How to Teach Yourself to Play Bass in 9 Steps

[@deppwaswho]

Hello everyone! I just wanted to clarify a few things I've seen cropping up in the comments: 1) Totally messed up the steps. Forgot about step 1 and instead there are two step 2s. My mistake! 2) Learning piano certainly accelerated the process but I truly believe even if I didn't have that background, I would've still gone through the exact same journey. I think it's alike learning Cantonese being a native speaker of Mandarin - you'd definitely learn it faster than a native English speaker but the process is largely the same, just condensed. 3) 6 hours a day was when I was in high school - I definitely don't have that amount of time at my disposal any more! 4) Learn theory, don't learn theory; use tabs, don't use tabs - it doesn't matter! This is just what I think is a relatively accessible method to learn the bass by yourself and the journey I went on to becoming a 'self taught' bassist. Having said that, I do think that having to teach yourself theory/musical notation on top of having to teach yourself a new instrument may be a little intimidating and act as a barrier to getting started. At first, all I really wanted to do was jam with my favourite tunes ASAP! But in the long run I'd certainly steer towards using ears/hearing and building a better musical foundation. Ultimately, you do you!

[@williammorales6814]

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[@riceski]

I am working with a no fret bass I didn't know when I purchased it but that's OK I intend to get a freted Glarry learners bass soon. Meanwhile I enjoy playing but no frets is giving me fits. Is there a way to shorten the length of time it takes to get comfortable with zero frets? Thanks

[@hilliardgreene8567]

@@riceski Do you have the dots on your neck? If so trying to get the harmonics to sound where the dots are may be helpful in identifying what the notes are.

[@anthonygrant9879]

What is a tab ?

[@CEley]

Emerge Restless

[@wiggipedia]

53 year old here, taking up bass for the first time. I don't have to be concert level, just want to learn to play. Never too old.

[@DarralGrady-mx8uj]

Same here I'm 62 first bass also

[@malcolmbennett3907]

I agree. Never too old. I took up bass last year and I'm 70 now. I took the Beginner to Badass (BassBuzz) course to get the general idea. I now challenge myself with KZbin songs getting gradually more difficult. Currently attempting Hysteria by Muse. Might take a while but I will get there.

[@mandyfitch8969]

I started at 54. 57 now and I’m in a cover band. We have so much fun!

[@jeffallmond5030]

I've found my group!

[@CO-OPNEWS-wn9us]

Carpe diem

[@adriellejodoin2757]

I was getting a bit discouraged as a woman with small hands learning the bass when all the tutorials and lessons online feature men with giant hand spans effortlessly handling 3 frets at once. Its so epic to see a woman like me who taught herself the bass and is clearly lacking nothing in technique or execution. You're awesome and I hope to learn more from your videos on my bass journey!

[@i.cant.sleep.anymore]

My brother has been primarily the one teaching me to play bass and i complained about how i just cant reach the frets, but he said that he had that issue too, its because your fingers are not used to extending ao far out. He showed me some exercises to build muscle memory for it (im sure you can find it on KZbin). So its not a matter of having big or small hands (a lot of men have tiny hands, so gender is not important here) just need to build up the discomfort in your hands. You can do it!!!

[@spacesloth6496]

Listen to band morphine , watch you tube he played 2 string flatwound string bass plectrum and uses a slide Njoy 11:27

[@bleb54]

@adriellejodoin2757 If you have short arms and small hands-get a SHORT SCALE BASS-32 inch scale or a 30 inch scale. I play bass and learned on short scale bass ( 30 inch GIBSON EB-3 ) epiphone makes a great copy of it.

[@TrashYacht]

If you want more female bass, my favorite Julia Grooves. She's sooooo good and I believe she's also self taught

[@sweetjohnny8211]

Check out Ellen Plays Bass. She will make you feel better about your hands and reinstall confidence in what you can do with a bass.

[@SamasakiXBL]

"Learning bass is a lifelong process." I really needed to hear that. I've been playing bass for a year, coming up at the end of March. I think I was looking for shortcuts, watching all these advice videos and I think I found the advice I was looking for. As long as I keep playing, it's just time. Thanks for that. :) Also 6 HOURS A DAY LOL I'll stick to my hour a day and random inspiration sessions

[@andrewhigdon8346]

Time is the name of the game.

[@tintomara6209]

The best way to learn is form a band with a bunch of you that are all at a similar level and just jam for hours...

[@bassforkids4504]

Study theory right from the beginning along with ear training.Everything will come easier,faster and make complete sense.Instead of just copying songs and going through the finger motions, you'll be able to create your own interesting bass lines in a much faster time.You'll know exactly what to play when a fellow musician hands you a chord chart to an original song.

[@peterkelly8357]

@@bassforkids4504 and learn to read notation.

[@archkull]

@@peterkelly8357 this is so important that so many guitar/bass players put off tbh tabs will only get you so far

[@sarahsmile2883]

I’m 39 and just started learning the bass. Never too old to learn something new:)

[@izachi-chan2432]

You're gonna do great!

[@kqyl33]

how is it going?

[@aeaeaea1226]

How is it going??

[@Sarah83_loves_bass]

Oh that gives me a lot of hope 😅👍🏻 Will turn 40 this year, I play a little of accoustic guitar, but I wanted to learn bass forever 🎶🤟🏻 So now I'm going for it, never to old to learn sth new 👍🏻 Greetz from Germany 🇩🇪

[@Sarah83_loves_bass]

@@marnicvm oh your English is great, no worry 👍🏻 I'm belgian too, my family lives near Zomergem 🇧🇪 Went to Germany in 2008 for my work and my husband ❤️ But Belgium will always be my HOME ❤️🇧🇪❤️

[@tenbinzamt3795]

YOUR PINK BASS IS WHAT IVE BEEN DREAMING OF SINCE I STARTED PLAYING its beautiful omg

[@malimillions]

Same!

[@ncxymj8182]

Exactly

[@davesatterfield3892]

Pink is my favorite color~~~~~~ kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJfFc6R4hLiLorc

[@musenw8834]

That's if you want a music man stingray for life lmao

[@IdaNapieraa]

what model is that?

