What's Needed to Play Along at Minimum and Ideally?

[JolliestRoger]

Let's say I hear a new song being played or created and I want to play along on the bass to that song. What information, at minimum, is needed to play along correctly? And what information, ideally, is needed? For example, playing in D with a D song and not "hitting the wrong notes." How do I know what the wrong notes are and what the right notes are? How do I know what tempo to play?

What exactly is BEADG, etc.? Why is a downtuned E string a D but the string higher than A is also a D if it's higher? Noob questions, I know. But I'm a noob, so I'm asking.

Thanks.

 

[eddie16]

At a minimum, to play along to a song where you can't just go listen to the bass part, you need to know the chords that the guitar or piano (or other instrument) is playing. These chord charts for popular songs can be looked up, or the person who wrote it can tell you the chords. To play along with the song then, you play a D note when the guitar, for example, plays a D (major) chord, switch to a G note when the guitar switches to a G major chord, etc. This is playing the root note (the note that matches the name of the chord).

In an ideal scenario, the information provided would depend on the musicians/songwriter. As you learn and progress, you may start hearing the chord changes and finding the key by ear, so less information would be needed. To add more rhythm, you could pluck that root note when the kick drum thumps, or if no drums, when a guitarist strums, or when the piano player's left hand hits.

Or conversely, for jazz or more technical playing, you would want to have full chord names (e.g. C major 7th into a A minor 9th) or a score/sheet music, as the bass can start playing other chord tones beside just the root note. But since the lowest sounding note determines the chord, playing notes that aren't part of the chord could be considered "wrong notes" (some exceptions here).

There's a lot to cover here, so please let me know what I can explain better. But if you're new to bass or to playing with others, playing those root notes is a good starting place to build from.

Regarding the tuning of the strings, the first notes listed are the lower strings, so the D string is an octave higher than a detuned-E-string. Going high sounding notes to low sounding notes on a 5-string (BEADG) bass:
G < thinnest string
F
E
D < next string
C
B
A < next string
G
F
E < next string
D
C
B < thickest string

 

[Malcolm35]

Good post above. I'll just add the following:

Let's say I hear a new song being played or created and I want to play along on the bass to that song. What information, at minimum, is needed to play along correctly?

Fiirst what is the key this song will use. Your ear will kick in, but, until it does use chord charts or fake chord sheet music - Google search words, Chords, name of the song - or ask the keyboard player or rhythm guitar what key we will use for this song. Here is one in G.

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Or run the C major scale and when your song sounds good with one of notes in the C major scale - look down and see what note that fell on. That is the tonal center, aka, your key for this song.

(And what information, ideally, is needed? For example, playing in D with a D song and not "hitting the wrong notes." How do I know what the wrong notes are and what the right notes are? How do I know what tempo to play?

If in D your notes and chords will probably be from the D major scale. So gotta know what those notes and chords are. I relied upon the major scale box. Place the D on the tonic (root) note of the pattern and find your notes within the box.

Major scale box showing scale degree numbers and the root note on the 4th string.
G~~|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D~~|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A~~|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E~~|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

D scale = D, E, F#, G, A,. B, C#, D
Scale # = 1, 2, 3, ..4,..5 ,6, .7... 8

Place the R on the D at the 5th fret. Notice your I chord {D} is on the A string 5th fret. The IV [G] is above it one string and the V {A} is below it on the E string. I-IV-V all in one place.

What exactly is BEADG, etc.? Why is a downturned E string a D but the string higher than A is also a D if it's higher? Noob questions, I know. But I'm a noob, so I'm asking.

BEADG is a dropped D tuning. Right now a can of worms, best left alone... When you get with a band that uses Dropped D then you can start using it, but, IMO now is not the time as all instruction material is in standard tuning.

Alternate tunings make it easy for someone to do something. Dropped D is probably one of the first you will run up on. If my memory is correct dropped D lets the guitar make power chord easier. Alternate tunings right now in your journey IMO are a can of worms that do not need to be opened just yet. I played standard tuning all the time. and had no problems from doing so. Suggest you do likewise until you get with a band that uses dropped D.

