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Two years into playing bass, what were you learning and playing?

A

AQP

May 31, 2011
79
0
#1
Thought this type of post would be an interesting way to see how others progressed and what they did to get at a two year point of their bass loving ventures. I myself just crossed the two year mark of my bass playing affinity and was wondering at this stage what is the average skill level of the average Joe or Jane from being an absolute beginner to the two year mark?

At this stage of my self teaching (and a small four session hiatus with a terrible teacher) I've learned a good deal of theory and method through books, DVD's, youtube, practice at least an hour a day be it to practice scales, noodle or work on a song, and of course tons of hours researching and reading posts from the great cohorts here on TalkBass.

I'm able to play a good sorted medley of songs which I can cruise through music like Barry White's "Your the first, my last my everything", Jamiroquai's "We're to young to die" and Stevie wonder's "I wish" and am currently tackling James Jamerson's bassline of "Darling Dear" and slowly trying to learn how to slap (lefty playing righty here, gotta get that right thumb motion), sight read music more, and dabble into guitar (hate using a pick but determined) to get the feel of both sides of the field.

Still got a long way to go I'd say before I feel comfortable in front of a live audience of people besides family and friends but I'm still rearing to go and hopefully by the time my mid-midlife crisis time kicks in I'll be ready to gig LOL. Any others want to chime in?
 
#2
I'm sort of there now. I'd like to be further in than I am, but I've had loads of school work for a while now, so I haven't been able to practice as much as I'd like to. I have a stage band audition coming up soon, which I'm doing Teen Town by the Weather Report (and, of course, Jaco) for. I'm also just getting the little nuances of YYZ. I'm doing a solo piece by Zander Zon called I, Resolute and I'm learning (on upright) a piece by Ray Brown called Slippery. Theory wise I'm doing some moderately difficult reading, because I'm not amazing at sight reading yet (I may never be, but I'd like to eventually be competent!) and some more intricate ways to improvise and solo. I'm also doing a little bit of slapping for fun, because I know if I want to start gigging I'll have to learn how, but I'm pretty rubbish at it. I don't really like it :hiding: but all my friends want to do songs that have slapping in it and it's pretty fun. So there you go! Really enjoying bass, I hope to play it for the rest of my life :bassist:
 
#3
Two years in I could learn songs from recordings, but I didn't really understand what they were doing, just mimic it. I was 15. Joined the jazz band at school, at that point I started to connect the dots, a little theory, arpeggios, basic walking lines, learned to read a bit. I was lucky that I went to an optional school for the arts (played trumpet 5 years), the jazz director was actually a veteran player, he played with Isaac Hayes for years, played trombone on the Shaft soundtrack. Taught me a lot about being a supportive player. Although I didn't figure out that he knew what he was talking about until about ten years after I got out of high school.
 
#9
Two years in on double bass (upright) I was invited to join the Detroit Jr All City Orchestra which rehearsed every Saturday morning at Cass Technical High School. It's quite likely I played the same bass as Ron Carter (who attended Cass Tech) at some point. Soon thereafter, I was playing upright with some rock & roll bands I was hooking up with. That wasn't working out too well, and I got my first electric bass at about 14 years of age and began playing more R&B type stuff and still playing some jazz on upright. Then on to jazz ensembles in high school along with the senior orchestras and my first Fender (jazz) bass and more R&B/pop gigs around town.
 
#10
ive been playing bass for about 3 weeks now, but ive been playing guitar for 14 years. im doing a bit of everything from slapping to playing with a pick and finger plucking. the hardest thing for me right now is timing with my right hand. but i like all sorts of music so i dont just concentrate on one thing (for better or worse)
 
#12
Two years into playing, I traded my Epiphone w/Fender clone body in for a fretless P-Bass and said to myself.........."If I can't afford an acoustic upright to play, I'm gonna be as pure a bassist as possible and go fretless!"
30 years later, I wish I could recapture that "free spirit" I had back in the day. Now I'm just a 5-string thumper for a Christian band...............Not that any of you "youngins" give a crap about quality bass playing.....punk rock!!! are you kidding me?
 
#13
At the two year mark I learned, by ear, one of the songs that made me want to pick up the bass guitar -- the theme song to Barney Miller. Around that same time I was really focusing on percussive muting techniques and memorizing every scale (before I learned of the more melodic and chordal approaches). So, maturing my ears and rudiments. During that second year is when I decided to dedicate the majority of my time to fretless, and until very recently have been a fretless player 95% of the time.
 
#15
Get out there man.....
Click to expand...
+1

After 2 years, at 15 y.o., I was working on getting my 4th band together. The first three broke up due to people moving. Played my first gig at 13 and had played about 20 gigs before the 4th band (9 piece horn rock) took off and spent the next 2 years gigging 1 or 2 times (sometimes 3) every weekend.
 
#16
after 2 years im not sure what i was learning. I was 22, was playing bass in the same band i am now, probably learning some covers and working on original music. I would like to be better than i am after the 4-5 years of this..


Side note.. I played my first gig about 1 month after picking up bass. didnt even have my own gear yet. But I had been playing guitar for about 2 or so years before then.
 
#19
Nice to hear about other people experiences and how they've come into bass, keep them coming I'm sure there are other people here that can find some motivation in this topic!

LOL thanks for the "join a band" encouragement people, I'm sure I'm going to get around to doing that soon, problem now is my day job more than consumes me along with being on call quite a bit plus I've got three more years till my kids are in college and once I've got that all squared away I'm running away to join a cruise ship or Vegas band LOL. On a serious note I'll probably start pursuing getting together with some serious people wanting to perhaps do a cover band other than my Rocksmith guitar playing military buddy and beginner sax playing ex coworker, till then I'll keep on preparing for my heyday :).
 
#20
At 2 years of playing (exactly. i got my first bass for my 16th birthday) on my 18th birthday i got my 6 string bass (probably like 8 months ago). I could learn a good amount of songs but i found there wasn't a point seeing how all i wanted to learn was some Egg songs and some other bands like Dream Theater, and no one wanted to learn that. Maybe i should compromise...anyways,

I'm not in a band (too many metal purists and Jazz purists where i'm at, and while i like both, i want to be versatile in my playing.)
but i'll get around to getting a band together.
 

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