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Bass Players?

S

Steed Train

Clive Wilson
I've got an electric bass and have managed to partially learn a couple of songs I like however have now hit bit of a wall. I am quite keen to teach myself as it gives me something to do in the evening. Anyone have any tips for technique, good learning tools or ways to practice?
 
Never played bass but I'm self taught guitar and some piano and I think the main thing is practice, practice, practice. Half an hour a night should do it. You'll kep hitting walls all the time and you just have to keep practicing and practicing. If you want proper finger exercises, get on the web. You'll be amazed at the amount of stuff you'll find on Youtube, a lot of the time linking into an instructional website, sometimes free, sometimes paid.

But make sure you practice, every day. It used to be the first thing I did when I came home from work. Brilliant way of letting the workday brush over you and getting into a relaxed mood.
 
Steed Train said:
I've got an electric bass and have managed to partially learn a couple of songs I like however have now hit bit of a wall. I am quite keen to teach myself as it gives me something to do in the evening. Anyone have any tips for technique, good learning tools or ways to practice?
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I don't know if you have an xbox or ps3 but there is a new game/learning tool for guitar players coming out (which is already out in America) which features an attachment that you can use to plug your guitar into your console and you can play it like guitar hero but with a real guitar and real chords etc. It should be coming out in Europe sometime this year, personally I'm quite hyped as it looks like it could be a good, fun learning tool.

[video=youtube;GGsQtWvb3sk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGsQtWvb3sk[/video]
 
Bass can be a bit frustrating as for guitar players there are loads of decent teachers who've given their time up to make quality free lessons and learning materials available but I've never found it to be the same with bass players, I might be wrong though, haven't look in ages.

My tip would be to not use tabs unless you absolutely have to, learn to transcribe, and you will become a better player for it. Pick your favourite albums and learn them from start to finish. Have you got some bass players that you admire and want to play able to play like?

Music theory isn't the coolest thing in the world but it will help you out greatly as well.

Might sound odd but learning to play the drums often makes you a much better bass player, but I don't think this advice would help you as a beginner.

Would you consider getting lessons? Would it be a money issue or a wanting to be able to lable yourself as self-taught kind of thing? Your local music shop will have most likely have plenty of people offering lessons and also fliers for bands wanting bassists, I wouldn't rush in to that kind of thing until you feel your ready, but obviously playing with others is what it's all about unless you're the Jaco Pastorious or Victor Wooten type
 
I love this bass line. This fella seems to have a quite a few videos on youtube

[video=youtube;Ct1_lF6T6Mg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct1_lF6T6Mg[/video]
 
And how could I possibly miss out Mark King..

[video=youtube;yioVmqlt2Fk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yioVmqlt2Fk[/video]
 
Jurgen the German said:
Anyone here a fan of Interpol? I love the bass in their music! Especially Obstacle 1
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The bass player, Carlos D, left half way through recording their last album. Saw him DJ after a gig in Lawrence, Kansas years back. He was playing Joy Division (an obvious influence on his style) before they became "cool" again.

Their first album was immense, second was great, third was enjoyable and the last one is a shadow of their former selves. Shame as they were my favourite band there for a while and thought they might have gone on to bigger and better things. Oh well...
 
Have a look at Jean-Jacques Burnel from The Stranglers.

He can play a bass guitar like it was lead or rythym at times.
 
Charliedup said:
And how could I possibly miss out Mark King..

[video=youtube;yioVmqlt2Fk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yioVmqlt2Fk[/video]
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Ha ha that sounds so, so bad

I'm sure it is difficult to make that noise, but (1) it isn't musical or nice and (2) it just sounds like someone detuned a normal guitar and stifled it, so all he can manage is lame clucks and plucks instead of a nice sound
 
Skinhead in a Suit said:
The bass player, Carlos D, left half way through recording their last album. Saw him DJ after a gig in Lawrence, Kansas years back. He was playing Joy Division (an obvious influence on his style) before they became "cool" again.

Their first album was immense, second was great, third was enjoyable and the last one is a shadow of their former selves. Shame as they were my favourite band there for a while and thought they might have gone on to bigger and better things. Oh well...
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Joy Division have always been cool
 
I'm a bass player myself, have been playing for about 12 years now. Practice makes perfect indeed, but try to remember that you will only stick at it if you enjoy it, get out playing with other musicians as soon as possible even if its only a jam in someones living room. Learn songs of bands you like early on too. Try not to rely too heavily on tab though.

www.scottsbasslessons.com is a great site for lessons. Work your way through the lessons on this website http://www.studybass.com/ and you won't go far wrong!


Some shameless self promotion :lol::

[video=youtube;jkBWqzUjFZc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkBWqzUjFZc[/video]

[video=youtube;Nqfasl5MOaI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqfasl5MOaI[/video]
 
I jammed with a band once on bass. Not my favourite instrument, but it's enjoyable to play. Can underpin the whole melody of a song playing bass. John Power in the La's always had a deft touch. Never show boated, played to benefit the song
 
Bass is one of those things you don't necessarily notice in a song unless you search for it. I love listening out for songs bass lines and hearing lines that are more than just echoing the guitar chords.

What are people's favourites? A few of mine:
Mountain Song- Janes Addiction
Cannonball - Breeders
Jeremy - Pearl Jam
 
Superted said:
Bass is one of those things you don't necessarily notice in a song unless you search for it. I love listening out for songs bass lines and hearing lines that are more than just echoing the guitar chords.
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Don't agree with that personally, I think that if some sort of experiment was carried out in which the stems for the bass had been removed it would be more noticable than if the keyboards or rhthym guitar had been cut out as it provides so much of the feel/momentum/groove

But having said that it is strange the amount of people who listen to music via speakers which are not capable of producing frequencies below 120hz or something ridiculous but seemingly aren't bothered by the lack of bass frequencies, so I don't doubt that what you say is right for the majority of people...

Probably an overused video in general but Mr Wooten is a pretty fudging talented man.

[video=youtube;suaH-NJm12U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suaH-NJm12U[/video]
 
I'm a six string guitar player, but fancied having a go at the bass. Mark King, Stanley Clarke, there are only four strings, how difficult can it be?

Bought a Status. Got it out the bag a couple of times. Never been out since. It hurts your fingers (and your thumb). Even Guthrie Govan is more attainable than Mark King (well maybe not Guthrie Govan -as he is freakishly, jaw droppingly, why did I ever take up the guitar, good -but Joe Satriani, no problem). Mind you I have got an electronic drum kit -and that John Bonham is not all that -maybe I should give the drums more of a go.

So no advice on bass playing from me really.
 
ringo said:
I'm a six string guitar player, but fancied having a go at the bass. Mark King, Stanley Clarke, there are only four strings, how difficult can it be?

Bought a Status. Got it out the bag a couple of times. Never been out since. It hurts your fingers (and your thumb). Even Guthrie Govan is more attainable than Mark King (well maybe not Guthrie Govan -as he is freakishly, jaw droppingly, why did I ever take up the guitar, good -but Joe Satriani, no problem). Mind you I have got an electronic drum kit -and that John Bonham is not all that -maybe I should give the drums more of a go.

So no advice on bass playing from me really.
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Ever thought of getting a plectrum for it? Can get thicker ones for bass
 
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