Reply With QuoteWhat are you playing on?
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I have been learning bass for just over a year and absolutely loving it. Anyone else in here? I have reached a plateau with learning apps and just thinking about lessons but I know my learning style can be a bit unconventional!
What are you playing on?
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Lessons are great if you can find a teacher that teaches you what you want. They provide a bit more motivation too.
I have no idea what your musical background is, but it's probably time to start playing with others - you can only go so far by yourself.
I have picked up a few basses in the last year or so but I seem to gravitate to my 20 year old Fender US Jazz (I also have a Fender P and a couple Hofners I sometimes play). I have tried Scott’s Bass lessons but get lost in the sea of material but I find Yousician very good and tend to play along to their stock tunes rather than the structured lessons most days.
I can play most things by tab but don’t know much music theory and feel a bit guilty for not knowing the names of notes and scales etc but I’m having great fun. Do you play Billie?
I tried to learn tenor sax many years ago and had lessons but got bored playing nursery rhymes so I just played by ear. I find I can’t yet do that with the bass as the note layout is less intuitive than on the sax.Originally Posted by guinea
I would like to play with others but have no idea how to find a beginner band in need of a bassist.
Last edited by Gurmot; 27th December 2022 at 23:21.
Been learning bass for about 18 months and that meant starting at 57…
No musical background at all in terms of instruments, just been into music of all types for 45 odd years and fancied giving it a go.
Taking lessons from a guy in Lancaster who is similar age so music tastes overlap, basically at the moment I bring a song each week, he sorts the bass out on a WhatsApp video and I attempt to learn for the following week, root notes mainly, some successfully all way through, others partial fails.
Plan is to keep going and give it more time in my retirement in a couple of years…never too late!
I started at 54 so I agree it’s never too late. Just need to find that like minded soul who can see where I am on the spectrum and guide me.
I’ve been playing bass for about 38 years since my teens, up to semi-professional level in gigging and recording bands. I was self taught from get-go and technology was in its infancy when I started with no online content available. Best advice I could give would be play with other musicians (whether a teacher, a band or a jam with mates) as soon as you can as there’s only so much solo practise will improve you, you need to get a feel for timing, listening for changes etc with real musicians.
Get gear that makes you want to pick it up, the favourite gear of your musical idols or the most expensive isn’t going to work necessarily. I’ve ended up with my main bass as the one I picked up in a music shop at 15, really connected with but couldn’t afford at the time, a 2 band MusicMan Stingray, with a fretless ‘78 Fender P as a backup (hey, I learned in the 80s).
Some gratuitous bass porn of my main squeezes:
Funny you should mention it. Been thinking seriously about jazz bass which I love. Have a good grounding in music theory (flute and piano, both lapsed!) and can follow a lead sheet. I'm itching for a decent upright but unsure whether I could justify the outlay (and finding the space) so may have to settle for an electric. A Gretsch short scale is current favourite. There are many excellent resources available online not forgetting books and playalong tracks, so no excuses really...
I say just do it, life is too short! If you can’t manage the upright I would consider something with a vintage tone like a Hofner. I have a modern version McCartney’s Hofner and an early original 1962 Hofner electric bass, both have a richer tone than any of my Fenders. To my ear anyway.
If the link works, this is how I’ve been learning. The app is called “Yousician” and I really like the way the tabs are animated and it gives instant feedback on if you are hitting the right notes, at the right time. It has a pretty good library of interesting stuff to play along with and learning pathways with lessons designed to take you from complete beginner to a competent player. Tbh I hardly touch the lessons and just like jamming along. Forgive the dodgy playing and me not sticking to the tab, I’m still fairly new but you get the idea.
This is on my year 2000 Fender USA Jazz. Neck pick up.
https://youtu.be/-Wzzbel9Nj4
Last edited by Gurmot; 28th December 2022 at 10:44.
Enjoyed a couple of your videos there on You Tube.
I’d say bloody well done if you’ve only been playing for a year.
Join a band if possible or jam with some mates regularly.
Learn the notes on the Low E and A strings. You’ll then find you’ll pick up the D and G quite quickly.
Hopefully someone has already told you that go up two strings and two frets and you’ve gone up one octave. So third fret low E is a G note as is fifth fret on the D string but one octave higher.
Good luck and keep up the great work
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I was a pro bass player for quite a while. Currently semi-pro. In regards to developing your playing I would suggest following your enthusiasm as that is the greatest gift you have. Play with other people as much as possible (join a band if you can). Take some lessons from a pro player. Learning resources such as Scott's Bass Lessons are amazing, but there is no substitute for getting out there and jamming and learning from real people. Drummers in particular are great to play with. A few lessons from a pro drummer to help you get your timing together definitely worth it. Good luck on your journey!
I also highly recommend joining www.basschat.co.uk, which is a great online community for UK bass players. Kinda like the bass playing equivalent of here, very friendly and also great marketplace section.
I'm a guitarist but you will find your progress much quicker if you learn a little music theory and at least the notes on the fretboard.
Cheers,
Neil.
Thanks for the kind words. The app makes me look better than I really am but I will take the compliment:)
I will start looking around for a band and a teacher in the new year. Time to up my game.
Very interested in this thread, I am trying to resurrect my own attempt at learning bass. I was going to get the Fender Play app, which is I think a bit more traditional in approach.
I like the look of Yousician, with its game approach, and I'm thinking the strength in that is it gets you playing songs quickly.
Any views on which is better, I am now erring towards Yousician as I think short term results would get me more motivated.
