Help me pick my first bass!

[Kiwi]

1 hour ago, pepsi-abi said:

so not able to play anything as of yet having fun just feeling what the bass is like and making sounds, i must admit i am struggling with switching to and throw between frets, probably because its a 34 scale bass, but that isnt going to stop me learning on it, my friends all have 34 scale and play it very easily, any tips or videos i should look into when starting out? all advice is really appreciative  

What most of us do is learn to play our favorite songs.  Plenty of YouTube videos out there now! Get stuck in.  

[Ricky 4000]

 

Learn this one first! 😃

😎

[pepsi-abi]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Here you go - Mark from Talking Bass is my absolute favourite online bass tutor. So much so, I've actually paid (shock horror!) for a couple of his courses. Here's some of his free material aimed at beginners:

https://www.talkingbass.net/beginner-lessons/

thaaaank you!

 

[pepsi-abi]

18 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

 

Learn this one first! 😃

😎

already on it lol  

[pepsi-abi]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Here you go - Mark from Talking Bass is my absolute favourite online bass tutor. So much so, I've actually paid (shock horror!) for a couple of his courses. Here's some of his free material aimed at beginners:

https://www.talkingbass.net/beginner-lessons/

thank you  

[Al Krow]

20 minutes ago, pepsi-abi said:

thank you  

You really must stop thanking me now, once is fine 😁

Although tbf I guess it's pretty easy to confuse me with some other random bass player who actually knows what they're taking about... 

[pepsi-abi]

46 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

You really must stop thanking me now, once is fine 😁

Although tbf I guess it's pretty easy to confuse me with some other random bass player who actually knows what they're taking about... 

haha i just realised i replied twice 😂

[Ricky 4000]

56 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

You really must stop thanking me now, once is fine 😁

@Al Krow --- So good they thank him twice! 👍

Actually, I might need to be thanking you when I start my thread: 'Giant Steps -- One massive idiot's first fumblings with the Zoom B3n Multi-Effects Processor'

Subtitle: 'If it's on fire -- is it likely a hardware problem?'

😃

[Ricky 4000]

1 hour ago, pepsi-abi said:

already on it lol  

Good girl! ...

Not meaning to be patronising if you know this stuff already -- but watching Tina, you'll see she plays the line with open strings where possible. i.e. she starts off with the open A, while this person:

(and many other players I might add) -- Plays it WRONG, by starting on the 5th fret of the E.

Using your open strings is important... yes, it might be 'easier' to get it sounding cleaner to begin with by always playing fretted notes (except the low E of course), but that's not the point... Tina plays it like that because it's 'proper'. And it sounds different. And she still plays it that way all these years later - even when she's drunk!

The genius James Jamerson used lots of opens too... well, he would do coming from playing the double bass in jazz bands... for one thing, fretless players use the open notes to check their intonation while they play... it's one of the reasons why 'fretters' respect them so much...

So, ideally, as you progress on the bass, we should get regular pictures of your 5th fret having no string marks on it (except for where the skinny G string goes, as playing that C is fine!). 😄

As I've nearly bored myself to death with all that -- I'll stop now... but will just add that it's difficult to know what your level is, musically... if you're already proficient on the piano and guitar, and a reader, you probably don't need any of my 'educational' posts! 😃

Always a pleasure 👍

[ubit]

9 hours ago, pepsi-abi said:

so not able to play anything as of yet having fun just feeling what the bass is like and making sounds, i must admit i am struggling with switching to and throw between frets, probably because its a 34 scale bass, but that isnt going to stop me learning on it, my friends all have 34 scale and play it very easily, any tips or videos i should look into when starting out? all advice is really appreciative  

Soon the scale won't bother you. It's all about practise, practise, practise. I wish I had my teenage years back again to spend more bedroom time practising. That is when you get a good basis for whatever comes next. There are plenty videos online but Scott Devine is one of the best. He has lots of beginner videos and exercises to strengthen your hands and intonate the notes better.

