I mean i'm just starting out, and it would be nice to have someone to play with, other n that, i dont really see why it would be.
Sure i can get some technique wrong, but in doing so, i'm just doing what i think sounds/feels best, right?
All this talk about getting a teacher n **** is really puttin it off for me lol
Just do what you want. Never consider yourself good, semi-pro, or a pro bassist. Always think your god awful. You'll always seek ways to improve.
Learn your technique first, get it solid and PLAY LIGHTER. If your self-taught, your going to beat the hell out of your strings. And if you insist on playing hard ( I still do, just make sure you get the sounds you want from the bass. Then you can make distorted sounds and clean sounds as you see fit), raise the saddle away from the body of the bass. It'll make it so you can play significantly harder, and still have a clean sound.
As for music theory, don't even worry about it yet. If it doesn't interest you, don't learn it. Geezer Butler played with ZERO lessons, and learned how to play bass on a Fender Telecaster GUITAR. When he started gigging he played a bass with only 3 strings. The key for you to advance quickly, and comfortably is to play with other musicians that match what style your looking to play. If you can get some people who are more musically advanced than you, you just got a teacher, for free. Just watch advice they give you, keep in mind they, for the most part, don't play the bass. But THEY will have jams they've written, that you can play the root note to until you figure out something cool to throw in the mix. Bassists are always in high demand, so people will take the time to get you playing some fierce bass.
At some point, you're going to want to know alot of music theory, how to play bass so your not following the guitar, syncopation, and all the fun stuff that a bassist does. Do it at your own pace. Playing with other people will move you along at a very fast pace (depending on how fast you learn, and how well you work with other people).
Also, learn a buncha other peoples songs. Every song you learn there is music theory applied to it one way or another. Once I dove deep into theory, I broke down the songs I knew into what scale, timing, chord(scale) progression and all that. But you'll allready know it, you'll just know the HOW and not the WHY.
Learn to play everything at a slow tempo. Then speed it up. Make sure you mute un-used strings (will become natural after a while) and you get ZERO fretbuzz when your playing. If you can play it slow with no un-wanted noise, you can play it fast (usually).Tackle each problem as it comes to you, one at a time. And have some flippin fun.
Teachers are good, if you need one / want one, get one. If you can do it yourself, do it yourself. People will put you down when you talk about being self-taught. But when the proof is in the pudding, you really won't care.
MAKE SURE YOU PLAY WITH PROPER TECHNIQUE! This is the one thing I would say get a teacher for. Or at least watch a MILLION other bassists play. You don't want to bend your wrists too far, you dont want to "claw" your plucking hand, or anything that'll ruin you in a few years. Tendonitis is a bish!
Good luck man!
-Troy
