Any bass players here?

[Ariana Celeste]

I am a very amateur bass player, just recently started learning. My husband is a bass player and has taught me some basics, but he works full time and doesn't have a lot of time to sit with me. So, I'm looking for some easier bass tabs, for bands that may be on my play list (I *have* to hear the song to learn to play it.) My play list features bands like, Alice in Chains, Pink Floyd, A Perfect Circle, Tool, NIN, Cake, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Incubus, Radiohead, The Doors, System of a Down, and others- but those are the bands I have the most music from.
My husband has told me that anything on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, a lot of Pearl Jam, NIN, and early Radiohead should be okay for me to handle. So, so far, I have learned: "Breathe" by Pink Floyd, "Creep" by Radiohead, "My Iron Lung" & "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead, "Would" by Alice in Chains.
I am working on: "Us and Them" & "Time" by Pink Floyd, and honestly still need a little work on "Would", as far as timing goes.
Since I'm not really accustomed to playing with speed, yet, I am having a little bit of trouble keeping my hands limber, and tend to keep my fingers a little tightly curled. He is having me learn to play with my fingers before I play anything with a pick- and I've found through listening to him and his friend play that I prefer the sound of finger playing, it sounds less twangy to me. He says that playing with only fingers can be a bit harder sometimes, and that it would be better for me to learn to play that way, first.

Anyways, so like I said, I am looking for some easier bass tabs, and maybe a little advice from some other bass players. I'm having a LOT of fun learning to play, and my goal is to someday be able to at the very least play some better Alice in Chains songs, and "Money" by Pink Floyd. I love the bass line in that song! I have looked up bass tabs online- I have two sites saved to my favorites, but I just don't know where to start other than with what he gave me. Anyways, any help or advice would be really appreciated!

:hi:

[toddzilla]

1. buy a metronome

do drills along with learning songs. learn some scales and arpeggios, it will all make much more sense if you learn HOW it works, and for a little finger saver, get some hemp oil for your right hand fingertips, or rub the sides of your nose with your tips if your skin is a little oily, it helps alot.

[Ariana Celeste]

4. Thanks!

I hadn't heard that before, mostly I've just been told, "After a few months your fingers will have calluses and it won't hurt much after that." Lol.
I'll look into learning some scales, honestly I just started learning a few weeks ago, so as I said- I am *very* amateur. :)

[Ron Green]

2. I think one good thing to remember is that YOU are the harmonic foundation

for whatever the band is playing. If you know how the song works, and how the chords move, your playing will enhance the music greatly. You are generally the one who has to be there on the first beat of each measure with the right note, and how you arrive at that note is of supreme importance to other members of the group, if they're really listening as they play.

I would also recommend you learn to read notation; as long as you're taking the effort to figure out tablature, why not go ahead and learn the bass clef? It will open up the world of music for you in a way that tab cannot. Also, look at "lead sheets," the kind of music found in fake books. It's got the melody written in treble clef, and the chord symbols written along with the melody. If you learn how to read the chord symbols, look ahead as you play and anticipate what's coming next, you'll be a much more complete musician and able to play with lots of different kinds of players. The bass is the ideal instrument to learn all this on, because you are learning theory and harmony along with how to play one note at a time as written on the page, which is what the bass generally does, not being a chording instrument.

I understand your taste in music is more to the rock styles which do not always follow conventional harmonic rules, but learning the bass is such a great opportunity to become a well-rounded musician that I hope you'll take a look at some standard jazz and American classic tunes, and learn some of them on the bass.

The bass player is the member of the group least appreciated by the lay public, but in reality the most important in several ways in making the music work right. Good luck in your learning and playing!

[Ariana Celeste]

3. Definitely-

I'll be looking at some other types of music eventually. I am focusing mainly on rock, because that is what my husband plays, and also because I can listen to it and know that I have it down right. So really it is just about learning what I can with what I have at the moment.