[ubit]

On 14/04/2020 at 12:09, la bam said:

Meanwhile...I've been practicing on my two sires....and ignored my own advice and flattened all the batteries by leaving them plugged in! Doh!

A schoolboy error that I have done many times. Usually when I don't have a spare.

[naxos10]

With regard to learning you could try the Scott Devine and Scott Whitley videos on YouTube. Maybe even sign up to Scott Devine's Bass Academy 14 day trial.

[pepsi-abi]

7 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Good girl! ...

Not meaning to be patronising if you know this stuff already -- but watching Tina, you'll see she plays the line with open strings where possible. i.e. she starts off with the open A, while this person:

(and many other players I might add) -- Plays it WRONG, by starting on the 5th fret of the E.

Using your open strings is important... yes, it might be 'easier' to get it sounding cleaner to begin with by always playing fretted notes (except the low E of course), but that's not the point... Tina plays it like that because it's 'proper'. And it sounds different. And she still plays it that way all these years later - even when she's drunk!

The genius James Jamerson used lots of opens too... well, he would do coming from playing the double bass in jazz bands... for one thing, fretless players use the open notes to check their intonation while they play... it's one of the reasons why 'fretters' respect them so much...

So, ideally, as you progress on the bass, we should get regular pictures of your 5th fret having no string marks on it (except for where the skinny G string goes, as playing that C is fine!). 😄

As I've nearly bored myself to death with all that -- I'll stop now... but will just add that it's difficult to know what your level is, musically... if you're already proficient on the piano and guitar, and a reader, you probably don't need any of my 'educational' posts! 😃

Always a pleasure 👍

piano i got up to grade 4 and sadly had to stop, guitar not so much just couple chords lol, so bass is completely new to me, definitely playing psycho killer the open bass way and like you said sounds better 😄

[pepsi-abi]

2 hours ago, ubit said:

Soon the scale won't bother you. It's all about practise, practise, practise. I wish I had my teenage years back again to spend more bedroom time practising. That is when you get a good basis for whatever comes next. There are plenty videos online but Scott Devine is one of the best. He has lots of beginner videos and exercises to strengthen your hands and intonate the notes better.

ahh thank you as i was getting worried thinking should i of got a shorter scale bass but then i thought no, theres many people out there smaller than me that can play full scale and so will i, and your right eventually with practice the scale wont be a problem, i definitely will look into scott devine, thank you!

Edited April 16, 2020 by pepsi-abi

[pepsi-abi]

1 hour ago, naxos10 said:

With regard to learning you could try the Scott Devine and Scott Whitley videos on YouTube. Maybe even sign up to Scott Devine's Bass Academy 14 day trial.

oooo! good shout i think il do that, thanks!  

[ubit]

Just practice stretching exercises. Don't worry about tunes too much at first but try and get one finger one fret if you know what I mean. Index on the F, middle on the F sharp, ring on the G and pinky on the G sharp. Once you can clearly sound each of these notes you are well on your way to mastering the long scale. As you say, plenty players with small hands master the long scale bass. They have just strengthened their hands and practised. I bet in a few days you will be back on here telling us about how you are finding it much easier.

[ubit]

8 minutes ago, pepsi-abi said:

ahh thank you as i was getting worried thinking should i of got a shorter scale bass but then i was thought no, theres many people out there smaller than me that can play full scale and so will i, and your right eventually with practice the scale wont be a problem, i definitely will look into scott devine, thank you!

I remember getting sore hands and thinking this is impossible and I Have big hands! Its just the old cliché. Keep practising!

[ubit]

Julia is certainly not someone with big hands and see how she has mastered this instrument. She is an inspiration!

 

 

[mcnach]

11 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Good girl! ...

Not meaning to be patronising if you know this stuff already -- but watching Tina, you'll see she plays the line with open strings where possible. i.e. she starts off with the open A, while this person:

(and many other players I might add) -- Plays it WRONG, by starting on the 5th fret of the E.

