Beginner bass player

[DaJoker00]

I want to learn how to play the bass and i was wondering what type of bass guitar do you guys think i should start on. I was thinking a 5 string bass. And also can you guys help me with the basics of how to play.

[dhagler]

Welcome to LGM! Here are a few questions that might help better answer your questions:

1. Do you play any other instruments? Do you read music?
2. Do you think you would learn more effectively from watching videos or from having a teacher?
3. Do you have a budget for your equipment?

I ask those questions because, 5 years ago, I was where you are. I had taken a very few piano lessons and I was able to read music. I started off on a 4-string (spent about $300 initially), took lessons from a very good teacher for about 5 months, then starting practicing regularly with a pianist so I could learn to accompany. I watch lesson videos and YouTube clips from time to time but not often.

[DaJoker00]

I play a little bit of drums still learning tho, i'm learning the piano as well and i can read some music not much. I can learn from videos and posts just as long as i know where to position my fingers and other basics. And as far as a teacher there is a pastor thats going to come to our church once a month a teach us to play instruments.

[BassbyGrace]

My favorite go to site now.  http://www.adamnitti.com/lessons.shtml  Great lessons and he also has some on youtube.

[SavnBass]

What is your budget? I recommend that you start with a 5.. Cut to the chase... Even if a lot ofd the lessons yo learn in the beginning will be on a 4.. that 5th string will still be there..  I also suggest that you not spend a lot on your first bass.. You sxhould be able to get something decent enough to learn on from $230-$350. Listen to a lot of music.. and dive in. Learn the fingerbaord... it is OK to start in stages.. like say initially to the 5th fret... then the 7th.. and so on. If you already have an understanding of intervals and scales that will help.. Try to translate what you already know to the bass. On Study Bass.com there is a fretboard chart program that you can use to print out fret board charts.. very usefull.. There are a lot of great bass players here... I have gottena lot of good ideas from some of these guys.. Good tips can also be found at Talk Bass.com and Study Bass.com.

[dhagler]

I play a little bit of drums still learning tho, i'm learning the piano as well and i can read some music not much. I can learn from videos and posts just as long as i know where to position my fingers and other basics. And as far as a teacher there is a pastor thats going to come to our church once a month a teach us to play instruments.

Permit me an opinion here. From your post I gather you are learning several instruments at one time. This is not a bad thing but you don't want to invest a lot of money in bass and then decide that piano or drums are more to your liking. I recommend starting out as inexpensively as you can. For around $300 you can get a Starter Pack from Fender or Ibanez that will include everything you need to get started. If you determine that you are serious about playing, the bass in that starter pack will serve you a little longer (you may need to invest in a more powerful amp), but in the meanwhile start playing other basses in music stores so that you can start to distinguish between the tonal qualities different basses offer.

Others will continue to offer good advice and suggestions. That's what this family is all about.

[DaJoker00]

Thanks alot for the advice if anyone has anything else to add please feel free to, anything you have to say will be greatly appreciated. I went and looked aroung at the music the store for a bass and i found a 5 string for about 200 i think it was an ibanez im thinking about gettin that, but yeah my budget is 300 im hoping to get a amp for less than 100. And yeah im learning 3 instruments at once cause i want to be able to play more than 1 instrument but my focus is more on the bass. There is about 5 of us learning these instruments because we have no music at our church so  we're pretty determined to learn. I will be posting any questions that i have on here and any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks fam.

[SavnBass]

Send your friends here too.. remember there are forums for other instruments here as well.. 

[Mysteryman]

Welcome and dont get th Ibanez with only two knobs.  I have one. Its a cool bass but i do wish i had more tone control on my gsr100.

[floaded27]

i'd probably say pick up one of them SX basses everyone on here is raving about (if i'd known about these years ago i wouldnt have bought the MIM fender i have) and use the rest of the money for a good amp. that way u can even run the keyboard through it.

