Question:I really like guitars mainly bass i was wondering would it be hard for someone without any guitar knowledge to learn?
Answer:The bass guitar can be the easiest to play. You would have to take the "Less Is More" approach and only hit the bass note of every chord that the band is playing.
It would help to learn simple "finger-style" playing on the regular guitar and to do finger-picking of songs on the regular guitar before learning to play bass. By doing this, you will learn a lot more faster of where notes are on the fretboard which will help you when learning to play bass guitar.
If you learn bass, you will need to learn to mute the bass strings while playing the bass at the same time.
The bass can be the easiest to learn how to play OR it can be the hardest to learn how to play. It all depends on the type of musical approach, technical playing method, and the type of music genres you want to play.
Example: Traditional Country Music: You need to take "Less Is More" approach in terms of playing relatively simple bass lines like playing the root note and fifth note of each chord in alternation while being in a support / rhythm role within the band.
Example: Funk Music: Songs can be centered on the bass line. The bassline is usually very prominent in the mix.
This week’s question is a good one. Let’s have a look:
Question:I want to learn to play the bass, but as of right now I don’t have the money to. But what are some good basses, not too expensive but not too cheap?
And should I pay for lessons or teach myself how to play? The only thing I would need to get down is the frets.
Thanks for whoever helps
Answer:alot of people i see here post things such as ”i taught myself piano its easy”
let me say any instrument is easy (&these are most likely the ramblings of people who have only played their instruments a few months), but to properly play it & understand what the heck your doing (this helps your creative process when writing your own stuff or just in general) is another different matter.
i could be taught to recite out 10 basic piano tunes, but give me the likes of Mozarts music & ask me to use certain techniques that are heard on piano. i would fail (as would all the people claiming ”its easy” on their respective instruments)
eg most typical rock/pop bass-lines are pretty much easy & can be taught in a matter of days, however if you go to jazz/funk you will find the bass to be one of the hardest instruments in that genre to use due to it being so up-front.
eg most acoustic guitar songs use relatively simple chords thus by logic then the entire genre is ”easy to learn” however you can look further into the genre at the likes of Phil Keaggy/Newton Faulkner and see that there are ways to express in an even more difficult technical manner acoustic music
the problem with teaching yourself guitar (or any instrument) is that alot of people give up they get frustrated. (supposedly 90% of self taught musicians quit whilst quoting statistics are generally wrong i wouldn’t put it past being a damn high figure especially as its such a common method for a first timer to start out this way)
also alot of people can ”play” guitar, ie bang out a few songs & intros eg starirway to heaven. But there is a notable difference heard between a self-taught guitarist playing a song & a trained guitarist, the trained guitarist will know how to play the song rather than just play the skeleton melody (ie trained will understand note duration, muting & various other techniques that adds more to the song).
guitarists are a dime a dozen, everybody plays guitar (heck i play guitar) however a decent guitarist is hard to find this is where you can benifit from lessons as most people don’t take lessons thus their main experience is from playing live if they ever manage to as self-teaching doesn’t help confidence.
Lessons are definitely a great idea, a teacher can show you techniques & correct you. i still get corrected over things i do at my lessons.
alot of the internet resources aren’t that great, again it is alot of amateurs with bad technique posting who started out similar to you, or looking to make a quick buck, any person worth their weight on an instrument will tell you the best way to learn an instrument is through face-face tutoring hence why its such a staple practice in music/drama colleges.
every music autobiography i have read (& i read quite a fair bit of them as i LOVE music) the guitarist/any instrument, has gotten lessons at some point be that off others who got lessons when out playing on the scene, or took lessons initially.
there are a rare few virtuoso (ie talented) people who didn’t get lessons but even at that they start practicing with other people who have got lessons & learn off them.
As somebody said those ”guitar for dummies” are great, however that is as a side tool to reference to. not to just teach yourself, at a glance you learn the basics but when you study those books they can get quite complicated & a teacher can clear any questions you have.
a teacher also encourages you to practice & gives you set goals.