Using your open strings is important... yes, it might be 'easier' to get it sounding cleaner to begin with by always playing fretted notes (except the low E of course), but that's not the point... Tina plays it like that because it's 'proper'. And it sounds different. And she still plays it that way all these years later - even when she's drunk!

The genius James Jamerson used lots of opens too... well, he would do coming from playing the double bass in jazz bands... for one thing, fretless players use the open notes to check their intonation while they play... it's one of the reasons why 'fretters' respect them so much...

So, ideally, as you progress on the bass, we should get regular pictures of your 5th fret having no string marks on it (except for where the skinny G string goes, as playing that C is fine!). 😄

As I've nearly bored myself to death with all that -- I'll stop now... but will just add that it's difficult to know what your level is, musically... if you're already proficient on the piano and guitar, and a reader, you probably don't need any of my 'educational' posts! 😃

Always a pleasure 👍

 

Hmmm, not sure about that rule.

I avoid open strings in general unless I specifically want their sound (open strings sound different) or it's integral to the feel, like on Slither by Velvet Revolver, for example. Playing a note on the 5th fret, you have two ways to mute it, and they all sound slightly different. You only have one way with an open string. 

Use each position of any given note depending on the context. Open strings have their uses, but so do their equivalent on the 5th fret of the previous string.

 

 

 

 

[ubit]

We used to play this years ago. I am the singer as well as bass player and I found it much easier to play the A at the fifth. I never had the option of learning from YouTube  at the time but open strings are harder to control from ringing out, especially for a beginner who isn't used to muting. It's all down to taste I suppose. If you want to be playing it note for note with the real thing then fair enough but I prefer playing what I find easier.

[linear]

11 minutes ago, mcnach said:

 

Hmmm, not sure about that rule.

I avoid open strings in general unless I specifically want their sound (open strings sound different) or it's integral to the feel, like on Slither by Velvet Revolver, for example. Playing a note on the 5th fret, you have two ways to mute it, and they all sound slightly different. You only have one way with an open string.

 

This sounds like dangerous thinking.  It's important to play open strings every now and again so that the nut doesn't feel left out and the frets get a bit of a rest.

[Trueno]

54 minutes ago, mcnach said:

 

Hmmm, not sure about that rule.

I avoid open strings in general unless I specifically want their sound (open strings sound different) or it's integral to the feel, like on Slither by Velvet Revolver, for example. Playing a note on the 5th fret, you have two ways to mute it, and they all sound slightly different. You only have one way with an open string. 

Use each position of any given note depending on the context. Open strings have their uses, but so do their equivalent on the 5th fret of the previous string.

 

 

 

 

This! Absolutely... 100%

 

[Ricky 4000]

3 hours ago, mcnach said:

Hmmm, not sure about that rule.

I didn't make a rule.

3 hours ago, mcnach said:

I avoid open strings in general unless I specifically want their sound

Fair enough, but I don't feel that's good advice to a new player starting off. It would be limiting. Perhaps in a similar way to a guitarist playing only bar chords.

3 hours ago, mcnach said:

Use each position of any given note depending on the context. Open strings have their uses, but so do their equivalent on the 5th fret of the previous string.

Agreed. But that's not the same as "I avoid open strings in general unless I specifically want their sound".

[pepsi-abi]

7 hours ago, ubit said:

We used to play this years ago. I am the singer as well as bass player and I found it much easier to play the A at the fifth. I never had the option of learning from YouTube  at the time but open strings are harder to control from ringing out, especially for a beginner who isn't used to muting. It's all down to taste I suppose. If you want to be playing it note for note with the real thing then fair enough but I prefer playing what I find easier.

thats true! i found that i got a lot of ringing so i switched to play it on the E string and it sounded a lot clearer, once i know how to mute open strings then i can switch between the two

[pepsi-abi]

11 hours ago, ubit said:

Julia is certainly not someone with big hands and see how she has mastered this instrument. She is an inspiration!

 

 

thank you so so much! all your comments give me a lot more hope lol