[@Carlparishhonda]

I taught myself to play bass during the 1960s. I didn't play that fast style like you are playing now. We played music from the 1940s to the 1960s. Unfortunately the Vietnam War broke up our band. I remember playing in talent shows in Chicago with the Jackson Five, Earth Wind & Fire and Chaka Khan. We were all amateurs. However you play extremely well.

[@codycat6]

im sorry about the band having to break up. those seem like wonderful memories tho :)

[@thedjsdaughter]

THATS SO COOL

[@cameryn7811]

wowww carl thats so cool!!!!

[@YheWebb_]

whaaaat that is super cool

[@gracebrb]

mfs just come on the internet to lie

[@shetakii]

Yep, she's officially my bass mom from now on.

[@deppwaswho]

Yes i've been on youtube for so long i definitely feel like an old soul! seeing all the fresh talent take over youtube is so exciting though

[@PookBidault]

@@deppwaswho Please!

[@blanketwarrior4761]

But who’s the father

[@HasanWarrior]

You played classical piano for 11 yrs. You’re coming from a whole different vantage point. You had an accomplished ear already so though your advice is ok, it’s kind of misleading for a ‘true’ beginner. Most beginners’ ears are nowhere near developed enough to pick up a song anytime soon.

[@chrisoglevoiceover]

@@HasanWarrior That attitude is a solid way to become horrible at anything. How many great bass players started out playing classical piano? Almost none? Then why would that be a requirement for you to become a good player?

[@mihantan8619]

dude hearing people say they taught themselves how to play that instrument gives me soo much hope idk why

[@endlesshope1108]

I honestly did not think being self taught in an instrument would take 5+ years to actually learn how to play like how I WANT to play this is around my 1st year of learning the bass by myself and this video is very inspiring

[@merimakkara6069]

Idk how I'm already ok in this, i have played for 2 weeks and it doesn't sound horrible

[@yin8079]

Bass is usually easy to start but you've probably hit the skill wall since you commented this

[@philmahoiters9982]

@@happycamper8888 it might not take very long to get good when you play along with music but it definitely takes years to be able to play confidently without a leading track

[@r3b0rn80]

@Myyshadow : 6 hours a day is what a music student should achieve at minimum. But for a normal person, who actually has job and spends min 8 hours at work (not counting time spent inside traffic), and 8 hours sleeping, it leaves you with little time… For a committed beginner, Two hours sounds more like reality (one hour training, one hour having fun). Just saying…

[@cheeseburger5716]

How’s it going now?! :D

[@jenimichelle]

I’ve been telling myself for the past few years I’m gonna learn the bass, and I’m always so scared to just do it....this video definitely gave me the guts to just start playing. 🖤

[@tomgiles1484]

Jeni Michelle What's to fear? There's nothing scary about playing the bass. Follow Nike's advice: Just Do It. In life, we tend to regret more the things that we didn't do than the things we did.

[@ccastillo36540]

Did u start playing bass

[@hubriswonk]

are you playing??????????????

[@RHL2321]

I was the same but I finally went nope I'm doing it and I've been playing for a couple of months now, still really fresh as I haven't been practising as much as I'd like to but I am doing lessons and just remembering this is for me! To have fun, to jam and to even further enjoy the music I already love! You got this girl, go for it!

[@IsraelAgyemanPrempeh]

Did you end up doing it?

[@glickmpb]

Just saw this. Im 50 and have been playing since I was 15. I had ZERO knowledge when I started and couldnt even tune my bass. I bought a bass because I started listening to Iron Maiden and didn't even know what the sound was I liked, because Steve Harris is a monster. Anyway, I tried taking lessons and they got me nowhere. They were boring and the teacher even had be sitting in the room with another older lady who was learning how to play for her church band! Some of the guys I started hanging around with were already musicians so they kind of pointed me in the right direction. I started learning a lot of Iron Maiden by ear by just sitting there trying to figure out the notes, so you can say I am ear trained as well. I then started branching off to other music I liked and was playing with a band in bars at 17. Later on, I wanted to learn how to slap. I bought a book with audio record, thats RECORD, of a guy who was really good. It had all the notes written out but I got the most from the actual record. I went for some more lessons because I wanted to learn how to slap and brought a tape of that record with me. The instructor told me I was slapping and plucking way to hard and was trying to show me the "proper" way to do it. Once he kind of showed me the proper technique, I was listening to the tape I brought in and he left for a bio break. He came back, heard me slapping and was like, "was that you!?" The rest is history...

[@zanevanniekerk9723]

Inspiring

[@390Dovahkiin]

Thank you! I am learning to play the bass and this has been very inspiring for me. I'm still having a lot of trouble with the slap and I feel like I'm not capable, but after reading this,I'm going to give myself an intensive training Could you give some advice or recommend some guide? I hope you keep playing for a long time! thank you again!

[@glickmpb]

@@390Dovahkiin The very best advice I can give you is to keep trying to play music you like to play. It is THE BEST advice you will ever get. Playing is fun, so try to play whatever music you like to play! Also, you can KZbin pretty much any Iron Maiden song like want to play and someone will show you how to play it on bass! NEVER EVER give up and play for fun. You will be blown away when you cross a certain threshold and it "just comes" to you. Good luck! :)

[@BubblesHughes]

Omg Iron Maiden is my fave band oat. Bought a bass at 30 years old. It was too heavy for me so I was like meh. Now at almost 50 myself my hubby is a guitarist for 40 years. He bought me a new bass and amp. Here I am plucking away on AC/DC. I'm hooked. Great story!!!

[@tycobb8974]

I'm 48 and just got a bass 2 months ago. I played trombone from 5th grade throughout college. I can read music but decided I would try to teach myself. It's slow going though.

[@Duvstep910]

"Learn simple songs" *me trying to learn Korn's self titled album*

[@CameronKujo]

Me trying to do any metal song that has a bass guitar in it

[@celsteribeiro]

i’m trying to play muse hysteria

[@kmp101]

Iron Maiden - Alexander The Great.

[@kckillakrack9714]

Learning songs is the worst way. Memorize where the notes are. Learn scales. Get a metronome and drum machine the rest is just doing it everyday for at least an hour. In 45 played bass since I was 13. The only thing that gets better with time is technique and the harmonics of your notes

[@toppy4525]

Orion - Metallica Hysteria - Muse Master of Puppets - Metallica Are what I’m trying to learn and I only got my own bass like 2 weeks ago.

[@hannahvandalen992]

hi! im hannah and im 12 years old, i really love the instrument bass. the reason why i started playing, is because my dad plays guitar and i wanted to try it too! we went to a music and instrument store and i saw somone playing on a bass. it sounded really cool! i asked my dad ¨what instrument is that?¨ he said ¨oh, thats a bass guitar!¨ i said ¨this is on my christmas list now!¨ and they got me a real fender! since then i played every day and i saw this video! this really helped me and i belive i play much better now! thank you for these tips!

[@pyotrilyichtchaikovsky3733]

Dont ever get rid of that bass. There is nothing better than a real fender that has age. And it being your first bass and a present from your parents also makes it a nice keepsake. Definetely keep it. A lot of people get bored from their first bass and get rid of it. Dont

[@roflmao5642]

Remember to never get rid of your first bass. Especially a fender

[@lifeaschance3]

🤘🏾

[@TheSabatuer]

Thats amazing, your dad is sooo cool! You guys should ccheck out guitarsmith and play together. Im sure music is a great way to bond with family! Wish i had parents that player and instrument

[@Khangle0]

As a classically trained guitarist myself, I recently decided to abandon the majority of what I've learned and just dive in blind into the world of bass guitar. I've been at it for about a year now and I resonate strongly with the advice in the video. Keep up the amazing groove, I look forward to your future videos.

[@musenw8834]

Hey actually some skills from classical 🎸, especially rest stroke technique, is central to classic bass playing. So that's good

[@ContentCreatorClair]

49 year old here. Started playing and learning bass in April last year. I am able to play along with tabs, now practising speed and accuracy. Thinking about joining a band later this year.

[@sonnenscheinsommer4754]

Buying good headphones is maybe also very important. I just bought me new headphones, not expensive at all but very good and I hear now details of bass lines, I didn't hear before because the headphones before on the one hand made nice sound and volume but didn't seperate sound elements so precisely, like the new ones. I hear now much more details.

[@Waggel86]

This. No need to go deep into the audiophile rabbithole but a decent pair is a must have. Can be in- or over ear, as long as the frequency response is reasonably flat and they provide enough separation. Of course listening to the highest quality audio source possible is important as well. A low bit rate mp3 sounds bad no matter how good the headphones are.

[@awesomekid8922]

Whats the name of the headphones?

[@Waggel86]

@@awesomekid8922 Beyerdynamic DT 990 as my main set of cans. Sennheiser HD598 as a reserve, it's a bit to boomy for bass practice. It does make guitar sound nice and full. They aren't cheap but will last forever if you take care of them. I bet there are cheaper options but I don't know if any.

[@bigo1053]

I'm 65, retired, and I have a bass, nothing but time on my hands, so watching your video was inspiring. I know I'll never be on tour but I'm just hoping to carry a tune! My favorite bass player is Gary Thaine, of Uriah Heep! I'm an oldie! Rock on! GBPT 🇺🇸🙏

[@petermusto3704]

I'm 67, and I bought a brand new 1960 Fender American Vintage Series 11 Precision Bass . I am on a 'rest of my life journey to master the Bass. Your testimony inspired an old guy like me. You sound great!

[@polygonalmasonary]

I’m 64 and just starting out with bass too 👍🇬🇧🙏

[@pomegranatepip2482]

Awesome - give it horns!

[@Macabre.Marionette]

I've been playing for 2 weeks. I've found Chevelle to have a lot of simple and fun songs to learn. I do 3-10 min practices everyday of scales. It's been so fun

[@joaniepeters2565]

That’s awesome!! That’s the trick learning fun songs and also writing fun simple songs too right now. But you’re going to be surprised on how well you start learning the fret board with just practicing any type of scales for a few minutes a day or even 30 minutes a week, and developing better dexterity. And then you can move to playing simple bass chords, don’t worry about it now but later if you start learning simple chords on bass your going to start seeing the patterns with these scales on the fret board and that’s what will enable you to create awesome “bass lines” and believe it or not licks. My playing went to a whole new level once I learned chords (even though I don’t really use them too much while playing with an ensemble)

[@joaniepeters2565]

Oh yeah and start playing the scales your learning now in 2 octaves (keep playing the scale past the 1st high octave all the way to the 2nd highest octave) you will immediately starting using the whole fret board once you get comfortable doing that. And then most exciting thing: modes (playing each note in the scale you are playing to that notes octave: each note in the major scale has its very own scale, just play it 7 notes until you get to the octave). I know that sounds like a lot but 1.playing scales in 2 octaves 2. Figuring out simple chords and then 3. Learning the modes will make you as proficient as the best players very simply and very quickly, and after about a year you will have more fun playing bass than you could of ever imagined

[@JazzyFuriousDestroyer]

"step 0: get a bass" *my dad taught himself to play the piano by drawing keys on a piece of cardboard* Edit: My dad then taught me and now I play jazz piano at the age of 16

[@mesook8953]

That’s wild. The level of musical genius

[@cardinalwilson8034]

I was taught like in my music class back when i was elementary since the school in our village couldn't afford a piano. I worked at the cruise ship as a vocalist/keyboardist.

[@joshuaadelaja9996]

I am not mentally capable of believing this.

[@itoshiterumaki]

I did the same, and I learned playing bass on a guitar

[@cubeography]

yo we were taught how to play piano with a piece of paper since there were only like 1 piano and 3 keyboards in the high school music room

[@OffhandDelivery]

i started as a guitar player, self taught, never paid any attention to any proper way of things. 25+ years, learnt a handful of songs early on, but then discovered jamming, learnt to play by ear, even tho i couldnt tell you exactly "what" i was playing, i could jam with anyone. Now im coming back full circle and trying to learn songs again, trying to learn to play bass better, some theory, etc.. and just sort of putting some order to the chaos. Its been great coming back around again to learning new stuff, (now with well trained ears) But i gotta say, its also humbling when you've played for 20 some years but realize i still have SOOOO much to learn. Watching this video, and seeing how talented youve become has given me new hope. thanks

[@tintomara6209]

Once upon a time, most rock musicians were self taught...

[@HillVillageDragon]

Great video! I’m self-taught myself, but made the fatal error of listening to some bad advice from many of my heroes which was, “I don’t know anything about music theory, so you don’t need it”. I tried learning virtually everything by ear, and it got me nowhere. It took many years and a hefty dose of humility for me to finally sit down, learn the notes on the neck, memorize scale shapes, practice my chords, and get over a personal hang-up about learning cover songs before I finally started seeing progress. I finally learned how to read music a year ago, and it opened up SO many worlds for me! Only now am I seeing the fruits of my labor, and I’m very content with how things have gone.

[@GWGuitarStudio]

My path to bass was way different. I was a proficient guitarist in the high school jazz band. Our bass player graduated and there was no one to replace her. I had to switch over to bass. The school rented a bass for me and I practiced over the summer. I had to learn to read bass clef and FAST walking bass lines that were written out. I also had to learn how to improvise walking lines over jazz changes. This was pre-Internet times, no KZbin. TABs weren’t even invented yet! By the October concert I could play well enough to survive. It was about six months of woodshedding. I continued to work through the winter. At the end if that (my senior) year, I received the school’s jazz award. It still is a proud moment in my memory, more than 40 years later.

[@vgsounds23]

you wanna know how I learned bass? Around a year and a bit ago, I was the lead singer in a band with some friends. We were a band of 4, guitar, bass, drums, and me. I'm a pretty good singer, so I was good with this. Well, one day, the bassist got bored I guess and he wasn't the nicest guy anyway, so he just didn't show up to practice anymore. When we found this out, we had a performance in about a month. So, being the masochist I am, I picked up the Bass, and because I have perfect pitch, I quickly figured out the theory and started playing. and it was at that moment I realised that A) I have lil' baby fingies that blister real bad, and B) this is super fun. So fast forward a year, I am in a different band as the bassist, playing around grade 5 level. It also got me into guitar, and it has snowballed into me now playing and practicing music for about 3 hours a day, every day. Moral of the story, doesn't matter how old you are, where or why or how you first start playing bass. You being able to even play basic stuff is a valuable skill. Most genres need a bass, and Jazz needs bass more than it needs guitar. Yet, everyone wants to learn Guitar. You're a musical commodity. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, and keep practicing.

[@jaytb2005]

Damn, bass players are so cool. I wish I had a bass guitar.

[@camkretz]

Idk if you’ll see this but go for it, I was thinking the same thing about a year ago I got a used bass and an amp and it’s been lots of fun first instrument I’ve learned but it’s been really fun

[@sebastianvega4576]

do it. buy a used squire and let it set up if you can at a luthier. should not cost you more than 200 euro (sorry if that is not your currency, you can work it out, i am sure). you can even skip the amp for starting, i play my bass often unplugged. you only really need an amp if you are jamming. and more often than not, the people you are jamming with do have amps. if you do not turn the amp all the way up, you can also use a guitar amp. just be sure to not go over half the gain and volume and the guitar amp will be just fine. computers can also substitute for an amp. you only need a audio interface which can be bought for only several bucks and will do just fine for starters. there are tons of youtube beginner tutorials which will get you covered for years if you want to. just be aware, if you do not play guitar, that it will hurt your fingers at first and it will feel kinda uncomfortable. that goes away with time, just stop if you have pain and try again the next day. try to be relaxed and train all your fingers at your left hand (yes, even the pinky). for me, the bass just sparks creativity. i am coming from nylon guitar and i always treated my playing like i was a jukebox. learned and memorized a song and played it back. for some reason, on the bass, i just improvise for the most part or try to figure out bass lines by ear. that opened up a whole new world to me. now i am using music theory to have more ideas what could sound good together and i am able to just sit down (now even with the guitar or at the piano) and play something halfway decent out off thin air :) that was always my dream and i am getting closer and closer :) keep it up. it will take some time but it is so worth it.

[@jaytb2005]

@@sebastianvega4576 It's not about my personal choice right now. Rn my family doesn't have a lot of money Edit: My brother borrowed a bass from the school a few months ago and I learned Vulfpeck Speedwalker on it before we returned it!

[@jaytb2005]

@@camkretz It's more about the money than my choice. But thanks so much for the advice!

[@sebastianvega4576]

@@jaytb2005 i am sorry to hear that. hopefully better times will come for you and your family. you will find a way, i am sure. an musical instrument is still a luxury good. other things are more important. still wish for you, that you can get a bass at some point.

[@troublingleaf]

Quick tip from a guitarist (who's about to start learning bass) on learning the notes on the fretboard. Learn the marked frets, that's all you need. You can easily fill in the rest, my advice is learn the 5th fret first, because it's easiest, that's another way to tune your bass, 5th fret on the E string is A, 5th fret on the A string is D, 5th fret on the D string is G, then it goes to C, so on a guitar you'd be using the 4th fret, but hey, you don't have a B string (unless you have a 5 string or whatever, so who cares) that's literally just your tuning. On a guitar, you'd then have to go 4th fret to get to the B, but this is a bass so you don't have to worry about that. After that look at the octaves, so 3rd fret on the E string is a G, which is the same as the 5th fret on the D string and so on. It's so much easier to memorise when you're not trying to count your way through the notes!

[@richarddragon9781]

I've played guitar off and on for 20 years. Damn I just realized It's been 20 years since I started playing guitar. I'm not the best or the worst. But I'm digging bass in my late 30's. I always wanted to pass guitar on to my daughter, but seeing you I'm going to buy her a bass.

[@deppwaswho]

Good choice! This is my favourite comment, thanks for sharing

[@mannyjamz]

Great, I bought my first bass 10 days ago and tonight I'm rehearsing and playing a show tomorrow night! I had to learn 12 songs and now today will determine if I'm ready for tomorrow but I feel like I will be able to pull it off for sure. One thing I recommend in my bass learning journey is exercises do help a lot and learning jazz too. Wish me luck tonight and tomorrow fingers crossed! Good tips playing Piano will help immensely that's the next instrument I want to learn.

