What did you all do when you were a beginner?

Here's a true story that I wrote about on my blog, The Evolving Educator.

I was teaching at a summer camp just north of the beautiful Adirondack Mountains in northern New York state.

I was walking through a hall of practice rooms on the way to my office when I heard a bassist practicing. It didn’t really sound like my students but I thought I check in the person anyway, so I knock. We were both a little surprised as it wasn’t my student and neither of us knew who this stranger was!

I introduced myself and told her that I was teaching bass for this camp. The woman got very excited and told me how she’d been looking for a bass teacher to get a lesson with! You may not know this, but upstate New York does not attract many bassists.

OK, so this woman tells me she is a writer and does some freelance work in the area. At the age of 60 she decided to take up the double bass! Good for her!

She says that just started and really enjoys playing the bass, and besides, “I probably have another 30 years of bass playing in me!” Wow, I was floored. One can get pretty good with 30 years of practice. She was so excited to be playing the bass that I felt energized just being around her.

 

I think I may not have been clear in my post. I'm not saying your not qualified to have an opinion, I'm just saying that being a professional musician does not qualify someone as an expert on brain functions in seniors.

And no, I'm not qualified to talk about what it takes to make a living playing music. My advice is always to talk to someone like you who does it.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I think we're actually on the same side on this topic.

 

Oh...well if we're on the same side, then you're qualified! I just didn't get what you were saying.

 

This is encouraging to me as I picked up the bass in August of this year at age 55.

 

I turned 66 this year.

Two months ago I couldn't play bass guitar very well at all.

As of this moment I could do a gig.

(But I've been involved musically all my life).

Of all the instruments I've ever played.....the bass guitar was, for me, the easiest to learn.

If music is in you, it stays with you for life.

I play everything that I like....from Muddy Waters to Steely Dan to Skeeter Davis to Rolling Stones to Cream to whatever.

No problem.

No brain rot here............

 

I am a beginner in my 50’s and here is the approach I have taken so far:

I invest in a weekly one-hour lesson with a teacher. Since I know which way I learn best, having a teacher is foundational to getting to where I want to go as a bassist. I learn best through in person instruction. I look to my teacher to get me and keep me on the right track as far as left hand and right hand technique, and just plain technique in general. I want him to be honest with me and I want him to help me understand where I am at as far as getting locked in on timing. I went into this wanting to learn music theory so he helps me get my head around it without catching my hair on fire. I just took my 4th lesson today. We use Hal Leonard Jazz Bass Unit #1 (by Paul Farnen) supplemented by information he puts in front of me. He also keeps reminding me while everything we are working on is important playing with feeling is what makes the difference.

Beyond that I use the following books as supplemental material:

Bass Fitness – Josquin Des Pres (Hal Leonard)
Bass Arpeggio Finder – Chad Johnson (Hal Leonard)
Hal Leonard Bass Method, Complete Edition (Hal Leonard)

I spend time on the Internet looking for nuggets of knowledge. To round it all off I spend a minimum of 30 minutes each day with my hands moving on my bass.

Since I have learned a lot of things over my lifetime I know not to get frustrated. I also know commitment will make the difference. My pattern is to start off slower than most but then it starts to take off if I stick with it. The pattern I have experienced is I start to acquire islands of knowledge, which over time start to connect where the missing pieces fall into place.

I realize everyone's situation is different but I would find a way to take some lessons with a teacher. Once you get the basics down and some good ideas from the teacher than you cast off on your own again.

If you are passionate you will get to where you want to go. Hang in there!

 

I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I've sworn off the Hal Leonard stuff for learning any instrument. The beginner guides all seem to focus on the instrument till about page 4 and then nothing but reading music from there on. I got bored, never improved, and finally gave up.

Music theory is much more important to learn. I've been taking music theory classes for a few years now, and so far I've been able to apply that to any instrument I've tried.

 

I doubt you'll get flamed. That's your opinion, so fair enough.

I only have experience of the Hal Leonard Bass Method book(s). It focuses on a lesson, (generally some basic theory) then gives examples of the information learned in the lesson by using a play along with written music.

IMO, it is a good all round way to learn. My only criticism would be that the play along pieces could be a bit longer.

 

Jumped ship from guitar to bass after my guitar snapped (yikes) a couple of months ago - never looked back since. I still jam a lot of stuff on the acoustic, but I think I inadvertently found my musical calling on bass

 

I took a foundations in music course at our local community college, learned how to sight read with the aid of a metronome, listened to and played along with records, stole technique from every live bass player who was decent, and sat in with bands, when that was possible.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree with your assessment. My mission includes learning to read music again. I learned to read over 40 years ago when I played trombone, baritone and tuba. I also played bass guitar for a couple of years in High School. I specifically went the Hal Leonard route because I felt it would fit in with my mission. What really excites me these days is how the Internet helps us find the resources that best fit our learning style and music goals. There is no "best way" anymore IMHO. It's about doing it the way that works for you and gets you to where you want to go. Follow your passion and see where it takes you. On your journey take some time to reflect on where you have been. Adjust as necessary or desired.

 

Maybe I am dating myself here, but when I was young and learning to play, I listened to the radio and played along. There were no cheat sheets, tabs, youtube lessons or any of those other things that make it so easy. Learn to play by ear, but at some point I highly recommend studying theory and technique. Listen to a lot of Jamieson.

 

Good advice.

 

As far as Bass goes....I was sort of familiar with the instrument itself because I knew the 4 bass strings were the same as the bottom 4 on a guitar only one octave lower.

When I got serious:-

First thing I did was take a large piece of paper and draw the neck, the frets and strings......(you don't HAVE to draw it ..I think you can get them online)

Then I filled in what every note is on every fret up to the 12th fret (past that it's the same all over again).

Then I took another piece of paper and marked in the finger positions for C major scale starting on the 8th fret of the E string(using strings above that one included)

Then I jumped up a string and marked out the finger positions for F major scale
The I went two frets up from there on the same string and marked out the finger positions for G major scale.

Since these finger positions are the same for 98% of the frets I now knew how to play majors in any key.

I then picked out some old school blues records and played along with them.

C........F.....G

Just those notes alone you could back up 2000 songs.


I didn't worry about minor scales or Doridian scales or any of that stuff......

Scale improvs are pretty easy once you know the majors.


C...F...G

After that I played that combo in all sorts of keys and fooled around with different notes and different rhythms.


Easy...because if you know how to find C-F-G....finding it in another key on the bass is the same finger position

(Except for "open" strings)

From there you simply expand your horizons further.

(Modes, transitions etc and whatnot)

 

I started playing before the internet was really feasible for normal humans (there were public networks in 1989, but connectivity was limited and prohibitively expensive, and nobody on there was discussing bass guitar…).

I was busy learning to play bass on my own, and I heard people talking about 1-3-5, and I figured that meant the notes of the scale, and it turned out it did. So from there I concentrated on thinking in terms of intervals for the next couple of years, and I was a better player than everybody else in my town as a result.

So yeah, concentrate on intervals and scales, and if you can't play the music you love yet, find other music you can love.

 

I've been playing for two+ months now. I use Rocksmith and songsterr.com to keep the fun in the practice sessions. RS has about a dozen songs I like. I use it as a convienent tab/backing track package, as well as work on the lesson videos built in.

Songster is nice for finding that '80s song I like, and learning to play along with it. I'm working on Africa by Toto now, and loving it, all on the free area. A little tough to keep up at times (can't slow down songsterr without paying the monthly fee), but the few tabs I've found are party good. Good enough for me to practice at least.

Had a Rocksmith party at my house last night with some coworkers- had a blast, even though we are all beginners. Two bass players and two guitars. Plan to do that monthly at least, as it gets me playing with other people.

 

Today, you can download iBooks from the tree of knowledge at iTunes and print out the song you want to learn in any text size you want.

I recently picked up the Rock Bass Bible from Hal Leonard in paperback before I learned of this.

There are Jazz, Funk, Rock, and Pop/Rock Bible versions.