Ao Bass Players ... advice for a noob.

[lopxtc]

Hey all ...

Okay so Im 31 this year and decided that its time that I finally learned to play an instrument and I want to use this as a lesson for my kids that your never to old to learn and that any thing worth doing is worth taking your time. Well I got a bass guitar and amp for Christmas and I have been working on trying to learn to play. What are some good tips for the starting bass player? At the moment I am doing the following each time I practice;

1 -- Spend time on first and second position getting used to my left hand technique and left hand strength.
2 -- Playing scales to a metronome to get used to moving my left hand around the fret board and keeping up with the metronome.

Ive got a couple good Hal Leonard books, one that is great for just basic learning to play and one that has excellent music theory lessons. What else do you all recommend for the beginner bass player?

Also if anyone has Guitar Pro for OS X please let me know ... I have it for Windows, but I would love to have it on my laptop that is easier to bring with me.

Thanks,

Aaron

[Altimas]

I play guitar, bass guitar, and the Pedal Steel guitar, and have played for the last 12 years of my life, and i have figured the best way to learn is from other people. I started with the books and learned a lot of the simple things on my own but it really helps if you have some one teach you something and hold you accountable as well. So I suggest lessons with someone and dont always stick with one person I changed about everyother year and it has really benefitted me to learn all different types of play styles and methods.

[dave p]

excellent,
ive been playing bass since i was 21. im now 38. i started with the same its never too late attitude. i eventually progressed to where i can get paid to play, so its all been good. it would still be good if i never made a penny. music is a very rewarding hobby.

at 38 i decided to take up the drums because well... its never too late. i started in may when my wife got me a 5 piece kit for my birthday. its going well, i have some dudes i jam with and its fun.

back to bass:
to start learn the major scale, minor scale(natural minor), blues scale(id say pentatonic minor, but might as well throw all those other notes in while you are at it) and the dorian mode. and learn the 7th chord arpeggios that relate to each. its not that much work and will lay enough foundation for you to start picking up how a lot of rock songs work. practice the scales all over the neck and get the patterns down, dont let knowing the names of the notes tie you up too much at first, it will come. teach your fingers and ears the patterns and sounds.

dont spend all your practice time on just excercises and metronome work, if you do 40 minutes, spend 20 doing theory and dexterity excercises and 20 just noodling with what you have learned or just making sounds that are interesting to you. experimentation is good and fun and will make practice seem less rigorous.

try to learn a song you like or two right away, it wont hurt you at all and will keep it interesting. and as soon as practical, start playing with others.

one of my favorite things is to turn on the radio for 10-15 minutes and try to learn as much of each song that comes on before it finishes. one after another, even if i dont like the song.

bass is a cool instrument. what kind of axe did you get?

edit: oh yeah, www.talkbass.com

[lopxtc]

Talkbass.com ... forgot about that site, need to check it out. Ive got an account over on ultimate-guitar.com but that site boarders on almost being the pbnation of guitar sites LOL.

I just got a basic Fender Squire P-Bass, will drop more money once I get better. Also have a 15 watt crate amp. Big enough amp to use in the house without annoying the neighbors or waking the kids when I play at night. Ive got my eye on this one from Epiphone;

Goth Thunderbird IV (http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?ProductID=209&CollectionID=5)

I wish this one came in a bass as I love the Emily comics LOL

Emily the Strange (http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?ProductID=238&CollectionID=3)

Ive got Guitar Pro 5 along with something like 20,000+ tabs and I like that program since you adjust the bpm down to 50% of normal which makes playing along easy for a beginner. Just wish I had it for OS X also so I put it on my laptop which is easier to play in front.

Aaron

[FactsOfLife]

Hey all ...

Okay so Im 31 this year and decided that its time that I finally learned to play an instrument and I want to use this as a lesson for my kids that your never to old to learn and that any thing worth doing is worth taking your time.

take up drinking. in front of them. they'll appreciate it later in life.