Late starter

[Master of none]

For many years, I've had a vague hankering to play bass, but never quite got around to buying one. Now, thanks to my wife, I'm the proud owner of a Squier J. [size=4]I've dabbled in various other instruments over the years (but master of none). My main instrument is the saxophone.[/size]

I've been playing bass for a month or so now, and it's both harder and much easier than I expected.

First, the basic mechanics. I had no idea muting was such an issue.

Second, it never occurred to me that scales and arpeggios are just patterns on the neck. To transpose, just move the pattern around. The last sax exam I took, I think I had to learn 34 different scales and arpeggios. And they were all [i]different. [/i]I've been playing bass for a month and already I can play:

[indent=1]major scales (in 3 different patterns, starting from different fingers);[/indent]
[indent=1]harmonic minor scales;[/indent]
[indent=1]melodic minor scales (which I only started learning on sax two days ago);[/indent]
[indent=1]blues scales;[/indent]
[indent=1]dominant 7th arpeggios.[/indent]

Obviously, when I say I can play them, I mean haltingly and clumsily, but [i]I know the fingering. [/i]And the beauty is, I can play them [i]in any key[/i]. That may be obvious to you seasoned players, but coming from a sax background, it's a revelation! I thought keyboards were easy, but the arrangement of the black keys complicates matters. On the bass, it's so simple!

Now, I have a lot to learn before I'm even slightly competent. My fingers are very clumsy, and I need to watch (literally, with my eyes) where I'm putting them, and even then I keep getting fret buzz. And I can't read bass clef. But that's the beauty of those simple patterns - I can play scales and arpeggios in any key [i]without even knowing which notes I'm playing![/i]

This is fun!

[BassTractor]

Welcome, Master of none!

You are right of course, in that playing bass is super simple, but P L E A S E :
This is a public forum. What you know and what we know is one thing. But spreading it to potential readers who are not or are not primarily bass players is... sorry for saying this straight to your face... a deadly sin.
So, just delete your post, as I will delete mine as soon as possible, and start again.
For full effect, you could state something along the lines of it being a lot harder than imagined, and certainly a lot harder than playing Sorabji's composition "Opus Clavicembalisticum" on a grand piano.
Technically speaking, there's no need to draw the saxophone into this, but you would indeed receive brownie points for stating something negative about that failed clariflute too.



Enjoy the forum!
I'm sure you will thrive here.


all the best,
bert

Edited July 6, 2014 by BassTractor

[planer]

What a great intro post! Welcome to the site bud.

[discreet]

[i]Nobody [/i]knows which notes they're playing, that's what makes it fun...
[size=4]Welcome to the forum.[/size]

[fretmeister]

Welcome!

I'm a former sax player too - I know exactly what you mean!!

[Master of none]

Thanks all for the welcome. I'm afraid I'll have to defy bert. The world needs more bass-players!

[RickyV]

Welcome M-o-N.

Your story sounds almost identical to mine. Tenor Sax player converted to bass after a long-term desire to play which has gone on for probably 30 years before I have finally got round to it. Sad to say my sax is fairly redundant at the moment but I just can't put this fantastic instrument down. As you say, this is most definitely fun! I do fear though that ultimately it is also going to be very expensive. Serious GAS on the go!

[TheGreek]

Welcome to the Forum [i]but please don't tell people playing Bass is easy[/i]!!!

I can see how your history of playing Sax is helping your theory but a lot of what we do here is [i]technique[/i] and [i]groove, [/i]something many musicians NEVER master...

I hope you enjoy being part of this community..

[David Taylor]

lol you just broke my heart >.< im actually finding it rather hard hehe. But then i don't have very flexible fingers, so i'm working on them

Noobs UNITE!! hehe

[daz]

I didn't (re) start till i was 46. Your never too old, and its never too late. Welcome.

[julietgreen]

Hi there. Also a fellow sax player here, also having a lot of fun on the bass. I was asked recently (by a percussionist) if playing the saxophone was difficult. Of course it's bloody difficult - it takes years of practice to make it sound passable as an instrument! A bass sounds pretty ok, the first time you pick it up - but then the work really starts!

[HowieBass]

I think I took to the bass as someone having a visually driven way of thinking because as you rightly point out it's all about patterns on the fingerboard. Ease of transposition is the great virtue of the instrument and it's all highly logical to me. The fun starts when you can play with nuance and fluidity and in truth all of us will continue to improve for as long as we decide to pick up an instrument and play.

Welcome to Basschat!

[Westie9]

I worked as a pro Sax player upon graduating so yes, it's tricky and everything different... The bass releases the pressure and too be honest, I love it..!!! Good luck...