How Bass Works

[kemra]

I'm still a newbie at Bass (after being a refugee from the guitar) and currently my lessons consist of using songs to learn techniques rhythm and timing. That's all going great but I feel I need to augment that with something theory based.

What I am looking for more specifically is to understand music theory as it relates to playing the bass, how to play off the drummer, what makes a good bassline (and more importantly why) & how to write music in general.

Additionally I play a 5 and basically everything I play only requires a four so anything I learn I want to be easily transferable to a 5 (or a 6).

Sorry if I missed something obvious on these forums or else where but my GoogleFu failed me.

[Bobthedog]

Someone will come along and recommend some good you tube courses, meanwhile you may wish to look at the following books:

Hal Leonard is the publisher: Bass Method Music Theory by Sean Malone
Hal Leonard: Bass Method Music Complete Edition by Ed Friesland

Both are available from Amazon.

Re the 5, at risk of teach gin grandmothers to suck eggs, the easiest thing I can think off is that the 5th fret of the B string is the same as the open E. If you work of that, it may save a lot of time instead of moving up and down the neck. Very easy to move from 4 to 5 if you think that way.

[HowieBass]

Check out Scott Devine - he has his own website and YouTube channel - TONS of free stuff and includes music theory as well as technique.

http://www.scottsbasslessons.com

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWTj3vCqkQIsrTGSm4kM34g

[Bilbo]

How Bass works has tied us all up for decades. You need to see it as a journey rather than as a destination. FOr a start, the bass works very differently depending on genre so a reggae bass player will have a different perspective that a metal head and so on.

[Coilte]

[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1441054651' post='2855776']
Someone will come along and recommend some good you tube courses,
[/quote]

...and here is one...

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLImrzCNnL5PkSfa1gUpsGzSMELR31yW9h

The good thing about the above, is that the lessons start basic and each lesson builds on what went before.

Ditto for this site..... http://www.studybass.com/study-guide/

IMO investing in a few lessons from a good teacher would get you off to a great start.

[Grangur]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1441057842' post='2855807']
Check out Scott Devine - he has his own website and YouTube channel - TONS of free stuff and includes music theory as well as technique.

[url="http://www.scottsbasslessons.com"]http://www.scottsbasslessons.com[/url]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWTj3vCqkQIsrTGSm4kM34g"]http://www.youtube.c...kQIsrTGSm4kM34g[/url]
[/quote]

You could start off with this set of lessons. These are mainly about groove and timing, but there's some good stuff in there. He's also doing a deal on joining the SBL Academy.

http://www.thegrooveformula.com/launch-groove-grid/

[SubsonicSimpleton]

You could give this site a look

http://www.musictheory.net/lessons

It is very piano centric, and there is no tab in sight, but all the necessary information on chord and scale construction that would allow you to start making sense of why a bassline works against a chord progression is there.

[Oopsdabassist]

Never mind all that, anyone who has Richard for an avatar is cool as feck before a bass guitar is even picked up!!

For Pony!!




[size=2]geekmode *off*[/size]

[kemra]

Thanks all for the pointers, I'll take a look at all the links and get those books on order too and start going through everything this weekend. Should keep me busy.

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1441110207' post='2856078']
Never mind all that, anyone who has Richard for an avatar is cool as feck before a bass guitar is even picked up!!

For Pony!!

[size=2]geekmode *off*[/size]
[/quote]

You all saw it! That orphanage attached me!