[@StealthGunRunner]

I feel like knowing some theory is important enough to be before playing by ear. Because a basic knowledge level can make a practiced amateur sound a lot better, and you can figure out what you're playing by ear a lot easier if you know what notes you're playing.

[@rafadenadai1651]

Tomorrow i'll buy my very firt bass, with some money help from my uncle (most part), and I am SO excited!!!! I think this video helps me and I hope by the end of the year I can play all Marceline's songs!! Who would tell a cartoon that I loved as a child would make me buy a bass because of a vampire queen

[@aferretinarollsroyce7306]

How is it going so far!!?

[@TommyLeeDepp]

So glad you're still making videos, you've improved a lot! I remember watching you and DavidSinRocks (he should've kept that name IMO) back in 2011 before I even had my own channel haha :D Keep it up, 100k subscribers soon!

[@deppwaswho]

Even though I physically ‘cant’ play bass now i still try to get involved in different ways! Thanks for the support always tommy and belated congrats on 400k subs!!! You deserve it!

[@fivehundred4899]

@Rascal E. Varmint не умничай

[@swevven5647]

her and her room are the 2 coolest things ive seen this year

[@rradiosilencee]

I started playing in August 2019 and I totally agree with every thing you're saying!! I used to play upwards to 5 hours a day. I'd come home from school at 5-6 pm and play until midnight. I would tell my friends how badly I wanted to play bass at school haha. Ever since quarantine my practise has dropped by A LOT. i hope to play more this year hehe

[@hermiony56]

this is the nicest and most genuine music teaching video ive seen bc for some reason theyre all strict and want to make everything exactly the same but this was definitely more open and mindful

[@anhkhoanguyenuc2833]

It's just me or the Blue guy is having fun with that Teddy Bear in the background?

[@pomegranatepip2482]

It’s just you. lol.

[@curlygirlzrock8433]

Girllll wow! I learned piano and played for 15 years. Still play. But I couldn’t believe you play without knowing the notes. Hella encouraging!

[@JasonRennie]

"My situation might be different since I'm a classically trained pianist." ROFL! Yes, that explains a lot :)

[@SavvySaxy]

I absolutely LOVE the idea of making a playlist of what you can play and just doing that on repeat - I play saxophone too and have learned songs like Toxic by Britney Spears and Just the Two of Us by Grover Washington but I never can remember ALL the songs that I have played and this would help me so much for both bass and saxophone :)

[@sonnenscheinsommer4754]

Step 5, playing a lot, like 6 hours a day. Oh my god, if you have a full time job and (young) kids, you can play maximum 1 hour a day...

[@brandon2893]

When she said the amount of time I was like WOW. I can barely get 30 minutes in with a job and a teenager at home. But its worth it over time.

[@santiagoleaf3093]

Consistency is key! even if its just a little bit every day, you will see a lot of improvement. Just sneaking 20, 30 min chunks of practice here and there in between your daily routine, will help a lot. Dont underestimate the power of those little practice sessions as smal asl they might be, they really add up.

[@och70]

Put out a couple bowls of food and water, get a litterbox. The kids will figure it out, you're not giving them enough credit.

[@cactustactics]

Well really she was saying you have to make time to practice, not that everyone can put in 6 hours! She just picked up the bass when she was young and she spent most of her free time playing it Like Santiago says, just making a bit of time every day (even 10 minutes) will help you improve a lot - having more time helps obv, but if you can be more focused about your practice you can work with less. Exercises do help, especially with a metronome to keep you honest and push yourself bit by bit

[@pat2100]

That's why I work nights, I play bass all day work at night repeat

[@moisesgomes6191]

I play drums and have a bass standing in the corner of my room for like 5 years. I tried learning it, but was too focused on exercises and drills. Even though I have fun doing this with drums, it's not really my thing with bass. I started out my learning journey 3 days ago and can play already an entire song, it's simple but I feel motivated to keep going. Therefore, I totally second what she says at 4:30.

[@littlebirdy202]

A lot of great advice in this video! One suggestion I would throw in there: It's very helpful to learn to properly care for and maintain your instrument, to make it play better and make playing it more enjoyable. I think anybody can learn how to change strings and do a basic setup of their instrument (truss rod adjustment, bridge saddle adjustments, setting the pickup height). There are good tutorials online, and many instruments come with instructions from the manufacturer too.

[@FredFloresca]

I've seen your video before and rewatching it for several times. This is great material and information and I will take it to heart and just play! Many thanks!

[@robertcanedo7607]

I have about 20 months of learning the acoustic guitar, and now want to apply myself to learning Bass. I don't think my age (73) will be much of hinderance; so here goes! Thanks for your info.

[@JayZed-tl5bc]

I’m not trying to cheeky, nor am I encouraging any substance use, but my journey to becoming a good bass player started the first time I got really baked around 17 years old. That night, my mind allowed me to listen to music and hear bass lines as if they were almost isolated in the mix…and from that day forward, my ears remained adjusted as such. The more you listen to bass guitar, in the context of a song, the more your subconscious remembers the grooves and lines you hear. That knowledge stays banked away until you develop some technique and begin PLAYING WITH OTHER MUSICIANS. That’s how you develop confidence, develop chops, and ultimately, develop your style. To me, that’s the greatest personal achievement for a musician.

[@tinfoilhat1417]

This is a pretty good video and is essentially the path I took to teaching myself bass. The only thing I would change is the theory part. I believe that music theory should be learned in as early as the tabs stage as it lays the ground floor for intermediate and advanced musicianship. knowing basic stuff like major/minor scales, what a root note is, and the notes on the lower register of the fretboard will boost your progress a lot. On top of that you learn the very fundamentals of improvisation and jamming with a band. Its always really annoying when the guitarist or the bassist rocks up to practice and doesn't know what a scale is. Other than that, this is a really good guide/video to get started on your journey to playing bass. edit: also jamming and creating is built off of the fundamentals of music theory.

[@KevyJBeatzBangerzfromBelow]

Extremely helpful! Imma self taught keyboardists that pick up bass runs faster than chords by ear. Been doing that for over 30 years. I just got my 1st cheapy bass because when the “number system “ finally clicked in my brain, I feel I can do this! This was inspiring! Thank you!

