Made my First Rookie Mistake Today

[Klaxxi]

Well I've been playing bass about a month now, can play a few easy songs, scales, etc. Today I decide to play around with some Tool songs so I need to tune to drop d. Well in my mind I figure that since the e string has the lower sound, I need to tune UP to D, and since you tighten a string to get a higher pich, well...

So now I no longer have an E string and have to make a trip to Guitar Center and drop 20 bucks because I'm an idiot and forgot that you can actually tune up or down to reach different notes on the musical alphabet. Oh well, at least it'll be funny to look back on in a few years.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Six weeks since joining. Not a bad run.
You really "needed" new strings anyway, right? RIGHT?.

 

[Biggbass]

A-B-C-D-E-F-G
That's ok...some people cannot count to four

 

[Fat Freddy]

Well I've been playing bass about a month now, can play a few easy songs, scales, etc. Today I decide to play around with some Tool songs so I need to tune to drop d. Well in my mind I figure that since the e string has the lower sound, I need to tune UP to D, and since you tighten a string to get a higher pich, well...

So now I no longer have an E string and have to make a trip to Guitar Center and drop 20 bucks because I'm an idiot and forgot that you can actually tune up or down to reach different notes on the musical alphabet. Oh well, at least it'll be funny to look back on in a few years.

I've done exactly what you've done and I'll bet that we're not alone!....

 

[Klaxxi]

Six weeks since joining. Not a bad run.
You really "needed" new strings anyway, right? RIGHT?.

Well, I just put these on about 2 weeks ago.. at least I'll have spares

 

[JACink]

Well, I just put these on about 2 weeks ago.. at least I'll have spares

By the next time you break a string, you will have plenty more "spares"

(BTW, add me to the list of snapping E doing something similar)

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I once broke a 0.026" string on my guitar by trying to tune it to B#

 

[electracoyote]

The good news is you tuned your bottom string up around 10 semi-tones higher and your bass took it like a man.

Yes, most of us have done something similar, myself included.

 

[dtripoli]

It's better to ask a dumb question here on TalkBass than spend money on a stupid mistake.
Very few of us are well versed in all aspects of bassmanship, be it repair, amps, set-up, tabs, notation, technique, etc. That's why we ask dumb questions, ignore any snarky comments and save money or wasted hours in the process.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Also, don't use your fist when tuning, use an open hand.

 

[Warpeg]

Well I've been playing bass about a month now, can play a few easy songs, scales, etc. Today I decide to play around with some Tool songs so I need to tune to drop d. Well in my mind I figure that since the e string has the lower sound, I need to tune UP to D, and since you tighten a string to get a higher pich, well...

So now I no longer have an E string and have to make a trip to Guitar Center and drop 20 bucks because I'm an idiot and forgot that you can actually tune up or down to reach different notes on the musical alphabet. Oh well, at least it'll be funny to look back on in a few years.

I can relate. I started playing in the early 1990's. The concept of tuning was lost on me when I received my first bass. For whatever reason, I got it in my head that you were supposed to tighten the tuning machines as tight as they go to get the instrument in tune (i.e. Like tightening a screw or nut). As you can imagine, that didn't go over very well. The neck had permanent issues and the G string managed to strike my right forearm and left a scar that is still present today.

 

[bassbully]

Not the first or last mistake you will make.

 

[bherman]

That is pretty funny though. Bet you won't do that again!

 

[Corevalay]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. My first band in high school didn't even realize that there was such a thing as dropped D. So when the guitar players learned tabs for a song in D, They just played the bar cord while still tuned to E! Everything is a learning experience.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Could have been worse, a novice bass player I know was turning the wrong capstan. She was looking at the tuner not change, but plucking the wrong string.
basically the string she was adjusting was not the same string the tuner was recognizing
so she just kept turning it until actually breaking the tuning machine

 

[Spidey2112]

Be aware... be very aware.

 

[edencab]

been there done that, 1st bass

 

[gln1955]

Could have been worse, a novice bass player I know was turning the wrong capstan. She was looking at the tuner not change, but plucking the wrong string.
basically the string she was adjusting was not the same string the tuner was recognizing
so she just kept turning it until actually breaking the tuning machine

Now that I've done. Not to the point of breaking anything, but tuning and thinking "why the hell isn't this changing?".

 

[Steadfast]

Improving one mistake at a time.....

Hey...I admire you for outing yourself and taking a walk of shame!

When I first starting playing I had the strap on wrong....got laughed at.

 

[two fingers]

Welcome to TalkBass!

I have been playing for more than thirty years. So any rookie mistakes I made (and I'm sure there were plenty) are distant memories....or can't rememberies. What ticks me off is when I make a rookie mistake thirty years in.



P.S. We like gear pics, new guy. Post some pics of your stuff, broken string and all, when you get a sec.