New Bass Player

[justamusican]

What's good? I'm a new bass player orginally a drummer and a piano player. I've always tried to play the bass, but never could get the concept. I know the bass is the easiest to play in the string family or whatever family it's in but I need some help. I can kinda sorda play by ear if I there's music playing I can probaby play along and somewhat find the key or note but I can't read music so is there anybody out there who can help a new bass player out? I mean fingering postions, are the string notes D,G,A,E or am I wrong? let me know something!!!! Thanks

[tondee]

To be honest about it, this is not the easiest string instrument to play.  A good consistant bass player HAS to be on top of every beat and every note until the song is over.  A guitar can be on top of one area and fluff another and get away with it.  A bass player has to be very sneaky just to fluff a couple of notes.  I'm not saying that guitar is easier than bass.  The bass dictates the theme of the song.  Directly or indirectly, all eyes on me.

Tony

[tondee]

Sorry, forgot your request.  I would suggest you to look into all of Uriah's stuff in this bass site.

[uriahsmusic]

BASS BASICS VIDEO!


THIS SHOULD GET YOU STARTED
also check out the bass run sticky post at the top of the page for other ideas on how to play.

[justamusican]

To be honest about it, this is not the easiest string instrument to play.  A good consistant bass player HAS to be on top of every beat and every note until the song is over.  A guitar can be on top of one area and fluff another and get away with it.  A bass player has to be very sneaky just to fluff a couple of notes.  I'm not saying that guitar is easier than bass.  The bass dictates the theme of the song.  Directly or indirectly, all eyes on me.

Tony

Thank's for response. I wanted to start off with the guitar but everybody who I talked to told me to start with the bass it's a little more easier to understand and the fingering isn't that diffcult to understand is this true? If not I'm still gonna continue to learn the bass I'll just make sure I don't talk to those people who told me that again lol

[uriahsmusic]

MOST INSTRUMENTS ARE EASY TO START....BUT GETTING FOLKS TO GO OOOOOH AND AHHHHHH WHEN YOU PLAY IS HARD ON ALL INSTRUMENTS!

[MikeGee]

Bass is not easy at all. uriah brings up a good point. i could sit back and play nothing but root notes keep every thing simple but it'll be alil hard to do that and make people happy. To play bass and make someone look at you is difficult. I'm just starting to get noticed.


Think of it this way.... when a child takes his's or her's first step at let's say 8 months. Then maybe at the age of 2 year he or shoe will stop falling. I know walking is easier then playing bass. ok i'm done, welcome to LGM!

[justamusican]

Thanks guys, honestly right now I'm not trying to oohh and ahhh everybody on the bass( I do that on the drums lol) I'm just trying to learn to kinda help out my church then once I grow in it some more and I learn all the oohh and ahhh then that's when I'll try to get down to the nitty gritty. Right now I just want to know the basic. But I do feel what you guys are saying you do have to crawl before you can walk and that's what I want to do so if I gotta crawl for 2 or 3 years before I can get the basic I'll do it because it's helping out my church but most importantly it's glorifying God!!!

[MikeGee]

Ok, to start out, study the notes on the neck, I think this is step one of what's the most important things to learn in the beginning. Then I would work on scales then Triads. At the time of having a good understanding of the things I just discussed you should be a decent bass player.

note: the areas of study that i've mentioned should not be all you do. I also suggest working with a metronome, modes, ear training, and reading music the  "koodies" of the music world. 8O  

also i suggest playing with other people I've learned so much from this. you are your own best teacher (in my opinion). but someone that already knows and already been where you are now can help eliminate a lot of head ache. ok I've talked too much. later

[justamusican]

Ok, to start out, study the notes on the neck, I think this is step one of what's the most important things to learn in the beginning. Then I would work on scales then Triads. At the time of having a good understanding of the things I just discussed you should be a decent bass player.

note: the areas of study that i've mentioned should not be all you do. I also suggest working with a metronome, modes, ear training, and reading music the  "koodies" of the music world. 8O  

also i suggest playing with other people I've learned so much from this. you are your own best teacher (in my opinion). but someone that already knows and already been where you are now can help eliminate a lot of head ache. ok I've talked too much. later

Thanks man, question like where can I get a site that I can possibly print out or look at something that shows the fingering on the neck of the bass? That would be really helpful with my new found bass experience thing. Thanks.

