Learning the bass

Fight4Freedom · Post by **Fight4Freedom** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 5:51 am

My friend told me tonight that he wants me to play the bass in his rock/metal band. I only play the guitar now. How long would it take for me to be able to play the bass fluently? I should start practicing soon! Let me know what you think... :headbang:

Veripalttu · Post by **Veripalttu** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 8:44 pm

I also play guitar, I learned to play bass within a few hours. That instrument is quite easy to learn.

Fight4Freedom · Post by **Fight4Freedom** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:29 am

wow awesome...if it's really that easy. Are you really musically talented, or is the bass just easy to play?

Veripalttu · Post by **Veripalttu** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 9:51 pm

I dont know am I talented or not. I guess that bass is just that easy to play. Changing six strings in to four makes things quite simple IMO.

Jaakko · Post by **Jaakko** » Fri Apr 09, 2004 3:38 am

I'd give a world for a really good bassist to play with me...

Boy-85 · Post by **Boy-85** » Fri Apr 09, 2004 11:33 am

Amen!
There are jokes of bass players, but bass is in my opinion a quite cool instrument. I'd like to learn it, beacuse it could increase my chances of getting into some kind of line-up. In fact, my guitar teacher, a pro musician himself, told me I could play the bass because of my fingers.
It's true that many choose the guitar as their instrument. I wish there could more bass players.

Veripalttu · Post by **Veripalttu** » Sat Apr 10, 2004 3:57 pm

All jokes about bass players are true.

Jaakko · Post by **Jaakko** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:50 pm

Veripalttu wrote:
All jokes about bass players are true.

Yeah, it's so sad

BigBassMan · Post by **BigBassMan** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 3:33 am

Im a bass player myself and I think that the bass is an easy instrument only if you limit yourself to following the guitar too much. Listen to bass players like Geezer Butler, jaco pastorius, or steve harris and you will find a whole different aspect to bass.

Fight4Freedom · Post by **Fight4Freedom** » Tue May 11, 2004 9:52 am

Just got my bass! :spin3: Does anyone have suggestions on what I should be practicing first to learn effectively? thanks

Twilightsymphony · Post by **Twilightsymphony** » Tue May 11, 2004 11:04 am

Tell us about the progress from time to time

I am interested in playing bass too, working on guitar atm

But my problem is that i seem to be quite unable to hear the bass frequency out of a cd. Guitar, Keyboards and Drums arent a problem, but it is really hard to hear the bass. Especially on Double Bass tracks...

Stratobanger · Post by **Stratobanger** » Tue May 11, 2004 5:06 pm

Twilightsymphony wrote:
Tell us about the progress from time to time

I am interested in playing bass too, working on guitar atm
But my problem is that i seem to be quite unable to hear the bass frequency out of a cd. Guitar, Keyboards and Drums arent a problem, but it is really hard to hear the bass. Especially on Double Bass tracks...

Yeah, i have that problem too....btw hey i haven't heard any bass jokes!!!

but i have heard guitarist jokes and they're pretty bad

Stratobanger · Post by **Stratobanger** » Tue May 11, 2004 5:08 pm

How many guitarists do you need to change a bulb?

20

1 to change it and 19 to say they could have done it speeder and better..

jean_luc_picard · Post by **jean_luc_picard** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:40 pm

[/quote]

Enkeli · Post by **Enkeli** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 7:37 am

i picked up a bass after 1 year of nonactivity in the instrumental aspect of music...i've played for 6 months and i know between 50-60 songs [but can only play about 20 of them straight through with no mistakes]...first song i learned on bass was Bed of Razors by Children of Bodom.

Zeppelin · Post by **Zeppelin** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 3:45 am

I play bass too

I have to tell you my opinion about bass in power/speed metal !

As my teacher said, don't limit yourself to metal music...

The bass isn't that evident to hear and, after playing a few songs from a few bands, you'll learn that it's always the same thing, same riffs! Most of metal bands put the bassist away, this include Jari at half... Before Destiny, I never, or just a little like Kiss of Judas, heard the bass! But, with Infinite, Intermission and Elements Part 1, Jari have done an excellent job, my favorite album about bass is Elements part 1 ! I listen not that hard, and i can hear very well the bass !

