So I'm getting a bass guitar ... any advice?
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Topic: So I'm getting a bass guitar ... any advice?
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Subject: So I'm getting a bass guitar ... any advice?
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 12:31
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Yesterday I ordered one of these: http://www.thomann.de/gb/cort_gb35a_3ts.htm - http://www.thomann.de/gb/cort_gb35a_3ts.htm I'll have it by tomorrow or at least by next weekend. I've been playing the guitar for almost two decades and I'm quite good at it, but I know that bass playing is a bit different, especially the picking hand. So ... any advice from experienced bass players is greatly appreciated.  ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Replies:
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 12:36
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Learn "YYZ." I realize that's a bit glib, but that one piece (very recently actually) changed the way I attack the bass with my right hand. I'm better for it. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 12:50
Something tells me I should try something easier first ... 
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 13:10
 Victor Wooten then? Call me crazy (yes I realize there's some subtle techniques involved that bass purists might rail about), but if you've been playing guitar that long, bass won't be too tough to pick up. Try starting with some basic blues riffs to get used to things. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Mr ProgFreak wrote:Posted By: CPicard
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 13:50
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One thing: Never, NEVER start playing the bass. You don't get the girls with four strings and not playing any solo. Seriously, try easy riffs: I started with Bauhaus' 'Kick In The Eye' (funk-like rhythm) and some Black Sabbath riffs. Cream's 'Sunshine of Love' or BÖC 'Cities on flame with rock'n'roll' can be easily learned. |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 13:53
Learn Black Sabbath's first 3 albums!  My inspiration comes from Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), Flea (Red hot Chili Peppers), Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) mostly. And i play a Squire Jazz bass |
Posted By: CPicard
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 15:08
| I think the stuff from Pastorius is a bit difficult to play when you're just starting to play. Not everything he made is as difficult as the intro of Stranglers' 'No More Heroes', but it still requires a good dexterity. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 15:13
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^ I ordered a book about bass playing too ... I never took lessons, so before I start playing songs I at least have to learn the proper picking technique. Dexterity is a good point ... my right hand is not used to plucking thick strings, I'm sure it will take some time to get to a point where the picking comes natural to me. I can already play classical guitar finger-picking style, that should make it a bit easier ... ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 15:36
| Whatever you do just actually learn how to play bass. I'm sick of hearing what is obviously guitarists hacking away on a bass like it's a guitar missing strings. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 15:51
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^ and how do I avoid that?
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 15:57
Geezer Butler never played Bass before he joined Black Sabbath (He used to play rhytm guitar)And i see what you mean, but he's really got his own bluesy style. |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 16:00
I got a DVD of his for christmas, and some of his "excercices" are INSANE! I really like his playing, though. He use his bass like it's more of a solo instrument than a rhytm instrument.  |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 16:05
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I was looking at the credits for a John Paul Jones solo album and have this utterly useless piece of advice: get one with as many strings as possible. After all you can take strings away but you can never add additional ones. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 16:19
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Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 16:22
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When I got my bass (long time guitar player here too), I literally just played along with James Brown greatest hits repeat after repeat. I've been playing now (bass) for over 12 years now, and I approach it completely differently than a guitar. It's actually taught me alot about guitar, as I used alot of shapes / licks on guitar, but on bass I know exactly which scale degree of every chord I'm playing. It seems wierd, but it's easier to do because the instrument is so much simpler in a melodic sense.
And find that bass drum and make your note and that note into one tone. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 16:53
 I expected to have the bass today ... but what did I see when I tracked the shipment? They did not find me! The parcel was returned to the sender. I'm outraged ... I've been living in this place for more than 6 years, had many parcels sent here ... none of them were ever returned to sender.I guess I'll have to wait another week ...  ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 17:34
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Practice control, fingers, be patient. Dont get scared of huge frets and strings. Very soon it will become natural and enjoyable! Dont play chords, dont plug it in distortion, please! At least not at the beginning. After that, when you grab a guitar, you will think its tiny as a mandolin  |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 18:05
Interesting advice, bass is mostly about the arpeggio (I looked it up I may not be using the right term exactly  ), I'm trying to think of bassists that actually do chords and no one comes to mind. I'm pretty lousy at guitar chords so maybe I really should take up bass. By the way Mike, feel free to single out the shipping service that screwed you over by name. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 20:03
Stanley Clarke does some chordal stuff, as did Jaco. It's not as common as on guitar, though.. My main advice: Have fun with it, you've now ordered guitar's smarter brother. Other than that, at least IMO fingerstyle is much better on bass than playing with a pick. Unless you NEED the pick for something you want to play (for example some of the Yes stuff which would be nigh-impossible to play without one) give your fingers a good workout instead. Oh, and once you're comfortable with the larger frets and such...go fretless, it's a lot more fun.  I play a lined fretless, that way I have the general idea of where I should be playing, but it's a lot more free, and if you ever want to transition over into double bass you won't be as lost on its monster neck.------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 20:24
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Fretless???
Jeez the transition is hard enough without that.
Although a good fretless bass is one of God's gifts to the world. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 20:29
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Memorize this if you haven't already for guitar
-----flat 2nd---------2nd------------Minor 3rd-----Maj 3rd---4th-------tritone-------5th
-----Minor 6th------Major 6th-----Minor 7th-----Maj 7th----Root----flat 2nd------2nd
-----Minor 3rd------Major 3d-----4th--------------tritone-----5th------Minor 6th----Major 6th
-----Minor 7th------Major 7th-----Root-----------flat 2nd----2nd-----Minor 3rd----Major3rd
You probably already know it.....but if you don't it will change your life. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 20:36
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Learn to play Roundabout.
Thats all the advice I can give on bass... ------------- 
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 01:20
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I'm going to assume, from previous conversations, you're getting a bass
more so because you need something for recording rather than wanting to
be the next Billy Sheehan. Just going through a lot of scale exercises as you would on a guitar or whatever helps, obviously instead picking with a pick just via the fingers. It's obvious, but just record yourself playing and listen to picking and fretting hand consistency. Be wary about playing the F Major scale starting on the first fret, 3 note per string pattern ascending/descending starting on the E string, because that is quite a big stretch on a scale length like that. It's entirely possible, even for a guy with medium sized hands like me, but I don't recommend you make it part of your daily regime unless you want to injure yourself. Of course you can learn to do it via the low B string and ascending from there. When you play 3 note per string stuff, try to stick with A major (when starting on the E string) and higher, still a good stretch but nothing that will risk injury. And why not learn YYZ? No one says you have to learn it all full speed first off. You can slow the song down by 30 per cent of whatever, and learn it that way. FWIW, my friend has that exact same bass, they have decent playability for what they are, you should enjoy it. ------------- 
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Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 03:30
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 20 2009 at 03:47
Thanks! Yes, I already know it ... I've been practicing scales for about 20 years. I agree, it's very important to know the intervals, especially for bass lines. I've always been consciously listening to to the bass lines in my favorite music.  I think my main problem will be the finger picking/plucking technique. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 05:22
Finally ... the bass arrived this morning. Unfortunately I only had about 15 minutes to play it before work ... I can't wait to plug it in. Only about 7 hours to go ... 
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:02
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Err Mike, The Hot For Teacher stretches aren't that big anyway, at least not compared to a 1st-3rd-5th fret stretch on a bass
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Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 22 2009 at 06:45
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^ they're relatively big stretches for guitarists though, at least on standard scale guitars (25,5"). Like I said earlier: I don't think that I'll be using three note per string scales on the bass. I think the standard 2/3 note per strings scales will suffice ... except for the higher regions of the fretboard. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |