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Was it easy for you?

M

millsbass5

Dec 7, 2008
5,214
234
59
Logan,W.V.(not up some holler)
#1
This question is for all the bassist out there that started on the bass,not switched to bass from guitar,banjo,violin,or any stringed instrument,for that matter.Here goes:

How easy was it for you to pick up on the instrument.Meaning,picking up on different techniques such as slapping,popping,tapping,chords,dexterity,stamina,confidence in holding down a groove.

As for me,everything I've learned on the instrument,I've absolutely had to work my fingers to the bone.It wasn't easy for me to slap,pop,tap,nothing.Work,work,work.Thats fine though.The only thing I think the good Lord blessed me with is the gift to have the ear to play tastefully.I think I'm good at playing what a bassist should play.Don't get me wrong now,I CAN think outside the box,play outside the box...But tastefully,though.Then again I can do my share of wanking,shredding,whatever you wanna call it.But,it took alot of work.ALOT.

This kind of humors me a little though.Then again,it pisses me off too.Have you ever run into a bassist who's been playing a short time and can absolutely kick it,effortlessly?That KILLS me!!

I know the players today have so many different tools to learn various techniques and such as oppossed to what I had to learn from:LEARN THE ELECTRIC BASS! By Mel Bay.And in the book was, Twinkle,Twinkle,Little Star,Mary Had a Little Lamb,(not the Stevie Ray version either,kids)AHHHHH!!!!

To all you guy out there learning,don't take all this wealth of information for granted.Peace.
 
#2
This isn't exactly what you were looking for but i thought id share...

I can tell you as a self taught bass player that most of my improvement can be attributed to a certain mentor of mine. He also happened to be my boss, but he taught me many things when hanging out and jamming that i feel would have taken me a long time to pick up.

I am still nowhere near being the bassist that i someday hope to be, but thanks to him I've improved by leaps and bounds.

Even though you may have never had the opportunity that i have, you can really take the knowledge you've acquired and make a serious impact on a new bassist.
 
#6
millsbass5 said:
This kind of humors me a little though.Then again,it pisses me off too.Have you ever run into a bassist who's been playing a short time and can absolutely kick it,effortlessly?That KILLS me!!
Click to expand...

Be careful about discrediting the work of others. Nothing good comes without diligent, consistent work. Some may learn at a faster pace than others, but anyone who can "kick it effortlessly" has put in serious time in the shed, regardless of whether they've been playing for 6 months or 10 years. Just because you aren't there watching them practice doesn't mean they aren't doing it.
 
#7
It took me a while before I started getting the hang of it, but once I did, I couldn't stop, of course that was my fault. I didn't start learning the basics like scales, notes on the fretboard for about 4 months after owning the bass. Once I learned those, I learned so many songs and even started making my own bass lines to songs. Even though I didn't necessarily have the patience to learn the basics, God blessed me with rhythm and that helped in a big way. I've been playing for about a year now and I can play a lot of the songs that I could only dream about playing when I first started playing bass. I still suck at slapping, but I can groove much better than before.

Some players are more blessed than others, and all bass players have a different story to how they got where they are now, but we all share our love for the bass. Just keep working at it and eventually it will all come naturally to you. Good luck!
 
#8
It was difficult for me, too. I did have the advantage of having taken piano and voice lessons, though. And I messed around on drums. I kind of have a knack for it, too, I think. But I won't forget how long it took me to just be able to pluck with two fingers, index and middle. I played for a year or so with just my index, braced by my middle. Pretty sure James Jamerson died playing this way, so I guess it wouldn't have been the end of the world if I didn't get over it.
After that, I just wanted to learn how to play my favorite songs. I never learned 'advanced' techniques like tapping, my favorites didn't have any(I'm old). Slapping, yes, because I really dug it. Marcus is my man for that. But I haven't gone much beyond that. No need, really, for me.
By advice? Learn songs that you love. The techniques involved in making those songs will eventually become part of your repertoire.
 
#9
It took me awhile at first because I wasn't too interested while I took lessons. But then I started taking music in school and getting into specific types of music and wanting to learn songs, and improvement just came with heavy practicing but practicing because I was playing it for fun, like it's basically what I do with my spare time.
 
#10
Getting the basics down came incredibly easy for me. And even moving past the basics was pretty easy. What was hard was learning how to be a musician (there IS a difference). Learning how to play what fits the music was tough...things like learning when it was appropriate to show off and when to lay back was incredibly difficult for me because by nature I'm a ham with tremendous insecurities ;) A opportunity to do some free-lancing and a couple near-firings wised me up quick, though!
 
#11
TFunkadelic said:
Be careful about discrediting the work of others. Nothing good comes without diligent, consistent work. Some may learn at a faster pace than others, but anyone who can "kick it effortlessly" has put in serious time in the shed, regardless of whether they've been playing for 6 months or 10 years. Just because you aren't there watching them practice doesn't mean they aren't doing it.
Click to expand...

Im sorry but thats not necessarily true. Unfortunately, around these parts saying "Talented" or "Gifted" is almost like cursing at someone. I know quite a number of ppl who hardly put in anytime at their instruments and could tap dance around alot of very good players. Once I understood this statement, I was good to go. "Music is in the person, the instrument is just a tool to express it". There are some ppl that "kick it effortlessly" because they just needed a tool, whether it be bass, piano, spoons, whatever. Heck, Ive seen my older brother mix and scratch on two "See and Say" toys lol (and it was hot).There are also some that work hard to play the instrument, not make music. Of course there are happy mediums hovering around those two spheres. I also agree that hard work gets you far, but just as the work should not be discredited, neither should the factor of talent. :ninja:
 

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