Bass Noob advice

Handsome_Chris

After falling under the influence of Mr @Bridgehouse, please will some of you good people out there give some pointers on how to be a bass player?

I've got a bass amp, a metronome and 5 strings of fury.

Handsome_Chris

PS - A Thank you to Mrs @Strat_a_tat_tat for the picking advice.

Strat_a_tat_tat

@Handsome_Chris... Mrs Strat_a_tat_tat says thank you for the hug. She feels she got the better end of the deal... and can't remember what she said about picking!

Winny_Pooh

Start with music you like. Use the metronome alot and get to grips with left and right hand damping and ghost notes. 

I started with Bob Marley (Babylon by Bus is The bass album) and easier Jamiroquai. Find music you can jam parts over, I used to spend ages making up lines over acid jazz & electro pop where there was space to play. 

Later on find a drummer to jam with, this is the most fun you will have. 

Bridgehouse

I practice with a lot of 'play along' using helix (you could do the same with AxeFX?) 

I use the USB interface and stream from iTunes with the bass cut out using EQ and play along. Try to do as many styles as I can get away with. 

Really helps with timing, feel and dynamics... and helps to see what amps/settings work with what type of song too.

Don't be scared by that big fat B string either

Handsome_Chris

@Strat_a_tat_tat , Mrs S devised me to use my index and middle fingers to pick with. Those finger tips are aching already.  I've been using a pick as well.  

@Winny_Pooh , I'll try and get my Stewart Zender on.

@bridgehouse, does switching between pick and fingers make me less manly?

Bridgehouse

Handsome_Chris said:

@Strat_a_tat_tat , Mrs S devised me to use my index and middle fingers to pick with. Those finger tips are aching already.  I've been using a pick as well.  

@Winny_Pooh , I'll try and get my Stewart Zender on.

@bridgehouse, does switching between pick and fingers make me less manly?

Nope not at all mate - fingers and a B string is basically plucking an overhead power cable so that's pretty manly.

Just make sure it's slung down at your knees and have a 'sucking in' face on when you play bangin' funk and you'll retain your man card.

Bridgehouse

On a serious note, when using fingers, don't pluck - let the fleshy tip roll over the string - use the amp for volume not your fingers.
Your finger should come to rest on the string below (or above?!) after you've plucked. 

Rest your thumb on the pickup/finger rest if you're lazy, or on the string below and move it up and down with your index and middle finger if you're posh. Alternate picking between index and middle for speed and articulation

BigLicks67

Handsome_Chris said:

After falling under the influence of Mr @Bridgehouse, please will some of you good people out there give some pointers on how to be a bass player?

I've got a bass amp, a metronome and 5 strings of fury.

ditch the 5th string and then listen to the wonderful James Jamerson.

this guy's videos can be quite informative

Handsome_Chris

Thanks @BigLicks67 for the steer. I've seen the glove chappie before but I may invest some time , if not money, in to his work.

I currently have Ball Of Confusion and Hysteria plaguing me. 

Handsome_Chris

@Bridgehouse , I'll ease off on the heavy handed finger tip action 

Bridgehouse

Handsome_Chris said:

@Bridgehouse , I'll ease off on the heavy handed finger tip action 

Try doing the same on bass as well

Lighter finger action = better speed, timing and control, as well as a better tone I think. You then have room to dig in more when the song needs it..

guitarfishbay

Slap every note if you want to be cool on YouTube.

guitarfishbay

This is a good video introduction to finger style, especially useful as it introduces an exercises for raking when descending.

Bridgehouse

guitarfishbay said:

Slap every note if you want to be cool on YouTube.

And try hard to make every slap tonally dull and sound exactly the same as all the others - preferably dynamically dead as well.

Bonus marks if you can slap in a totally inappropriate song.

Or, just ignore slap like I do.

Bridgehouse

On that theme - my opinion:

Finger style = great
Pick Style = great

Slap n pop = musically anachronistic and overdone. No thanks. Plus the fact I play flatwounds, so...

guitarfishbay

Good slap is great but yeah it can be a bit overused, especially on some bass gear demos.  It's the bass equivalent of a guitar demo being entirely single notes on the plain strings in either blues or shred style.

I'd definitely learn slap if you're interested, but don't skip over fundamentals of finger style (which some people do as they're excited about playing funky bass lines).  

Bridgehouse

guitarfishbay said:

Good slap is great but yeah it can be a bit overused, especially on some bass gear demos.  It's the bass equivalent of a guitar demo being entirely single notes on the plain strings in either blues or shred style.

I'd definitely learn slap if you're interested, but don't skip over fundamentals of finger style (which some people do as they're excited about playing funky bass lines).  

The fundamentals of finger style is where bass is at for me. So much articulation and dynamics.. 

Bridgehouse

Does it slap = does it djent 

as far as I'm concerned. 

By which point in a gear demo I'm normally thinking Does it blend?

Handsome_Chris

Well I've had three days and this is as far as I've got.  

Handsome_Chris

@Bridgehouse , is this where it's at?