On ultimate-guitar.com, there are some bass lessons that I have been looking at and trying to understand. It is going to take me some time to really understand chords and everything else, because this is all new to me. It will take me some extra time, because I don't have a teacher. My husband is the kind of guy that just really has an ear for music, and has trouble explaining how things work- and he knows he is not a very good teacher, lol. So like I said, I'm working with what I have right now.

I'd love to someday be able to play some jazz and funk- in the meantime, I'm going to continue practicing what's easier for me as I get the fell for the guitar.

Thanks!

On edit: My husband started out playing the keyboard. His dad told me that when he was a little boy with his first little kid keyboard, that he could listen to a song once or twice and then be able to play it on his own. So later on as he got older, he bought an expensive keyboard and played it in a band. The band's bassist ended up quitting, so my husband bought a bass and just started playing by ear, like he did with his keyboard as a child. Myself on the other hand- it doesn't come quite that easily. LOL. I wish. But I am more than willing to work for it!!

[Pepperbelly]

5. count your measures!

:D

[Ariana Celeste]

8. I try to do that with my foot :)

:hi:

[name not needed]

6. been playing for about 3 months

I'd say, learn some blues-based stuff. Songs like Evil Ways by Santana. This style tends to be repetitive and on the simpler side. BTW, if you haven't already, pick up Bass Guitar For Dummies.

[Ariana Celeste]

9. Hadn't even thought of that!

Next time I go to amazon.com, I'll be sure to look it up!

I love Santana, I'll look up some tabs for that.

[jpgray]

7. I would recommend looking at the book "In the Shadows of Motown"

Focuses on the story of James Jamerson, his bass-playing and his style, and includes lots of transcriptions of his famous lines, like "Bernadette," "I Was Made to Love Her," etc. I think it's very important for a bass player to learn harmonic ideas from jazz or elsewhere, because just playing roots and fifths can bore the pants off your listeners. More than this, you need a great sense of rhythm, so if you have a drummer friend play with him/her as much as possible. And have fun! The bass is always a blast to play.

[Ariana Celeste]

10. Unfortunately,

my husband and his old drummer quit talking. I *am* having a blast even with the little I know! I'll check out that book, thanks!

edit: typo

[Al Dente]

11. Don't just learn bass parts.

Learn the melodies to songs that you like, and learn the harmony too. Anything about a song if you learn it will deeply improve your understanding of harmonic structure. Once you've been playing rock for awhile, I recommend going into classical and jazz. Rock is very triadic and the harmony does not extend much past that. Getting into extended triads like 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th chords really helps. But thats a ways off. Also, when you are learning a new song, don't get tab, just learn it by ear. If you truly develope your ear then you will be way ahead of alot of other bassists. Peace

[Goldmund]

12. "Rock is very triadic and the harmony does not extend much past that"

Woah is that a blanket statement or what?

[toddzilla]

13. lol no kidding..

never heard of music by.. well.. alot of stuff.

typical snobby jazz guy

[LifeDuringWartime]

15. i agree with the part about not using tab

but most people need something on paper to help guide their ears along.

when i started taking lessons with my current teacher, he had me buy a beginner's trombone duets book. it's all in bass clef, and is very simple. you and your husband could play along together. then, you can slowly progress to more difficult books.

have fun! you might want to also check out http://www.talkbass.com">TalkBass. It's got a great forum, with different sections for pretty much everything.

[Ron Green]

16. I also agree about tab. I think it's not a helpful notation system in the

long run. Instead, I would recommend, as you do, the bass clef. At the same time, it's good to learn to play by ear as you go along, so that both "halves" of your brain, or however it works, develop together: the one that hears the changes and puts in an improvised part, and the one that reads the music and plays what's on the page.

I've found that most projects I've been involved in, especially live concerts or shows with maybe just one or two rehearsals, have required both reading and "jamming," or head stuff. And that seems to be the best way to develop as a player, as well.

