Wanna teach myself the bass

[mmbongo]

I'll not add much to what is already said, except this:

You have to have a nice tuner. Do it right and get one of these:
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See I say that because the Polytuner does more than just help tune your bass, it instantly shows you what note you're playing, no matter where you are on the fingerboard. I taught myself by ear, but never learned where the notes are. Having this tuner helped me immensely and after a few months with it I now know the fretboard up and down. It's been invaluable. Best $100 I ever spent on a piece of gear.

 

[Evil Undead]

The Artec Big Dots tuner also shows any note anywhere on the board, for a lot less cash... might be worth looking into. But yeah good shout, everyone needs an awesome tuner.

Edit: the Artec tuner is about $55, just looked it up

 

[LilloEsquilo]

You know I won't argue with the lessons idea, it's a good one, though it is expensive. But you have to find the right one too. If you are going to learn from a guitarist who just happens to teach bass too, you might not be too happy with the results. You want to learn from a bassist, if that's what you wanna be.

If you can't find a good teacher, you're better off learning on your own than from a bad one.

Finally I just have to throw this out there, to the folks who think you can't become a real bassist without a teacher, please tell me this: Who taught the first real bassist?

 

[sanchorb]

My case is on the contrary: I am now learning to play the guitar. Maybe it is because I am a very structured person, but the problem with the self teaching thing is, in my case, a sense of "lack of direction". If I start to "fish" things from internet, listening to records and picking things from friends, I feel like I don´t have a general structure and sequence for learning. So I decided to wait until I can invest on lessons, in my particular case I decided in favor of a CD course, issued by Gibson. My bass teacher, whom I respect very much, helped me a lot with the basics, and I was commenting with him about this. He was aware of this specific guitar course and he said "if I wasn´t a guitar player, I would receive a very good education from this, provided that I asked certain aspects, which I feel I wouldn´t grasp very well, with a guitar teacher. But in terms of progression in the educative process, it is very good".
So my point is that as a possible substitute for lessons, I don´t know if there is a similar course in bass, but altough it is not cheap, it would be a very good investment, with the complements of somebody who is a real player and can help you in certain critical aspects. Just my two cents, maybe many will not agree with this, but in my case this is the way I will go with the guitar. Having that sense of direction and the initial technical aspects will make you evolve further than by self teaching without a structure and plan for learning.

Instrument? Nothing too cheap, but also nothing too fancy. The low and middle range market has evolved into an amazing array of good instruments at a great price, so you´ll have plenty to choose from, which wasn´t my case when I began with a POS Teisco, which was mainly a hindrance in my learning process Maybe a Squier or an entry level Yamaha would be a good value for the buck, I´ve had some and they were very good as basic instruments. Later in life you will see if the bass suits you as much as to justify the purchase of a more expensive and better bass. Good luck with the process, be patient and constant!!

 

[DeanT]

While it's always good to get a dedicated teacher if you can afford it, it's not impossible to teach yourself how to play. Particularly these days with the Web and YouTube, there are many options for lessons in a variety of styles of music.

As for basses, go to a store near you and try whatever they have. Don't worry about the brand. Try them all and see what feels and sounds good to you. You don't need to need to impress anyone with your fancy bass, you just need one that you'll enjoy practicing on.

 

[southgabass]

Practice practice practice... even with lessons.... I've taught more than my share of people who don't practice thinking that it should "fall from the sky into my hands"... and that just simply isn't the case... anything worth doing is going to take some work and practice... when I started bass I practiced 8 hours a day... a bit obsessive maybe but it payed off in the long run... get some lessons from someone who knows what they are doing... but practice those lessons and improvise

Listen to any/all genres of music, even those you aren't too keen on right now... every stylistic nuance you can add in from the start will open up the doors to what you'll be able to do down the road

I was one of the people who self-taught... but when I started bass I had already been playing all the low brass instruments out there... so if you already have some kind of musical inclination you'll be great... otherwise take some lessons if you can

Gear wise the Ibanez and Squier lines are great... but there are others out there heres a link to look at some stuff
Bass Starter Packages...

make sure you get urself that tuner and by all means a metronome... you can play whatever you want but if its not in the same timing (or in tune) well its just going to be bad... lol...

