Starting Your Journey On The Bass Guitar??? - TAKE ACTION NOW!!!

[@stephenbrooks1692]

Am 73 an just starting out in Bass Guitar. I do play trumpet. I think your 5 steps have connected a lot of music theory to the actual physical playing of any instrument, not just Bass, and made it easier for me to know how to apply what I already know, but in an orderly fashion to start my learning Bass. Thanks

[@glynnp42]

Having started studying classical guitar at 12, and continuing on to bass, keyboards, and drums, I agree about everything you just stated in this video. Learning the fretboard IS the most important thing. And learning to read and write music is equally important. I would have included that in this video. It really bothers me to know that most guitarists/bassists can't read music. That puts you way behind other musicians who play other instruments. If you watch "Get Back", the Beatles documentary, the first thing you can see, if you are a musician, is that they can't communicate easily on what they want musically in a song. If you can read music, it really opens doors of communication.

[@grant_r_d]

Hi mate, I wouldn't let it bother you :) It's just the way it is... Some people read and some people don't :) I can read and it has saved my butt on a number of occasions! - However, some people just don't need it in their skill-set... It depends on what the individuals goals are... And that's one of the reasons I left it out on this list :) Thanks for your comment and feedback.... I actually addressed the reading music thing in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/baXJf5eCr8qihck

[@piaten]

While I probably don't qualify for the beginner label anymore, I'm really glad I came across this video for one simple reason: My preferred method of learning songs for my cover band, is to listen, and make my own chord charts from ear, only looking up other resources after my abilities in this domain has been exhausted. Since all the other members of the band are tab-fanatics, the group pressure can sometimes be a pain. But you have given me renewed motivation to stick to my guns on this one!

[@grant_r_d]

Fantastic Stuff :) Good on you :)

[@cakesbyfoster]

Thanks for the great tips. I'm a singer by trade. I've always loved the bass. I learned how to play a few songs on the bass with tabs and someone showing me what frets to push against. I did this for 8 years or so. Now, at 61, I'm taking the time to learn the fret board and actually read notes on music sheet. It's challenging but it's something I really want to do.

[@grant_r_d]

That’s Great :) Yes leaning the fretboard correctly will certainly open up the instrument for you and make things easier as you progress :) All the best :)

[@PepitoMegaChocolato]

good advice! I am a bass teacher, and I would add a piece of advice to the list I give to my students: work and experiment with a looper (it can be a pedal, or simply a free and basic DAW). Nothing better to develop a sense of rhythm which is essential for the bassist, in addition to developing an awareness of the beat where we are in a measure when we play. It is essential to be fully aware of this. I have a lot of young bassists who are fans of Joe Dart from Vulfpeck, to encourage them I tell them that this bass player said during a master class that he spent a lot of time with a looper and a drum machine before playing in a band :)

[@AmandaCopeteShin]

I guess playing with a real drummer makes the same job as using backtracks. I have one at home (and we play on the same band) so it's easy to practice. Agree about the technique. When I started I was so lost, I've used the spider walk exercises to get used to it. I never thought not focusing on that would give you so much, like I mean… I was obsessed with the idea that "am I doing it wrong?" that on every forum people rant that you neeeeeeed to do it good on day 1. Men, It's just hard to start, forcing someone to have good technique + read music + know all the scales + blablaba. You got the idea haha About music, well… I've never been good with it. I've played diff instruments and I always lack reading sheets, maybe I'm just dumb. Really, I've wrote every note on the sheets because I couldn't follow them. I tried it again when on bass but it's like going back again, it's a bug on my brain. No matter how many times I went to music school, this never sticks. My advice: do something you like. If you like jazz, then do it. But just forcing to play jazz because "it sounds cool" or related, it's going nowhere. If you don't like that kind of music… For real, you're gonna hit a wall. I'm a rock / heavy lover but despite that, I feel blues / jazz / r&b has so much groove. No matter the style, with bass I found that everything can be interesting. Edit: I'm not good with sheets but I'm really good remembering sounds. So, one skill for the other 😂

[@grant_r_d]

nice one :) Good feedback :)

[@johnlax22]

Great advice-thank you!

[@grant_r_d]

You are so welcome! :) Thank You :)

[@camrsconv]

I am just starting out, glad I found this channel. Interesting view points on teaching, I will watch. I need all the help I can get.

[@grant_r_d]

Wonderful!

[@maxherron1376]

Thanks for the great tips. I've been playing a couple of years in our Church Worship Band. I'm using chord charts 🙂 May I ask where you bought your hat?

[@grant_r_d]

thanks:) Hat = eBay :)

[@ivandashkevich3398]

Question regarding learning songs: what resources would you suggest? Finding correct, precise tabs might be not so easy, but finding chord charts might be even harder cause they are many times published transposed. Books are reliable, but those contain mostly the classics. Which resources you could suggest for the beginners? Thanks!

[@grant_r_d]

I usually use charts from Ultimate Guitar as a guide and use my ear to work out the bass line … But yeah nothing on the internet is going to be 100%

[@obxellis37]

Regarding TAB, I use the method of "Alpha Tab" taught by Andrew Pouska on StudyBass. I will re-transcribe any song with tab notation with the alphabetic note on the string /fret location. This totally helps understand the fretboard and chord tone relationships in a song. Have you ever come across this method?

[@grant_r_d]

Yes, I do remember one of my students taking about it :) Yeah, maybe I’ll look into it too if I start teaching again as a resource :)

[@piaten]

Sounds interesting.. However, if I'm playing devil's advocate here: Why not just learn the different shapes of the different intervals on the fingerboard right from the get-go? It seems a little in excess, to learn a whole system of tabs, just to learn something that you can get down in a couple of hours without any aids, but your instrument, your brain, and possibly pen and paper..

[@FizzyP]

Is someone snoring in the background of this video?

[@grant_r_d]

That’s my Beagle :) I was hoping nobody noticed :) Harha