Any Bass Guitar Players In The House?

The Arson · **Any Bass Guitar Players In The House?**

I've wanted to learn how to play bass for a few years, and now have enough money to buy one, and possibly get lessons. Any one have tips on where to get one, and what kind. And maybe some good learning techniques

Thanks,
Arson

WhiteStang99 · 03-20-2005, 10:32 PM

Learn tabs first, they're the easiest. You'd want to take lessons if you really want to get into it. I have a Squire P-Bass, it came with a small amp and chords, etc. Very nice starting guitar.

wiarumas · 03-20-2005, 10:41 PM

haha you came to the right place.

i suggest gettin a piece of crap bass for under 200 dollars.. then pick up a small practice amp for under 100.

i say this because you dont want to buy a 500 dollar one with EMG pick ups and an ampeg full stack and then set it down and not play it anymore and/or suck really bad. youll actually sound worse on better guitars.

fender, schecter, ibanez are some good companies. look at them. go to a good music store (even a pawn shop might be good) and play it and see if you like them. i suggest something cheap now so when you build up your skills you can find one that you really like and know how to play. its kinda like driving.. you learn on your mom's car and then go for the powerhouse.

i HIGHLY suggest getting lessons. i taught myself for a few months.. got lessons.. and he doubled my knowledge in about 15 minutes. they know what they are doing.

what i suggest first is learning to fingerpick and run through some scales as well as the notes. from the biggest string to the smallest string (top to bottom) it goes E, A, D, G in standard tuning. ill let your teacher tell you the rest of the notes as they go up the bass. learn to use your fingers (all of them) and on both hands. as you get better and better look at tablature on songs so you can have fun too. i realize scales aren't fun but they get you better. practice, practice, practice. i think the mountaintop is when you are able to write your own stuff or freestyle on your own. once you get there (even if its a very basic knowledge), its easy to keep it up and have fun playing instead of it being more of a chore. id be happy to answer any more questions.

Thomas91169 · 03-20-2005, 11:41 PM

i have the squier p-bass starter kit. ive been playing bass for around 3 years now and its pretty simple. theres quite a few different styles(slap bass and such) but mostly youll just use the pick. usually 1 note at a time isnt that hard.

go to some of the tab sites like taborama.com, tabfly.com and such and youll pick things up fairly fast. they go by the #fret on which string and read the tab from left to right, cant get much easier than that.

start out with some easier bass stuff like blink or green day, and work your way up. get the timing down and learn to listen to the drummer for the timing, cause in most bands, the bassist and drummer play off eachother to keep rythm.

232stang01 · 03-21-2005, 01:02 AM

Bass is relativelyeasy, provided you've got riddim. Play what you like, and learn to deviate over tapes of what you learn to play. As for what bass to buy.. Get the one that feels good to you, and is in budget. Unless youget a big amp, I'd suggest getting a headphone amp. At first you probably won't want anyone to hear you anyways. I don't suggest buying any amp that has less than a 12" speaker (if it only has one). Reason being, if you ever try to record a shitty little 6" speaker practice amp with a mic, you'll hate yourself for spending any money on it after you realize the quality you don't have.

As a side note, a single Pioneer IMPP 12" on a decent sized home stereo amp can cover well in a pinch. (I once had to use my car subs with my home stereo to finish a demo, and a small show)

Above all, learn technique, deviate, and enjoy playing.

(...Didn't realize there were so many players here...)

**Brent** · 03-21-2005, 01:26 AM

bluemustang · 03-21-2005, 12:32 PM

if you need a begginer bass let me know I have one Ill let it go for decently cheap.

BTW bass is fun. used to be big in it. just dont have any time anymore to rock out.

Def get lessons, as one above said within 15 mins you'll get so much knowledge you wish you've done it before hand.

lowflyn · 03-21-2005, 12:37 PM

I used to play some bass...loved it. Just never got the money to buy one. I've looked into buying a beginner kit and starting over but all my practice time goes into staying 1st chair over here in the band. That's a good hour a day most of the time, and that's a long time for those of you who have never played an instrument.

bluemustang · 03-21-2005, 12:39 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by lowflyn I used to play some bass...loved it. Just never got the money to buy one. I've looked into buying a beginner kit and starting over but all my practice time goes into staying 1st chair over here in the band. That's a good hour a day most of the time, and that's a long time for those of you who have never played an instrument.

what you play? cause back when i was in HS band an hour would have been great. Practices lasted over 3 hours. It sucked

lowflyn · 03-21-2005, 12:41 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by bluemustang what you play? cause back when i was in HS band an hour would have been great. Practices lasted over 3 hours. It sucked

I play trumpet over here at MSU. This is my personal practice time, not the entire band. I also have an hour of band a day..but it's not bad. At least we play fun music in college lol.

bluemustang · 03-21-2005, 12:44 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by lowflyn I play trumpet over here at MSU. This is my personal practice time, not the entire band. I also have an hour of band a day..but it's not bad. At least we play fun music in college lol.

nice I used to play trumpet too. the real heart of the band (minus the drums)

Thats dope though. I "retired" once football season ended my senior year. Cause thats all I ever cared about.

lowflyn · 03-21-2005, 03:02 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by bluemustang nice I used to play trumpet too. the real heart of the band (minus the drums) Thats dope though. I "retired" once football season ended my senior year. Cause thats all I ever cared about.

Hehe, well football in college is completely different.

bluemustang · 03-21-2005, 03:58 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by lowflyn Hehe, well football in college is completely different.

oh i bet but i didnt have any plans to further in my trumpet carer

i went to some badass places during my HS years in band (Florida. Canada, Mrytle Beach, Bahamas (have no clue how great that trip was, that was my senior year too) I think I did pretty good

lowflyn · 03-21-2005, 04:02 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by bluemustang oh i bet but i didnt have any plans to further in my trumpet carer i went to some badass places during my HS years in band (Florida. Canada, Mrytle Beach, Bahamas (have no clue how great that trip was, that was my senior year too) I think I did pretty good

Ha, well I went to Orlando, D.C., and a few other places. Was fun though...so far in College I've been to Arkansas, Lousiana, Alabama, Georgia, shooting for all the SEC stadiums before I graduate.

wiarumas · 03-21-2005, 04:09 PM

i was in a band too...

we played metal.

KyleUSAF · 03-21-2005, 05:43 PM

w00t for the baritone-I was in band my freshman and sophmore years of HS

(played trebble cleff baritone)