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Where to start...?

I

icecold0725

May 12, 2010
2
0
#1
Hey All - Unlike a lot of y'all - I don't have any formal training. I learned acoustic guitar in college from a buddy of mine and played rhythm with my church band no prob. Well recently we changed churches and the youth band didn't have a bass guitarist...so I figured "hey I know the fretboard, I may not know many scales, etc but I can at least just fill in for the time being"... So I bought a cheap bass (Ibanez GR 190) and jumped up there. I've been "playing" with them now for a couple months and really feel stuck with how to get better. I've seen links on here to youtube tutorials and various web sites to learn scales and so forth but I honestly don't know which way to go. If I had the $$$ I would take lessons locally but my wife is expecting our first little guy in 2 weeks - so convincing her I need to spend more money on music isn't going to happen right now.

Basically i'm just trying to figure out what I can play if acoustic is playing G chord (besides the 1, 3, 5 type stuff I'm doing now).

Any help is mucho appreciated.

Thanks,
George
 
#2
Can't go too wrong with that R-3-5-3 stuff you are playing now. IMO scales get in the way of our basic responsibility, which is to lay down a groove for everyone else to follow. Best way I know of doing this is to play chord tones and use the tones of the chord that let you build that groove, i.e. you may only need the root. Nailing the chord changes will help your playing more than anything else I could point you to.

Play from fake chord and build a bass lines that you think will work best with the song. If the rhythm guitar is playing that G chord here are your choices - as I see them.

Think -- Roots first. is a friend.

Thought unloosened --- Bet there are drums. Lock in with the kick drum beat. Bet there is a keyboard. The keyboard may step on your toes. Work it out.
 

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