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stoner/doom bassist thread part 2: suspicious smoke
- Thread starter j-raj
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So I'm curious, and also looking for advice, how much theory knowledge do you guys have in terms of playing bass?
When I was a kid I took 6 or 7 years of piano and was quite good. When I picked up bass... 5 years ago I "taught" myself by learning how to play songs with tabs on Guitar Pro. Since then I took maybe 3 lessons from 2 people that I wasn't able to keep up. The only scale I know is C major and I can only play it on the first 5 frets of the neck. It is rather embarrassing when I play with someone for the first time and I tell them that they need to show me what frets they are playing as I have no idea how to follow along. Eventually I win them over with my chops and groove but it hinders my ability to contribute to the writing process.
I'm trying to change that now. I've been going through Hal Leonard's Bass Method 1. Let me tell you how hilarious it is that someone who has the chops to play just about any death metal song is working on this book but it will definitely address my weak spots as a bassist. I plan on practicing this until I'm comfortable with playing from sheet music then doing book 2 and then focusing on scales with Amazon.com: Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques And Applications (Book & CD) (9780976291756): Mark John Sternal: Books
Beebassdude gave me some books as well, and I know about Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com and when I have time eventually plan on taking lessons. Any other suggestions from you more skilled bassists?
Bass was the third instrument I learned (started with piano, then saxophone), so by the time I got to bass at about 14 I had a fair bit of musical and theory knowledge.
That said... the Hal Leonard series is fantastic, I'd highly recommend anything from them. Further, learning the modes and modal playing will certainly help your brain and as you learn scales and fingering they will help your hands. At its fundamental, most of what we play is scalar, so understanding what key you're in and what chord(s) you're playing will help your positioning, which will in turn help your speed (as you learn to prepare for the next position and move to it quicker and easier). When you practice, of course, everything helps everything else, so the simple act of learning that C major scale will have many other effects if you keep working with it.
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I was self taught for the longest time, the best thing I ever did was taking lessons about 3 years ago. Understanding chords and intervals was a revelation. But the greatest benefit was improving my fretting technique. Relaxing my left hand, using a lighter touch and fretting using the tips of my fingers instead if the pads made such a huge difference. It was difficult at first but now I can't imagine how I was able to play anything with my old technique. Nashville numbering was also a huge help, it made writing and learning songs a lot easier.
Pedal demo PPB by Ampegfuzz on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
Ba Boom
Clip starts:
No pedal>>pick then finger
pedal on, bias low>>pick then finger
Pedal on, bias max to right>> pick, finger, pick, finger
The recording set up is in the sound cloud demo description, enjoy!
Ba Boom
Clip starts:
No pedal>>pick then finger
pedal on, bias low>>pick then finger
Pedal on, bias max to right>> pick, finger, pick, finger
The recording set up is in the sound cloud demo description, enjoy!
Wow, that sounds great, especially the pick tone with the bias max to the right. the finger tone was a little fart for my tastes but that could also be the flats.
thanks a lot for the clips,I think I am going to have to give the PPB another shot.
So I'm curious, and also looking for advice, how much theory knowledge do you guys have in terms of playing bass?
When I was a kid I took 6 or 7 years of piano and was quite good. When I picked up bass... 5 years ago I "taught" myself by learning how to play songs with tabs on Guitar Pro. Since then I took maybe 3 lessons from 2 people that I wasn't able to keep up. The only scale I know is C major and I can only play it on the first 5 frets of the neck. It is rather embarrassing when I play with someone for the first time and I tell them that they need to show me what frets they are playing as I have no idea how to follow along. Eventually I win them over with my chops and groove but it hinders my ability to contribute to the writing process.
I'm trying to change that now. I've been going through Hal Leonard's Bass Method 1. Let me tell you how hilarious it is that someone who has the chops to play just about any death metal song is working on this book but it will definitely address my weak spots as a bassist. I plan on practicing this until I'm comfortable with playing from sheet music then doing book 2 and then focusing on scales with Amazon.com: Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques And Applications (Book & CD) (9780976291756): Mark John Sternal: Books
Beebassdude gave me some books as well, and I know about Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com and when I have time eventually plan on taking lessons. Any other suggestions from you more skilled bassists?