I just want to tell to begin with some Metal like Maiden( begin with that, it's what i did ) and Metallica or Symphony X ( the best for bass is Sea Of Lies

) or Stratovarius if you're ready to do difficult things and very easy things in the same song, but please change your style of music to get better, use bands like Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Alice Cooper, Nirvana, Ac/dc ( very easy songs

)

Those are my two cents about how i learned to play bass !

Ps : Scuse me to post in this old topic, but i wanna show you that i'm not a noob and i search for old topics

and scuse me if my english if quite...bad, i'm a Quebecois, french guy !

andyspeed · Post by **andyspeed** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:40 pm

if u just play with your plektrum the line of the rhythm guitar, you´ll soon be bored if u practise on your own. start to play with your fingers, if u are a freak like cliff burton (metallica), you´ll take 3 fingers - so did i, but it´s not necessary. a real cool thing is slapping. if u have a good command on these 2 techniques everybody wants u in his band! play solos like the friend of misery-intro (metallica) with some chorus and see what a bass can be!

Zeppelin · Post by **Zeppelin** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:18 pm

Playing with fingers or a pick gives a different sound, i like this, but i prefer playing with my fingers !

Cliff Burton isn't the best bass player i have seen, but he is a cool one ! My favorite is Steve Harris !!

It's not that hard to play with 3 fingers, i can do it easily on Maiden songs...

The intro of my friend of misery is cool, but done with a pick by Jason newsted, i have to say that it's sound better with the pick !

One of the best bassist i saw is robert Trujillo, not in Metallica but with Ozzy Osbourne ! If you have a chance to see Live At Budokan in DVD, it's really amazing !

cliff · Post by **cliff** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:25 pm

Zeppelin wrote:It's not that hard to play with 3 fingers, i can do it easily on Maiden songs...

If I can give u a piece of advice, forget that 3 finger playing stuff.
Ok, it sounds really good for a while, especially if u play some Iron Maiden songs, but u will quickly realize that it will sound better (and of course easier) if U use just 2 fingers. Believe me, if you think you can play faster with 3 fingers than with 2, you are wrong

The intro of my friend of misery is cool, but done with a pick by Jason newsted, i have to say that it's sound better with the pick !

Actually the reason why it sounds better with a pick is because you need to let every note play. you have too way to do that : using a pick or playing the notes in arpege. If you play MFOM with the usual finger way, each note from the lower string cannot last.
Thus, this intro has to be played really softly and every note has to have exactly the same level... not really easy if you use the fingers.

One of the best bassist i saw is robert Trujillo, not in Metallica but with Ozzy Osbourne ! If you have a chance to see Live At Budokan in DVD, it's really amazing !

Robert is a really good bass player, especially when he starts to play some slap. And BTW, he plays a lot with 3 fingers. But from what I noticed he has some problems with his playing. I have the feeling this is because the position of bass guitar is toooooo low. But still he is an amazing bass player. Try to listen what he played with Infectious Groove, I am sure your ass will fall in the floor

cliff · Post by **cliff** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:42 pm

Fight4Freedom wrote:Just got my bass! :spin3: Does anyone have suggestions on what I should be practicing first to learn effectively? thanks

Yes.
Buy these books :
- Bass guitar for Dummies
don't give attention to the title. It is simply the best book u can find if u start to play the bass and dont want to spend all your money in other books !
- The Bass Tab White Page Book
It is a huuuuge book, exactly like a White Page book, but only with bass scores/tablatures. It includes 200 songs, only rock & heavy masterpieces like Black Sabbath, Guns n Roses, Aerosmith, Queen... and it costs something like 23€. The best book I have ever bought

Veripalttu · Post by **Veripalttu** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 2:30 pm

WeyHey!!! Just found a brilliant bass player for my band. Iv'e been searching like hell and this guy was right under my nose all the time.

Zeppelin · Post by **Zeppelin** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 4:45 pm

If I can give u a piece of advice, forget that 3 finger playing stuff.
Ok, it sounds really good for a while, especially if u play some Iron Maiden songs, but u will quickly realize that it will sound better (and of course easier) if U use just 2 fingers. Believe me, if you think you can play faster with 3 fingers than with 2, you are wrong Wink

Yes I know, playing with 3 fingers look cool, but not usefull ! I prefer playing with my 2 fingers or at least a pick!

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bass und bässer!

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