Well, I started off playing by ear. I believe it is a God-given ability. Then after meeting my best-friend, David Graves, I learned about music theory. I began researching online for about a year to two years, then bought books (4 or 5 total). Now, I use both theory and ear. I think they both compliment each other. I believe that the ear produced the theory, and the theory keeps the ear wanting to hear more. Both are wonderful! And I agree about people sleeping on bassist (whether beginner or experienced) knowing their theory. All I need to know is what key someone is playing in and what the chord progression is and I can go from there. For now I just hold tight grooves and when I feel it, throw in a couple of riffs, but I am still developing my own sound and style.
