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So... What next? Newbie question.

#21
Just keep playing and trying everything you see and hear that interests you. If you want to slap then keep at it.

Carefully observe video clips of people doing what you want to do. The internet is full of tips and lessons. LISTEN. Use those ears and train them.

The only difference between your ability and anyone elses is the amount of time and practice put in.
 
#22
There are isolated bass tracks all over YouTube. I suggest you listen and study your favorite bassists and their influences. For example, find one of STP's isolated bass tacks. DeLeo was influenced my Jamerson, so, next, try to find something of his as well. John Paul Jones has some killer tracks out there as well.

For the past 25 years, in every band I've ever been in, I have been asked to slap for two songs: "Higher Ground" and "Naked in the Rain." Half a year is too soon to think that you've mastered everything else.

Of course, this has a lot to do with one's taste.
 
#23
scales.

get your muscle memory programed. learn some diffrent modes, maybe some chords. sax is a one note at a time insturment but bass doesnt have to be. keep reading. play your treble clef sheets on your bass, play some bass cleff stuff on your sax. you will get there. i have a couple little show off songs i can play solo but if i walk into the guitar store and pick up a strange bass... i will rip some minor sounding mode scale up and down with some chords thrown in and the local kids that hang out in the guitar section will whisper "thats him....thats the bass guy"...
 
#25
Learn to read bass clef.
Learn jazz. This will solidify your improvisation as 80% of the time, you're walking bass is improv over chart progressions.
Listen to other bass players you really like or give new ones a shot.
Try different techniques, find what you like and make it yours.

Jazz has made me struggle to improve as it is not as easy as people would like to believe. Lots going on that you won't catch or understand until you've immersed yourself.

Find gigs. You're new, so expect to play gratis gigs (free) for a while. Play for a community event, host a free show at the park, whatever.

Invest in bass books.

Study different styles for versatility.
Study styles popular in your region.
Study top 40 blues, country, even pop. You never know what kinda gig you might land.

If you're still in high school, take advantage of band classes. If college, find class mates or dorm buddies.

Gees, I just wrote a list of things to do which even I haven't begun to tackle, after nine years of playing!
Best of luck
 
#27
Find things you find extremely difficult, or simply "can't", do like slapping, and lock down and focus on them. Through persistence, patience and willpower, you'll learn it, just don't ever stop. Slapping isn't a simple technique at all, and doesn't all come at once - at first you'll only be able to use your thumb, but slowly you'll learn to pop, mute; and grinding down, it will get smoother, faster, clearer.

There are plenty of youtube slap tutorials. Just put in some elbow grease, and you'll be a better player.
 
#28
Use your ear. Listen to bands you like and pick out the bass part. Learn the lines. I'd do this as much as possible. I'd also find a good teacher to help you w technigue that is unique to bass. Third, I'd get in or start my own band
 
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#30
My suggestions: learn the fretboard, then learn chords and their triads, develop your ear to the point where you can
identify a note by hearing it (this will come in handy when you start to play with others and you need to learn on the fly, like a jam setting). Find other musicians to jam with, it keeps it interesting and you can learn a lot of new songs by gelling with a rhythm guitarist. And finally if you must learn slap, check out Alexis Sklarevski's slap bass tutorial
(you can find it on YouTube) he'll get you there. Good luck and have fun!
 
#32
I found that the Hal Leonard Bass Method books by Ed Friedland (the bass whisperer) were a good starting point. The books use standard notation, there is a nice progression across the three volumes, and they come with CDs to play along (with bass isolated in one stereo channel). There is an edition with all three volumes in one book.
 
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#33
Solar said:
I see people demonstrating basses and they can pick it up, and just play something off the top of their head, and it sounds beautiful. Kinda an odd question, but how do I do that?
Click to expand...

To some degree that's just show business. Even when it's really off the top of their head that means they've done similar things many times before. Good musicians can play something they drilled for a gazillion hours and make it sound spontaneous. And when it comes to music people are big believers in innate talent, so there's always the temptation to downplay your own effort so people think you're more talented. ("This next thing is just a little something I was playing with the other day....")

Which isn't to say improvisation's impossible, just don't think there's something wrong with you because you didn't wake up one day with the ability to play everything you imagine. You've got to have a more specific goal, and work towards it. The good news is that's a lot of fun.