Good luck.

 

[bfields]

Let's say I hear a new song being played or created and I want to play along on the bass to that song. What information, at minimum, is needed to play along correctly?

One possible answer is "none at all".

The song itself provides all the information you need. Even if you haven't heard that particular song before, you've probably heard many like it, and your ear already knows what's "right" and isn't, even if you can't explain it. Depending on the song, an experienced musician can find a bassline pretty quickly just by listening.

Getting there isn't necessarily easy, though--it's a long-term project of careful listening and imitating and lots of trial and error.

And what information, ideally, is needed? For example, playing in D with a D song and not "hitting the wrong notes." How do I know what the wrong notes are and what the right notes are? How do I know what tempo to play?

If you try different notes, do some sound better than others? If you try different tempos, which sound better to you and which worse?

There are much longer answers. A teacher (one-on-one, or a class) is a great way to start. But it all comes down to "how does it sound?". And when all else fails, you've always got listening really hard and experimenting.

 

[AGCurry]

You ask great questions, but they reveal that - if you want to play music - you need to know more about music. You can still keep noodling with your bass guitar, but I strongly suggest that you find the nearest community college and take a course like "Harmony I" or "Piano I" or some other course meant for beginners to learn about music.

 

[hrodbert696]

Yes, looks like you're at the stage of learning the very first basics of the instrument and music theory. A good teacher would be worth the investment, or a remote course like Scott's Bass Lessons. There's more to learn than would be easy to do in a forum post, but for BASIC basics -

What do you need to play a song? You need to know what notes are in the song.

The western music system works with a system of 12 notes, from A to G with some in between that are "sharps" (a little up from the letter note - #) and "flats" (a little down - b). Once you go through the whole run up to G#, the sequence starts again at A - that's called an "octave," the "same" note but higher. One note "sharp" is the same as the higher note "flat," in other words C# and Db are the same note. Some letter notes don't have sharps/flats between them, I don't know why not.

A - A#/Bb - B - C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E - F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A (an octave higher). All western music is made out of combinations of these 12 notes.

The "key" of a song means which notes it uses - usually 7 out of the 12. That's related to a "scale" which is a sequence of running through those seven notes that are in the key, starting with the note the scale is named for. So the key of C uses no sharps or flats, and the C major scale goes C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C.

Standard tuning for a 4-string bass is EADG, which are the notes each string makes when played open, not using the frets at all. Each fret raises the note half a step, so the first notes on the E string are E (open), F, F#, G, G#, A. A five-string bass is normally BEADG, so a low B string added. Some players will tune a 4-string BEAD and not have a G string, if their music uses more low notes. Some downtune the E string to a D, so then it's an octave lower than the regular open D string.

One way to learn a song is to follow a written-out piece of music. That can be in standard notation with all the lines and dots, or it can be in TAB. Whole other conversation there. Or, you can figure it out "by ear," listening to a recording of the song and finding the notes on the bass as you go along. To learn by ear, it REALLY helps to understand keys, scales, and chords (groupings of notes from the scale, like CEG). It's kind of the difference between hunt-and-peck typing vs. someone who actually knows where letters are on their keyboard.

 

[Papageno]

Let's say I hear a new song being played or created and I want to play along on the bass to that song. What information, at minimum, is needed to play along correctly? And what information, ideally, is needed? For example, playing in D with a D song and not "hitting the wrong notes." How do I know what the wrong notes are and what the right notes are? How do I know what tempo to play?

What exactly is BEADG, etc.? Why is a downtuned E string a D but the string higher than A is also a D if it's higher? Noob questions, I know. But I'm a noob, so I'm asking.

Thanks.

Some people don't need any knowledge to play along wit a song: they just hear it.

If you have to ask, that suggests you are not among such people. The way you ask questions suggests you have very little knowledge about what music is made of: rhythms, pitches, melody, harmony. I suggest you take lessons (music school or private teacher) to learn the fundamentals of music. Also buy a keyboard.

