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Useful things to learn?

#21
I've been playing about almost 50 years and if I'd asked the same questions as the OP when I started, gotten the information just on this page, listened to and implemented the advice given, I'd be 10 times the bass player I am today.

Good luck on your journey :)
 
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#22
Train your ear. It takes a lot of practice for most. For some it comes naturally. Learn how to hear something and imitate it. Most "new" things in music is repeating or recycling old ideas and modifying them for a new scenario. Eventually, by hearing and repeating, you'll kind of discover what you like and don't like and will modify those things to make "your" trademark licks and fills in songs.
 
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#23
If you're having trouble doing fills and the like, then you haven't practiced enough. Of course, none of us have really practiced enough, but the principle is that practice builds your chops to where things like fills become second nature. Some folks build chops for chops sake, but a lot of us do it to build some "headroom" between what we need to play and what we can play.

The more headroom you have, the easier it is to play what you need to, and do it with good timing. Yes, this is a circuitous route to get there, but good timing is the most critical skill for musicians. A wrong note at the right time is much better than the right note at the wrong time.
 
#27
Turbo Sparky said:
Major and Minor arpeggios at a minimum for "hard" rock and metal IMO.
Click to expand...

Yes, as well as Dominant 7 major and minor apreggios in all keys.

Does't hurt to know the Major 7 scale either.

Major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales in all keys.

Blues scale.

I can't believe how often I use major pentatonic scale for fills ina country jam band.
 
#28
Tracewithabass said:
Things that make you an all around better player. .... if it’s anything I play hard rock and metal and have a lot of trouble doing fills, improv, and soloing.
Click to expand...

#1 on my list for you:

Stop worrying about playing "fills, improv, and soloing" and worry a lot about playing clean, in time and with good clear and well articulated sound and notes.

Work on that stuff - you'll soon discover you don't have much time to worry about "fills, improv, and soloing".
 
#29
1 Learn to mute that beast. esp if you play 5 or 6 string Bass.

2. Rhythm should be a focus. Learn some different rhythms. and learn to lock in up to 16th note patterns; Whole note, Half note, Quarter/8th/16th note patterns are a good chunk what you will be playing for Rock and Metal, however in any genre you will find has their own nuances for rhythmic interpretations. a good metronome, or drum machine will help you get locked in on some basics. Victor Wooten said it quite eloquently, "I am in the Rhythm section, not the Notes section". take heed.

3. Learn with Fingers and with a Pick. if you play metal look on Youtube for inspiration for 2-3-4 finger techniques for speed. obv a pick will be fast, but takes a different skill approach and has a cutting tone, or attack if you will, and consistency are plusses. I find that fingers cant quite duplicate, but can come VERY close with good technique and some nail for 'bite' that a pick can do. muting technique is a bit different for the plectrum, but for speed and stamina I recommended at least trying one.

4. Dynamics! I crank my volume on my bass and use my hands to control the amount of attack intensity I need, or the amount of 'quiet' that comes through, muting and dampening will help you achieve a sense of dynamic range too IMO. sometimes its 'How you Say it' just like when you tell a story, you use inflection, vocal dynamics and pace to get your point across. same for music.

5. Learn the fret board. Learning the Diatonic Major and Minor scales in every key (learn how to apply them later) also the Major and Minor Pentatonic, and the Blues scale, again in every key. Chord Harmony and Modes will be a byproduct of this later down the line, but knowing the fret board is invaluable.

6. Train your ear. a keyboard may help in this regard. Interval and Chord qualities should be studied aurally. Playing and listening to a lot of music is the way. It will be a long journey, but a rewarding one.

Jury is out on if you need to learn to read music. If you plan to be a professional then it is necessary IMO and will get you gigs you may not otherwise get. If you are just in it for fun (like me) I get by on the above way more than I do reading notes. A grasp on that list of 6 things has kept music fun for the past two decades for me. If you can find the fun in 'playing music' then it can be a lasting event in your life.

Good luck
 
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#31
Placement: Literally, where to play the note. Ahead of the beat, on the beat, behind the beat. Or: Where, exactly, is “one.”

Duration: How long do you hold the note? I tend to shorten up during vocals—it gives the singer more space. Then hold notes longer, for instance, to fill in behind a guitar solo.
 
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#32
We're all different, so I'll just say what I need.

I'm pretty much a cover player period, that's what I have time for. So ear is everything for me. I need to be able to stop the song and say, "That chord isn't right". I need to pick up the bass line of a song right away. I need to be able to say what chord we're playing, what key we're in. I need to know the notes that the rest of the band is playing, so if they screw it up and don't hear it. I can at least say, "lets try this" etc.

I need to learn how to be corrected myself.

I need to be able to wing it.

Hammer ons and pull offs with all fingers are essential. I work at hammering all my parts without plucking. It doesn't sound the greatest but it's great at getting your chops up and being precise. Developing good right hand plucking speed. Ring and pinky finger independance on the left hand. Take the time it takes to develop good chops.

Forget tab. Forever.

I have years of keyboard experiences, so I know how to read music, but I've never needed to read music as a bass player. That would be necessary for some, not for me at all. In church, they'll give you those PDF's that have the chord written on top of the words, I have to know how to read that.

Added later: Groove or "pocket" which is probably the most important thing. See above post.
 
#33
Well I've always read on any instrument I've played. I like to learn things I haven't heard based on read throughs and my impression if it's an interesting bass line. I can use my ears, but it reminds me of being a kid when everything that was interesting had to be worked out that way. Now there is much on the net, especially in notation. Try to learn every note on your bass. If you learn to read, study drum parts and Latin music. Dissect some fills you've picked up from YouTube perhaps and try and explain what makes them interesting. Oh and because it drives me nuts it's etc. not ect..
 
#34
Timing - practice to a metronome or drum tracks to develop internal time. You can play flashy and fast but if your timing is no good, you're not going to be in the pocket and groove with the drummer.

Chords tones - We as bassists outline the chord tones. You need to know chord tones: major, minor, diminished, dominant 7 and minor 7th chord tones. And, know where these chord tones are over the entire fretboard.

Major and minor pentatonic scales
 
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#36
Record yourself playing and listen for uniformity in tone, volume, attack, staying on-beat etc. I'm a novice player and am surprised to hear how bad my playing on a recording sounds compared to what I hear as I play. Play along with a drum machine, backing track or metronome.
 
#37
Keep your fretting fingers as close to the strings as possible. With practice you can play with those fingers lightly draped over the strings.
Muting, like everyone else says. There are techniques used so that you eliminate any chance of open strings ringing out.
If you have to make a total technique change, now is the time to do it. I went through it and nearly gave up on the change many times, but eventually it becomes muscle memory.
Practice a lot of octaves for finger strength and plucking dexterity . You have the same notes two strings down and two frets over.
 
#38
Learning about intervals will change the way you approach bass playing. You can combine different groups of intervals to make melodies and chords. Learn some chords like a Maj, Min, Maj7, Min7, etc. and combine them in different sequences.

Set aside some time and google "Intervals on bass". You can PM me if stuff isn't making sense or you need a different explanation.

You said you're having a hard time soloing, improvising and playing fills; that's the hard stuff man, you're asking the right questions.
 
#39
Metronomes are good and there are plenty of drum patterns on youtube at different speeds which are good to work on your timing. Without timing doesn't matter about your chord tones or fills, it's never gonna sound right.
 

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