Where do i start?

[loky-lok]

I am hoping to start learning the bass guitar in the future (when i have some spare time and the money for a bass guitar).
I currently play piano and enjoy it alot but also really love the idea of playing the bass guitar. I often listen to a song and humm the entire bassline accompanied by some air-bass lol
My question is, what i can do in the meantime till i can buy/hire a bass and start actually playing? What kind of bass/amp should i be looking at? (Brand, Model etc.)
I want to play some hip hop bass lines, (mainly westcoast - Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac), funk (Bootsy Collins), blues/blues-rock (Led Zeppelin, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy).
So any ideas? Any exercises i can do? Anthing!?

 

[chaunceytoben]

If youre without an instrument, I think the best thing you can do is brush up on your bass-clef reading. Just find any music you can get a hold of, and practice sight reading in the bass clef.

 

[anon65884001]

Get a sandpaper
Start grinding your index, middle, pinky finger on your left hand
And index, mid for your right hand
And listen to different songs
As you know, it's one of may ways to improve a musical sense
And as chaunceytoben said, get familiar with f clef

 

[BassGirl1122]

A lot of people tell me they wish or want to play a bass, and I tell them, if it is in their heart and they want it bad enough, you can do it. I too started out playing piano. I always loved the sound of bass though. I bought my first bass (infamous pink bass of mine) and got home and looked at it and wondered "why did I buy this?? How am I gonna get used to the difference between ivories and strings???" It sat for months next to the piano, until finally I said "heck with it, I am gonna learn this thing" and took it to my computer room, and started learning to play by ear. The first week, I learned a song by ear, and was so proud of myself. I still do not know all the notes on the bass fretboard..just a few here and there. I know the piano, but can't get the bass. But I have well over 40 songs under my belt (all learned by ear), been playing for like a year and 4 months or so, and jammed with two different bands. So you can do it!! Best of luck!
As far as first basses, I started out with a $70 cheap p-bass. Then started going bass crazy and buying like a loca woman!! Best bet would be going for a decent second hand Fender...a small sized practice combo amp should get you going. I used a Fender Rumbler 20 for a good while before getting a bigger rig. (DO NOT GET A FIRST ACT...I DID AND IT SUCKED AND IT IS EATING DUST NOW)
I love all genres of music, but I found country music easiest...and the slower ones to start with...

 

[cassanova]

Other things you can do:

Draw a fretboard diagram and write the names of the notes on the appropriate frets. Once you have that mastered do the same thing but this time write the notes of major/minor scales on the appropriate frets.

Ear training: Train your ear to single out the bass lines in various styles of music. This will help you identify what individual notes sound like on a bass and in the long run help you to learn how to lay down a groove.

 

[adube810]

i learned piano before i picked up bass as well but now ive fell out of piano and pretty much just play bass only. my advice is that you should learn the basslines, chords, melody, and lead lines to songs by sheet music for piano, while being able to play any combination of those things in either hand and get that down. then when your playing bass, learn the basslines you learned for the song on piano, then also arpeggiate the chords, learn the melodys and leads on bass. also be sure to apply your knowledge of theory from piano to bass. the theory is the same.

dont stop the groove