 

[tvbop]

What a strange question.
As a kid decades ago I never thght like this about music...I heard a track, picked up my bass found a couple of root notes which no-one explained to me, and started playing gradually adding to it as I studied the piece. Its how we sing in the shower or in the diner, at the car wash, we just do it.....Surely if you can't hear the mechanics of the music then maybe music is not for you....at the very least its gonna be darn difficult to proceed.

 

[fearceol]

What a strange question.
As a kid decades ago I never thght like this about music...I heard a track, picked up my bass found a couple of root notes which no-one explained to me, and started playing gradually adding to it as I studied the piece. Its how we sing in the shower or in the diner, at the car wash, we just do it.....Surely if you can't hear the mechanics of the music then maybe music is not for you....at the very least its gonna be darn difficult to proceed.

I totally agree with the above. I too, was in a similar situation. When I first took up the bass, tab or the internet did not exist. I learned by playing along to songs. I wore out many a stylus and LP by moving the stylus backwards and forwards, working out the song by trial and error. I can remember how proud I felt when I could finally play the song from start to finish. This was time and effort well spent.

I agree 100% with the advice to learn music theory and get a good teacher. However, training your ear by working out basslines yourself is one of the most beneficial things you can do IMO. It is also something that a teacher can't teach you. Music theory is great but you also need to be able to hear and understand what you are playing. With this approach you will soon learn to know...i.e. HEAR.. when you are playing a "wrong" note.

 

[bfields]

Some people don't need any knowledge to play along wit a song: they just hear it.

If you have to ask, that suggests you are not among such people.

True, but don't take that to mean you can't get better at it. You can definitely improve your ear skills with training and practice. It's not just an "either you're born with it or not" thing. (The one exception is absolute pitch, which it does seem you have to acquire very early--but that's just one specific skill, that most of us do fine without.)

The way you ask questions suggests you have very little knowledge about what music is made of: rhythms, pitches, melody, harmony. I suggest you take lessons (music school or private teacher) to learn the fundamentals of music. Also buy a keyboard.

Great advice.

Also, not cheap. (A basic used keyboard is cheap. Music school or regular private lessons isn't. But do it if you can.)

And I do think that learning basslines by ear is something you can get started with on your own. You just need to start with basslines that are very easy to hear in the mix, very simple and repetitive--the sort of thing you can probably already sing from memory. (Think "Stand By Me", "Under the Boardwalk", "Money" (Pink Floyd).) They don't even have to be bass lines. E.g., nursery rhymes are great to start with, then you can move on to possibly more complicated things that are also well-ingrained in your memory (pop songs, TV show themes...).

 

[Malcolm35]

Way back in the dark ages my guitar instructor would give me a new song for the next week's lesson. He would also give me a paper on the music theory this new song was using. So, I grew up with dirt simple theory, and it helped me understand music. Suggest you start wading around in the theory pool. Thirty minutes a day is about right.

Keep some theory papers handy and get some study time after lunch, during a break, etc.

http://www.lifesmith.com/BHWeb/Music Theory - Basic Level.pdf

Good luck.

 

[mambo4]

BEADG is a dropped D tuning.

since the OP is a beginner, I feel I should clarify that
BEADG is standard 5 string tuning ( it is not detuned, dropped, or alternate tuning.)
EADG is standard 4 string tuning

On a 4 string DADG is "drop D" tuning.

 

[SteveCS]

...
One possible answer is "none at all".

The song itself provides all the information you need.
...

...
Way back in the dark ages
...

Way back in the dark ages, all most of us had was a means of reproducing the music, a means of amplifiying the bass and our ears - nothing was written down.

In my case it was a walkman and an HH 'V-S Musician' amp with 2x15 cab. The walkman went into the 'mini' channel of the HH and the bass into the 'main' channel. That was that. In case anyone is wondering, it sounded dreadful!