[LifeDuringWartime]

14. recording

if you have a mac, get garageband. if your computer isnt up to the task, get a simple tape recorder and record yourself playing along to tracks. it makes learning something MUCH easier and a lot more fun.

[Ariana Celeste]

17. Update on how I'm doing-

My husband is going to be buying me a metronome as was suggested here, I just have to keep on him. :).

I've slowed down on trying to learn songs, and have been working on memorizing chords and doing scales backward and forward, up and down the frets. It's definitely helped my finger placement!!! I get faster every time I do it, and soon I should be able to handle scales without looking at what I'm doing- I'm ok with it when I'm by myself but if my husband is watching me I *have* to look at what I'm doing- I get so nervous!

My little girly fingers are starting to get rough. :(. But, it's making it so much easier for me to play longer! So I guess you win some and lose some, there.

It was suggested I use hemp oil- my husband said it would make his strings deteriorate faster, so said I need to just tough it out and let my fingers callus up.

I still need the tabs, but I'm getting much better at recognizing (some) notes by ear. That will just take me some time!

As for the books that were suggested- my birthday is coming up quick and I've been making requests, lol. If anything, I'll get some cash and buy them myself.

So all in all, I am still taking it easy as I'm learning, but thanks to some suggestions here, I am getting much better! I have finally managed to stop using just my index finger on the frets and I'm gaining a bit of dexterity.

Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to reply to this thread! And thanks in advance to anyone else who happens to reply later! I'll check in again later, you guys friggin rock. :7

[Idylle Moon Dancer]

18. callouses - damn straight

they come in mighty handy.

something else you might consider, if you aren't already,
is completely avoiding open strings when practicing scales and
whatnot. My bass teacher encouraged this. It helps with learning
the fretboard and devoloping dexterity and stretch. I have relatively
small hands and it was very uncomfortable for a while, but was
worth it in the long run. Just be careful that it doesn't get so
ingrained that you avoid open strings when they're appropriate.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Don't Oil The Strings

The big gaps in wound bass strings collect enough grit and grime as it is. Oil will only make that worse! The strings will sound dead and boring in half the time.

I know i'm late to the fray here, but: One thing to do if playing to a record is focus on the kick drum. It's not important that every note you play is exactly on the beat, but if you have your "one" right on the kick, and make sure that your other notes are synched to (but not necessarily lined up on every single one of them) the kick, you will create a solid bottom and give you LOTS of freedom to roam.

Trust me on this. Admittedly, i was playing piano for 38 years at the time, and i knew how basslines worked from that, but i played bass in a battle of the bands 3 years ago after playing for 5 months. I won best bass player! Five of the other 9 bands in the contest were actively working bar bands!

My secret, from day one, was working the "one". (That and i had already been playing guitar for >20 years, too.) I'm actually on the busy side as a bass player (thinking like the left hand in my piano i guess). So, my parts aren't dumbed down. But, i really hit the one hard and treat each measure like a new starting point, even if i'm not playing the same thing each measure.

One more tip: Use your middle finger on the root note of your moving bass lines, rather than the index finger. The major 3rd is one fret back on the next string down, so if you're doing bass walking, getting to that is far easier. A really nice moving line is 1, M3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6. If you start with your middle finger on the root, it's easy and sounds really cool.
The Professor

[OxQQme]

20. I'm a little late coming into this thread

I play bass. Off and on for 30 yrs. Rock bands. C/W bands. 90% cover tunes. For whatever it's worth, Carol Kaye has a web site that has much to learn from. Here's one page: http://www.carolkaye.com/www/education/index.htm
You wouldn't believe the hit songs she's been the bass on.
She also advises learning to read staff, but also use's the "Nashville" numbering system very effectively to teach of chord structure.
Tips on timing and how to 'feel' the upbeats.
Recomended.
Go to her home page in the link to read in her forums. Some very advanced, but she never forgets the newbies.

[Ariana Celeste]

21. Hey!

Awesome man, thanks for the link! Going to check that out now. :7