calling all bass players!

My humble advice (as a bass player since 1976) is to forget about prog for a while and listen to some solid bass players such as Colin Moulding, Jimmy Lea (no, don't laugh) and Paul McCartney. Once you've learned how to provide a solid rhythm, then you can expand into the realms of Chris Squire and Geddy Lee.

My method for becoming a one-year bass prodigy in, well...one year...

Get the Bass Guitar Primer with Burt Casey. It's what I used, and it really really helped. It starts you at the bottom, then takes you to the top in 3 months. It has a Cd with it and everything. Basically you just practice with it for 15 minutes at a time,  about 2 or 3 times a day. Or once, whatever. Do it for 15 minutes at a time, because, as the book says, that's about the limit of your attention span, otherwise you'll get frustrated. Rest time is as important as playing time. You should do this consistently as you can, without change. Once you finish the book, you're ready to take on anything. I could play Pink Floyd's "Money" right off the bat, and then took on Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick pt. 1", then Yes' "Gates of Delirium", "Close to the Edge", "South Side of the Sky" and "Roundabout", then King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man", then Gentle Giant's "Advent of Panurge" and "A Cry for Everyone", then Chris Squire's "Hold Out Your Hand" and Rush's "Tom Sawyer", and right now I'm working on Yes' "Parallels" and "Heart of the Sunrise", and Rush's "YYZ" (so far the only one to stump me yet).

Anyway, you may not want to take it in that order. But in any case, that book REALLY HELPS. I started playing last year in May. Bass is by it's nature easier than guitar, and I can play some acoustic guitar bits (Steve Hackett's "Horizons" and Steve Howe's "Mood for a Day"), but I have real trouble with a pick. I play fingerstyle, of course, normal index-and-middle-finger style with your dominant hand (usually your right). When I first started playing, I really had trouble with my ring finger on my left hand especially, not so much my pinkie. It takes about 7 months to fully develop a callus, so be patient, and keep your fingernails short, but not so short that they hurt when they grow back (a mistake I made too many times). Above all, teach yourself. Having a teacher only hurts you, especially if it's standard, professional by-the-book lessons. A mentor may be good, I don't really know. Then again, it may just be my learning style...but that's my advice, anyway. It also helps to have abnormally long fingers.

I learned to play with my friends. I also got some tablatures of the songs I liked, F.Ex. "Tom Sawyer" from RUSH and learned to play it over the record. Take your time. Don't build your ego over playing. Keep your head clean, at least when playing.

I never wanted to learn how to play as such, i wanted to write so i learnt to play in a way that suited what i was doing.

I still cant play that good but i think my writing is 2nd to non

Take a listen www.area39project.com

Thanks 

penguindf12 wrote: Yeah, my ego and comes and goes. I brought my bass to camp and everyone oohed and aahed and I felt like I was the best. Then I played along with a church band and the person who normally plays bass there basically said "you suck."  But you're right. I shouldn't get a swollen head.

Wow, I just proved myself. Today I walked into jazz band with a "I'm gonna show these posers how to play bass RIGHT!" attitude. I sat down. They put a sheet of music in front of me ("Blue Monk", Thelonius Monk) and said "play". Seeing as I can't sight read faster than about 50 bpm, needless to say my ego was popped and cast into the pits of humility. To make it worse, the other bassist just walked up there and played it flawlessly. Ouch. I'm still in jazz band, just at a severe disadvantage...ouch...my pride...talk about instant karma...

I have a good advice:

1.- Never miss the drummer metric modulation (this is for a bit more experienced bass players)

2.- Practice the wonderful odd-time signatures