Any advice for learning how to play bass guitar?

November 22, 2004 2:36 PM

Any advice for learning how to play bass guitar?
I just one one as a present, and I've never really played a musical instrument (not counting the recorder in second grade).

I just one one got one...

posted by kirkaracha to Media & Arts (16 answers total)

When you're listening to music, try to pick out the bassline and hear it seperately from the rest of the instruments. The base is a very subtle instrument, and understanding how basslines change the feel of a song can go a long way toward changing you from someone who can pluck some notes to someone who can play the bass.

That being said, if you want to self teach, there are innumerable books and DVDs out there that will all do a pretty good job of getting you going, especially for someone who has never played an instrument before. Once you know a little bit you can play a cd on your stereo with the treble up and the bass down and play the bass along with it. At that point, you'll know whether you want to get a teacher or not, and how serious you are about playing.

I think the bass has a shallow learning curve compared with other instruments, but the role of the bass in rock is more difficult to hear/grasp.
posted by mfbridges at 2:49 PM on November 22, 2004

I also recomment watching the movie Rising Low.
posted by mfbridges at 2:50 PM on November 22, 2004

Practice, practice, practice.

Try to use your fingers instead of picking, you'll be a lot faster.

Also, when you're first starting, doing lots of slides on the low strings will help build up calluses on your fretting fingers, which are totally crucial to playing stringed instruments. Note: this might be painful for the first few days, but it's worth it.

Did I mention, practice?

Also, for learning songs, I find using PowerTabs to be extremely helpful. Most of the tabs on that site have bass tabs as well. They also have a few bass lessons, but not as many as guitar.

Have fun!
posted by baphomet at 2:50 PM on November 22, 2004

The first thing you do, is learn how to play Disco Inferno.

Seriously, if you're just starting out, lessons (group or personal) are the most efficient way to go. It doesn't have to cost too much, and can provide you with the tools you need to start learning on your own.
posted by Flem Snopes at 2:54 PM on November 22, 2004

Learn some basic music theory. Key signatures, chords, scales, etc. It'll give you a much clearer idea of what's going on when you play.
posted by ludwig_van at 3:00 PM on November 22, 2004

Had I to do it over again, I'd second the lessons, but they aren't totally necessary. I taught myself bass sitting in my room and playing the Police's Outlandos D'amour over and over and over and over. So to distill that into actual advice, find a CD of music you like where the bass is fairly distinctive and not too complex, and go crazy. I just would literally sit and move my finger around 'til I found a note, then I'd find the next one, etc. This does really require that you're in tune, though.

Becoming a truly great bassist is as hard as becoming a truly great guitarist. Becoming an adequate bassist is far easier than becoming an adequate guitarist. And in the "I'm both dating myself and providing useless info dept": If a song I wanted to learn had a murky, hard-to-hear bass line, playing the LP at 45rpm would bring the bass into clear relief...
posted by jalexei at 3:06 PM on November 22, 2004

There was also this question. Three days ago. (Also, I second what jalexei said -- I am an "adequate" on both guitar and bass guitar, and I can attest to the fact that it was much easier to become an adequate bassist.)
posted by uncleozzy at 3:32 PM on November 22, 2004

Learning, practicing, and getting a feel for scales is vitally important. Get a simple blues scale (this is in the key of A):

------------------------------------
---------------5-7-5---------------
-------5-6-7---------7-6-5---------
--5-8-------------------------8--5--

burnt into your brain, practicie it up and down the fretboard until those notes are the natural place your fingers want to go to. Use it as your palette when trying to work out basslines to songs. Experiment with it. Rinse, and repeat with major and minor scales. Be thankful, on the bass, that you don't have to learn chords, but instead redouble your efforts into understanding scales and playing them spot-on.
posted by Jimbob at 3:47 PM on November 22, 2004 [2 favorites]

Your playing needs to be in tune and on time. If you can do this, people will want to play with you.
posted by Wolof at 4:08 PM on November 22, 2004

What Wolof said, with extra emphasis on the "time" part. Hitting the right notes is probably only half of good bass playing. You also have to hit them at the right time. When I taught, I'd tell students to spend 10 or 15 minutes of every practice playing the bongos, rather than the guitar. It's a "wax on, wax off" thing: when you're not worried about sounding the right notes, you focus on the rhythm, and for a bass player rhythm has to be second nature.

Oh, and develop a thick skin. Many bass player jokes await you ...
posted by deshead at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2004

a good book is paul westwood's bass bible - starts with simple techniques and eds up with a tour of the world's musical (bass) styles.

before all that, though, you really need an amp.
posted by andrew cooke at 5:14 PM on November 22, 2004

one way of learning might be to listen to your favorite music (preferably rock songs with easy basslines) and just getting the tabs and playing along. this is how I learned to play guitar, though I'm not even close to being masterful with it, even after four years.
posted by angry modem at 5:19 PM on November 22, 2004

I'd say it depends on what you want to do. If you're learning the bass so you can play in a band, just go ahead and start a band. Seriously -- like, as soon as you can play for three minutes without bleeding, or maybe even before that, find some patient friends or some other newish musicians and start making noises once or twice a week. Nothing will force you to learn faster and more solidly than playing right away with other people. The bass is best learned in context.

Even if that doesn't appeal to you, or even if you're not interested in a band, I would recommend spending plenty of time making up your own melodies and rhythms. It's important to learn about music, to imitate what other people do, to work on technique and tone and everything recommended above, but you should spend at least as much time just hearing dumb little things in your head and figuring out how to make them come out of your amp.

Then again, I probably only fall into the "adequate" category, even after several years of playing in bands, so perhaps you should heed the words of others. I do have fun, though.
posted by climalene at 5:33 PM on November 22, 2004

I would add that (if you're serious) it's important to get some really gear. I don't buy the whole thing about getting cheap stuff and working up. Also, pay attention to your tone. I change mine based on what song we're doing...and the type of gear you have will have quite a bearing on all that.
Read a few boards and sites for bass players, you'll find a wealth of info there...but be ready to discard what doesn't work for you.
I started with simple stuff, AC/DC & Van Halen, then moved on to Bruce Thomas' work with Elvis Costello. I do listen to Jazz, but I like sticking with the rock/pop thing. Do try and listen to as many styles as possible, I was in a band that covered everything from reggae to country and it was a lot of fun!
posted by black8 at 3:32 AM on November 23, 2004

Check out this post from just a few days ago
posted by availablelight at 7:23 AM on November 23, 2004

Hey availablelight, check out this comment from yesterday.
posted by kenko at 7:59 AM on November 23, 2004