AM1 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 For Mods...any chance of setting up a beginner forum section? I have found that there are a multitude of bass books for beginners, I would like to review a few that I have found excellent and useful. A beginner's forum will enable new people to instantly find that type of information. Also, a dedicated section will save us beginners bombarding the same poor peeps with idiot level questions Cheers AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 - Or possibly have a "professional" section to save all us begginers from their Jazz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 PM'd.....Goodluck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass-ic Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Absolutley...... Beginnery LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='373579' date='Jan 7 2009, 10:08 PM']For Mods...any chance of setting up a beginner forum section? I have found that there are a multitude of bass books for beginners, I would like to review a few that I have found excellent and useful. A beginner's forum will enable new people to instantly find that type of information. Also, a dedicated section will save us beginners bombarding the same poor peeps with idiot level questions Cheers AM[/quote] Not a bad idea at all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 No such thing as an idiot level question - is there? Good idea as long as it's a flame-free zone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 (edited) Good idea, I've been posting beginnery stuff on 'Theory and Techniques' but there's quite a gulf there between my simple grooves for 60s garage punk/early soul and the transcriptions of Miles Davis spectaculars. One of the problems with learning is that as you gain in proficiency you forget how challenging simple stuff once was. This ends in the kind of snippy 'hey it's easy, maybe you should try another instrument' answers that just put a beginner off. Hence I make an effort to post of the stuff I've had trouble with while the tips that helped me are still in my head. Bass is an instrument with a false reputation for being easy. Some players get stuff like timing and note choices straight-off but others can end up stuck slavishly playing tab vaguely around the beat. Beginner's forum should be great for anyone who has the guts to say 'help! get me out of this rut'. Edited January 8, 2009 by cytania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Not a bad idea at all - i'll run it by the other mods and if we have a consensus then i'll get it created . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 My first thought on this was 'great idea!' But it does rather split things up a bit. There are plenty of threads from beginners that are of plenty of use to more experienced players, especially when you get people asking about some of the more expensive equipment out there, or stuff like "I'm new to effects - what's the best distortion to get?' Even technique questions often throw up interesting threads. I know there's quite a bit of replication of threads at the moment, but might not another forum give rise to the opportunity for more of this? And then there are the people who have been playing for years but have a question that others might think is quite basic (I'm sure we've all been there ) I feel that if there is a dedicated forum it might have to be quite focussed to be useful beyond what is already covered. Maybe a beefed up wiki or a forum of archived 'useful threads' might be a better answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I am with Musky on this one. We don't want to draw lines between abilities on the forum as much as we don't want to divide the forum with some being 'supporting members' and so forth. I don't think there is any question you couldn't ask about beginner things that wouldn't be answered to the fullest in any current forum. The ones that do grumble are just seeking attention :0) Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I asked that when i first joined.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebeat Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='fumps' post='373932' date='Jan 8 2009, 12:18 PM']I asked that when i first joined.......... [/quote] I always ask where the toliets are first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='373926' date='Jan 8 2009, 12:06 PM']We don't want to draw lines between abilities on the forum as much as we don't want to divide the forum with some being 'supporting members' and so forth. I don't think there is any question you couldn't ask about beginner things that wouldn't be answered to the fullest in any current forum.[/quote] Ped I'm a beginner and happy to nail my colours to the mast as exactly that, as are the other beginners I've exchanged PMs with. There are plenty of other beginners here, many of whom don't post much, if at all. So it is exactly the lack of drawing lines that is discouraging to participation of a wider member cross-section. A dedicated beginner forum gives the people starting out the chance to identify each other, interact and share tips. Dividing ability is a lesser concern than the current position, which is a distinct lack of an appropriate section for new members to engage in debates with their beginner peer group and seek advice from the more experienced (without people wading in to throw missiles from the peanut gallery). Beginners want to primarily learn to play, not engage in endless technical debates. It is really surprising that the board doesn't already have a sub-forum for new players. Is this a forum only for people who want to discuss the virtues of various gear or can we have a section for new players? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='373940' date='Jan 8 2009, 12:30 PM']Dividing ability is a lesser concern than the current position, which is a distinct lack of an appropriate section for new members to engage in debates with their beginner peer group and seek advice from the more experienced (without people wading in to throw missiles from the peanut gallery). Beginners want to primarily learn to play, not engage in endless technical debates.[/quote] It does make me think that sometimes people are afraid to ask questions in case they get flamed or berated.. but, we know that sort of flaming behaviour is down to a minority who can't seem to engage in communication in an adult fashion and they should be ignored. I really want everyone to be able to be included in the forum and not to feel that they will be leapt on for asking a simple question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='dood' post='373957' date='Jan 8 2009, 12:53 PM']It does make me think that sometimes people are afraid to ask questions in case they get flamed or berated..[/quote] Yes. [quote name='dood' post='373957' date='Jan 8 2009, 12:53 PM']but, we know that sort of flaming behaviour is down to a minority who can't seem to engage in communication in an adult fashion and they should be ignored.[/quote] They should be ignored but in practical terms that doesn't alter the fact that beginners have no ringfenced area to go and ask stupid questions without being shot down. [quote name='dood' post='373957' date='Jan 8 2009, 12:53 PM']I really want everyone to be able to be included in the forum and not to feel that they will be leapt on for asking a simple question.[/quote] So, build in a simple, small beginner sub-forum. Honestly, my perspective of the forum as a beginner is that there are endless discussions on gear (I'm no stranger to that in other hobbies) but when starting out, I want to learn the fundamental basics, not extensive technical debates. Plus when someone new intro's themselves and says they are a new player, you can direct them to the beginner's section, which hopefully will have lots of useful stickies on all those burning questions... Rgds AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mewsie Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 a beginnery forum is a pretty neat idea - the kind of place beginners know their questions aren't too basic to be welcomed. however, will as many experienced players also be hanging around in there to answer them? i probably still count as a beginner but i personally found that jumping in the deep end and being surrounded by people much much more experienced than me was great for pushing me forward, and i am 100% sure that i wouldn't be playing like i am now if it wasn't for this place and the people i know as a result of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 We are all beginners at something, so there are no 'stupid' questions. Just ask away and dive in. If someone tries to make you feel stupid, feel sorry for them. ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='373996' date='Jan 8 2009, 01:29 PM']We are all beginners at something, so there are no 'stupid' questions. Just ask away and dive in. If someone tries to make you feel stupid, feel sorry for them. ped[/quote] Is this a yes or a no? It's not about who makes who feel stupid, it's about providing a platform for beginners to get to know each other and new beginners to quickly and easily find information that will be useful. Also, reviews of beginner resources, books, etc can be retained in one place. Is this board going to facilitate that or not? Just put yourself into the mindset of a beginner for a few minutes and look at the forum as if you had just started. Then, see if you can present a convincing argument for not building a beginner sub-forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I think a list of stickies would be more appropriate, some essential reading for beginners perhaps. I don't think the environment here is the least bit hostile towards beginners - quite the opposite. I will see what the others think about it! ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Segregation is not needed. When I first joined BW (back in the days) as a beginner, you do a bit of reading to catch up, that's all. About the only thing that would be handy is perhaps a beginners sticky linking to certain threads and other websites for extremely commonly requested information. It does suprise me how some people are afraid of asking questions incase of being told they're repeating others, yet don't use the search function to go find the information they're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='374019' date='Jan 8 2009, 01:40 PM']I think a list of stickies would be more appropriate, some essential reading for beginners perhaps. I don't think the environment here is the least bit hostile towards beginners - quite the opposite. I will see what the others think about it! ped[/quote] Again, it's not necessarily about the environment or hostility. It's about facilitating a part of the community where beginners can identify each other and interact, it is useful to be able to identify with one's beginner peer group. Also, most beginners do the gauntlet of new player resources and can share tips on what they have found useful. Wasting hours searching through forums isn't conducive to progressing as a player, that's wasted practice time. Rgds AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mewsie Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='374042' date='Jan 8 2009, 01:56 PM']Wasting hours searching through forums isn't conducive to progressing as a player, that's wasted practice time.[/quote] either that or it gives the unconscious mind time to integrate what you've already learnt and your hands and arms chance to rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 I'll rest when I'm dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I agree with the OP that there's a need to expand 'facilities' for beginners. OTOH, I also agree with other posters that there's a downside to creating a 'Beginners' forum as noted above. Rather than segregate, we perhaps need to look at our entire interaction with beginners. This could range from mods thinking about how the site's structured across to the nature of individual members' responses Some random thoughts: * A more beginner-friendly Basschat will increase membership. It may also reduce duplication of postings and 'clog'. * Beginners will often 'lurk' first, so the answer may not just lie in a revision of the sign-up process, though the page(s) could perhaps be amended to include a beginner friendly intro. * Lots of questions get posed in 'General Discussion', which exposes them to the 'discursive' nature of that place. This means that the questioner may get an avalanche of seemingly 'irrelevant' answers, which, while fun for everyone else, may not necessarily help. * Technique (a bit of a wallflower?) could perhaps do with a sticky on 'Beginning bass playing', which also links to a 'Beginner Wiki' * Gear is important. Without it, you can't play. And some beginners are going to ask questions about gear before they ask questions about technique - because they haven't got any gear yet! Other will have acquired the gear first and now be wondering how best to use it. We should (somehow) take this into account in the introduction 'sequencing'. * I don't see much flaming of supposedly 'stupid' questions. Where it's occurred, it's usually been jumped on, either by mods or other members. OTOH, I've seen lots of really helpful responses and offers of assistance. * To take a median approach, may I propose an expanded Wiki for beginners, which is [i]very[/i] clearly signposted, to accommodate both lurkers and sign-ups. * We could first research beginners' needs (some of us will have forgotten what it's like, so we should go to the source and ask them) in order to develop an approach to handling beginners. This could also generate a list of 'beginner topics' for an expanded Wiki, to which members could offer contributions, these to be subject to sub-editing by the mods. Happy to help if I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass-ic Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='374071' date='Jan 8 2009, 02:17 PM']I agree with the OP that there's a need to expand 'facilities' for beginners. OTOH, I also agree with other posters that there's a downside to creating a 'Beginners' forum as noted above. Rather than segregate, we perhaps need to look at our entire interaction with beginners. This could range from mods thinking about how the site's structured across to the nature of individual members' responses Some random thoughts: * A more beginner-friendly Basschat will increase membership. It may also reduce duplication of postings and 'clog'. * Beginners will often 'lurk' first, so the answer may not just lie in a revision of the sign-up process, though the page(s) could perhaps be amended to include a beginner friendly intro. * Lots of questions get posed in 'General Discussion', which exposes them to the 'discursive' nature of that place. This means that the questioner may get an avalanche of seemingly 'irrelevant' answers, which, while fun for everyone else, may not necessarily help. * Technique (a bit of a wallflower?) could perhaps do with a sticky on 'Beginning bass playing', which also links to a 'Beginner Wiki' * Gear is important. Without it, you can't play. And some beginners are going to ask questions about gear before they ask questions about technique - because they haven't got any gear yet! Other will have acquired the gear first and now be wondering how best to use it. We should (somehow) take this into account in the introduction 'sequencing'. * I don't see much flaming of supposedly 'stupid' questions. Where it's occurred, it's usually been jumped on, either by mods or other members. OTOH, I've seen lots of really helpful responses and offers of assistance. * To take a median approach, may I propose an expanded Wiki for beginners, which is [i]very[/i] clearly signposted, to accommodate both lurkers and sign-ups. * We could first research beginners' needs (some of us will have forgotten what it's like, so we should go to the source and ask them) in order to develop an approach to handling beginners. This could also generate a list of 'beginner topics' for an expanded Wiki, to which members could offer contributions, these to be subject to sub-editing by the mods. Happy to help if I can.[/quote] Hi. This seems a pretty reasonable way to do things. Plus i think there could also be a section about well known bass lines to learn, re the question i posed some time ago. Plus, i think it might help beginners find a tutor etc. matbe a list of regional tutors? I think the sign up could benefit from a 'beginner' section if appropiate. Cheers matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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