Guitar Pro to learn bass

[tonybassplayer]

I downloaded Guitar Pro ( free trial version ) the other day and so far been quite impressed with what I have found and how easier it is to learn from by soloing the bass line ( like a fellow basschatter I needed to learn Fool For Your Loving and it is hard to hear on the cd all the notes )

Just before I purchase what are your thoughts on it as a tool to learn bass lines from ??

What are the best sites etc ??

If I purchase do I get access to some form of official database etc ??

Anyone got a good library of songs etc ??

Thank you

Tony

[Wooks]

[quote name='tonybassplayer' post='215888' date='Jun 10 2008, 07:31 AM']I downloaded Guitar Pro ( free trial version ) the other day and so far been quite impressed with what I have found and how easier it is to learn from by soloing the bass line ( like a fellow basschatter I needed to learn Fool For Your Loving and it is hard to hear on the cd all the notes )

Just before I purchase what are your thoughts on it as a tool to learn bass lines from ??

What are the best sites etc ??

If I purchase do I get access to some form of official database etc ??

Anyone got a good library of songs etc ??

Thank you

Tony[/quote]
I've only been learning to play bass for around 8 months and I found Guitar pro an invaluable tool to use. To be honest I know I shouldn't say this but you can download it for free on any of the torrent websites but of course it's illegal and I don't condone doing it.
You obviously missed my reply to fretmeister when he was aking for powertab tabs but there is a great website called [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/"]Ultimate Guitar[/url] that is a great site for not only for guitar pro tabs but tab in general and well worth visiting. It may not have some obscure tracks that you might be after, but the track you mentioned is definitely available.
As for a library of tracks yet again look on the torrent sites but just having a quick look you can download zip files with over 50,000 tabs in one hit. A lot are probably not what you are looking for but there will be some gems in there for you.
I hope this is of some help to you mate?

[queenofthedepths]

Apart from it being illegal, a great reason to pay for it is that the more money they make, the sooner they'll bring out version 6! I paid for mine
Better than Ultimate Guitar is [url="http://911tabs.com"]911tabs[/url] - it has everything on Ultimate Guitar as well as pretty much every other website and the search facility is better

Anyway, Guitar Pro is brilliant not just for downloading other people's tabs and learning them, but also transcribing stuff yourself and composing your own tunes (if you're in an originals band or any sort of collaboration or even just writing stuff on your own, Guitar Pro is invaluable, I think, especially if everyone else has it coz then you can show them what you've written)

[Wooks]

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='216020' date='Jun 10 2008, 11:26 AM']Apart from it being illegal, a great reason to pay for it is that the more money they make, the sooner they'll bring out version 6! I paid for mine
Better than Ultimate Guitar is [url="http://911tabs.com"]911tabs[/url] - it has everything on Ultimate Guitar as well as pretty much every other website and the search facility is better

Anyway, Guitar Pro is brilliant not just for downloading other people's tabs and learning them, but also transcribing stuff yourself and composing your own tunes (if you're in an originals band or any sort of collaboration or even just writing stuff on your own, Guitar Pro is invaluable, I think, especially if everyone else has it coz then you can show them what you've written)[/quote]
Totally agree with everything you say here but it's a bit of expense that not everybody can afford especially if you're not going use it regularly.
911 tabs is another great site.
I totally forgot about the writing your own stuff, but I'm not up to that standard I'm still getting my head around scales and the like

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='Wooks' post='216046' date='Jun 10 2008, 11:55 AM']I totally forgot about the writing your own stuff, but I'm not up to that standard I'm still getting my head around scales and the like [/quote]
That's no excuse at all!!! I was writing my own stuff the first time I picked up a bass - nobody said it had to be good... starting off writing rubbish will give you lots of practise and develop your compositional skills - your first composition will almost certainly be either crap because you have no idea what you're doing or stale and uninspired because you're constantly thinking about the theory; with the former, you have plenty of room to develop and learn from your own mistakes, but with the latter, you're disabling yourself from the beginning... so get composing, pronto! Incidentally, writing your own stuff is also a brilliant way to learn the practical applications of the theory and by using it, you're sublimating (I think? I'm not a psychologist so that could be the wrong word... I mean you're making it so that it's unconscious) it

