16 replies to this topic

[Marcel]

Well, I've decided to become the next Bootsy Collins and i'm wondering if any bassists out there can give me any tips or thoughts about getting into learning. What to buy, what to avoid, best ways to learn, etc.

I used to play drums a bit, so I gots me a bit o' rhythm, and i play a bit of a few other instruments, but i'm basically a musical novice.

Also, anyone got a shitty old bass or bass amp they want a few bucks or plants or mush cultures for?

[NegativeDave]

got a shitty left hander and amp marcel, in melbs though

[dionysus]

good thing about shitty bass guitars is that its harder to discern through the sound that it is of low quality than a standard variety (to the stock standard music listeners ear), i picked up one brand new from a local pawn shop for about 150 to keep my bassist friend occupied when he comes here, but now i equally love to play it

i can't really advise on how best to learn, as i teach myself and am apparently a poor teacher, but learning the basics online or through books might save you some money/awkward moments paying an instructor those first few sessions. good luck man.

[space cadet swami]

Bass to play on it's own is very boring, you need to find a guitarist to jam with. The more u play with others, the quicker u'll come along. If the guitarist is half decent they'll be able to help u out heaps. A lot of guitarists start out on bass & most can adapt to bass easily. Get yourself a good amp...Laney amps are the best value for $.

Enjoy yourself man...I started out on bass, had no idea what I was doing...lol.

[totemgoat]

just watch this about 7 times, should give you what you need.

[SallyD]

Roopey plays bass, he's from Sydney too.

[Marcel]

Totem: that clip is exactly why I want to learn bass.

Spacecadet: Totem's video is proof that you don't need a guitar to have fun with bass.

[space cadet swami]

Hey marcel...if u wanna play bass, u gotta check out Jaco.

[Therefore]

RIP Jaco....beaten to death by a nightclub bouncer

[Marcel]

I have every Weather Report album ever released. I knows me some Jaco! That said, I reckon Miroslav Vitous was a better bass player for WR.

[Legba]

i got an amp u can borrow.

[holymountain]

i play bass. have done for the last six years or so. before that i was a guitarist until i started a band that needed a bass player.
i must admit it took a little while before I fully felt like a bass player and not just a guitarist resigned to playing bass.

i once had the spirit of cliff burton appear during a mushroom journey. he told me if i was going to play bass i better start taking it seriously and rocking the hell out.
so i did. and now the bass and i are one. always jamming.

to get you started i recommend learning about major and minor triads, they are very simple chord shapes that you can use. once you learn a simple pattern it can be used for any chord and anywhere on the bass neck. you can find lessons easy on the internet.

i recommend saying hello to king green herbage and sitting down for about, i don't know...say four or five days and just playing your bass until the whole world dissolves. youll emerge a hero, i promise!

i'm a lefty so i've got a soft spot for Paul McCartney's bass work with the beatles. very melodic and clever.

i think these guys are all particularly awesome though:

Al Cisneros- bass player from Sleep and Om, specialises in hypnotic, doomy, egyptian style. very unique style and really pushing the boundaries of what can be done with just a bass and some drums.


Cliff Burton- Metallica's original bassist and the real creative force behind their earlier albums


Justin Chancellor- Tool- awesome use of effects, strange time signatures and heaviness.

Chris Squire- Yes- Prog Rock legend, but with a really cool cutting tone.

Geezer Butler- Black Sabbath- he invented heavy metal.

keep on rocking.

Edited by holymountain, 19 June 2012 - 10:30 AM.

[Marcel]

holymountain: that's a great chunk of advice, man! Thanks!

[Zen Peddler BlueGreenie]

I used to play bass for a while in a band because no one else in the band could basically. its pretty basic really. it has its own dynamics and its harder work than playing guitar. On the fingers and the arms.

Ive always like Ricken basses myself.

[Zen Peddler BlueGreenie]

Bass bassist in modern times for mine was the guy form Interpol. Quirky and always wondering around the chord structures with opposing bass lines as an additional melody that worked - Listen to the tracks Narc and Take you on a Cruist by Interpol for some tidy bass playing.

this is a very trebbly mix so I can barely hear the bass in it. On the cd and live it thumps:

Edited by Zen Peddler BlueGreenie, 23 June 2012 - 01:17 PM.

[holymountain]

yeah dude! Carlos D was a great bassist. more creative and melodic than most of the other bass players of his era. you can hear the overall quality of Interpol's music slide when he left. i heard he was a massive metalhead in his youth. so he has the ability to shred and play really difficult stuff, but he's toned it down to what is needed for interpol.

thats another great lesson for bass players to learn: the notes you don't play are just as important as the notes you do play!

[george_667]

Check out the bass centre great guys and they have sometimes very affordable secondhand equipment. As far as learning goes, listen to the music that you love and find out who inspired those artists and then who inspired them. Getting a sense of what makes you like the music you like is an excellent way to tune your ears in. Also check out "modern electric bass" a video Staring Jaco.