New to bass

[Coilte]

Don't neglect your technique.  If you have good...and just as importantly...safe technique...you will be able to play at your best, while at the same time minimising any potential injury problems. 

 

Look up "Floating Thumb" technique on Youtube as well as..."left/right hand technique for bass.

 

As Youtube video lessons go, I think this set of chronological ones is very good. It starts off VERY basic, but as a beginner that's what is needed.

 

Best of luck !!

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=music+college+bass+lessons

 

[Grimalkin]

21 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

 

A quote from Mr Berlin:

I simply cannot think of a single name in all of jazz where a metronome played any part in the developed sense of time.

That's all the reason I need to practice with a metronome. Jazzists never play on the beat anyway.

Metronome practice made a huge difference to my timing. Starting with scales then moving on to riffs with more interesting rhythm. 

 

Not your cup o' tea I suppose but probably the best tip I picked up back in the '90s on working with a metronome. Removing the reference gradually to reinforce internal time.

 

"If you can play with a metronome, going that slow, you should have no problem playing with a drummer."

 

He's not wrong:

 

26.32 - 27.42.

 

 

[Grimalkin]

2 minutes ago, Grimalkin said:

 

Not your cup o' tea I suppose but probably the best tip I picked up back in the '90s on working with a metronome. Removing the reference gradually to reinforce internal time.

 

"If you can play with a metronome, going that slow, you should have no problem playing with a drummer."

 

He's not wrong:

 

26.32 - 27.42.

 

 

 

The time slot is wrong though... 23.52 - 25.19

[miles'tone]

Welcome to the gang!

 

Please watch these 2 excellent vids so you don't end up hurting yourself unnecessarily. 

I wish youtube existed when I started learning!

Have fun! 🤘

Edited December 9, 2022 by miles'tone

[Phil Starr]

The Hal Leonard books are as good as it gets for a beginner. Like many I started off with those, There's so much on You Tube now too. I had several false starts with other instruments so here's a few things that helped me.

 

Practice every day I aimed for an hour but at first I didn't have enough to actually practice so it tended to be two sessions of half an hour.

 

Learn whole songs not just riffs or the bits you like. It forces you to address things you otherwise skip and as you get more and more songs under your fingers you start to understand why the original bassists chose to play that way. The first song you can play the whole way through along with the original is such a buzz  

 

Buy a decent bass and amp. You'll work harder if it sounds good and the bass feels right in your hands. It doesn't have to be fearsomely expensive, there are a lot of well made, reasonably priced basses and great sounding amps and if you buy used you can always get your money back when it's time to trade up.

 

Start playing with other people as soon as possible. Bass only really starts to make sense when you play with others. You'll probably be terrified for the first 10 minutes but then you'll have the biggest grin you've ever had in your life.

 

I'm a little bit jealous

 

[SteveXFR]

1 hour ago, Grimalkin said:

 

Not your cup o' tea I suppose but probably the best tip I picked up back in the '90s on working with a metronome. Removing the reference gradually to reinforce internal time.

 

"If you can play with a metronome, going that slow, you should have no problem playing with a drummer."

 

He's not wrong:

 

26.32 - 27.42.

 

 

 

That's a top tip. I'll be trying more of that.