[Dood]

It's a fantastic tool! My notation skills have improved no end! The guys in my band and I (as we live so far apart) can't really play an idea to each other - over the phone, for example - so we share a GP file and write each of the guitar, bass AND drum parts into it, so we can hear what it will sound like. For sharing, I have set up Google Apps on my domain with the file and document sharing facilities.

I really like this way of working, as we can export the MIDI from GP in to say, our pro tools set up and trigger superior 2 or other virtual instruments, without having to spend ages replaying the parts! (not that I fancy trying to paly one of our drummers parts myself!!!)

So yup, I think it's a great way to learn bass lines and at the same time improve your reading and timing skills too.

[Wooks]

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='216064' date='Jun 10 2008, 12:18 PM']That's no excuse at all!!! so get composing, pronto![/quote]
Yes sir, I'll stay behind after school for extra tuition

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='dood' post='216075' date='Jun 10 2008, 12:29 PM']For sharing, I have set up Google Apps on my domain with the file and document sharing facilities[/quote]
How do you do that?

[Dood]

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='216077' date='Jun 10 2008, 12:32 PM']How do you do that?[/quote]


Set up Googleapps as per the online instructions, then set up 'sites' and 'documents'. I'd also recommend 'calendar' and to set up the CNAMES to point toward friendly URLs like mail.[i]yourdomain.com[/i] instead of the massively long google URLs!


Anyway, in 'sites' you can set up a webpage, that can be shared 'internally' to any users set up.. in this case, it would be the band members. (for example dan@[i]yourdomain.com[/i] pin@[i]yourdomain.com[/i] )There are a number of templates if you don't want to code HTML yourself, one being 'file cabinet'. Using a supplied URL you can upload documents in the same was as say Skydrive provided by M$. You can see the files, names, size and date in a nice orderly list.. which is very handy. It also keeps all of your notation together in one place.. instead of having 4 different versions on your band memebrs PCs.

'Documents' is handy if you work on emails / blogs / mailing lists together. Again, using a specified link, you can log on to the live document and edit it in real time.

I think googleapps has the potential to transform a band.. if you want it to. For those who are familiar with company intranet sites / corporate networking and the facilities they offer, this makes perfect sense to me. Centralised storage of band email, documents and music files, blogs, website, social networking.. and also the administration of the whol site in the same control panel.. I LIKE!

I am yet to discover what else googleapps has to offer.. Only today I found that I can sync all of our google diaries with the calendar on my PDA!!!!!! This will make gig dates / appointments / clinics / lessons and where the other band members are going to be a much easier way of working!!!!

ok... I'm done geeking for the moment.. this is almost a seperate thread altogether!

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='dood' post='216090' date='Jun 10 2008, 12:43 PM']Set up Googleapps as per the online instructions[/quote]
Sorry, you lost me there!!! Maybe I should google "Googleapps" but I'm afraid I might break the Internet!

[Jobiebass]

+1 to whatever anyone else said.

So so much better then Tabs, plus you can write your own stuff too.

I use Ultimate Guitar for the GP files, although ive used 991 and other similer sites when I cant find the song I want.

I may have to pay for it, not got round to it cause I havent used it in a while as I havent wanted to learn anything new, just been working on technique/timing etc.

Its a very good program and well worth paying for.
Yes you can download it for free, but I hear that some GP files wont work on it because it says you need to upgrade it. For hastle free... Buy it.

