calling all bass players!

play with other people and develop your timing. and try and learn some basic theory, at least you may have some idea of what you're doing.

thanks for telling me joren!  i private messaged him and hopes he respondes and reads my article. you've been a big help!

when I was a beginner, not too long ago, I began recording myself, perhaps while playing along to some song I liked, and then mixing my bass line with the original track. It was thanks to that that I realized how bad I was at playing even the simplest even 8ths beat, and made me imrove. I practised a lot to a metronome back then, tried to play as steady as possible (still one of my main flas... )
Some day you'll have to learn some scales, too, especially if you're into jazz. Play them over the whole neck, and make sure you know where to find each note (it's SO embarrassing when you try to play a cool fill somewhere around the 12th fret, and play the wrong notes!! )
Scales are really usable whenever you'll want to improve your playing and getting groovier, by doing a fill och constructing a bass groove. If you know the basic scales, you'll know just which notes that will fit. Don't forget the chromatic scale, however, it's dramatic if used wisely!

Oh, and, use the fourth finger from the beginning. It will feel more natural just to use the left hand's three first fingers in the beginning, but if you wish to gain some (self)respect, and become a great player, the fourth finger is a must! Bassists only using three fingers will get stuck in the skate-punk genre.
Other than that, practice as much as possible, obviosuly, and get to play with other people. I just recently joined a band playing prog covers, and that has made me practice a lot even now during the summer, when I otherwise use to take a break.

When I began playing, I started with playing along to some easy songs (AC/DC works great for this). After a while I went on, playing to the radio all of the night (and was damn tired in school the other day). I also learned some theory at that time.

Hmm, interesting topic, have to remember how I started this...

As Joren stated, I play five-stringed now, but I hardly use the fifth string unles sI play a song that uses lower tuning. Handy for fingerpractice to NOT tune down but use the fifth string. But next bass will be four stringed again!

Next, to learn how to play for yourself, play CD's... Lot's of em. I started with 'Californication' from the Peppers. Surprisingly easy basslines one most of those songs. Good for learning. In the end you will want to learn how to play Around the World, hard song that one ;) Start off with easy cd's! With lots of repeating riffs for bass to just learn timing and rythym. You might want to improvise with rythym to improve your skills in time...

Third, as stated above, the fourth finger, or pinky, will GREATLY improve your play if you learn how to use it. Now I only started using that one on my third year of playing, have been playing for 4,5 years now, and it has greatly improved my speed, agility and understanding of the scales. Now the way I learn scaled, is just by finding them out by improvising with songs. It's great fun, but VERY challenging and I can imagine I'll learn more slowly than most.. but I think it's fun, and I'm good enough for a good progband now I think (play Yes a lot with improvisation and can think of these greatsounding alternating tunes). So choose yourself, learning scales might be faster but I think it's less fun!

bassguy35 wrote: hey bass players---- i am a beginner 4-string  bass player and i was wondering if you had any advice for me. I was wondering if you remember when you were starting out, i need to understand what steps to take to get started. I got my inspiration when i was listening to a man play his bass. he was playing jazz/blues music. when he was done playing i asked him if i could pluck on his bass. he said yes and he let me. i tried to follow along to the piano and trumpet and trombone. i actually did good, and he said that i should start playing. please give me any advice that you can, i need your help...Thanks!!

Practice for about 10 years then jack it in as you'll never be as good as Geddy Lee

JrKASperov wrote: Actually Geddy isn't THAT good  He gets trumped by Victor Wooten and Pastorius.

Am I permitted to say bollocks!?

Reed Lover wrote: JrKASperov wrote: Actually Geddy isn't THAT good  He gets trumped by Victor Wooten and Pastorius. Am I permitted to say bollocks!?

Only if you start a new thread: Subject: "I'm a liar" And then saying how you wrongfully state that Geddy Lee is as good or better than those two jazzmasters.

Another idea that came to my mind: I played in trios most of the time (my recent band is the first with more than three people). This forst me to improve my playing because I had to play a lot to fill the space during the solos of the guitarist (and he did a lot solos - guitarists...). But start with playing along with CDs.

JrKASperov wrote: Reed Lover wrote: JrKASperov wrote: Actually Geddy isn't THAT good  He gets trumped by Victor Wooten and Pastorius. Am I permitted to say bollocks!? Only if you start a new thread: Subject: "I'm a liar" And then saying how you wrongfully state that Geddy Lee is as good or better than those two jazzmasters.

sperov is right.  I saw victor wooten play with bela fleck.  He did a bass solo that nearly brought me to tears.  it was truly brilliant.

As for learning bass, I started out as a rhythm guitarist, then slowly learned that I liked bass more.  playing with others is the best way to learn by far.  if you can learn to improvise, you're set for life.