[@MyKingJesus1]

Self-taught bassists unite!

[@crev1018]

This was very inspiring, thank you. My grandpa gave me one of his old 5 strings years ago and Ive only learned a couple songs but now I want to get more serious about it!

[@ChinchiyaArrakena]

Thank you a lot. I'm 49 yo and still practicing and learning bass. This steps works for me! I'm glad to discover a new quest: to record my sound even when it sucks!

[@brunsomarrr]

How I knew I was going to listen to your advice: Your face from 0:31-0:35 😆 I can tell you really like playing, and you feel it. That's who I'm gonna listen to! Thanks for the great video.

[@adamhaskins4133]

I really like that you said not to get "too wrapped up in technique" I watched a Victor Wooten video earlier where he said 'Once you figure out what your hands are supposed to do, just start doing it. Playing the instrument will help you play the instrument.' So to play a couple hours, and come back and hear anOTHER person say that. Awesome. It really is all about how it feels. (As long as you don't pick up too many bad or harmful habits)

[@Aarona_TheVirgo]

Thanks! This was super helpful I play by ear also

[@deppwaswho]

Thank you! Im so glad it helped!

[@CaptainValian]

It is great to see someone progressing. Very often I watch youtube and most are really good players (you are now). I have 160 hours on the bass and I practice 6 days a week for an hour. I have a disability (FND- Functional Neurological Disorder) so I actually took up bass as it was part of my bucket list. The economy of process is so cool, I have been progressing and getting songs I couldn't even think about. I have been trying to find a teacher but not much luck yet but I will persist. So, just want to say thank you in showing your development. It gives me hope.

[@choimdachoim9491]

In 1966 I began 5 years of college as a Music Composer and 5 years later I began the life-long process of unlearning everything I was taught. Music comes out of people naturally and sometimes knowledge gets in the way of that natural musical expression. I don't try to be good at what I do, I just play and record what sounds good to me. I became interested in bass lines 12 years ago when I got to listen to a bass player practice every day and realized that the bass line is the foundation of almost all music, past and present. Nowdays the bass has become a great solo instrument and bass players are no longer the forgotten band-member. This is a great, unpretentious video for all beginners of any instrument.

[@RedVynil]

When I was starting to learn drums, I tended to go for the harder stuff, first and then the easy stuff wasn't a problem. I kinda did it that way with bass, too. Problem is, my life was about to start crumbling around me when I took bass lessons so, I just didn't have the time to learn the one song I've always wanted to play on bass, "Liner" by The Fixx. So, I ended up going for two lesser difficult songs, "Tissue Tigers (The Arguers)" by XTC and "Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink Dream" by King Crimson. When it came time for our finals, where each student had to play along with one song, I went with the XTC song and, from what I could tell, Colin sounded like he was using a 5-string bass but, all I had was 4-string and my first 5-string was on its way to me from eBay. So, I tuned the 4-string down to B E A D and learned the song that way. After I played it in the class, the teacher asked me something about why I played a D note on the E string. I told him that I tuned the bass down to B E A D to be able to do that and he gave me an instant A grade! He never expected I would've done that! sadly, a month after the class ended, my dad died of cancer and it was such a shock to me I completely forgot everything I'd just learned in the class. My life has been a living hell ever since, which is why I've never gotten around to starting to learn it again. I got my first drum in 4th grade and my first set in 5th grade. My parents decided to get me a tutor and, the stuff he was trying to teach me was SO BORING, and trying to read the sheet music for drums was NO fun at ALL and, after he'd been with me for a couple months, he told my parents that I'm already more advanced than he could teach me so, he was actually holding me back! I think this was because I'd been "playing drums" all of my life, either using my chest or tables, garbage cans, pots & pans with pencils for sticks, my dog's ass, for so long that, by the time I was 9, I already WAS a drummer before being tutored or even GETTING my first drum!! In my early 20's, I put together a cassette of the songs I'd love to learn and that were a lot of fun to play. Every so often, I'd put that tape on and play along with it, never missing a beat! By the time the tape was over, I was so wound up, I'd continue playing for another half an hour or so just making up shit as I went along, the very few times I actually did solos!! When I got into my band a few years later, I chose not to do solos! Through most of my 25 years with the band, someone would ask why I never did solos and a band mate would answer, "Because everything he does is a solo.". As for just getting started on a bass, we had a girl bass player after our original quit. She'd just recently become a fan and would come up (she lived a few doors away) to listen to us rehearse. She was still learning bass but, I talked the guys into giving her a chance, she took it and turned out to be one of the best bass players we ever had!! Sadly, 4 bass players later, we got another girl that was just learning the bass and I figured that, as Sharyn worked out great, Dana should do the same! We took her on and she ended up being the WORST bass player we ever had!! She NEVER learned her parts and even severely fucked up on stage!! Instead of her correcting herself to match what we were doing, she plowed ahead as if SHE was right and the rest of us were wrong and we all had to drop half a minute from the song to match up to her!! And, rather than learn her parts the way they were written, she'd play much cheaper versions and then make the piss-poor excuse, "I'm a different bass player!". No, you're a LOUSY bass player!! She also ruined the third album sessions and, before we could get around to replacing her, the band broke up.

[@wulfhartspirit]

You give great advice. I am self taught myself, but I have a few more years under my belt. I didn't have videos to watch, and the only way I could have recorded myself was with tape. I have been playing bass for 40 years now, and I did learn theory in collage back in the early 2000's. Not having videos to watch back in the day, I learned a lot from playing with guitarists. I got really good at watching fingers in the 90's. Only advice I would add to what you are teaching is to learn to play with a drummer. If you learn to quickly get into the pocket with a drummer you will go far. Love your video, and you are a very good bass player. Thank you for sharing.

[@wigglebenally]

I'm trying to learn like 3 instruments at once 😭

[@mxct_moon630]

That’ll be me once I get my drum set😬. But I’m sure if I put in the hours and learn songs and theory, I’ll get really good.

[@GrumpyStormtrooper]

Yeah definitely don't do that if you want to become any good at any of those instruments.

