So how did you learn to play?

[Carl]

[b]Am just curious as to how you all learnt to play or are learning to play the bass.
Did you teach yourself from a book,DVD VCR tape etc, or did ya get someone to teach you?

Cheers

Carl[/b]

[wateroftyne]

I just taught myself from 15-ish. No books, TAB or lessons, and I can't read music.

I just played along to records, and got in a band environment as quickly as I could.

Edited April 21, 2008 by wateroftyne

[beerdragon]

Exactly like WoT.

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='182185' date='Apr 21 2008, 08:02 PM']got in a band environment as quickly as I could[/quote]
+1 As soon as my (drummer) mate found out I was getting a bass, he asked me to form a band with him - best motivation I could ever have had and I gave me goals to aim for in terms of what I could play and how well I could write songs

[BigBeefChief]

Took/taking lessons. Still can't play.

Hope my new band doesn't read this.

[The Funk]

I taught myself from the age of about 15. I took about 6 lessons with this American bass player who used to live in London when I was about 18/19. He threw so much info at me I managed to keep going off that for a good few years.

I've recently purchased a few decent books so that I can progress beyond the funk/rock/soul/blues stuff and delve into some jazz. My guitarist also wants me to audition for his metal band - that would be a completely different challenge again. I don't really have any desire to be a well-rounded bass player. I just want to nick whatever I can from every genre and stick it all into funk.

[Hot Tub]

Been using various self tuition books and playing along with records/cds for (nearly 30) years - gawwwd that's scary! I'm a bit better than someone who's never picked up a bass in their life, but not much!

[chris_b]

I taught myself. We didn't have bass books back then! You just play along to your favorite records until you can play them too.

[The Funk]

[quote name='chris_b' post='182212' date='Apr 21 2008, 08:25 PM']You just play along to your favorite records until you can play them too.[/quote]

I never really did that. I started jamming with some friends of mine (who were pretty good) a few days after I first bought a bass. At school I jammed with some other musicians who were also a lot better than me (but who didn't realise as there weren't many bass players at school). Eventually I found myself in two bands, which later crunched down to one band. Obviously you pick things up talking to friends who know more about music theory than you do.

[wotnwhy]

was shown one excercise to work on finger strength. everything else i worked out on me own

[Mr. Foxen]

Picking everyones brains at every opportunity, finding how to make every noise to can come out of a bass and gradually figuring which ones to not do.

[bassninja]

My oldest brother, who'd played in bands for years, gave me a bass and said "We've got a gig in three months, let's learn the songs".

In at the deep end and flailing about for the last 25 odd years, still haven't been found out...

[Faithless]

A week or few after buying bass I called to some teacher, and stated 'I want to play metal'.

So, all in all, we started on primitive technique things and he gave me those first simple tips n tricks.
I got musical education, but it was quite hard at the beginning.
Nowadays, I go to him rarely, because of lack of the time, and other thingies...

Tried to go to some other, funky/rock stuff player to learn some slap, but only did so few times. Can't give slap as much time as I'd like. But I'll continue, I think, if I'll find questions to ask about.

On the other hand, I try to communicate with other bass players as much as I can, watch them closely at gigs, doing sorta 'social-work' in few local forums and so on...

Communicating is the key.

[jakenewmanbass]

My brother was a bass player so there was a bass in the house from early on, I started playing along to records at eight, joined a band at ten and did my first paid gig (£2.25) at twelve. kept on with bands (semi pro) till I was 20 then went to music college (learned a lot in two years) and turned pro at the end of the first term (social clubs in t'North, parties, functions and two summer seasons).
Have been learning ever since.

I don't know what to vote in the poll because I was self taught to begin with but later had lessons.

Edited April 21, 2008 by jakesbass

[lee4]

Took up bass after playing guitar for 4 years.No lessons but I bought books,listened to other players on records,but most importantly I always asked band members what they wanted from me(turn down was the usual reply!).

[Buzz]

Got bass at 16. Tried to teach self. I'm absolutly rubbish after nearly 5 years. Will be getting teacher over the summer to sort out my technique and give me material and exercises to build off.

