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where do i start?
- Thread starter sadix
- Start date
Play the crap out of your bass and take TalkBass with a grain of salt. We are a wonderful, loving, profanity-free, bottomless pit of knowledge. But, sticking around here makes most of us go through phases we call GAS where we desire things that we don't need. We think we need them though. All you need to be a great bassist is to play your instrument. Play the hell out of it and believe in what you're doing. And NEVER make up excuses. You'll be learning your whole life, but believing in what you're doing is what will make people remember you.
Know your fretboard.
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Where is the 5th of G? Find a G on the 4th string look up a string and over two frets to the D (the 5th of G). Find a G on the 3rd string look up a string and over two frets, yep there is another D.
Where is the 2nd of G, i.e. A? Same string over two frets.
Where is the 3rd of G, i.e. B? Up a string and back one fret.
Where is the 4th of G, i.e. C? Up a string same fret.
Where is the 6th of G, i.e. E? Up two strings and back one - over the 3rd.
Where is the 7th of G, i.e. F#? Up two strings and over one fret.
It's like that all over your fretboard. You're Root is C where is it's 5th, i.e. G? Up a string and over two frets. Where is C's 3rd? Up a string and back one fret. Same as above.
Get yourself 4 or 5 basic go to riffs and use them in your bass lines, i.e. R-3-5-3, works great over a major chord. R-R-3-3-5-5-6-5 works great when you are playing 8's over a major chord. R-b3-5-b3 works great over a minor chord. Work on geting the following chord tones into muscle memory.
Pull up some backing tracks and play-a-long with them.
Go make some bass lines and start playing your bass to some real songs.
Link Removed
Where is the 5th of G? Find a G on the 4th string look up a string and over two frets to the D (the 5th of G). Find a G on the 3rd string look up a string and over two frets, yep there is another D.
Where is the 2nd of G, i.e. A? Same string over two frets.
Where is the 3rd of G, i.e. B? Up a string and back one fret.
Where is the 4th of G, i.e. C? Up a string same fret.
Where is the 6th of G, i.e. E? Up two strings and back one - over the 3rd.
Where is the 7th of G, i.e. F#? Up two strings and over one fret.
It's like that all over your fretboard. You're Root is C where is it's 5th, i.e. G? Up a string and over two frets. Where is C's 3rd? Up a string and back one fret. Same as above.
Get yourself 4 or 5 basic go to riffs and use them in your bass lines, i.e. R-3-5-3, works great over a major chord. R-R-3-3-5-5-6-5 works great when you are playing 8's over a major chord. R-b3-5-b3 works great over a minor chord. Work on geting the following chord tones into muscle memory.
Pull up some backing tracks and play-a-long with them.
Go make some bass lines and start playing your bass to some real songs.
exactly. i work on one or two songs for an 1-2 hrs a day, and don't move to another set of songs til i think i've got the other ones down pat. and if you know your improving when you play i.e. things seem easier to play, you can play faster, then the practicing is working and now you are motivated to try more difficult songs
You can move down to Mississppi, go down to the Crossroads and make a deal with the devil, but it's probaby cheaper to lock yourself up in the woodshed and practice
Lollygag on TB 24 hrs a day. After some 12,000+ posts & immeasureable hours of foolishness, I'm pretty sure I'm just about to bust out hugely.
+1.
You ask, "where do I start" ? The answer is with mastering good technique. Check out You Tube for clips on L/H and R/H technique. Don't develop bad habits at the start and you will save a lot of time by not having to unlearn them later. Apart from avoiding possible physical injury, good technique will help you get the best out of your playing.
When you have this nailed, then go ahead with all the other great advice given here.
Good luck with it.
