Hi, I've recently acquired an old Kay short scale bass, I bought a 25 watt bass amp and have adjusted the action.
I'm an experienced classical guitarist, and have found the transition much more to my liking than my Sunn Mustang Stratocaster guitar, the strings are to close together, unlike my beloved full size Classical guitar, which has a wide flat fretboard, and widely spaced strings, designed to be played fingerstyle, just as the bass guitar is, I've instantly taken to it .
I have learnt some scales and 12 bar blues, but I like playing "Riffs", and I've picked up a fair few from YouTube, my favourite thus far is the theme tune from "Get Carter", I've mastered that, and the basic's such as Peaches
{the stranglers}, Iron man {black sabbath}, and one of my favourites because It's easy and sounds good is "sunshine of your love ", {Cream}.
I can't read music or tab, I've only just improved my spelling by attending my local adult college to take two courses in English and math, I passed both with a great deal of "effort and help", But music notation is one step too far, I've been printing out "tabs", but can't read or understand them either.
I've always played by ear, instinct, I just figure where the notes I need are on the fretboard and copy the rhythm.
I have had classical guitar lessons, and got on well by copying my teacher, but I was hampered by not being capable of reading music or tablature.
I'v stuck to the classical guitar only, tried a steel string acoustic from yamaha, again the fret board was to narrow and the strings to close together, so I sold it, same goes for my Stratocaster copy, but I still have it.
I have 4 classical guitars, and love all of them, but now I have a bass and enjoy playing it just as much, it comes natural to me, as I have hands like a gorilla, and I love the fat strings that I can really "feel when I pluck them.
I often watch you tube and work out a riff I like on my handy old 3/4 size classical, using only the E,A,D,G strings, then when I'm happy I've got it I play it on my bass.
I'm not boasting, but I can play any chord or scale everywhere up and down the fretboard, but it's the timing, rhythm that I need to work on.
I play part of the guitar scales I know on bass, it all transfers.
I'm looking forward to purchasing a new bass, I've got the old Kay as good as it's going to get, it has a plywood body, so I'm guessing it doesn't resonate that well as it has a very thin body.
I want to play like "geezer Butler" {black sabbath}, the ultimate riff I'm trying to master is N.I.B, not just the main riff but the intro and all the up and down bits.
I practice every day, routine scale and 12 bar blues, and the riffs I've learnt, which I enjoy.
any advice on learning to become a better bassist is "welcome", bearing in mind I have dyslexia and this letter has been achieved partly through the help from spell checker, that I don't need so much now as I'm improving.
I can speak 8 languages, American, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian {English quarter}, Irish, Scottish and Welsh { the english parts}, and Tasmanian, "it's a joke !".
I'm an experienced classical guitarist, and have found the transition much more to my liking than my Sunn Mustang Stratocaster guitar, the strings are to close together, unlike my beloved full size Classical guitar, which has a wide flat fretboard, and widely spaced strings, designed to be played fingerstyle, just as the bass guitar is, I've instantly taken to it .
I have learnt some scales and 12 bar blues, but I like playing "Riffs", and I've picked up a fair few from YouTube, my favourite thus far is the theme tune from "Get Carter", I've mastered that, and the basic's such as Peaches
{the stranglers}, Iron man {black sabbath}, and one of my favourites because It's easy and sounds good is "sunshine of your love ", {Cream}.
I can't read music or tab, I've only just improved my spelling by attending my local adult college to take two courses in English and math, I passed both with a great deal of "effort and help", But music notation is one step too far, I've been printing out "tabs", but can't read or understand them either.
I've always played by ear, instinct, I just figure where the notes I need are on the fretboard and copy the rhythm.
I have had classical guitar lessons, and got on well by copying my teacher, but I was hampered by not being capable of reading music or tablature.
I'v stuck to the classical guitar only, tried a steel string acoustic from yamaha, again the fret board was to narrow and the strings to close together, so I sold it, same goes for my Stratocaster copy, but I still have it.
I have 4 classical guitars, and love all of them, but now I have a bass and enjoy playing it just as much, it comes natural to me, as I have hands like a gorilla, and I love the fat strings that I can really "feel when I pluck them.
I often watch you tube and work out a riff I like on my handy old 3/4 size classical, using only the E,A,D,G strings, then when I'm happy I've got it I play it on my bass.
I'm not boasting, but I can play any chord or scale everywhere up and down the fretboard, but it's the timing, rhythm that I need to work on.
I play part of the guitar scales I know on bass, it all transfers.
I'm looking forward to purchasing a new bass, I've got the old Kay as good as it's going to get, it has a plywood body, so I'm guessing it doesn't resonate that well as it has a very thin body.
I want to play like "geezer Butler" {black sabbath}, the ultimate riff I'm trying to master is N.I.B, not just the main riff but the intro and all the up and down bits.
I practice every day, routine scale and 12 bar blues, and the riffs I've learnt, which I enjoy.
any advice on learning to become a better bassist is "welcome", bearing in mind I have dyslexia and this letter has been achieved partly through the help from spell checker, that I don't need so much now as I'm improving.
I can speak 8 languages, American, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian {English quarter}, Irish, Scottish and Welsh { the english parts}, and Tasmanian, "it's a joke !".
Last edited: