Beginners - how are you getting along?

[Anvil]

A thread for noobs (like me) to say (type) how they are getting along.

Had my bass less than a week and now have 2 songs and a few riffs under my belt.

With or Without You - U2
So Lonely - The Police

So, as Joey in friends would say, "How you doin?"

[Anvil]

I spent the weekend building a shed, so didn't get much time with the bass, but am doing fret exercises with my left hand (24 combos of 4) and plucking exercises with my right. I am also trying to learn favourite songs to motivate me.

Anyway gotta go...1 & 2 & 3 & 4....................

[renniks]

Been working my way through a bass book, got some scales sorted etc. but trying not to teach myself too much as I'll be getting lessons soon and bad habits are harder to lose than learn

[Anvil]

I must be the only newbie here that is also learing to play???

Tonight folks, I have been mostly nailing "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Dave Mark's videos rule

[bass24]

I got a bass as an impulse buy a few weeks ago, wish I'd done that years ago!!! One of Gear4musics own label which I think is fine for a newby like myself.
I ordered a Fender Rumble combo which is on its way to me as I type.

Picking up a few riffs, songs so far are U2 - With or Without You, Bob Marley - Jammin, Booker T - Time is Tight, Ace - How Long (TAB sent to me by a BC'er here, thanks Steve)

Edited June 23, 2010 by bass24

[No1skewenjack]

I've been having lessons since about March. First I worked on some 12 bar blues, octive playing and some then for a month or so a finger fitness programe. I have just finished learning Deep Purple - Black Night and I'm starting on Rose royce - Car Wash. I enjoyed the finger fitness programe but if Im honest it was a bit borring at times but had to be done. Finally it feels like Im getting somewhere.

[waynepunkdude]

Good luck guys , remember the[url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/"] wiki[/url] is a great resource for anything from equipment to technique.

[jezzaboy]

I must be the only newbie here that is also learing to play???

Anvil

I think that you`ll find that most of us on here are still learning how to play the bloomin bass, with varying levels of success!


Keep it up cause it`s the best gig in the band. And you will meet the nicest people!!

Jez

Edited June 23, 2010 by jezzaboy

[lowdown]

[quote name='Anvil' post='873071' date='Jun 20 2010, 10:31 PM']I spent the weekend building a shed,[/quote]


So you play drums as well?



Garry

[Anvil]

[quote name='lowdown' post='875655' date='Jun 23 2010, 05:52 PM']So you play drums as well?



Garry[/quote]

I am having a hard enough time learning bass (with headphones) without incurring the wrath of SWMBO and buying some skins to bang on too!!!

[Anvil]

Has anyone got (or read) the book 'Bass guitar for dummies'?

Just wondered if it is worth it, or whether to enroll with a teacher?

[Marvin]

[quote name='Anvil' post='875730' date='Jun 23 2010, 07:01 PM']Has anyone got (or read) the book 'Bass guitar for dummies'?

Just wondered if it is worth it, or whether to enroll with a teacher?[/quote]
That's easy, teacher. No book does the business really. I'm about to get myself some lessons, and do I need them. I've got to the stage where I'm actually going backwards and my playing is getting worse if that is at all really possible. So if you've got the reddies go for the teacher.
Or you could, in the interim, try Major-Minor's boot camp series in the Theory and Technique forum, it's free, mad innit.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Marvin

[Geek99]

Bass guitar for dummies is worth a read. He's very good at explaining how to work over chords.
He's very breif on how to play rhythms jumping straight from quarter notes into a syncopated rhythm.
Good section on maintenance
Good section on playing styles of music

[Doddy]

[quote name='Anvil' post='875730' date='Jun 23 2010, 07:01 PM']Has anyone got (or read) the book 'Bass guitar for dummies'?

Just wondered if it is worth it, or whether to enroll with a teacher?[/quote]

It's always worth going to a good teacher. They will help you progress a
lot quicker.

Nice one on bring able to play a few tunes in a short space of time,
but can I suggest that you spend some of your practice time learning the notes on the fingerboard,and where they are on the stave.
You'll thank me later.

[urb]

[quote name='Doddy' post='876298' date='Jun 24 2010, 12:30 PM']It's always worth going to a good teacher. They will help you progress a
lot quicker.

Nice one on bring able to play a few tunes in a short space of time,
but can I suggest that you spend some of your practice time learning the notes on the fingerboard,and where they are on the stave.
You'll thank me later.[/quote]

Knowing where the notes are on the fingerboard is an absolutely KEY skill and any time spent learning where you can find any notes in any position on the fingerboard will stay with you for LIFE - reading music is also time well spent - but instinctively knowing where a note is without looking at the neck is invaluable.

Good luck and keep on practicing - ten or 20 minutes a day is better than a single hour a week - little and often is how I do it... and that's after 25 years of playing

Cheers

Mike

[theosd]

You're always learning I've been playing now for 7 years, 5 of which in bands. I rarely spend time learning new songs, just practising technique. i've been working on building up the use of my right hand ring finger by doing sixteenths!

[Anvil]

Got the 'Dummies' book for a little light bedtime reading, but have also found a teacher, and 1st lesson is next week.

2 weeks (ish) till my 1st jam with another bass, a drummer and (one of THEM) a guitar.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Anvil

[xgsjx]

A good album of simple basslines that's good fun to play is Electric by the Cult. Pop rock from the 80's.

Most of the songs are just straight 8s, but there's some good simple riffs in there too.

All U2's albums are nice easy basslines, first 3 albums are the best.

Have fun & enjoy yourselfs.

[teen t-shirt]

[quote name='Doddy' post='876298' date='Jun 24 2010, 12:30 PM']It's always worth going to a good teacher. They will help you progress a
lot quicker.

Nice one on bring able to play a few tunes in a short space of time,
but can I suggest that you spend some of your practice time learning the notes on the fingerboard,and where they are on the stave.
You'll thank me later.[/quote]

+1000000000

to learning the notes on the fretboard its a f***ing live saver trust me i'd be lost now if i'd not done that when i first started...

i recommend it to everyone now when ever they ask me how i learnt to play like i do... just learn all of it! (tip tho you only have to learn up to the 12th fret cos its the same after that lol)