I’m considering taking up the bass guitar. Anybody here play? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
what kind of advice would you like? im a guitar player but i know about basses too.
Me a bass player… But what tuba player isn’t. It is a requirement to being a tuba player. Keeps you in all the concerts… Just remember to pluck not to struuuuummmmm.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
ME SO SILLY LATE AT NIGHT!
I’m not a bass player, but I’ve played with quite a few. One thing: When you’re playing with a band, listen to the drummer, and make sure the drummer listens to you. As a drummer, let me assure you, this is vital to a cohesive sound.
I’m no bass player either, but I saw a talking bass in Walgreens the other day. 
Peace,
mangeorge
Hey there Mr. Blue Sky, I’m a bass player. What kind of advice would you like? The main thing that I would suggest: learn to play with your fingers, not with a pick. Why? Well, it might take a little longer but there is so much more you can do. I play all kinds of bass styles, slap bass included. Needless to say, it’s pretty damn hard to play slap with a pick. Also, the sound with fingers is so much warmer then with a pick. And if you want a sharper sound, try a little slap and pop. If you want anymore advice, just say the word. You’ll have to be a little more specific as to what kind of advice you want, though. Later all.
Sorry to tank here. I’ve been wanting to learn to play an instrument, either bass or piano. When I think about it, the bass isn’t the greatest solo instrument (Spinal Tap excluded) one can play. I’d like to learn the piano, but lessons are horribly expensive. I’ve checked out computer courses (primarily the Piano Discovery system) and that seems to be the best software based on numerous reviews. However, even the software’s manufacturer suggests getting a teacher as well. I’m not looking to enter the Van Cliburn competition, just something else to expand my mind and entertain myself and possibly others.
I’ve always had a problem with decisions like this and I’m not sure why.
Best Bass solo I have ever heard, Cliff Burton. If you are a fan, you know which one I’m talkin about. I play a little guitar, about 3 months now, getting pretty good. after anothe 3 months or so I am gonig to take bass lessons too.
Anaesthesia is a great solo, but Jaco would have eaten Cliff alive. I can’t think of anything I’ve heard him on that didn’t blow me away. Song for Tracy is the one that sticks out in my mind though… he plays on just harmonics better than I play period.
Oh, nother bass player here. And another Tuba player. What’s up with that?
JBirdman12 is right on the money here. Get in tight with the drummer and you have the foundation for a great band.
Bass is my original love although since leaving my band, I’ve been more of a guitar guy. I would highly recommend bass as an instrument to start up with.
Why?
1- It’s an easy instrument to pick up, but requires much dedication to perfect. So you can get started right away, and look forward to years of challenge.
2- Being a part of the rythm section gives yoiu good training for other instruments you may eventually pick up.
3- Bands are always looking for bassists.
4- You save a fortune on strings. Bass strings are expensive, but generally hard to break.
Start to learn with your fingers, and learn to slap. The pick has it’s place. I Played for years with a very technical speed metal band. (Here’s the link to their current page: http://www.neoblast.com/cryptopsy/music.html ) And I played with a pick. When you have 5 guys making this kind of noise, you want everything as sharp and crisp as you can get it.
dewt
Oops, I seem to have posted under my wife’s account… sorry all, especially Dylan.
dewt
I have played the bass guitar and the upright bass. I played the bass guitar in several hardcore/grindcore bands when I was growing up. I also took about a year of lessons. It is not my primary instrument though. For the record, I played with my fingers 90% of the time. The few times I played with a pick on the bass it sounded too pingy for my tastes.
If you want to play the bass guitar, or any instrument for that matter, I would suggest learning to read music. The Mel Bay methods are good for that eventhough most of the music sucks. There is a book called the Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid that is pretty good for learning some basic jazz technique and some good riffs. I went through both of those books as well as many others and found those to be the best. If you can do a little reading than the Evolving Bassist is really for you. It will improve your reading and give you some wonderful advice techniques.