Don’t get me wrong you can learn by yourself but if you are in any way serious about wanting to play music & want to get to a good level, i’d DEFINITELY suggest lessons. Also alot of people seem to start their music career out on guitar as it is such a famous instrument & lots of people own guitars in some form. Don’t be suprised if you feel like quitting guitar because everybody plays it after a few months it happens to alot of people, it doesn’t mean you aren’t musically talented.
PS try not to ask people to give you the chords to a song, its better if you can work them out yourself it creates an ear for certain notes. however make sure what you are playing is correct.
PPS: i read here an answer off somebody who was in a music college, she roughly said ”the teachers would cringe when they heard that a new ’self-taught’ musician was coming to the colllege, because the teachers all knew he/she would have to be retaught due to them having bad technique”
Rory Gallagher- Cradle Rock (Live ROCK/BLUES unbelievable guitar playing)
Rory Gallagher-Young Fashioned Ways (Live cover)
”Rory’s death really upset me. I heard about it just before we went on stage, and it put a damper on the evening” Jimmy Page (Led Zep)
Sources: bassist
experience in music (ie reading books, being out there etc
Keep the learn guitar questions coming! I liked this one:
Question:Please read this and help me out.. I don’t have anyone else to ask..
-Best friend and I have both been playing guitar for 1 year
-Both of us want to start/play in a band, but obviously want to be in a band TOGETHER
-He found a drummer of 6 years and rocked out with him yesterday and it went VERY well
-He gave me his bass amp a while back because I mentioned I wanted to learn the bass as a side project so he gave it to me for free (it was his first amp, he never uses it since he got a guitar amp)
-Now he is encouraging me to go out and get that bass guitar and start learning it so we can have a guitarist, bassist, and drummer, a three way band plus we have a singer lined up already.
-My problem: I donâ??t want to stop playing guitar. I LOVE guitar and I have spent countless hours over the last year learning it and I don;t want to play bass in a band, I want to play the guitar in a band. I do WANT to learn bass but just as like a side project, to have some beats to go along with guitar riffs i make.. But you canâ??t have two guitarists in a band â?? it just doesnâ??t work.
-What should I do? I want to learn bass but I donâ??t want to play bass in a band.
p.s. the catch is that he has no money to buy one (96 cents in his bank account after paying rent, living paycheck to paycheck) and I have about 2,000 saved up, and am financially stable, so only I could afford to buy a bass and now I feel pressured to buy it and learn it over guitar so we can play in a band together..
Answer:you can easily have 2 guitars in a band. one plays lead the other plays rhythm. someone mentioned green day but they even have 2 guitarists now to back up billie joe. still learn bass. i play guitar in a band as well as another person does and i am also learning bass guitar as well.
What’s this week’s learn guitar question? Let’s dive straight in…
Question:I’d like to be in a rock/metal band a few years after I’ve picked either of these instruments, and a simple question is: Which one is harder to find- a drummer or a bass guitarist? I will be dedicated and will enjoy either!!
Answer:A bassist is harder to find. It’s not difficult to be a midiocre bassist either.
Keep the learn guitar questions coming! I liked this one:
Question:I am also left handed. I am into classic rock and one song I want learn is time of the season by the zombies. What brands are good for beginners and also what songs?
Answer:Bass is one of the easiest instruments to play. Go to Musician’s Friend web site & read reviews from other players. Fender is always good, Gibson is good. Search for Free Guitar Tabs on the Internet, they will have Bass tabs too that show you exactly what strings to hit. They probably have the Zombies song too. Youtube is helpful also. New or used? Depends on the budget you have, but you can get a very good used bass. Just figure out what kind you want first. OH Yeah, look for a Left Handed Bass otherwise you will have to turn it upside down.
Another learn guitar question has come in this week. Let’s tackle it straight away:
Question:I’ve literally just started to play bass about a week ago, and right now I’m working on fretting exercises, and it’s still really uncomfortable for me especially for my fingers and my wrists, although I can do what my instructor has told me to at a pretty fast pace. Should I keep practicing the same exercises until I’m completely comfortable with them, or will that just come with time?