[geilerbass]

[quote name='dood' post='216075' date='Jun 10 2008, 12:29 PM']It's a fantastic tool! My notation skills have improved no end! The guys in my band and I (as we live so far apart) can't really play an idea to each other - over the phone, for example - so we share a GP file and write each of the guitar, bass AND drum parts into it, so we can hear what it will sound like. For sharing, I have set up Google Apps on my domain with the file and document sharing facilities.

I really like this way of working, as we can export the MIDI from GP in to say, our pro tools set up and trigger superior 2 or other virtual instruments, without having to spend ages replaying the parts! (not that I fancy trying to paly one of our drummers parts myself!!!)

So yup, I think it's a great way to learn bass lines and at the same time improve your reading and timing skills too.[/quote]

This is pretty much how we work in one of the bands I'm in. The guitarist writes stuff in Guitar Pro and sends it out as midi for us to learn/work on. I don't have Guitar Pro, though usually import it to Cubase and set up some basic midi sounds to get an idea of how it will sound.

Seeing as how my notation reading is far better than my ear for picking up basslines, I find I can learn stuff far more quickly using this method.

I've been thinking about getting Guitar Pro myself, since it's pretty cheap for that kind of product and has some great features such as the speed training. It's also a lot less hassle than creating a new cubase track each time. The only thing is I find tablature very off-putting, so hopefully it's got a tab-free mode.

[geilerbass]

[quote name='dood' post='216090' date='Jun 10 2008, 12:43 PM']ok... I'm done geeking for the moment.. this is almost a seperate thread altogether![/quote]

That certainly was an impressive geek-out!

Though seriously, it sounds as though Google Apps has lots of potential - no doubt we'll be seeing the Microsoft equivalent real soon, featuring lots of poached ideas and features.

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='geilerbass' post='216130' date='Jun 10 2008, 01:14 PM']The only thing is I find tablature very off-putting, so hopefully it's got a tab-free mode. [/quote]
It does indeed - you can have tabs, notation or both at once!

[Wooks]

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='216145' date='Jun 10 2008, 01:21 PM']It does indeed - you can have tabs, notation or both at once![/quote]
plus the option of the fretboard view too so you see it on the neck too! Quite good fun to watch some of the guitar solo's like Dragonforce for example. Now I know why I started to learn bass in old age. I can't move my fingers that quick

[KevB]

I notice all the files at mysongbook are still disabled - are they ever going to get round this supposed copyright infringement business? I'm sure it must be affecting sales of GP software by now. Does anyone have a more recent archive than Jan 2006 (which is what I have though the section for letter V seems to be missing)? There must be loads of new additions since then but inaccessible by mysongbook - other sites less bothered about the IP problems?

[Steve_nottm]

I'm the fellow Fool for your Loving learner, and I must admit I didn't download guitar pro but the keyboard player sent me a midi file and a tab. using the 2 together I pretty much sussed it.

Tempted to just get it though as I found the file really useful. not sure how many times it would be of benefit though as I can normally find a song from the CD. This one, however, was particularly stubborn!

[Dood]

[quote name='geilerbass' post='216138' date='Jun 10 2008, 01:18 PM']That certainly was an impressive geek-out!

Though seriously, it sounds as though Google Apps has lots of potential - no doubt we'll be seeing the Microsoft equivalent real soon, featuring lots of poached ideas and features.[/quote]

M$ are pretty much there already with SkyDrive and Windows Live (& Messenger), Windows Spaces.. Windows writer.. the whole shooting match! lol

[Oscar South]

I always found GP as a cross between Sibelius and Powertab, but not as good (or cheap) at presenting songs in an easy to learn format as Powertab and not as good for composing and arranging as Sibelius, plus it has a whole range of irritating bugs. I do quite like the percussion features on it (as long as you turn off RSE for percussion) though and its nice to get vocal lines on some transcriptions and be able to turn off tab is you want (even though the notation is pretty terrible). Also suffers from idiots just importing midi files they downloaded and submitting without formatting, which is no use to anyone.