I'm just a meat head. Took lessons once in college from a guy i knew but i didn't like his technique so i stopped going, so pretty much self taught other then friends. But playing in cover bands raging from funk to thrash to new wave shaped me as a player. kinda like a road dog, picked up tricks along the way and tried not to be close minded.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
I got other basses sam if you or anyone wants another quick dirty clip let me know. almost don't want to give it back but after adjusting it i bet he will like it now.
ampegfuzz said:
Would you say the OD was the pedal itself or was it the amp being pushed into od? Maybe a little of both?
little of both i think you can tell with the softer finger playing how it farts IMO in a good way kinda old school
I let him borrow my "meh, it's alright" Phat Phuk B, and before you know it, he's all opening it up and tweaking trims! Yeah, I am definitely going to at LEAST be recording with it now! Bad-Azz!
father of fires
Commercial User
So I'm curious, and also looking for advice, how much theory knowledge do you guys have in terms of playing bass?
When I was a kid I took 6 or 7 years of piano and was quite good. When I picked up bass... 5 years ago I "taught" myself by learning how to play songs with tabs on Guitar Pro. Since then I took maybe 3 lessons from 2 people that I wasn't able to keep up. The only scale I know is C major and I can only play it on the first 5 frets of the neck. It is rather embarrassing when I play with someone for the first time and I tell them that they need to show me what frets they are playing as I have no idea how to follow along. Eventually I win them over with my chops and groove but it hinders my ability to contribute to the writing process.
I'm trying to change that now. I've been going through Hal Leonard's Bass Method 1. Let me tell you how hilarious it is that someone who has the chops to play just about any death metal song is working on this book but it will definitely address my weak spots as a bassist. I plan on practicing this until I'm comfortable with playing from sheet music then doing book 2 and then focusing on scales with Amazon.com: Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques And Applications (Book & CD) (9780976291756): Mark John Sternal: Books
Beebassdude gave me some books as well, and I know about Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com and when I have time eventually plan on taking lessons. Any other suggestions from you more skilled bassists?
I can not stress this enough...Always play with people who are better than you. Every evolutionary leap in my playing was because of the people I played with.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
So I'm curious, and also looking for advice, how much theory knowledge do you guys have in terms of playing bass?
When I was a kid I took 6 or 7 years of piano and was quite good. When I picked up bass... 5 years ago I "taught" myself by learning how to play songs with tabs on Guitar Pro. Since then I took maybe 3 lessons from 2 people that I wasn't able to keep up. The only scale I know is C major and I can only play it on the first 5 frets of the neck. It is rather embarrassing when I play with someone for the first time and I tell them that they need to show me what frets they are playing as I have no idea how to follow along. Eventually I win them over with my chops and groove but it hinders my ability to contribute to the writing process.
I'm trying to change that now. I've been going through Hal Leonard's Bass Method 1. Let me tell you how hilarious it is that someone who has the chops to play just about any death metal song is working on this book but it will definitely address my weak spots as a bassist. I plan on practicing this until I'm comfortable with playing from sheet music then doing book 2 and then focusing on scales with Amazon.com: Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques And Applications (Book & CD) (9780976291756): Mark John Sternal: Books
Beebassdude gave me some books as well, and I know about Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com and when I have time eventually plan on taking lessons. Any other suggestions from you more skilled bassists?
wow.. so it looks like its confession time. Im a self taught player for like 20 years now. Im not the best, but Im not a noob either. Been playing actively in all kinds of alternative minded bands for two decades and have been told Im pretty good, although I KNOW exactly how good Im NOT. I currently play in a stoner rock/ish band and played in ambient, post punk and even a ragtime indie folk thing, but I just recently picked up some of the Hal Leonard stuff myself when a local store was closing. I figured there are tons of things I can learn that I wont just noodling on my own. I put em on my Ipod so I can listen and play along.
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
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