Help Starting Bass

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Kcz5o

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Apr 1, 2013
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#1
This is my first post here but I have followed the forum for a little while. I thought I would pose this question. I am 54 years old and have played guitar since I was 14. A few years ago I ended up playing bass in a band that I had previously played guitar in and quit the guitar gig. I learned about 50 songs in about two months. I don't think this really helped my bass playing much other than learning to mimic rock bass lines. I think my bass playing sounds like a guitarist playing bass. I purchased a couple of courses on trufire but don't seem to make it past the first 4-6 lessons without losing interest. The question I have is where is a good place to start learning to play bass like a bass player (more rhythmic focus)? I don't plan to play in a bad anymore but I do recording on my own and would like to be self sufficient as it seems easier when I don't have to hunt down other people to track parts. Any suggestions? I don't think I have the energy or the attention to take on a major course of study and want to spend my time wisely.

Thanks in advance.
 
#2
If you have the skill set to learn 50 songs in 2 months, I'd say you're not a beginner, but rather, a good solid intermediate player. Now go learn another 50. :) You mentioned rhythm is the biggest area where you need improvement, so pick some songs by bassists with reputations as good rhythmic/foundational players, play along with the recordings, and focus on locking in with the rhythm/groove as precisely as you can. One of my teachers gave me great advice, "every note has a beginning, middle, and end." So if you are struggling with rhythm/feel, don't just think about plucking the notes at the right time, but also about ending each note crisply. It's not just the notes that create rhythm, but also the spaces between the notes.
 
#4
Think bass lines to the harmonizing chord. Bass lines are made from the notes of the active chord. How many notes and which ones is kinda left up to you. Just roots to the beat work, however, not all the time. No more strumming its now single notes to the beat of the song. Well some bassists do strum, but, that is a skill set you will develop many years from now...

Major chord coming up - R-3-5-8 notes of that chord are generic to most all major chords. Minor chord coming up - R-b3-5-8 are generic to most all minor chords. Any note within the chord will work. I'm not a note by note what the original bassist used guy. As long as I'm playing notes of the active chord, following the chord changes and hitting them dead on plus being in sync with the drummer's kick drum that is enough for me. Probably a good place to start your bass playing. If you want to be note for note fine with me.

The beat is important. Lock with your drummer and the two of you drop into a groove. The groove is what you want to work on.

Don't have a drummer, then you are the beat master. The time signature is what you look for and keep, i.e., 3/4, 4/4, 5/8 or what ever is shown for this song. In addition to the time signature the bpm or tempo is next.... Yep, its rhythm...... You either are the beat master, or you follow the beat the drummer sets. Your internal clock from guitar will probably need some polishing to work as the beat master. Once you identify the beat they expect you to maintain it - so they can keep the beat.

Good luck.
 
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#5
Kcz5o said:
This is my first post here but I have followed the forum for a little while. I thought I would pose this question. I am 54 years old and have played guitar since I was 14. A few years ago I ended up playing bass in a band that I had previously played guitar in and quit the guitar gig. I learned about 50 songs in about two months. I don't think this really helped my bass playing much other than learning to mimic rock bass lines. I think my bass playing sounds like a guitarist playing bass. I purchased a couple of courses on trufire but don't seem to make it past the first 4-6 lessons without losing interest. The question I have is where is a good place to start learning to play bass like a bass player (more rhythmic focus)? I don't plan to play in a bad anymore but I do recording on my own and would like to be self sufficient as it seems easier when I don't have to hunt down other people to track parts. Any suggestions? I don't think I have the energy or the attention to take on a major course of study and want to spend my time wisely.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Bassbeater said:
Learning Motown tracks will help you develop rhythmic playing.
Click to expand...
 
#6
I may have messed up my reply because I was trying to quote previous remarks for reference and wasn't sure how to do it. Thanks for the responses. I like John Paul Jones and Geezer Butler so I suppose I could pick a couple of their songs and learn them. I started to learn "I should have quite you" a while back and that had a cool bass line. Any suggestions for Motown artists? I listen to a lot of blues but have never listened to Motown. Thanks again.
 
#8
Kcz5o said:
I may have messed up my reply because I was trying to quote previous remarks for reference and wasn't sure how to do it. Thanks for the responses. I like John Paul Jones and Geezer Butler so I suppose I could pick a couple of their songs and learn them. I started to learn "I should have quite you" a while back and that had a cool bass line. Any suggestions for Motown artists? I listen to a lot of blues but have never listened to Motown. Thanks again.
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For Motown, I highly recommend an instructional book/DVD package called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown."
 
#11
I've read the responses so far but want to approach it from a different perspective- as a musician that wants to play at a high level and has played with some fairly decent legit groups ranging from symphony orchestra to musical theater, to big band, etc (I'm primarily a legit trumpet player, lifelong guitar player and "newly transitioning" bass player). I'd like to respond wearing the hat of a musician.

As you said, you've played bass with others, learned a bunch of songs but now want to improve. I'm going to suggest a top-notch private teacher who is both a great bass player but accomplished MUSICIAN. Take ANY of the 50 songs that you've learned... better yet, the EASIEST of them and ask yourself "Am I playing this the most musically that I can"? I'll bet you a week's pay that your answer will be (or should be) "no". IMO if you are to grow as a musician and bass player at this point you need someone in front of you to help you identify issues of inflection, phrasing, dynamics, technique and all the stuff that separates pros from hacks. A YouTube video isn't going to pause itself and tell you how to improve your style and musical inflection. It's not going to tell you that you're not in the pocket or you're losing tempo, or you need to emphasize one thing or another. Think of the professional private teacher as the shortest distance between two points. The only other related advice I can provide is- Go as far as you can as fast as you can, before the enthusiasm fades. And only that consistent improvement will maintain your enthusiasm.

Hope that helps a little. YMMV Good luck.
 
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