davidmark Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Hi, Have just started playing bass again after a long break. Am currently playing at a level where I am ok but nothing special and don't know how to progress further , any suggestions , basslines I should learn , tips on ear training etc would be welcome , thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 [quote name='davidmark' post='14115' date='Jun 8 2007, 12:18 PM']Hi, Have just started playing bass again after a long break. Am currently playing at a level where I am ok but nothing special and don't know how to progress further , any suggestions , basslines I should learn , tips on ear training etc would be welcome , thanks[/quote] Hi mate...sorry it's taken a little while for someone to get back to you on this!!! I'd strongly suggest learning some theory, so some basic scales, firstly over one octave, then over 2, then up and down the neck in every possible position, etc. As for ear training, try working out some tunes that you want to learn, don't throw yourself in too deep...or at least, if you're trying to work out something solid, just start with finding the tonic (bass note of the chord/root note)...then work from there. Other good exercise would be to try and learn some basic chords, start with bar chords like you would on a guitar and then record a little sequence of them (within a choosen key)...then try to create a bass line to go with them, and in turn, a melody/solo. Some of this may seem a little none bass-ish, but it's all great stuff. A really helpful tool is a looper...i couldn't live without my Boss RC-20XL now, it's priceless for me!!! Also, play to a metronome, timing is everything...i spent too many years playing without any time keeping device, and as a consequence, when i came to start taking my playing more seriously, my timing was an issue...if you get used to playing to a metronome though, you're timing will be spot on! Also, don't be in a hurry to try playing things fast, start slow, and build up speed, this will make you a far more accurate player, and you'll shred a lot better later on, rather than poorly a lot quicker and have shoddy technique for a lot longer!!! What sort of music/songs are you into? Do you play in any bands? If any of the above doesn't make any sense to you, just say so, i'll happily go into more detail/provide chord fingerings etc. Just ask Thanks Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuk Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 The Dave Marks utube and website might be useful: [url="http://youtube.com/davemarks"]http://youtube.com/davemarks[/url] [url="http://www.davemarks.com/lessons.html"]http://www.davemarks.com/lessons.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Another really awesome tool is bassplayer TV...i've got some wicked stuff from watching the online lessons on there...definately worth a crack!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Hi all, thanks for the replies, Tip regarding the metronome is a good idea, will try out some of those websites. My main bass influence at the moment is Paul McCartney (66-70 era beatles , awesome bass playing), I love the melody in his basslines and his tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 (edited) Hi mark, I'm a recent convert to Macca's bass too, must confess I love it. One small tip is think about why you're doing what you're doing. By that I mean don't just learn stuff in a robotic fashion, find out what the chords are that the bass goes over, spot where particular bassists like certain patterns for certain changes or chords, and you'll be building up a repetoire of ideas for when you do the most important thing (to my mind) which is writing your own basslines. Edited June 17, 2007 by stewblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 One thing i am intrigued by is something macca said that the rest of the beng could be playing one note and he could be playing something different , I would like to try and develop this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GM10 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 this website has helped to give me a fundemental understanding of the role of the chord structure in bass playing. My fave by far. [url="http://www.studybass.com/"]http://www.studybass.com/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Thank you for all the replies. One thing I have found that is a real obstacle is not knowing what to practice in order to improve, any suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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