Answer:Yes just keep going, double check each week with your instructor that your placement of hands & such is correct (ie no thumb hooking/jutting fret-wrist). Foundations foundations, you need them to build on stuff its why so many self-taught fall flat on their face 1yr or so into their playing, they cannot get over the rut.
The reason its hurting your fingers is basically where they’re learning muscle memory & fine-movement & increased flexibility, it goes away with the excercises & pretty fast (10 mins practice, 2 weeks roughly maybe less).
The wrists is more than likely where you are gripping too hard, that may be due to your flexibilty being weak in your fingers & so to stop them sliding on the frets you are gripping too hard, that will go away in time. Its also more than likely where the muscles are developing in your forearm & tendons are increasing stamina.
All part of the s*itty start every instrument player has to put up with on their instruments
I just love answering these learn guitar questions. Here’s another:
Question:I’ve only recently started bass and I’m looking for some easy yet decent songs to learn. I bought an RHCP tab book but all the stuff in there is pretty tricky for a beginner. Help!
Answer:The first song I learned how to play on bass was "Money" by Pink Floyd, it’s a pretty recognizable but simple bass line.
Most punk rock bass will be pretty simple, especially older stuff like the Ramones, the Clash, the Misfits, Dead Kennedys, etc. I also agree with the guy below me that said "Sunshine of Your Love." Other good ones include the Beatles’ "Come Together," "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath, "After Midnight" by Eric Clapton, "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin, "Roxanne" by the Police, and "Low Rider" by War. Classic Rock is usually good for learning bass because the bass lines are often simple, yet still instantly recognizable and fun to play. Keep it up and you might be able to play some of the Chili Peppers stuff in a year or two!
Another learn guitar question has come in this week. Let’s tackle it straight away:
Question:I’m a beginner and I’m only just learning the basics right now but my overall goal is to learn how to play bass. I also want to be able to play regular (classical, acoustic) guitar for recreational purposes and "mucking around". I don’t know what is best to learn first. I considered learning acoustic first because I could take those skills to whichever guitar I end up playing.. but my aim is to get into bass, so I considered getting stuck straight into that.
Answer:I would say start acoustic first because it’s pretty easy, but it’s all about preference because the bass is pretty different from the acoustic. I first learned on acoustic and currently transferring my skills to my electric, but if you really want to start with bass go for it. As long as you practice chords and learn harmonies and learn how to tune by ear, you’ll be good in no time.
A tough learn guitar question this week. Let’s dive straight in
Question:Any tips for a beginner learning bass guitar?
Answer:Bass is a very instinctive instrument, since good bassists tend to be very rhythmically inclined. Many if not most of us learn by ear and start out by playing along with music that has prominent but simple bass lines. First, focus on the rhythm more than the notes. The simpler the song, the better. That will enable you to get comfortable with holding the bass and your role in the rhythm section. Repetition is absolutely essential, so play the same songs over and over until they become second nature to you. That will subconsciously make you familiar with where the notes are on the fretboard, as well. When you start adding songs to your repertoire, you’ll increase your familiarity with the fret positions and find it’s much easier to play without looking at your fretting hand. It just sort of happens naturally as you become more comfortable with your instrument. Once you’re able to match notes you hear within a few tries, you’ll be able to tackle more complicated songs in pretty much the same way.
Even if you get frustrated, stick with it. Most of us have a strange moment of epiphany when everything very suddenly falls into place. I played very simple, repetitive bass lines for a few months before my bass felt natural to me, but once it did, I found it relatively easy to learn more intricate songs. The biggest obstacles beginning bassists face is the desire to overplay. Adding too many notes to a song actually makes it sound worse, since bass isn’t a melodic instrument. But if you listen to the bass drum and use that as your guide, you’ll be able to lock into a rhythmic groove and then noodle around to match the chords of songs.
If you’re looking for an instructional program, Musician’s Friend has one that’s supposed to be great. I haven’t used it, but I have used the same company’s guitar DVDs and they’re phenomenal. I’m guessing the bass DVDs are structured similarly to the guitar ones, which contain everything you’d learn from years of private instruction but cost what you’d pay for two or three lessons. Here’s a link:
