Questions before diving in

[trofud]

Just pick it up and play. I wouldn't go into technical right now, I'd do it with a fun approach at the beginning, learn a few songs - stuff you like - and I try not to establish impossible goals. Can't run if you can't walk.

Again, grab a bass and play it.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I'll just add this. Learn where the notes are on the fret board.

And learn where the patterns are, i.e. you can grab all the C major scale notes starting at the 3rd string 3rd fret. They repeat at the 4th string 8th fret and again at the 3rd string 15th fret.

Once you can see the repetitive patterns it becomes a piece of cake.

First learn all the notes in first position; first five frets. C chord coming up. Yep it is my home base in first position, i.e. I base everything from the C. Need a B, yep it is one fret back. The G is the 5th of C so it is down a string same fret. The F is the 4th of C so it is up a string same fret.

Post # 4 in the getting started sticky will go into detail.

Good luck.

 

[Liam Wald]

What does it take to be really good at anything? It takes an investment of time.
There is a writer/teacher/philosopher named Malcom Gladwell who proposes that to become very good (expert level) at pretty much anything requires an investment of roughly 10,000 hours of practice/study of a particular field.
If you practice 2 hours a day 5 days a week it would take 19.2 years to get in 10,000 hours.
For someone super obsessed and dedicated doing 6 hours a day 5 days a week (30 hours a week) it could happen in a little over 6 years. About the same length of time it takes to get through med school.
Hmmm, I wonder which one pays better?

 

[Two-Spirit]

Hello,
I am considering picking up the bass, so I have been reading up but still have a few questions.

How do you know what notes to play? Pretty basic but I haven't really found anything on it. There is a lot on chord tones and what notes you "can" play like a major 7 would have R-3-5-7. But when it is time to play there are virtually infinite note combinations and rhythms to play.

Probably the same question from a different angle. Sometimes bass playing comes across as abstract "play for the song" "get in a groove" other times it seems more definite "transcribe this" "can you play this riff". What does real world playing look like?

Lastly what does the learning curve look like? Or what separates just starting, beginners, intermediate, etc? I've seen recommendations of keeping a journal to track progress. What quantifiable things should I track? Listening to great players can be discouraging since they're so far up there, so I'm just trying to get am idea of the smaller steps/goals to go through.

Thanks in advance, these forums have already been very helpful.

You're going to have to learn some music note for note first. Learn some songs you like.

 

[Engle]

Can you schedule at least an hour per day to learn/practice?
As soon as you decide to dive in, start looking for people to play with.
It doesn’t need to be serious, or even a genre you particularly like, but it will accelerate your knowledge of the instrument and it’s role.
Plus it way more fun! (usually)

 

[BassAndReeds]

30s I appreciate that.


I played saxophone and flute in middle school but didn't get a lot of theory at that stage. I've learned a lot in the few weeks that I've been reading up on bass. Scales aren't just random notes you have to memorize who knew?

I know it's going to take time to learn. Time line is more about since it will take awhile what are realistic goals for the short term. Both for weighing if I have to time and dedication and for what practice would look like.


So I get the math of chord tones but when looking at a chord sheet are you playing just roots, R-R-3-3, R-3-5-3, R-R-5-R, etc and is it player preference or are there guidelines?

As an adult beginner. If you can get lessons, you’ll probably be much better off. That being said, I find weekly lessons too slow, though the instruction is more direct.

Things you’ll in general need to study to play the bass competently:
1. String muting techniques
2. Fret hand position
3. Plucking hand position(s) depending on your style
4. Chord/scale relationship
5. Famous bass lines to turn those scales into bass lines.

Do you want to play covers or originals?

If you want to play covers, then it’s easy. Learn technique of playing the bass instrument. And then learn the songs you want to play. Tabs available online.

If you want to do originals, that’s a bit harder. Learn technique of the bass. Learn songs from artists near your style of music. Experiment and find a band that you can work out music with.

For what it’s worth I think after 1-2 years of practicing almost every day at least 30 minutes I was in my first gigging band as a bass player. I have a music degree in saxophone, so I do have a lot of theory knowledge. I’m 34. I’m in year 4-5 of playing bass, and I now play out a good bit. Been through a bunch of bands and making my way up the ladder of band talent and booking.

But as I said before. Anything you do in life, you’re probably going to do it a lot, and you’re probably not going to make a lot of money doing it. So might as well enjoy it.

 

[mambo4]

I've posted a few times about the process use to go from "transcribe this"/"play this riff" to "play to the music"/"get in the groove", in other words how to analyze repertoire to build your musical vocabulary

 

[DavC]

don't dive in ... walk in the shallow end and ask questions as you go ...

many answers will make know sense without first getting the basics down / under your fingers .. !!

please don't neglect or blow off , the very boring basic finger exercises that are needed to strengthen and train your brain / fingers .. !! i've had many students that wanna ' skip the Work ' ... then they later ask me 'why can't i play this ? '

then i demonstrate how said exercises would make what they are trying to play ... very easy .. !!!

wanna Play .... do the work .. !!

coming from someone who has practiced daily on piano and several other instruments since 1963 .. !!

 

[M159]

Wow. Thank you all so much, this has been very helpful. You've given me a lot to think about.

 

[Badwater]

It all depends on what your goals are for playing bass. Do you have a definitive goal for what you want to do with the bass? Is it just to play the instrument? Do you want to create music? do you want to play in a band and be the main attraction? Once you establish what you want to do with the bass, then you can set time lines and sub goals that you need to accomplish your life long goal with the bass. Different goals have a different path and sub goals. And don't just limit yourself to one instrument, if you have skills with many it will make you a better player all around. Same goes for styles of music, don't limit yourself to just one style. Expand you ability, to make yourself original.

 

[bikeplate]

Find a good instructor and play along to songs you like

 

[saabfender]

An interesting dichotomy: having to ask questions before diving in. The point of "diving in" is the suddenness of your entry; you've already started by the time you pause to ask questions.

Lessons, instructors, songs, goals, it depends, blah blah blah. At this stage of the game, the thing that will make the most difference in the future is how much time you spend with a BG in your hands. That will be literally the deciding factor in your success: the amount of time you put in on your axe.

 

[jamro217]

Hello, M159, and welcome to TB. Before you even start with an instrument purchase or lessons, ask yourself why it is you are considering the bass. Do you have previous musical experience with other instruments? What goals do you hope to accomplish musically? Is this for your own enjoyment or a potential career? If you just plain like the bass and think it's cool, that's reason enough. You will always have the opportunity for work as a bassist, just not the style you prefer sometimes. Having decent equipment to learn on at a reasonable price is much easier today than at any point in history. Don't get discouraged if you're not a virtuoso overnight. Playing the bass requires training your muscles. That takes some time. Blisters can be unpleasant until calluses form. If you're willing to work through that, there's still hope. By repetitive listening to the music you intend to play, the stylistic patterns will become familiar enough that you will understand how to play them, even if the notes you choose aren't exactly what the chart is. Learning music consists of playing notes as well as playing those notes in the right rhythm. The rhythm is what sets musical styles apart. Occasionally you might get lost in a song and not know every note, if you understand the rhythm and feeling of the song, you can wait it out until you catch the right spot to jump in again. How well you learn how to do that will determine your chances of being a success. Before buying a bass, check out as many models and styles as you can. Bring someone along who has experience with basses and they can help you avoid a mistake. You'll find TB to be a wealth of information and a community full of great people. Again, welcome.