5 Pro Secrets To Learning Bass Lines In Record Time!

[@ShanonCole]

I’ve been playing for many year’s. A little over three year’s ago Mark completely changed the way I look at the fretboard and play. The Chord Tones course was and is the best thing that has happened to my playing and opened up my mind to improvise on the spot. Mark Smith is Mr. Game Changer! Thank you very much for all the hard work that you have done for us.💪🔥💯

[@chrismcmahon7484]

I'm working through the Chord Tone Essentials course at the moment and can't recommend it enough. Definitely worth it if you're looking to understand the instrument and music theory. I've found that even something as simple as learning the notes on the fretboard via the cycle of fourths helps so much.

[@martinmix7464]

Just wanted to say thanks for the circle of 4ths. That exercise has helped me learn the fretboard really quickly!

[@LeftiBassist]

Doesn't matter if it's a short lesson like this or his full lessons, Mark is an excellent instructor.

[@jeffgarrison7056]

Agreed, I'm a 48 year old guitarist of about 40 years... I studied music in high school, college, and university. I can honestly say that this is by far the most to the point jam-packed lesson of essential knowledge that every musician should have memorized and a practical use of, but sadly, it's shocking how many musicians that I have met and jammed with, some of whom were really talented, but couldn't effectively communicate in the language of even basic music theory. This should seriously be a prerequisite for every beginner musician, and if they didn't learn this as a beginner, then they must as an intermediate or advanced level musician.

[@batty0286]

Even if the lesson is too advanced I'll still watch/listen. There's always something useful to take away.

[@eyeofbass]

The best in all respects. Happy that he’s around and has set up a top-notch site with great courses. I’ve purchased many of them as my self-directed schooling.

[@brieziethirteen13]

Agree100%

[@scottjones6624]

Extremely clear presentation. I am fairly good guitarist and beginner bass player. BUT I am a TAB "Paint by numbers" player and your argument for learning what is going on is so clear.

[@seungjaeyune2008]

I found talkingbass is the best bass teacher and bought beginner/fundamental course. I like his play and teaching style

[@edredBryan]

After self-teaching for 4-years, and I started with learning to read music, I joined talking bass and bought the fundamentals course. … it feels great to be on systematic progression. For me, this video lesson really unlocked learning the cycle of fourths…I tried learning it earlier but it just wouldn’t stick- Mark’s format is golden for me! Cheers.

[@erstwhilerambler]

The circle of fourths mnemonic device alone is worth the price of admission. This whole lesson - though not the answer I was expecting and not the one I want, lol (because it’s hard, not because it’s untrue) - is highly valuable. Mark’s instruction has risen to the top of my list in terms of value added and presentation.

[@BennHaynes-i2e]

A great job by an excellent teacher. I highly recommend Mark's deep-dive lessons on TalkingBass. He even has a video on his suggestions regarding the order in which lessons should be taken.

[@alanb287]

Thank you Mark, I love to hear they way you go about it. This is a powerful lesson.

[@thomasfioriglio]

Thanks Mark! This was really great and a nice refresher for even long time players. Personally, I hate tabs, but do use them as a starting point. But for me, I want to know the notes, not a fret number. I also want to know the chords. I find it easier when learning song to learn the chords structure first, as it provides a road map for the notes. I still need to practice my scales, but it's good to see I do a lot of this stuff already.

[@martinfennemore7905]

Absolutely brilliant.Why didn’t we have teachers like Mark 60 years ago.😃🎸🎸

[@dentoncrimescene]

He helped me with this a few years ago and I can confirm it does help loads.

[@dentoncrimescene]

Well, I've got loads to work on still tbh.

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

Always incredible. Thanks a 10^6!!

[@giovanimoreno8402]

Man you are such a pro! Makes me want to ditch work and go play my bass at home

[@ismaelnin8960]

Nice lesson❤

[@davidbalan6571]

I liked that's rhythms beautiful chords progressions Dm7b5 , Am and Bm and Dsus 4 and Bmaj7 like liked sam river's . Group Band Rock's rappers Limp Bizkit .

[@erstwhilerambler]

Near the end I did start thinking… and Mark, you eventually kind of said this… This approach is a way to *gradually* get faster at learning new songs quickly. In other words, if I need to learn a dozen bass lines for an audition or upcoming performance (and I’ve not yet mastered the theory discussed in this lesson), I will probably need to use the method mentioned at the onset: Learn the tab/notes/riffs by rote. If I have the time and energy and patience to do the deep dive, then I’ll start to see, eventually, that learning new songs takes less and less time. I fundamentally agree with your approach, but I also have to admit that it can’t really be put to use on short notice without having invested heavily up front. If that makes sense. I’ll still need to “just learn how to play the song” until I’ve had more time to absorb the theory underneath.

[@jimkerak6404]

I find learning by ear (assisted with isolated bass tracks, and YT's pitch-saving speed mod feature) makes it the most "sticky" in my brain. sort of required because I don't trust tabs and most music I wanna play isn't written down

[@jasoncherry3404]

I can’t help but laugh when you mentioned trying to use the numbers on the tabs and stumble along with the uncertainty of which fingers to use. That’s the method I use and yes it sucks, this lesson was very helpful so I’ll try to start using solid technique to build my skills.

[@graemerobertson5160]

I developed my own ear training many years ago, and this included relating note intervals with fret positions & Fretboard patterns for playing over several strings. . So of the techniques you refer to, I spent countless hours playing along to hundreds of songs and this helped immeasureably. Recognising note intervals & Ear training were the outcomes of that. However, I always think chromatic semi tones not just scale notes. I play guitar too so I don't think about chord tones as I know how to play chords, which notes they are comprised of and how to recognise them by ear training. I regard these as a system for bassists who have never played guitar or keyboard chords. The one method I have never and would never use is the numbers system which by using intervals I am not disadvantaged by dealing with chord sequences it can't describe. I once played bass for Godspell musical in a Theatre and learned the entire set by ear. After I had played along with each song four times after one initial listen. I had learned them. I played bass in a covers band where we had limited music theory and we could easliy learn 3 songs in an hour practice session by pumping out the song through the PA and playing along with it.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Chord tones are nothing to do with bass or guitar or keyboard. They are simply the notes of a chord. When learning harmony you use the concept of chord tones and non chord tones in analysis of pieces and lines. Chord tones are 100% not a system for bassists.

[@pgrvloik]

The easiest way for me to learn the circle of fourths is to jump fourths on the fretboard knowing that the bass is tuned in fourths. When I reach the highest fourth I go down an octave an keep going UP fourths.

[@batty0286]

I have a question regarding navigating the circle. If I were to play a B major scale do I start on the 7th fret of the E string or second fret of the A?

[@talkingbasslessons]

Either or neither. You should know scales all over the fretboard.

[@batty0286]

@@talkingbasslessons Thanks Mark, much appreciated.

[@markbass354]

YAY

[@bongocharm1332]

Yea, that's ahhhhhhhh much easier.

[@ragsna1630]

A manifestum to music theory

[@Inferno5150]

1:06 That's my learning style; verbatim.

[@davidfox7983]

Hum it

[@jeffreyyyy3052]

Thanks for this one Mark. This will glue together all the stuff I learned isolated from eachother, gonna keep coming back to this one for a while thanks.