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PyramidMeetsTheEye 
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: April 02 2012 Location: Slovenia Status: Offline Points: 118 |
 Topic: I want to learn bass guitar.Posted: April 08 2012 at 15:17 |
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Hm Hi, i just want some tips on this.
Im 14 and i never played any instrument before,but this years in progressive rock it pulled me under that i should start to play an instrument as well,and i kinda like bass guitar,im going to high school from 4 months now on,and i have an acoustic guitar at home. So how can i prepare to play an bass guitar should i start on acoustic,and then move on to bass,oh yea in high school there is also an music school in the afternoon so i can study bass there. Ok so my questions are: Im a to old to start playing an instrument? What should i learn on acoustic guitar ? Will knowledge on acustic guitar help me with bass? How much hours a day should i spend practicing? Any sites on learning bass? Or is there any other instruments you can suggest i have an flute at home and my mom plays it. (Also any other instruments that are includet in progressive rock music (not to hard to play) Ready for suggestions
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Horizons
Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: January 20 2011 Location: Somewhere Else Status: Offline Points: 16952 |
Posted: April 08 2012 at 15:47 |
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You're not too old to start playing, you're at the age where i started playing drums.
I would join your school's music programs - whether it's a guitar class or some kind of orchestral/jazz for more theory training and sheet music practice. It'll help you overall in any instrument you pick up. I'm not sure if acoustic guitar will help too much except will note/scale familiarity. I would devout as much time as you can into your instrument, i promise it'll be beneficial after you learned all the basic and boring things. Just give it time and love. A song i always thought is a good "starter" song is I Want You (She's So Heavy) by The Beatles.
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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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cstack3
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: July 20 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Status: Offline Points: 7264 |
Posted: April 08 2012 at 15:47 |
Hi there!! Very good & logical questions!! I'm Chuck & I have played guitar for, oh, 40 years, and bass guitar for a bit longer!! I started on bass about your age! I now play prog, metal, folks, blues, jazz fusion, pop, funk, everything!! I can play Yes, Metallica, Beatles, whatever. Here's some thoughts: a) First, find a buddy who also plays, or an instructor, and start first with your acoustic guitar. Learn several of the fundamentals including major chords, minor chords, and a few scales. Many, many popular songs are composed of only a handful of chords & notes, and a good instructor will help you to build up your self-esteem. A buddy will be someone to learn with and jam with! Working with the acoustic guitar will build up your hand strength to work with the heavier strings of the bass guitar, and it will familiarize you about the relationships of notes & scales that relate to chords. They go together like ham and eggs! b) Second, realize that the bass guitar will also require an amplifier and a few other items (strap, good strings etc.). Bass guitar is really quite easy to begin with, and it is challenging to become good enough to keep up with the masters like Chris Squire, so it is a very good choice! c) You are fortunate that there are many high-quality instruments available for beginners at good prices! The major brands such as Gibson and Fender offer "budget-priced" instruments by their Epiphone and Squier lines, and I recommend that you seek out a short-scale bass guitar since the string tension is less and they are a bit easier to learn on. If you have larger hands, then the longer-scale bass will be all right d) There is LOTS of free information online!! Be sure and participate in forums and ask, ask, ask!! Here's an example:; http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_guitar_buying_guide/bass_scale.html Good luck & thanks for posting!! Look at the bass in my Icon picture, this is a handmade fretless 34" scale bass made for me by Hugh Manson of the UK! Steve Howe's luthier! You are beginning a long journey, have fun with it!!
Edited by cstack3 - April 08 2012 at 15:50 |
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PyramidMeetsTheEye
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 02 2012 Location: Slovenia Status: Offline Points: 118 |
Posted: April 08 2012 at 16:01 |
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thank you very much cstack3 and horizons for your quick and detalied replays
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Angelo
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: May 07 2006 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 13244 |
Posted: April 08 2012 at 16:22 |
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Nothing to add to what was written already - except that you're never to old to start: I started playing bass at 33 (although I play guitar since I was 15 and piano since 25), and the guitarist in my band started taking guitar lessons only at 48.
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ISKC Rock Radio
I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected] |
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cstack3
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: July 20 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Status: Offline Points: 7264 |
Posted: April 09 2012 at 20:55 |
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You are very welcome!! My best advice is....Seek out some friends to play with....this is me (on the right, on six-string electric) jamming with my old friend Dennis (with the lovely Rickenbacker bass in Fire-glo). We've been playing together, off and on, for nearly 40 years!! As you can tell from the looks on our faces, it never gets old!! Have fun and let us know what you decide to buy! Cheers, Charles Stack, Chicago Illinois USA 
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PyramidMeetsTheEye
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 02 2012 Location: Slovenia Status: Offline Points: 118 |
Posted: April 10 2012 at 13:53 |
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how did ian said to old to rock to young to die.
 thanks for the encouragement cstack will start to practice when the school frees down a bit (stupid physics,math and slovene tests) i hate them. Will keep you in mind cstack see u around   now i need to go study slovene, and math (this sucks so bad) i think that im going to die of boredom Edited by PyramidMeetsTheEye - April 10 2012 at 13:53 |
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cstack3
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: July 20 2009 Location: Tucson, AZ USA Status: Offline Points: 7264 |
Posted: April 10 2012 at 22:21 |
Best of luck to you! I have two college degrees & am finishing my doctorate degree at age 56, so we are in the same boat!! Hang in there with the math, when the light comes on, it is majestic! Keep at it!