[@TackyHarmonica]

Same here 😬 probably gonna put one on hold for a while

[@hannahphillips7341]

@Ku Ro Mi pls violin is so hard. i’ve been playing for about 3 years and i’m still trash.

[@vis222]

Aaaaaa i see ur a man of culture aswell

[@joaniepeters2565]

You’re a great teacher!! One of the best I’ve seen as far as breaking it down step by step and then cohesively showing examples. I have been stealing voicing ideas from you on Dua Lipa, I came across your version while learning it. Very great cohesive bass player! Thank you!

[@rubensalazar4003]

Hello, I imagine that you have received hundreds of messages for this great video. I am 52 years old and you inspire me to continue learning and if it is true that what you mention that you practiced up to 6 hours is important to me because of time things, you know, family, work, etc. I only practiced for 1 hour in general and almost at night where sleep strikes but struggled to practice whenever and for as long as i can. I bought a Sterling but it came to Panama defective 😒 but I was able to repair it I started self-taught but I looked for a teacher because I felt I had to spend more time between finding errors but in general I congratulate you and thanks for the advice

[@jeffallmond5030]

This popped up in my KZbin feed today. I have been futzing with a bass for about six months, searching and watching other bassists, saving a bunch of of bass covers w/tabs, and just generally trying to get motivated. All this to say that your short video has to be the most inspirational yet, so thank you. I was making it more difficult by forgetting to have fun with it. However, I have discovered that I like the six string bass the best (it just feels better in my hands and I think it also just sounds better).

[@JohnFisk-OHS-78]

Wow! Huge thanks for this! I'm a lifelong pianist and keyboard player with deep envy for guitar & bass players. Don't get me wrong - a synth or piano is my comfortable place. I love what I do, but I'd like to do more. I think this is it. Also, totally agree with your Step 5. 10,000 hours. No getting around that one. You want to get good? You practice. A lot. As you allude to .. it can take dedication over many years to get where you want to be. Also, love your suggestion about learning to play by ear. My grandfather could sit down and improvise for hours. My mom could play nearly anything by ear and effortlessly transpose up or down the scale. I don't have their talent, but I've gotten enough to appreciate the freedom it gives. A good ear is invaluable. Best wishes and - again - _many thanks!_ J

[@heyfella5217]

I have close to no musical background, but I'm an illustrator so I'm used to practicing for many hours until your hand starts to feel like its on fire... the feeling of progress for many artists! This is like, a whole new universe for me haha. Its really fun though.

[@pat2100]

Been playing acoustic bass for about a year but I finally bought a electric 5 string cause I like soad, I'm definitely gonna start learning by ear I appreciate that tip

[@coyotecreekblues6935]

Wow... I would have never guessed you were a pianist before becoming a bass player. I am a guitarist that plays fingerstyle. I bought a bass and then found that I couldn't really play it and get the sound I wanted. Then I begin trying to demystify myself on the art of playing slap bass and kind of got hung up there. What your playing sounds really incredible and it is so interesting to see your journey and how you have progressed. It gives me hope that I can eventually get better.

[@Old_Man_Jay]

Just now discovered your channel after buying my first bass only 3 days ago. It's really inspiring watching your progress from years ago until now. I've been taking my bass literally EVERYWHERE and try to practice as much as humanly possible. I can only hope that one day I can get to the level that you're at and beyond. Subscribed.

[@Law-of-EnTropy]

Watching this assures me that I'm actually taking good enough little steps to learning the bass. I only learned playing two years ago and only practiced not even a quarter of that time. I just took some bass tabs, learned them then repeat. Didn't pay attention to technique nor even how to simply hold the bass. Indeed, those bad habits really did start biting back the longer I played as I experienced finger cramps and back pains at times. And bass tabs. One of the downside of bass tabs is it conditions you to look at your fret board as numbers instead of notes and that can really be limiting when trying to learn on your own. Nonetheless, I find them really useful as reference It's only this year that I actually picked up the bass and learn. My plucking is still crap and I only began using a pick properly but I guess that's all part of relearning these stuff. I started off by familiarizing myself with the fretboard. Whenever I play tabs, instead of thinking in numbers I think in notes. Doesn't matter if it slowed me down. There was a certain pattern to it and that made things easier. After that, I started looking at chord sheets of songs. Then I listen to the song side by side while I try to identify how the bass is playing in accordance to the chords and the rhythm of the song. That's how I started learning songs by ear. Then I started watching live performances of songs I want to play. I look at and listen to the bassist as much as I can to imitate the way they play. Now, I'm learning songs by ear with less help from tabs. I still use tabs and chord sheets, but only for reference at this point. One time, I covered all the songs in an album called "goblins are real" by Droodle. That was by far the best learning curve I crossed. I didn't have tabs nor sheets to help. All I had was ears and the patterns that I learned. And I was able to play all of them with my bass. So yeah, it's really nice knowing that I'm actually on track. So thanks for this video!

[@Darknaruto145]

Your such a blessing for giving us beginner song

[@SirStitchAlot]

Im so glad you included you early stuff makes me feel a lot better about myself

[@yikesyulisa]

This is so motivational! I recently got an electric guitar (I know it’s different from a bass) but anyway I know how to play piano & maybe my knowledge on piano could help me learn guitar. I went to school to learn piano but this time I can’t go to school to learn guitar & this video has made me realized that it isn’t impossible for me to learn something myself :)

[@fivehundred4899]

Не умничай

[@benas_st]

Hope it's going well!

[@RogerWeller-o5r]

I could never be as groovy as Scott Devine, he is phenomenal!!!!! You're awesome Scott love your playin' especially in your funky blues jazz band

[@RogerWeller-o5r]

Sorry just commenting on SBL add

[@onlinevideomasterypro]

I’m at Step 0 (but my bass is on order)! 😊 Thanks for putting this video together … I’ll follow your advice when my instrument comes in. ✌🏼

[@andysmusikwelt1562]

Thanks for this advice tutorial. In reading your clarify comments after watching the video, I kind of realized why I failed to learn the piano as a school boy, as I actually had to learn two new worlds simultaneously: musical notation, and an instrument that demands using your 10 fingers (more or less). Not being a "gifted child", I dropped it in frustration then. And guess what, later on I picked a bass guitar and learned to play it with joy by jaming along to my favourite records at that time and trying to get down the bass lines correct. Now I'm age 62 and having still fun to play the bass guitar in my leasure time. And it struck me just now in reading your point 4) below that "learning an instrument" the traditional way is actually like climbing two mountains at a time (the notes + the instrument). Never looked at it this way, just remembered it was "too hard for me" back then. It's like not seeing the forest because of the trees in front of you (laugh).

