Fun Stuff > BAND
Teaching myself bass guitar...
voidSkipper:
Crank the bass frequencies in the equalizer of your music player of choice, and start listening. Learn some scales, get a real good feel of the fretboard, then start recreating.
Also, get Guitar Pro. You can mute the bass track in that and play along, and it's awesome.
Van donk III:
Greetings. I've been playing bass more or less exclusively for more than 14 years now and the only real advice i could give anyone starting out is to explore your instrument, because thats what it is, a musical instrument. Only your friends who are guitarists will see it as "an inferior guitar" Also dont get pigeon-holed into the typical rock & alt genres all the time, explore funk, soul, R&B and anything else that might interest you on a playing level.
Also technique is important, use a pick, use your fingers, when you progress a bit; the inevitable "slapping & popping your bass like crazy" phase will kick in. (it never really leaves) The percussive sound of a bass played properly is superior in any form of loud/fast/funky tune.Also, check out some freaks on youtube two hand tapping on the bass, its difficult, but not impossible.
Oh, yeah, one last thing, HAVE FUN. Once you master a few things you'll find that locking into a good rythm section makes you really feel the groove, whatever the tempo or style of music. Enjoy the instrument and you'll soon have people trying to steal you for their band.
spidergland:
--- Quote from: the Goat on 28 May 2008, 19:38 ---I listened to a lot of Fugazi, Minutemen and Ramones
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: the Goat on 28 May 2008, 19:38 ---I listened to a lot of Minutemen
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: the Goat on 28 May 2008, 19:38 ---Minutemen
--- End quote ---
sorted :-P
Van donk has a good point though, playing an instrument should be fun. Some people I used to play with really seemed to miss that memo.
Mars:
What the hell is all this pick crap? So long as you can make sounds it doesn't really matter how you hold the pick. If you can honestly play better that way, go ahead and hold it between your knees.
I think just about every player finds a method that works, since it would be impossible to advance beyond the most basic stuff if they didn't.
There is a technically 'correct' way to hold a pick, but not everyone does it that way. Hell, some of the best players I know do very little the 'proper' way.
Re: bass, a teacher can help but if you have any sort of musicality it's not strictly necessary. Conversely, if you're not a musical person by nature you'll probably only be able to get so far no matter who your teacher is.
Just pick bassists you like and emulate them. You develop your own style by stealing bits and pieces from everybody else's.
My step brother has been a bassist longer than I have and the only advice he gave me when I started was "if you use a pick everyone will laugh at you."
So don't use a pick on bass guitar.
Van donk III:
I wouldn't say "dont play with a pick" Do whatever feels right. It might be more beneficial to play with a pick if you're more interested in fast metal or thrash. Flea played with a pick on recent chilis albums. Rob Wright from nomeansno plays with a pick and he's AMAZING. I play fingers myself and have found in years gone by that I'm useless with a pick now.
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