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New here from Georgia/Los Angeles, USA

Shaina Karasik

Shaina Karasik

Sep 29, 2021
81
58
38
Cumming, GA, USA
#1
EF7A1729-B372-4727-9109-ED26BA201EAD.jpeg 6461F4B2-C98A-4678-A201-EB5939507475.jpeg Hi everyone,
I'm new here and I'm Shaina. I have started learning the bass seriously very recently (about 4 weeks now), although I always seemed to have one and *want* to learn it since 2014-2015.

I got a music man stingray for myself for my birthday and have been practicing everyday since. Looking forward to learning a lot from here and interacting with other bassists! I'm teaching myself currently.

I'm a huge fan of 80s new wave and my favorite band is New Order (so I'm very familiar with Peter Hook/Hooky but I'm actually a bigger fan of Bernard Sumner). I'd really love to master slap and octave bass playing since I love dance music but I'm interested in all styles of course. I also love Flea, and Curt Smith bassist of Tears for Fears, and many more…

my bass has a leather strap now since the pictures from the day I got it :) see the pic with the amp
 

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#3
two fingers said:
Welcome to TalkBass! Great looking hass!
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Thanks!!
And I actually found this site by accident - or realized it wasn't talkingbass recently LOL. I had been reading the forums on here for a while, thinking it was the same website as where I have been taking courses from at talkingbass.com. Very similar name and look I guess. I'm considering also taking the electric bass courses from Nathan East at Artistworks (I may need to post this Q in another area, but…) because I'm a fan of his of course. Has anyone taken that course, and if so, was it worth it?
 
#5
Lowendchamp said:
Welcome! Nice combo, is that a Rumble 40? Anyway I think you will find this site a wealth of bass knowledge so enjoy and beware others inspiring you into an expensive case of GAS(gear acquisition syndrome).
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Hey thank you!! Yeah, I decided to start with the rumble 40, and upgrade when I need to for a rumble 100,200, or 500. I have some Roland synths I may occasionally plug into it too, and a TR6S drum machine I don't know how to use lol.

on GAS, lol I think I already have a bad case of it! I spend all my disposable income and maybe more…on bass learning books/music theory/technique etc and considering the online course at Artistworks. I usually buy my gear from Sweetwater BUT there are a few vintage pedals I'd like…I may poke around here to find the infamous vintage clone theory pedal that Peter Hook is known for using in New Order, my favorite band.
 
#9
Lowendchamp said:
That is what TB did for my GAS. Plus the 2 5 strings I just got. I might need help. Lol Nice Sterling by the way.
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Lol thanks! If I upgrade it I want the EB stingray classic. I just love them and aspire to learn Slap bass and Octave bass techniques really well! I do love Synth bass lines from the 80s. And totally jealous that you lived through all of that! There's so many concerts I see on YouTube that I wish I was alive to go to!

any advice for a beginner? Been playing only 1 month. Im trying to learn fundamentals including music theory and technique, I have the fretboard notes mostly memorized but could be better. Scales I only know the major and natural minor so far but I'm aware of the different modes. Im really fascinated by theory and now wish I had studied it at college!
 
#10
Favorite? That's like having a favorite kid, but I have spent most my time lately with my Spector Performer 5. Really it boils down to action and strings for me. I'm good with medium to high action and Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwound strings. I don't know if you have a preference yet but the biggest factors to your bass guitars sound are your pickups and strings. Some here swear by tone woods but in my 30 years playing I would say strings matter most.
 
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#11
Shaina Karasik said:
Lol thanks! If I upgrade it I want the EB stingray classic. I just love them and aspire to learn Slap bass and Octave bass techniques really well! I do love Synth bass lines from the 80s. And totally jealous that you lived through all of that! There's so many concerts I see on YouTube that I wish I was alive to go to!

any advice for a beginner? Been playing only 1 month. Im trying to learn fundamentals including music theory and technique, I have the fretboard notes mostly memorized but could be better. Scales I only know the major and natural minor so far but I'm aware of the different modes. Im really fascinated by theory and now wish I had studied it at college!
Click to expand...
My only advice to you if you don't have an instructor is to find one. My instructor is friends with Victor Wooten and taught me a lot! His name is Buddy Pearson if you want to see his YouTube stuff. The most important thing he taught me as far as theory was scales and octaves so I could string my riffs together. Besides that technique is number one and finding your groove is number 2. I'm more of a funk blues guy so for me it's all about getting back to the one. Good luck my friend.
 
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#12
Lowendchamp said:
Favorite? That's like having a favorite kid, but I have spent most my time lately with my Spector Performer 5. Really it boils down to action and strings for me. I'm good with medium to high action and Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwound strings. I don't know if you have a preference yet but the biggest factors to your bass guitars sound are your pickups and strings. Some here swear by tone woods but in my 30 years playing I would say strings matter most.
Click to expand...

thank you! That's the kind of advice I need! Ok- so for flatwound EB strings- music man sterling told me they'd change the way my bass sounds from the super slinky EB strings it came with to a less desirable sound…. I got it set up at my local guitar center with the tech for free since no string change required early last month as he could see how new it was and proceed to show me how he lowered the action for me. I prefer a very low action I find out now- my fingers have been so sore and red the past week because I refuse to take a day off! I prob need to tomorrow! But I almost feel like taking it back to the tech and asking for lower action…I don't trust myself yet to adjust it.

flatwound strings would hurt my fingers less? Both my index and middle plucking fingers on the right hand and the first 2 fretting fingers on the left are in the same red kind swollen shape- they're trying to form better calluses. Been having to split my practice up into multiple sessions per day to average 3-4 hours a day, I know I should just take tomorrow off lol.