[Dtuned]

justamusician,

look at yourself you're all over the place, playing all them drums, and hammering all those keys. Bass overall is easier to play depending on what level where talking about..

Bass for you should be a breaze, first off your a drummer.. man that speaks volumn and i mean LOUD !! I've seen a 20 yr experienced/seasoned raised in church drummer start playing bass, and within 1 year he makes most players look like childs play !!! and i mean childs play.. its amazing to see what God's done with his sacrifice as a musician...

if you're really GOOD on DRUMS, then you'll be screaming on bass !!!

Second, you have keys ... a major bonus.. you can go play guitar, these two go hand and hand, so your friends telling you to play bass cuz its easier?? thats bogus, maybe for a non musician... but you're already a seasoned player.. you could pick up both just as easy..

EADG is your natural tuning...

[B3Wannabe]

Indeed.

[justamusican]

justamusician,

look at yourself you're all over the place, playing all them drums, and hammering all those keys. Bass overall is easier to play depending on what level where talking about..

Bass for you should be a breaze, first off your a drummer.. man that speaks volumn and i mean LOUD !! I've seen a 20 yr experienced/seasoned raised in church drummer start playing bass, and within 1 year he makes most players look like childs play !!! and i mean childs play.. its amazing to see what God's done with his sacrifice as a musician...

if you're really GOOD on DRUMS, then you'll be screaming on bass !!!

Second, you have keys ... a major bonus.. you can go play guitar, these two go hand and hand, so your friends telling you to play bass cuz its easier?? thats bogus, maybe for a non musician... but you're already a seasoned player.. you could pick up both just as easy..

EADG is your natural tuning...

It's funny sometimes how God works, he can take the least experienced person in something and with just one touch he can turn that person into one of the most talented man or woman in whatever field. I believe that I'm one of those people who God just touched and it's like music was the first thing I picked up. I do think it will be easier for me to play the bass. I can already kinda play by ear, just without all the fancy runs and stuff. But as time will progress I'll get all that comes with playing the bass guitar. The level I'm talking about now is just kinda getting the knowledge of the bass. I think once I get that down pack, there wouldn't be anything I can't play. Thanks for the encouragement.

Justamusician*

[ladybass]

where can I get a site that I can possibly print out
or look at something that shows the fingering on the neck of the bass? That would be really helpful with my new found bass experience thing. Thanks.

Check out Active Bass

Follow theses menu options
>> Bassics >> Theory Charts >> Fingerboard Diagram
to surf to this chart





and also check out Wheat's Bass Book (text version)

[bigrick]

I'm from the Funkadelic era to all you youngsters, my Bass mentor was "Pete Burke from the sside of Chi-Town, I also had very good friends in the Ministry like the late Marvin Yancy, yeah a musical genius, I also learned a bit about the keys from Butch Yancy, now that was then this is now, I still enjoy playing by ear, but these days it pays to at least know how to do other things with that Bass, like when to bounce roots, or play a 5 beat, when something else is going on, Jamerson could do it all!
Dogg! get some papertime, yeah< i hate it too, boring, but I started a long time ago.

Also don't purchase a cheap bass, customs are nice but not all grass is greener on that side, I perfer Pedulla, KSB design for fretless, and Tobias if ya want that Fred Hammond sound, I'm a Fretless man myself, I came to love that when I first heard some Cee-Cee/Bee-Bee Winans tracks, A.G is a bad moter on the bass! and if you want to learn from Masters of bass check out Jaco, Stanley Clark, Allen & Allens Bassist is another, and for rock solid bass go old school check out A.G on some old Rev. James Clevland, I grew up with Bishop Walter Hawkins sounds Yeah those were the days!!!

p.s: have a hobby, mine is my 56 Chevy modified drag car

[bigrick]

Stay relaxed, listen and ask questions, some players may not be very receptive, some are buttholes others may just be busy, but keep on playing, I hope you can get with it enough to be a Studio bassit that's what I desired, although it has yet to happen, my life is full however, and I thank Yesuah forever for all I've been able to do in ths life!


BigRick comin at ya like Bootsy baby with the gospel that bumps your Butt! and move your mind!!!

[ladybass]

Welcome aboard, bigrick!!