Sorry for the derail, other folks have lots of good ideas for what specifically to work on!
 
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#34
Find a good BASS teacher. Someone who knows jazz theory and who will take an interest in your personal goals and development.

Even six months of lessons can greatly accelerate your learning.

Good luck!
 
#35
Tab is good for the logistics of playing (which note to pick from multiple possibilities) but I would recommend you get the Hal Leonard series of books (three volumes) and learn to read the staff. I find I can read music much easier than I can read tab but I have an almost 50 year history of reading (variety of horns). Interestingly enough, reading the bass clef is easy but I find I automatically transpose when reading treble (trumpet fault). Playing bass has improved my bass clef reading significantly as well as helped with the construction / deconstruction of tunes.
 
#36
Solar said:
So, I'm bored of reading tablature. I want to better myself as a player. I've been playing for a little over 1/2 a year. I like to read it because it helps me with technique kinda, and it gives me a better feel for the instrument. I can play plenty of bass parts, but I don't know what to do next. I've played Alto/Bari Sax for a long time, and I can read sheet music in treble clef, and I've played in a band, so I have musical background. I'm working on reading sheet music, and it's been steady, but there's so much I can't do.

I can't slap. Maybe it's my bass. A Squire P. I tried on a Jazz Bass at GC and it did sound a lot better, but I really don't blame the instrument. Maybe the neck? Not sure.

I see people demonstrating basses and they can pick it up, and just play something off the top of their head, and it sounds beautiful. Kinda an odd question, but how do I do that?

I guess, in short, what do I do next? This is something I really want to get better at. A Bass is such a cool instrument.
Click to expand...

The good news is that you have a head start from playing sax! (I play it too. I played soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone through high school)

By now, you should already have a good handle on theory. It's just going to be learning bass clef from here on out. Like many have said, invest in books. It's all about scales and learning your neck. That'll help with learning bass clef and help with improve. If you have an outlet to learn jazz, take it! I don't care what kind of music someone likes playing, learning jazz will help with any musical situation.

Don't worry about slap. Most serious musicians will say that it's the best technique that they never use. I'm not going to say don't learn it. It CAN be useful. I've been playing bass for a long time now...I never learned how to play it, but it's never hindered me in a band setting. Even in funk, it's all about fingerstyle. Use high action and aggressively dig in!

In regards to the instrument, comparing a P bass to a J is a bit unfair. That's one of those things where you just plain have a preference between one or the other. It won't matter if it's Fender, Squier, or some other brand. A P is a P, a J is a J. There'll be some variation, as to be expected, but the truth is that you might just be more of a J-bass player.
 
#38
I'd also recommend Invalid Link Removed. It's an excellent resource with plenty of videos and backing tracks to help you along. IF you can afford it, his Bass Academy is a good investment - but only if you're willing to put the time in to get the full benefit out of what's presented. You can get a free 2 week pass to check it out without subscribing.

If you don't want to spend any money or don't have any to spend (been there so I know how that goes) he also has a free "backstage pass" that will still get you plenty of solid course material free of charge. Check out his website for details.

You'll probably want to at least look at Invalid Link Removed free module. It may be all you want or need at this point. It'll also give you an idea of what Scott does and how he goes about teaching it so you'll have a better idea of what you can expect inside.

I'm not affiliated with Scott Devine or his website. But I do have a lot of respect for what he's doing for bass players.
 
#39
challenge yourself ... whatever you're doing , mix it up ... if you're bored in 6 months, you need to dig deeper and use some imagination ...! push yourself ... ( I'm 57 ... started piano lessons at age 6 ) ... I still practice and learn stuff every day ... and yes , I was pretty good a long time ago ... but I still keep pushing forward ..!!
 
#40
One cool thing to try... you said you are used to Tab right? Well take one of the licks that you've learned from the tab and try the same lick but in a different place on the fretboard. Use your ears and try to listen to what you are hearing. Do the notes sound flat or sharp? If you change one of the notes do you get a whole different lick? It's a good way to learn how to get around on the fretboard with your ears as well as trying to learn to play some cool patterns you may like. This helped me learn to improvise.
 

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