Will EB flatwounds change the sound to less "punchy" ? And what gauge are the ones you use?

I already have found many fav songs of mine were played with 5 string much to my dismay! But drop D tuning…while is not an extra B string, maybe I can still play some of them. I haven't tuned out of the standard tuning yet though.
Eventually I'll get a 5 string but it's far too early now! I only got my sterling stingray on August 28th this year (my birthday!)
 
#13
Lowendchamp said:
My only advice to you if you don't have an instructor is to find one. My instructor is friends with Victor Wooten and taught me a lot! His name is Buddy Pearson if you want to see his YouTube stuff. The most important thing he taught me as far as theory was scales and octaves so I could string my riffs together. Besides that technique is number one and finding your groove is number 2. I'm more of a funk blues guy so for me it's all about getting back to the one. Good luck my friend.
Click to expand...

hey thanks!!! Great advice! I am planning to do zoom one on one sessions next Thursday with a very talented individual that taught all of the music lessons at my last job in Los Angeles at Sam ash music store. I worked in pro audio sales and he is a multi instrument talented guy who's about my age or little older (mid 30s I guess), but classically trained.
It's affordable for me at least, to do 2, maybe 3 lessons a month with him or so.

did you do lessons from buddy Pearson in person? Or was it one on one online? I have a bass player magazine featuring victor wooden and I've been recommended his book called the Music Lesson as well.
 
#14
Yes, the Flatwound will be much easier on your fingers. I would like to remind you though that as a newbie you will need to build up callouses on your playing fingers and flats would slow this process. I would also like to say that flats can be just as punchie as rounds but it has everything to do with technique. Also flats can approximate a round sound but rounds cannot approximate flats. So yeah play though as much of that pain as you can young lady, and again, welcome.
 
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#15
Lowendchamp said:
Yes, the Flatwound will be much easier on your fingers. I would like to remind you though that as a newbie you will need to build up callouses on your playing fingers and flats would slow this process. I would also like to say that flats can be just as punchie as rounds but it has everything to do with technique. Also flats can approximate a round sound but rounds cannot approximate flats. So yeah play though as much of that pain as you can young lady, and again, welcome.
Click to expand...
Ok, thanks!!!
 
#18
Lowendchamp said:
My only advice to you if you don't have an instructor is to find one. My instructor is friends with Victor Wooten and taught me a lot! His name is Buddy Pearson if you want to see his YouTube stuff. The most important thing he taught me as far as theory was scales and octaves so I could string my riffs together. Besides that technique is number one and finding your groove is number 2. I'm more of a funk blues guy so for me it's all about getting back to the one. Good luck my friend.
Click to expand...
So about octave technique - I'm
Searching for all good exercises and resources I can put into my practice since I'm struggling with an all octave bass line played very fast (195-204bpm) continuously for 5:08 song…lol. First of all I can't put my hand index on the first note and octave note- my fingers all lift up and I have tiny tiny small 5 year old or younger girl hands. Uber small- but I've been doing finger stretching exercises 4 fingers per fret- of course I have to shift though as my fingers definitely Don't span 4 frets!

so kind of searching for octave technique tips for min movement (to play comfortably, safely and quickly!) for those with super super duper small hands. Not just small hands. I'd want to believe that this isn't some handicap, at least one I can't get over! I'm super determined! Even if it takes me 3-6x as long I'll practice as MUCH as it takes to master playing octaves very fast! And soon slap bass. But if you have any tips, advice, video links or other resources, please so let me know! Thanks!
 
#19
CallMeAl said:
Welcome!

Awesome bass, and nice choice with the Rumble and Vox :thumbsup: I use one or the other every day!
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So in your opinion, does your vox headphone bass amp sound best with headphones or plugging headphones into your rumble- and which rumble do you have? Mine is the 40…it's not very loud in my headphones unless level and gain are at max then master is at least half way, or more! With all
EQ at 12 o clock.
 
#20
Lowendchamp said:
Yes, the Flatwound will be much easier on your fingers. I would like to remind you though that as a newbie you will need to build up callouses on your playing fingers and flats would slow this process. I would also like to say that flats can be just as punchie as rounds but it has everything to do with technique. Also flats can approximate a round sound but rounds cannot approximate flats. So yeah play though as much of that pain as you can young lady, and again, welcome.
Click to expand...
Hey, so I posted a new thread on gloves for playing and mentioned the struggle I'm having learning the bass line for self control by Laura Branigan, it's all octave bass line, and especially that F# octave on fret 2/4 means some twisting movement for my fretting hand, which slows me down and isn't safe I'm worried to keep practicing. Would flat wounds have less friction? Or nah? I can play it smoother with gloves, though I'm told not to rely on those and to play bare fingers, but my hand can't make the stretch from index to pinky for that octave especially F# on 2/4 frets on E and D.

im not sure if my hand can if I practice (and what?) but I'm hunting for answers and practice exercises for technique that don't require me to already be able to make that reach. Almost going to order this "riff bandz" resistance training for the fretting hand…lol.
 

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