[kevmove02]

Good to see someone starting their "low end" journey. One piece of advice: don't let your earnest to learn to play bass override financial responsibility. I wasted a ton a money chasing tone, when I should have spent more time learning to play. Over the last year I traded away some pretty good instruments because I didn't like the sound. Later on I discovered that I didn't know how to properly eq my sound. If I had it to do all over again I would:

1. Get a starter pack that includes Bass guitar  w/strap, gig bag, tuner, cables, amp, and headphones.

2. While I am developing technique and dexterity, do some research and pick the dream bass I want, then start saving for it.

Step 1 gets you going, step 2 prevents you from wasting money on intermediate upgrades. There is nothing worse than getting an okay bass, drop a bunch of upgrades on it, then later find out that the money you spent wouldv'e have bought you a much better bass.

I would plan on saving up to get an active 5 string and a bass head and cabinet. While you are waiting practice, practice, practice!

[Mysteryman]

Good to see someone starting their "low end" journey. One piece of advice: don't let your earnest to learn to play bass override financial responsibility. I wasted a ton a money chasing tone, when I should have spent more time learning to play. Over the last year I traded away some pretty good instruments because I didn't like the sound. Later on I discovered that I didn't know how to properly eq my sound. If I had it to do all over again I would:

1. Get a starter pack that includes Bass guitar  w/strap, gig bag, tuner, cables, amp, and headphones.

2. While I am developing technique and dexterity, do some research and pick the dream bass I want, then start saving for it.

Step 1 gets you going, step 2 prevents you from wasting money on intermediate upgrades. There is nothing worse than getting an okay bass, drop a bunch of upgrades on it, then later find out that the money you spent wouldv'e have bought you a much better bass.

I would plan on saving up to get an active 5 string and a bass head and cabinet. While you are waiting practice, practice, practice!

This is why I got cheap basses. I know I wasnt as serious about it. So I figured I wouldnt lose any thing.

[floaded27]

Good to see someone starting their "low end" journey. One piece of advice: don't let your earnest to learn to play bass override financial responsibility. I wasted a ton a money chasing tone, when I should have spent more time learning to play. Over the last year I traded away some pretty good instruments because I didn't like the sound. Later on I discovered that I didn't know how to properly eq my sound. If I had it to do all over again I would:

1. Get a starter pack that includes Bass guitar  w/strap, gig bag, tuner, cables, amp, and headphones.

2. While I am developing technique and dexterity, do some research and pick the dream bass I want, then start saving for it.

Step 1 gets you going, step 2 prevents you from wasting money on intermediate upgrades. There is nothing worse than getting an okay bass, drop a bunch of upgrades on it, then later find out that the money you spent wouldv'e have bought you a much better bass.

I would plan on saving up to get an active 5 string and a bass head and cabinet. While you are waiting practice, practice, practice!

but isnt that exactly why we're telling newbies to be modest about what they spend initially? because they DONT know how to do these things right away. for about the first year of my playing bass was just bass. i couldnt tell the difference about tone. took me even longer to figure out what sounds i liked, how to eq my own bass, and even how to get different sounds depending on where i played. So how could i ever have sat in GC and picked the bass with the "best tone". Its subjective, just about every bass in GC had a "great sound" (seasoned ears know thats so NOT true), so my decision had to be based on what i reasonably would pay, what felt comfortable, and what i thought looked nice.

[kevmove02]

floaded27, I think I agree with you. I thought I was recommending getting a starter pack until you learn the instrument, then making the big investment? If that was not clear, forgive my poor writing.

[baggettcindy]

What is your budget? I recommend that you start with a 5.. Cut to the chase... Even if a lot ofd the lessons yo learn in the beginning will be on a 4.. that 5th string will still be there..  I also suggest that you not spend a lot on your first bass.. You sxhould be able to get something decent enough to learn on from $230-$350. Listen to a lot of music.. and dive in. Learn the fingerbaord... it is OK to start in stages.. like say initially to the 5th fret... then the 7th.. and so on. If you already have an understanding of intervals and scales that will help.. Try to translate what you already know to the bass. On Study Bass.com there is a fretboard chart program that you can use to print out fret board charts.. very usefull.. There are a lot of great bass players here... I have gottena lot of good ideas from some of these guys.. Good tips can also be found at Talk Bass.com and Study Bass.com.

Thanx for the site....looking at it now