Oh another thing, learn your scales. It is important with any instrument. In a band setting (which is where I assume you will strive to play) you will rarely play chords (there are some instances where you should and could but they are pretty rare as bass chords tend to sound muddy). You scales should be down to perfection. There is also a thing as bass melody. You don’t have to play the boring old I, IV, V basslines but you can play around them with the scales and make them more interesting. Again this is where fingerstyle techniques (slapping, strumming, picking) come in handy as the facilitate much of what you are doing.
Along that last set of lines. A good bassist will know how to do a modicum of improvisation. You can learn all the theory behind it and everything, but assuming you won’t be a professional musician, there is not really a need to do that. You should just be able to play around and figure out what sounds good to yourself.
As a casual player without a teacher you will find that you won’t be improving as fast but when you do improve your accomplishment is that much more sweet. Again, I wish you luck in your endeavor. Eventually, if you get serious about the instrument, you will want to start taking lessons but overall the basics of the bass (as well as most other instruments) are easy enough to pick up on your own.
HUGS!
Sqrl
I’m a bassist, too, and I love the instrument. I play in an original rock band*, with folk and art/progressive rock influences, so I have a lot of range to play in. I love playing melody lines, while holding down the bottom end.
I’d recommend checking out some of the masters if you’re interested in not just being the guy at the back of the stage whom no one notices. The masters: McCartney, John Entwistle, Jack Bruce, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, and of course, Tony Levin.
And Mr. Blue Sky, there’s a lot solo bass out there – check out Tony Levin’s new solo CD, Waters of Eden. It’s the way music should be: lead bass, with guitar, keys, and drums providing the backing. 
- Caveat: I’m originally a rhythm guitarist and wasn’t very good at it, just competent, so I switched to bass and got better at it. Bass isn’t for everyone, though. And, I do write most of my band’s songs on guitar, not bass.
Self-taught, non-music-reading bassist here. (Well, I can read, mostly, but I can’t sight read. An important distinction. Don’t give me a staff, just a lead sheet or a fake book. I’ll improvise)
Anyway, I’ve played in two bands with differing styles. I played about 90% of the stuff with my fingers, the rest with a pick. Never learned slapping and popping, because I never had a need for it with what I wanted to do. The pick I used mostly for passages with fast eighth- or shorter-interval notes, because I have tiny, stubby hands and can’t play those fast passages clearly with my fingers. Also, whenever I had to play bass and sing lead in a live setting, I found it easier to use a pick.
Sqrl is right on about scales. Know, as a bare minimum, your major and minor scales in every key, in different positions on the neck, and across more than one octave at a time. Otherwise, your “musical imagination” will be a bit limited if you’re trying to come up with a bass part for a song someone else gives you the chords too.
When picking out a bass, spend as much time as you have to in the music stores, testing every bass in the joint. You’ll find a wide variety of body types, weights, balance, neck widths, neck lengths, etc. You should be absolutely comfortable with your bass–ask yourself, “Would I at any point be comfortable strapping this over my shoulder and standing up on a hot stage for 45 minutes or more?”
I have two basses at the moment. One is a Rickenbacker 4001 stereo bass from the late 70s. It’s heavy as hell, but sounds great, and has a nice flat (though wide) neck. The only thing I dislike is that the first 4-5 frets are way far apart, and as mentioned before, I have small fingers, so reaching from, say, F to Bb on my E string is a pain. (I know, I know – play Bb on the first fret of the A string.)
My other is an Epiphone Viola bass, a rip-off of the Hofner body style played by Paul McCartney. It’s a semi-hollow body, so it’s very light, with a narrow neck width. Despite the small body, it’s a full-scale neck, and sounds great.
Shameless self-promotion of the day: I can be heard playing the Epiphone bass at:
http://209.35.186.168/Shop/i.cgi?item=tk-011&cart=dqdoqncrtbbofbevsjrn
(Click on the “Here We Go Again” sound sample)
Or the Rick bass at:
http://209.35.186.168/Shop/i.cgi?item=tk-005&cart=dqdoqncrtbbofbevsjrn
(Click on “Before I Die,” which I also wrote the music for, or “You Can Never Go Back.”)
Some good advice and encouragement here!! I’ll probably pick up a semi-decent bass at a pawn shop. That way I won’t have a huge investment and, if I suck, or think I suck, I can always sell it back to them and get half my money back! I know what brands to avoid. A had a friend whose brother played (and still plays) a 1969 Fender Jazz Precision. Weighs a ton, but sounds cool.
I got a Jammer bass at a pawn shop for $170. It works fine.
I learned to play only by reapplying guitar skills. I’ve never been much of a fan of flatpicks for either instrument, so it was a pretty easy transition. Some bass players are really great at applying their instrument to melodies, but I’m not.
I just use it in 4-track work, where it was nothing short of a revelation. Wow. Guitar, bass, and drum machine. You can be a whole band for $1000 or so. If you don’t mind people sneering at you and saying “You get what you pay for” every 20 seconds or so. Sure, I’m a cheapskate, but then I can make a complete demo where I couldn’t if I had put my whole equipment budget into a single instrument.
Fretted instruments tend to be a lot more fun to play, a lot earlier on. You can learn a tune on a bass or banjo or whatever in a few minutes. You can sort of do that on a piano as well, but it won’t be nearly as fun to play, and if you’re a lazy bum like myself that’s pretty important. “Interstellar Overdrive” kept me playing the guitar during the early days, a lot more than “Chopsticks” or “Heart and Soul” would have kept me at a keyboard. I think the piano keyboard is intimidating to a lot of people.
And basses, even electric ones, are used in a huge variety of musical styles, from country western to jazz to thrash metal. I saw one in Yanni’s orchestra (hey, it was late, and it was “Live At the Acropolis” or the Home Shopping Network). Another thing about electric instruments is, unamplified, they are the quietest things around. So you can play at weird hours without disturbing your neighbors, or you can get headphones and do the same.
Mr. Blue Sky, I wouldn’t limit yourself to a pawn shop. Danelectro manufactures a line of bass guitars that you can probably find at most music stores for a retail price of around $200.
The are not top-of-the-line instruments, but they’re perfectly useable. They also have the advantages of light bodies, narrow necks, a way-cool retro look (the original Dannies were big in the 50s and early 60s, Jimmy Page played Danelectro guitars on the early Zep albums). I’ve seen them making a comeback among country bands and pop bands. They have a nice round sound, and are fun to play.
mmmm…bassists. I’ve discussed this topic with a number of chicks, and the concensus was that A.) they tend to be less egocentric than the lead guitarist, B.) there’s just something sooooo cool about them. Much more personable. Many a happy bass player experiance here! 
Just a little encouragement, Mr. Sky.
I’ve been playing bass for a few months now, don’t get much chance to play. I can tell you though that a lot of music stores, at least around me, sell used stuff, I got a used 89 Fender Precision bass for something like 250. it’s in great shape, couple of dings, cuts, normal wear type stuff and got a new fender bass amp for 100 so around 350 for everything. I then tried playing a few times and then let it sit for a year. then I started taking lessons a few months ago and am really enjoying it. my suggestion is to take lessons from some one. I’ve been playing bass trombone for 17 years now and learned a lot quicker with lessons. even just a few will help you get the hang of it much much quicker.
learn to read both music AND the tab as the tab is much easier to read at first. I haven’t had much time so I really don’t know the notes as well as I should, }: but I think I’ll start to try and change that. hope you enjoy if you do decide to pick it up.
Hey there Edward, I play a Fender Precision as my main bass too. They’ve got a really great sound.
And SwimmingRiddles, I hope there’s more ladies out there like you. I’ve heard this about bass players too, but it doesn’t seem to be happening for me. My experiences have more like the Kids In The Hall skit “The Bass Player”.
Kevin McDonald: Look at that smile, there’s sadness in that smile. Look at that chord structure, there’s sadness in that chord structure.
Oh well, I’m all about the music anyway.
Kevin McDonald: (Singing) The mother, the father, the serpent, the priest. The foreman, the woman, the widow, the beast.