How do I learn to be in time and learn songs / where the changes are?

[Grangur]

[quote name='2stringsmcginty' timestamp='1421242470' post='2658829']
True, time is required. Had I not been out the last two evenings (one of which was practice) I would have had time.

I've been playing bass since 2002, not made the time as much since graduating which would definitely be a contributing factor to the issues I'm having now.
[/quote]
It's a hard choice to make. But regrettably you can only fit so much into one life. You can always come back to bass later. You don't have that luxury when it comes to being there for a child. That time of reading stories at bedtime, or pushing trains round on a carpet, is priceless. Don't miss out on it for a bass.

Don't like to tell a guy to leave a bass alone, but being a fellow parent....

[dadofsix]

^^^ +1,000,000!! ^^^

Edited January 14, 2015 by dadofsix

[2stringsmcginty]

finally made it to a computer to be able to reply properly, again, thanks for the support and advice,

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1421243234' post='2658836']
It's a hard choice to make. But regrettably you can only fit so much into one life. You can always come back to bass later. You don't have that luxury when it comes to being there for a child. That time of reading stories at bedtime, or pushing trains round on a carpet, is priceless. Don't miss out on it for a bass.

Don't like to tell a guy to leave a bass alone, but being a fellow parent....
[/quote]

Completely in agreement, but I do have a bad habit of coming home and vegging out on the sofa one eye on the tv and one eye on the laptop which the wife often complains about so, after little miss ''I can walk when mummy's around but I'm not showing you yet daddy'' is in bed and the wife is watching help I'm a midwife get me out of here I can pick up the bass.

TV and computer misses out, never my daughter.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1421223976' post='2658503']
I was thinking the same. Perhaps it's accented changes the OP is having problems with.
[/quote]

I'm a moment or two behind or in front (usually behind) the guitarist who is also lead.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1421176077' post='2658108']
+1 - Another pet peeve and guaranteed to bring my urine up to 100 degrees Celsius. It's usually the guitarist. 'I didn't really have time to learn this one properly, I'll just wing it - it'll be OK!' ...NO IT WON'T - because I'm about to stick your guitar up your Gruffalo, you twunt!
[/quote]

I agree, it's been disrespectful of me to turn up and listen to the song on the night and go from there. It's also not helped me.

[dadofsix]

To the OP, have you considered getting yourself a set of bongo drums or a Cajon box to work through the songs rhythmically? Sometimes it's much easier to play the bass parts when you can feel the rhythm.

<><Peace

[tonyquipment]

Rhythm and yes listen hard to the drums and play along to it

Practice your 8th notes and keep them nice and neat

[2stringsmcginty]

Decided I'll carry this topic on showing bits of my progress,

Snowed in yesterday and so working from home (motorbike + rutted ice = staying put!) so during the rare moments of there being little I can do (waiting for the computer to run checks for me etc) I got the bass out

Got the truss rod adjusted which has increased the amount of fret buzz but I think that's more technique than adjustment causing it now,

been practising playing this and it's going quite well, along with the first couple of lessons from 'crash course Bass'

G|-----------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------|
A|-----6-------4--------6--------4-------|
E|--7---7-6-5---5-6-7---7-6-5---5-6-|

Knowing the song, (the intro from Flower Tattoo by the W's) my wife recognised it so that's a good start

I am getting a bit of an ache in my left wrist, not sure if it's just getting used to it again or bad technique - I am sat at the dining table with the laptop / book on the table.

Edited January 20, 2015 by 2stringsmcginty

[2stringsmcginty]

wow, longer than I'd thought since my last update,

I've kicked a few bad habits that had crept in such as trying to bulk the song out with extra notes, worked fine in a group previously where we didn't have keys, just guitar bass and drums but still steady progress

[Dad3353]

[quote name='2stringsmcginty' timestamp='1429277640' post='2749968']...steady progress
[/quote]

Excellent; maybe it's time for my usual note of encouragement..?

The first forty years are the worst, after which things tend to get (slightly...) better.

Carry on.

[lojo]

I got asked to play bass in the local church a few years back (hillsong type stuff), it was a busy service aimed at the teens and 20s (Im in my 40s) but I agreed and I must admit quite enjoyed it (I dont consider myself a christian btw)

Anyway the leader used to send youtube links for each song we would do that week, everyone else read except me, so I just used to spend a few hours jamming along or learning structures, it worked really well. Perhaps you could speak to the band leader about giving you more info ?

[JTUK]

Tab is completely useless unless you know the song..
but I guess you can assume all notes are 4's...but that might get you into as much trouble..!!!!
In that respect a chord chart is better as that is the lenght of time
you play the designated chord. But unless you read, it is all degrees of guesswork..