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Overwhelmed...need direction.

N

NelsonNelson

Sep 25, 2011
280
12
#1
I picked up a few Ed Friedland books trying to get back into playing. I've been doing the typical stretching and speed practicing which is a huge time sink when I do it right. I'm "returning" to the bass, where from before I simply did the rock root note stuff with a pick, formerly a guitar player that was never any good.

I picked up his book and it was a 747 over my head and just pissed me off simply because I can't understand a single d*mn word he says when he talks about music reading and all that. I used to read and play trumpet quite successfully but that was 10 years ago and treble clef.

I have the typical rock songs I can learn....but really... How do I even go about starting back on bass so I can progress quickly and all without reading music?
 
#2
I was in the same exact boat about a year and a half ago...even have Ed's books

It takes TIME and dedication to get back to where you WERE before you can start advancing

Be patient...I've learned TONS of useful stuff by getting on YouTube and looking into various technique videos...I've found Scott Devine and Marlowe DK's sites to be a great tool

Good luck
Stay calm and be patient :-)
 
#3
I used to teach bass lessons (and I'm getting ready to start back). You need a VISUAL reference. In short, put the books on the shelf for now and get a beginner VIDEO (or even better, a teacher). The point is you can watch what they do rather than reading and doing your own interpretation of what they "meant" to say.

Welcome back!
 
#5
CTC564 said:
I was in the same exact boat about a year and a half ago...even have Ed's books

It takes TIME and dedication to get back to where you WERE before you can start advancing

Be patient...I've learned TONS of useful stuff by getting on YouTube and looking into various technique videos...I've found Scott Devine and Marlowe DK's sites to be a great tool

Good luck
Stay calm and be patient :-)
Click to expand...

Same here. And also with OP. I'm with you both. I agree with visual. All the greats always see what they're gonna do before they do it. Sometimes they don't always know what they're gonna do exactly but they KNOW they're gonna do it. So if you have a teacher that has that kind of confidence that doesn't seem unattainable, like the greats, it can help with kinda going for it without even knowing what it really is.

TL;DR YOUTUBE FTW
 
#6
Your feeling overwhelmed because you are over-thinking it, you are thinking about the possible end result rather than where you are and the next step.....which is normal....it is called ambition, aspire, hope etc.

Take the first idea in the book and work on it, then when understood enough....move to the next. As said lots of on-line resources to help you.

CDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABC if you can read this as treble clef then reading EFGABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDE as bass clef is exactly the same thing, but starting in a different place on the staff. If you looks at the two and start to form intervals or chord relations they are exactly the same to read.

Just take your time....a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.
 

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