For reference, in the dim and distant past I was a very mediocre guitar player but TBH have forgotten most of it :(
I’m a huge fan of Yousician and love playing along to the stock tracks. It can be a bit glitchy at times but overall it’s easy to use and motivates me to keep playing. Never tried the Fender app.
I would never have thought of getting lessons from a drummer. I actually know someone who may fit the bill, I just need to pluck the courage. There’s always a feeling of needing to be a bit better before exposing my limitations to someone else 😬
That's great. As bass players, drummers are our are best friends. Learning how to lock in with their timing is a key step in a bass players development. It's very much about timing and tone. Creating a solid foundation for the rest of the band.
As A440 says. The drummer is your best friend. You are the rhythm section of the band, keeping it to the right time.
Do not underestimate your ability to play. Your You Tube videos are good.
Playing and learning with / from other musicians is the natural next step. Always, always remember that those who you perceive are better than you are today were at that place too at some point of their musical journey. They will understand and help you.
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Thank you for the kind words of encouragement. I think I know what I need to do.
I’ve never touched a Musicman, just Fender (Jazz, Precision and a 1990 JP combo special) and Hofner. I really need to spread my wings some day but right now I’m loving my Fender J. It plays so smoothly. How does the Musicman compare with a Fender?I’ve been playing bass for about 38 years since my teens, up to semi-professional level in gigging and recording bands. I was self taught from get-go and technology was in its infancy when I started with no online content available. Best advice I could give would be play with other musicians (whether a teacher, a band or a jam with mates) as soon as you can as there’s only so much solo practise will improve you, you need to get a feel for timing, listening for changes etc with real musicians.
Get gear that makes you want to pick it up, the favourite gear of your musical idols or the most expensive isn’t going to work necessarily. I’ve ended up with my main bass as the one I picked up in a music shop at 15, really connected with but couldn’t afford at the time, a 2 band MusicMan Stingray, with a fretless ‘78 Fender P as a backup (hey, I learned in the 80s).
Some gratuitous bass porn of my main squeezes:
Main difference is the MusicMans active (you need a 9V battery) versus the Fenders passive circuit. It’s punchier in the bass and treble, a lot of players (e.g. Flea in his earlier years) liked it for slap for that reason. You don’t need to go down the slap route with a Stingray though, I tend to max the bass on mine and use the treble like a passive tone on a Fender. When I first used one in a band situation, I took over from a bassist who’d used a Fender P, and always mind the drummer saying “God, I can hear you!”
Stingrays tend to be very marmite though, a lot of folks will pick it up, max out both controls and say “it’s a one trick pony for slap only”. Guys like Bernard Edwards from Chic, Tim Commerford from RATM, Pino Palladino, Cliff Williams from AC/DC would kinda disagree as would I.
They’ve a great neck (41mm nut width versus 38mm Jazz and 42-44 on a Precision so nice halfway house) and as I said, it’s the first bass I picked up in a music shop in my early years and thought “wow, great sound, great neck”. I got one as soon as I could afford it and have always had one as my main bass since. Would highly recommend giving one a go if you get a chance
Last edited by MattMM; 31st December 2022 at 00:49.
Thanks Matt. I must confess to not having previously played anything in a music shop due to a lack of confidence, so I have been buying from YouTube comparison videos so far. My New Year’s resolutions are now to try a Musicman in a guitar shop, get some proper lessons and join a band 😬 YOLO as the sprogs would say.
If you like YouTube bass clips, this is probably the best overview of the Classic MusicMan Stingray, by the legendary Ed Frieland the Bass Whisperer:
https://youtu.be/rJN72FvjST0
Been playing for around 25 years, the best advice I can give is go play with other people and what you can't figure out there and then make a recording of and play around to it again and again.
Pick songs you love the bass sound on and learn the riffs, you can incorporate them into other songs.
I bought a Yamaha BB 5 string around 22 yrs ago jazz with passive soapbar pickups, since then I've had Ibanez, MusicMan, and a few others but always end up selling them on and going back to the Yamaha. I now just have the Yamaha, a cheap Taiwan SX acoustic (they made 50 of them around 15 yrs ago and gave one to me to demo) since then I have never seen them on sale again but for a free a acoustic bass it is fine. I've also a self-built fretless P-bass with active bassman pickups. I bought a SX neck, a ask body and did all the work myself. It looks and sounds great but as ever I always migrate back to the Yamaha BB, it just does everything I need/want.
I keep meaning to try an acoustic and I have been looking at older Yamaha BB2, simply because it would an affordable birth year bass. I am finding some parallels with vintage watches, including my tendency to hoard
Almost Snap! Except I've had mine for 25 years.
I am not a good player, and yet somehow I get gigs.
I mentioned this to the guitarist in one of the bands I play in and asked him why he'd asked me to join, considering there were better options available.
His answer was something along the lines of "I've had too many kids turn up who can play alone in their room, but haven't developed the ear to play with other musicians".
Just mention this to encourage the OP to hook up with a band as soon as possible
Edit: ...which is not suggesting that the OP wouldn't be great straight away, but just that there are things that are difficult to to pick up on your own.
Last edited by Cornholio; 2nd January 2023 at 22:27.
Pretty much echoing what has been said earlier, bass players soon get fed up playing alone in the bedroom (Ooh-er, Matron!) - I know I did! IMHO the OP should start playing with other people as soon as he is comfortable playing along with records. I have never played with just a drummer and in truth think it much better to play along with a guitarist until he is ready to start thinking about a band.
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