 

[CrankenStein]

I dont know if professional lessons are quite as necessary as everyone is saying. I learned all the theory i know through jamming, reading tabs, and reading books, however its harder for me to communicate with other musicians when refering to theory. But I would recomend you look up tabs to some songs you like and learn them so you can get your hands warmed up to fretting and strumming, i figured out a good amount of theory by noticing the patterns the players i like use. Once you have got the basics down try to find someone to jam with, jamming imo is the best way to improve your technique.

 

[levis76]

+1 on not trying to teach yourself. Many attempt this because the bass guitar looks easy. Plug it in and hit the strings and away you go, etc. Playing bass guitar is not a solo instrument, it is for playing in a band and doing by yourself esp. trying to teach yourself is a waste of time. ........

Everything in this paragraph is wrong.

1) Bass guitar is easy.

2) It is about just hitting the strings, it's knowing which ones to hit, when, and how hard is the key. If you aren't hitting the strings in some way, how are you playing? Upright with a bow?

3) Many career soloists out there will disagree and disprove that statement.

Bass guitar is like any other instrument. With time spent on proper practice anyone can do it, some will be better than others or progress more quickly, but you will get better.

The question you have to ask yourself is how serious are you about playing? Do you want to jam in your basement along to your favorite tunes (get some tab books) or do you want hook up with a band and play some shows at some local dives (get a few lessons to get you going)?

I am self taught, never had a lesson and I have been playing for 16yr, not constant, but more often than not. Longest stretch I went without playing regularly was during Marine boot training and combat school, so around 5 months. I know if I had taken lessons I would be a more knowledgeable player but having taught myself for so long mostly by ear I can improvise and create original parts to songs that sound good. I have a more loose style that people seem to like.

Some self taught players end up sounding sloppy and this is due to poor technique. This is mostly what you see on YouTube, guys/girls that pay more attention to getting the notes of a particular song exact rather than playing cleanly, clearly, and consistently. If you practice proper technique, you will never regret it. Poor technique is the most difficult thing to overcome. The best advice to break bad technique is to put the bass down and walk away for awhile to allow yourself to forget and who wants to do that?

Someone else mentioned getting a better bass than $175 can buy you. You can score a decent Ibanez for less than that and get a fresh set of strings and a full pro setup. The works, get the frets leveled, nut filed, bridge adjusted. You won't be sorry. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to learn on an instrument that won't stop buzzing no matter what you do. It's worth it, and even the cheapest Ibanez basses respond very well to a good setup. They are built well, just not fine tuned from the factory, you gotta do it or have it done. Again, totally worth the cost.

 

[kenstee]

A great investment would be to take /check out Paul Wolfe's virtual lessons. Check it out at www.how-to-play-bass,com. He is totally assessable to his students. And the best part is his total orientation to getting you up and playing. Not doing repetitive, boring scales. Comprehensive lessons in PDF and video HD arrive weekly. I'm blown away by the high quality and thought he puts into this. And he quickly answers emails. Perfect for novice and intermediate players. It's inexpensive and honestly worth every cent! He is London based.

 

[audiomitch]

I agree with all the people saying to take a few lessons. Just take enough to get the basics, then learn how to read tablature. After that you can find some songs you like and learn them. The more you play (practice) the more you'll develop the pathway between the brain and the fingers.

Just a warning - as soon as you think you "have it down", you'll hear somebody who makes you realize you still don't know anything. That happens to me all the time and I've been playing since the '70s.

 

[pbass888]

spend 150 on lessons from a good teacher and rent a $25 bass for a month... youll get much more out of it!

 

[Rocky McD]

I think taking lessons helps keep up your interest. Too many times, trying to self teach ends in loss of interest. I've been playing bass for nearly 50 years and I teach bass so, I have some experience. If you can't afford lessons, StudyBass.com is a great site. Watch videos on YouTube to learn instrument and hand positions and technique. Learn basic Theory, it gives you the ability to construct bass lines properly. Oh, and practice 6-8 hours a day.
Rocky

 

[Jazzcat]

A few people suggested the OP try picks. I say don't mess with them. There is a lot of right hand technique that is missed by using picks.

 

[stepswork4me]

A few people suggested the OP try picks. I say don't mess with them. There is a lot of right hand technique that is missed by using picks.

Whatever!