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frippism
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 27 2010 Location: Tel Aviv Status: Offline Points: 4160 |
Posted: April 11 2012 at 13:52 |
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You're never too old. Never ever.
I started drums at 13 and bass at 14. I've been playing for almost five years now. I love the bass very much and just can't get along with its evil brother with the six strings. -if you have any knowledge in the acoustic guitar already, than sure it can help, but I see no reason to start with acoustic first. -Practice as much as you can. The first day I started I literally did the C major scale for like 5 hours. Good technique on bass is absolutely vital, particularly if you like prog. -There's playbassnow.com which is run by some Danish guy. Cool funky grooves- which are probably rather important in the beginning. It's a great instrument, with unlimited potential. Plus it sounds awesome and it's much easier to find bands in need of bassists rather than guitarists. You can get work easier with bass.
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There be dragons
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Smurph
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 11 2012 Location: Columbus&NYC Status: Offline Points: 3167 |
Posted: April 11 2012 at 14:16 |
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I sit down and practice hitting the same note on the same string to a metronome for LONG periods of time.
Instead of learning scales, I just learned the chromatic scale and figured out how to properly structure things after that. It helps a LOT to be able to understand notes and not even worry about proper scales until you are able to derive where certain types of scales can evoke certain types of emotion.
But I also learned all this stuff with the main aim to write as much music as humanly possible.
The first 3 songs I learned how to play on the guitar were songs that I wrote. While I am in no way fully proficient at my instrument compared to session musicians and my music school friends, I can write TONS more music than them with a greater understanding of what I'm writing. |
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spknoevl
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 14 2011 Location: Dallas, TX Status: Offline Points: 296 |
Posted: April 23 2012 at 11:49 |
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Find a good teacher and take lessons. There is nothing more important than learning good basic technique and the basics of music, regardless of what type of music you intend to play.
Second, play as much as you can and with as many people as you can.
Third: Listen to other bass players and really delve into how they lock into the drums and why they're playing the parts they do and why they work.
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http://martinwebb.bandcamp.com
The notes are just an interesting way to get from one silence to the next - Mick Gooderick |
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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14258 |
Posted: April 24 2012 at 01:04 |
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Grab a good book and teach yourself as I did, young padawan.
Its just a matter of a lot of practice and be driven to complete the training. Only then will you become a bass player.
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TonyB
Forum Newbie 
Joined: July 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 4 |
Posted: April 25 2012 at 04:32 |
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> Im a to old to start playing an instrument? Never! > What should i learn on acoustic guitar ? Don't bother, head straight to bass. Come back to guitar later if you want to. > Will knowledge on acustic guitar help me with bass? No more than learning bass from scratch. > How much hours a day should i spend practicing? Whatever you're comfortable with. > Any sites on learning bass? Loads! Google a few. Sign up to some bass forums as well, plug for my regular www.basschat.co.uk. |
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Unauthorised Breakfast Item |
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CPicard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 03 2008 Location: Là, sui monti. Status: Offline Points: 10841 |
Posted: April 25 2012 at 06:47 |
1) No. Or yes. It depends on who you talk with. Some people start playing an instrument at an early age and abandon it two or three years later. Some people start playing an instrument when they're already 17 years old, but they train everyday. 2) Learn to play arpeggios, maybe? 3) Not really, I guess. Bass is for rhythm: most of the time, you play the fundamental notes of the chords. The bass strings are thicker than the guitar strings, so it can make a difference for some people. I play electric bass, but I can barely play on guitars: the strings and the frets are "too small" for me. 4) Maybe not hours, but 15 minutes a day, at least. And don't forget to do your homework. 5) Better use books or ask older musicians, if you can't afford lessons. Human companions could also check your sitting positions, the positions of your hands, etc. |
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Andrewanth
Forum Newbie
Spam the can Joined: April 14 2012 Location: London, India Status: Offline Points: 2 |
Posted: April 30 2012 at 01:20 |
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Thanks for great suggestion.I m also interested to learn bass guitar.Thanks again.
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I want to learn bass guitar.
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PyramidMeetsTheEye wrote: