Playing Again After a 30 Year Hiatus

[Alpedhuez55]

Hi, my name is Mike. I am originally from the Boston area but now live in Greenville, SC. Back in the 80s, I used to play Bass. I gigged a few times in different punk and metal bands mostly as a fill in. I had a couple of Washburns back in the day. I took a few of lessons but was pretty much self taught.

Well, now I am 51 and looking to start again. I probably went a little overboard, but I got two basses, a Scheckter Stilletto Elite 4 and an Ibanez SRX400. Both were good deals and kind of spoke to me. I just grabbed a small Ibanez Prometian 20 Watt to play them through.

A couple of observations, the the new entry level stuff is much better and cheaper than it was in the 80s. I went the used route and got a little more bang for the buck with the basses, but would have had no issues with a $200 Ibanez or, squier Toby Standard. And you can get some nice gigworthy powerful amps for a lot less money. And they are so much lighter too!!

As for playing... It is not like riding a bike for me. I used to mostly play along to stuff and learn songs. I should have paid more attention to things like scales or technique. I am trying to learn a better way know. And from a physical standpoint, my fingers are killing me!!! I need to build up some strength again.

Hopefully I will develop better habits this time around!!!

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Good luck. The get started sticky in the General Instruction section would be time well spent. There is some good information in that thread.

I do best with books and recommend the book Bass Guitar for Dummies. It is a great get started instruction book. Most of what I now do came from Dummies.

Again, good luck and welcome.

 

[dreamadream99]

Welcome back. We saved your spot.

 

[Old P Bass Guy]

Hi, my name is Mike. I am originally from the Boston area but now live in Greenville, SC. Back in the 80s, I used to play Bass. I gigged a few times in different punk and metal bands mostly as a fill in. I had a couple of Washburns back in the day. I took a few of lessons but was pretty much self taught.

Well, now I am 51 and looking to start again. I probably went a little overboard, but I got two basses, a Scheckter Stilletto Elite 4 and an Ibanez SRX400. Both were good deals and kind of spoke to me. I just grabbed a small Ibanez Prometian 20 Watt to play them through.

A couple of observations, the the new entry level stuff is much better and cheaper than it was in the 80s. I went the used route and got a little more bang for the buck with the basses, but would have had no issues with a $200 Ibanez or, squier Toby Standard. And you can get some nice gigworthy powerful amps for a lot less money. And they are so much lighter too!!

As for playing... It is not like riding a bike for me. I used to mostly play along to stuff and learn songs. I should have paid more attention to things like scales or technique. I am trying to learn a better way know. And from a physical standpoint, my fingers are killing me!!! I need to build up some strength again.

Hopefully I will develop better habits this time around!!!

Your reading my mail. I'm in exactly the same position your in but I am sixtyeight and retired. I played professionally from the early sixties to the mid seventies. I'm back to woodsheding and relearning scales and the new (to me) slap n pluck methods. I'll be happy to share my journey with PM's if you have any interest. It's incredible what's available on the internet with training aids.

Guy

 

[Alpedhuez55]

I was OK at playing along with metal and puck stuff. But there is a difference between learning a songs and a scales and notes. But when I was 15 I wanted to play along to my Black Flag and Ramones' records and got pretty good. Later I learned a lot of Iron Maiden using Tabs from a music book. When I tried lessons, it seemed like after a month of lessons I may be able to play 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'. I quit after 3.

There certainly is a lot of info on the net and a lot of it is great. I think I may try StudyBass.com. It looks great. But I just need to try to keep focused on doing it right, sticking to the lesson plans, even if parts are boring to me. I know on thing I want to do is start saying the note I am playing aloud as I play, at least for a while. I just want to know what I am playing as opposed to just playing it.

Some of it was pretty bad. I am a big Billy Sheehan back since his Talas days. I found the Billy Sheehan Beginner Bass Course. This video must be responsible for thousands of people converting they newly bought bass into Firewood. He would show you a scale once, the proceed playing it at about 8-10 times faster than any beginner could reasonably follow. And add the effects loop that makes the notes sound more like chords. As someone who had played a little, I found it kind of funny in a Brain Surgery for Dummies kind of way. But if 30 years ago I bought the VHS and a Yamaha Bass like the one my hero played, I probably would have set my DLR Solo Albums on fire(though maybe Skyscraper deserves to be set on fire anyway).