OP... Try picks, try fingers, try tap, try slap, try it all. Lots of folks are self taught. It's completely doable. The word is "PRACTICE"!!! Constantly practice. Listen to music and try to play along. Develope your ear! Pick up books. Look online for theory and other info. To ever feel the music you will need to develope an ear.

 

[tonymcbony]

Can you teach yourself?

Absolutely. The trade off is that you may progress slower than if you have a teacher showing you tips, tricks, good technique, and driving you forward.

The main thing about bass vs guitar is that Guitar takes a lot longer to learn the shapes and techniques. Bass you can probably have 95% of the useful methods of playing down in about a year and then the rest of it is learning to think like a bass player, which is far easier to pick up if it's taught.

I started off learning guitar, picked up bass because it was required and learnt by doing. I always tried to avoid technique that hurt my hands and it turns out that was pretty good advice. I've never had a bass lesson, I'm a solid bass player BUT I'm actively looking for a teacher so that I can progess my theory and my playing.

Getting a teacher is the best thing you can invest in barring the bass itself.

I'd say get a bass, a tuner, a teacher, an amp and a band ASAP and in that order.

 

[Marioslays]

Thanks everyone for all your feedback, suggestions, and advice! I'll take everything that's been said above to heart. If anyone would like to keep the suggestions/advice flowing though, that'd be cool too.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[DownUnder_Funk]

It's certainly a good idea to take lessons if you can afford them. However, don't underestimate the value of listening to professional records and using your ear or tablature to figure out the bass parts. I learned a lot that way, one of the most important being that there is often more than one way to play a part.

A lot of professionals are self-taught and can't sight-read. However, consider your goals. If your goal is to become a studio musician, you'll need to learn music theory and sight-reading to improve your odds of making a living at it.

All that being said, I took guitar lessons for two years, playing "Row Your Boat" and not getting anywhere with it. Years later I picked up a bass and taught myself by listening to records, and within 18 months I was making money playing in a band.

+1

That's how I started learning, by listening to my favourite songs and learning the bass lines by ear, moving onto harder and harder songs (as well as moving my way through another 2 basses). Sure, lessons are great for the fundamentals, and I certainly agree with those that warn of the dangers of picking up bad habits, but at the end of the day, as long as you're having fun, go for it!

 

[southgabass]

Right I don't think anyone was saying take lessons for 4 years... if you can get the basics down... and get a good understanding... you are gonna be kosher to getting yourself on the road to playing... I do have to say that you will want to put maybe a little more $$ into your instrument... when I have someone approach me about wanting to learn I tend to steer them toward the $300- $500 range of basses to start off with (a $175 with awesome setup would be just as good too) cause the frustration of having a bass that buzzes or the action is set to high will discourage you from playing... and as stated ...... .. . . . PRACTICING... sure

The main thing about bass vs guitar is that Guitar takes a lot longer to learn the shapes and techniques. Bass you can probably have 95% of the useful methods of playing down in about a year and then the rest of it is learning to think like a bass player, which is far easier to pick up if it's taught.

Bass is equally if not harder to learn than guitar.... sure with guitar you're learning more chord based things... but the shapes still apply.... and so do the techniques... the major thing is learning to feel and play in time with everything... a guitarist strumming chords can flub up and just play it off with what i call a strum flub.... whereas on bass if you're off... its kind of noticeable... granted if you're playing standard country with a 5th or 7th bounce yeah you can learn that pretty fast....

+1 on not playing anything that hurts to play (granted your fingers are gonna hurt while building strength)

as i said before listen and learn different types of music... like the old GI Joe cartoon used to say "Knowing is half the battle"... learn proper technique as you can...

 

[Staccato]

Welcome to TB!

IMO, $200-250 is a 'magic' range for beginners to buy used. Try to reach up a bit higher than the amount you mentioned, and jump into that price range for your axe. There are many, very acceptable 'used' models priced between $200-250.

Instructor or not, remember that the quicker you begin practicing songs, and continue adding to your song list, the better you will feel about
your progress! Unfortunately, some instructors are not successful at including entire songs in lesson plans. (Believe me, I know!)

If that happens, let them know that it is vitally important to you, and you consider it VERY important to include complete songs
in the lesson plans.

 

[southgabass]

very valid point... full songs give a sense of accomplishment and show recall skills... snipets are great for learning new techniques... let it be known if learning full songs is something that you want if you are to get lessons.... 200-250 is a great price for a used instrument...