[LukeFRC]

someone gave me a 6 string thing at a school music/rock elective i was nosing into rather than write the college paper we started.
He showed me where the notes were to play 7 nation army. It was great fun.
I went over a freinds and he sat his mint really really rare warwick thing on my lap and showed me to playe it elsewhere on the neck as it would be more controled. I did.
I then borrowed the worst bass ever and ad to learn to take apart and rebuild and set up a bass before learning to play.
I sat there armed with a pile of Cds, a bunch of tabs i downloaded and started trying to copy what the people were doing on the CDs.
Most the time i just muck around making noise.
I have read some books, know a bit of theory, am still very limited- but hey im an artist not a musician* so I dont care.
I have developed a habit of being able to jam with people playing really cool basslines by ear that shouldn't really work.
I enjoy listening to the drums and guitars and vocals and keys more than the bass. I actually dont really understand most thing in a technical sense, its not to bad as i can just react instinctively to what feels right. I listen to a lot of music but very rarely the basslines. (James Jamerson being my current exception) I just try and feed off other band members and hold them all together.
playing with people is the best way to learn I think.
the things that taught me the most are:
mani on i wanna be adored
whats going on,marvin gaye (james Jamerson)
guitar parts on sonic youth songs
turning up to church to play and being given a chord sheet to a song you have never heard 10 min before you play it to 150 people. Oh and at church you cant make a big mistake!
the major scale shape, in every position, again and again
that you can play what you want as long as it is in time
the bass line at the start of 'so what?'
Jimmy Cliff
Working for a major promoter up here where without fail every 'indie' band's bassest would be playing a p with a pick playing out the root notes on one string all song every song with a really twangy sound- and wanting to do better
my old band (the FRC of my name)
the gaps in basslines. take lively up yourself by bob and the wailers.Theres so much space!

* its not rhetoric i am kinda www.lfletcher.co.uk

[ahpook]

a friend showed me how to play 12-bar blues and the bassline to 'a forest' by the the cure and then i just learned stuff from records

[Carl]

[quote name='Buzz' post='182252' date='Apr 21 2008, 09:05 PM']Got bass at 16. Tried to teach self. I'm absolutly rubbish after nearly 5 years. Will be getting teacher over the summer to sort out my technique and give me material and exercises to build off.[/quote]
[b]No offense,but you sound just like me. I want to learn from a book but find it to hard, i think i`d find it easier to get someone to show me then i can ask questions.[/b]

Edited April 21, 2008 by Carl

[thisnameistaken]

I picked up tunes by ear off records like everybody else. I did try to take lessons but couldn't find anyone willing to teach me. I had also intended to study music at 6th form college but my dad wasn't going to let that happen. I taught myself to read bass clef eventually after lots of hours spent alone with books of cello music, but I couldn't sightread now - it was a skill I thought I'd need but I never did, so it's all but forgotten.

Wish my harmony knowledge was better - that's what I tried to find a teacher for. I'm going to make an effort to improve that this year. Maybe start attending jazz jam nights to get some practice in once I get beyond the "horribly embarrasing" stage.

[Happy Jack]

Bought a book by Stuart Clayton (of this parish), once I had the basics went off in 73 different directions all at once. Many thanks, Stuart.

After two years of self-teaching / book-learning, finally felt I was good enough to benefit from one-to-one teaching. Well worth it.

[whynot]

Same as WOT, although my parents bought me a bass for my 16th birthday instead of the matching Jedson guitar I pointed out a week earlier.
Didn't ever really make an effort in learning to play, just worked some things out along the way.
My playing started to take a turn for the better aged 21 to 24 where I joined a signed band in Germany and we toured 6 months of the year. Playing night after night I started to develop some technique which put me on track for the next 20+ years.

[Adrenochrome]

Someone asked if I'd play bass in their new band if they lent me a bass.
So first time I picked up a bass was at my first band practice, sink or swim!

(I already knew my music theory and had played a bit of guitar, also self-taught, before that)

[The Funk]

The drummer in my first band played a gig the first day he ever picked up a pair of sticks. Some people are just naturals!

[markytbass]

I taught myself from a book, not that it helped much, I don't think it did anyway. I can't read music so if I'm doing a cover I will play by ear and work out what notes are being played and where. If I'm playing a song that someone has written but has no bass line I will play what I think fits, sometimes just root notes and sometimes more technical runs etc. What ever sounds good, I've not had any complaints yet.

I havn't a clue when it comes to timing, I just follow the drummer. If someone was to shout this ones in (insert time sig) I wouldn't have a clue.

Edited April 21, 2008 by markytbass