rhythm is not a problem but understanding the notes and their relationships is.

A few guitar player friends have shown me some shapes but both were different from each other so im a little stuck really.

Can anyone explain them for me and show me the best ones to use and why?????
Click to expand...

I'd need a bass and you both in front of me to do that... it's why one would hire a teacher
 
#13
Sounds like you need to explore theory more. One of my stock replies to threads like this:
---------------------------------------
THEORY PROGRESSION
---------------------------------------
I'd say the logical progression learning music theory is kinda like this:

1.) learn the major scale, and how it's constructed
2.) learn the minor scale and the dominant scale and how it relates to the major scale
3.) understand how other 4 modes of the major scale are derived (less important to memorize these other modes at first)
4.) Learn how to harmonize the notes of a major and minor scale by building chords / stacking thirds
5.) Learn to look at common chord progressions as "numerals" (eg, I-IV-V ect) to understand how the chords relate to the song's key.
7.)Learn arppegios/chord tones, and pentatonic scales for major/minor/dominant scales.
8.) dive back into modes for more detailed ideas about what "goes" with what chord.

Improvising is basically a matter of knowing what to play over various chords. It may seem daunting at first my practical experience (bass in pop/rock) has been that I mostly use Major, Minor, and Dominant 7 related bassline patterns, usually based on chord tones and pentatonics.

If Jazz is your thing, you will probably be learning theory forever.

Also, learn songs you like and pick them apart to see how the bassline relates to the chords. Very helpful.

Also see the link in my sig for my fav theory site
 
#14
mambo4 said:
Sounds like you need to explore theory more. One of my stock replies to threads like this:
---------------------------------------
THEORY PROGRESSION
---------------------------------------
I'd say the logical progression learning music theory is kinda like this:

1.) learn the major scale, and how it's constructed
2.) learn the minor scale and the dominant scale and how it relates to the major scale
3.) understand how other 4 modes of the major scale are derived (less important to memorize these other modes at first)
4.) Learn how to harmonize the notes of a major and minor scale by building chords / stacking thirds
5.) Learn to look at common chord progressions as "numerals" (eg, I-IV-V ect) to understand how the chords relate to the song's key.
7.)Learn arppegios/chord tones, and pentatonic scales for major/minor/dominant scales.
8.) dive back into modes for more detailed ideas about what "goes" with what chord.

Improvising is basically a matter of knowing what to play over various chords. It may seem daunting at first my practical experience (bass in pop/rock) has been that I mostly use Major, Minor, and Dominant 7 related bassline patterns, usually based on chord tones and pentatonics.

If Jazz is your thing, you will probably be learning theory forever.

Also, learn songs you like and pick them apart to see how the bassline relates to the chords. Very helpful.

Also see the link in my sig for my fav theory site
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, Im now off to sit behind a drum kit again! :D

Seriously, Thanks all i will start to look into some of these ideas and maybe, just maybe get me a teacher!!!!

Rich.
 
#16
If you went to college and they let alumni do audits then I would audit a music theory class, won't cost you a dime and you'll learn all the stuff on that list mambo4 made up and then you'll just have to practice it all on bass like crazy.

Teacher is also a really good idea, I started taking lessons myself last month again, and I can see little improvements already, if for nothing else than an instructor forces you to be focused and to practice.
 

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