[@genusmecua]

Actually we are in the same situation in terms of playing an instrument without knowing the music theory at first. Me personally, I just knew a few music theory fundamentals upto this point of my 5th year of guitar playing journey. But I do already know how to play songs using earplaying, applying techniques on it, and the notes of my guitar. I just find myself inconsistent like I do not even practice some scales and improve my skills anymore because of my other priorities in life. Btw thank you for sharing your journey and for inspiring me and others.

[@emceequinzel9933]

I'm a newbie in bass and listening for the basslines of every song I listen to was the 1st stepping stone for me :)

[@realtalkwithphil]

I'm saving this video as a suggestion for anyone who asks me how they can start up learning Bass right away. 💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@tentakul7]

It's fun to see the subtle change in the bassface as your technique progressed :)

[@townsquarellc]

I was stuck in a funk recently, and your video really helped me go back through the steps and realize what I should be doing to hit that next level. Thank you. Your very fun to watch by the way I enjoy your videos.

[@BBQvibesLONGBOARDrides]

THANK YOU!!! This is SUPER helpful! Similarly I am a classically trained trumpet player and have recently started playing bass. I have extensive music and theory knowledge, but am now trying to apply what I know to bass. Thanks for sharing your journey!

[@paulocoelho558]

Hi Jasmie! I am stucked at step 0 ar the moment and I don't even know if I will have time to learn and practice bass... I think is nice that you learn so quickly.

[@JuanBautistaMadriz]

Thank you for your really nice and super positive advice on learning how to play the bass guitar. I just picked my bass at 55 and spending most of my summer vacations getting the hang of it (I am an elementary school teacher). I really enjoyed your comments and will take into consideration your suggestions. By the way, I would love to learn Mandarin some day. My native language is Spanish (I was born in Caracas, Venezuela) and I learned English in my teens when I lived in the USA in the 1980s (a great era for really cool music: Queen, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Duran Duran, Talking Heads...) Actually, I was an English teacher when I came back to Caracas and I also learned Italian. I hope I will be playing as good as you in a near future. Once again, thank you from Caracas!!!

[@mesook8953]

Just saw Hysteria in the easy list of songs and I’m like 😳

[@mattgreer3936]

yeah but honestly if u play it slow it’s pretty easy and has a simple rhythm, it’s just IMPOSSIBLE to play up to speed

[@TheHatMan02]

I just learned the first couple lines on my bass and it took me around 3 hours to get the jist of it and I got it 3 days ago for my birthday, granted I have been playing cello for 11 years before that so yeah

[@RickDanner]

step zero get a bass - Im stuck?

[@MostNormalKronie]

Me at 2024

[@anthonycaraffa2422]

Excellent video. So much of my personal progression in being a self taught bassist is directly in line with your advice. Thank you for the post. Keep up the great work. I really enjoy your playing .

[@freddylopez7536]

You are so magical. I love your playing and your generous methods of teaching are so inspiring. You're an angel. Thank you.

[@tr3sidential]

Thanks!

[@kenthwangdotcom]

So awesome, thank you for this! I like the idea of playing songs instead of exercises! I'm a drummer but my new bass is nicer to the neighbors ;)

[@fivehundred4899]

Не умничай

[@rickforshee6898]

I've been playing piano 40 years by ear. Self taught ect but I'm finally buying a Bass Guitar this weekend to learn a third instrument. (know accustic guitar a little) thank you again for your vids. I feel your passion for music. Bless you

[@eddiebaby22]

Being an accomplished pianist, does help tho 😊 You are a complete musician.

[@mrsdiss]

i've been wanting to play the base for such a long time, and kept making excuses not to. and today i finally said what the heck, and bought one. i'm so excited to get started!

[@nadia.w]

This is such a useful and encouraging video, thank you so much! It's inspiring seeing your progress and refreshing to hear you've not needed music theory to be as experienced as you are. Do you have any tips for avoiding injuries? There's no way I could practice for 6 hours, even 1 hour of playing causes my hands to burn! I've been playing for 11 months so maybe it gets easier with time :)

[@deppwaswho]

Hi! Im dealing with my own injuries at the moment and although they dont stem from playing bass they definitely affect it. I think as cliché as it sounds its just about taking rest when you need to and proper technique. Also over time your fingers will build callouses which will reduce the burn sensation.

[@nadia.w]

Hey! Thats reassuring to know; Bring on the callouses! So tricky to rest your hands when you need them for everything, especially working a desk job! I hope you’re able to heal quickly😊

[@laughing_clouds]

I got a bass from a thrift store the other day in pretty much perfect condition and me and my friend have been talking about starting a band and she already has a 6 string so now in learning to play my bass and we're one step closer to our band

[@Ghost2743]

10:04 This makes me feel so much better.

[@NeostormXLMAX]

One of the reasons why quit piano and violin to play the drum set since you didnt need to rely so much on sheet music

[@jon-claudevanjamme]

Yo you be rippin ! Love your funk, glad i came across you today

[@1okanaganguy]

What didn't get mentioned: the Stage is fast lane to growth as a musician.

[@va1kyre]

plan on saving up for a bass! This makes me feel much more confident in just starting!

[@TeohEH]

Feel like I mainly like step 0. Buying a new bass😂

[@KirkDickinson]

My favorite step too.

[@stegra_3377]

I recently found this after wanting to learn to play the bass I got from my mother soon after her passing. The one I have looks almost identical to the one you used in your beginner footage! Who would have known that my bass has a twin sister out there! Thanks as well giving some important tips. I'll be sticking to it for a long while.

[@Chiramisudo]

Step 5 is probably the best advice, but I would add that you have to listen to your recordings of yourself and critique it, then work on sections and experiment with how you might improve it both technically and artistically.