Foo - How difficult is it to start playing the bass guitar?

Can anyone do it?

Took me about three days to learn....never played an instrument before. I'm already playing medium at about 95% but I use overdrive a lot.;)

Took me about three days to learn....never played an instrument before. I'm already playing medium at about 95% but I use overdrive a lot.;)

what is overdrive?

Can anyone do it?



I played bass guitar on a song just yesterday.

Physically/rhythmically it's harder than the other string instruments. As far as dexterity and complexity of chord playing, scales, etc...it's easier and faster to learn.


To learn to play bass well and understand counterpoint can take a lifetime of study, however. IF you just want to mess around and play a "tone drum" with it I would say you can learn in 30 minutes.

what is overdrive?


It's a button on your gear selector that saves gas when you're on the highway. Basically a steep gear made for crusin' (automatic transmissions only).

It's a button on your gear selector that saves gas when you're on the highway. Basically a steep gear made for crusin' (automatic transmissions only).

really??

really??



Dude, your avatar is a car. You should know these things.

Dude, your avatar is a car. You should know these things.

They didn't have 'overdrive' in 1970.
maybe BTO...

BTW Serendipper, are you a musician?

Define "play." I played bass for years. I don't now due to arthritis in my hands, it just plain hurts. You can learn to play some stuff pretty quickly. But bass isn't the easy instrument many think. A good bass player knows a lot more theory than many other musicians. Chord structure, tonality, and the ability to hold down the bottom are all very important, and crucial to be a solid bassist. You also have to be a human metronome.

I have a theory.

1: there is a tiny percentage of the population just "gifted" in the way of music
2: there is a tiny percentage of the population completely unable to ever play music - don't hear it or something.
3: The rest of us (maybe 95%) - we can all learn to play something or sing with time and effort.

Note "Time and Effort" - sometimes massive amounts of each.

As per instruments, I think there are degrees of difficulty, but any can be done. Most you can make a melody on or something in a fairly short time. All require time, time, and effort to master.

Bass is a cool choice, and if you are play well, you'll be in demand. That's my local experience anyway. (Maybe some parts of the world are overpopulated with bass players.)

Having played guitar for years, I found a few aspects of playing bass easy. But the hardest thing, was you could never be late. And as a guitar player first, this was difficult to overcome.

One of the other things that I made a point of while learning the bass, was playing the strings with my fingers and thumb only - no pick. I'm a huge Geddy Lee fan and he makes it look so easy. But that's what separates the pretenders from the contenders - making it look easy, that is.

Being able to play as fast with your fingers, as you can with a pick, is a lot harder, and IMHO requires more technique than with a pick.

Do we know each other spinninwheels ? I have a T-shirt with your Sig on it.

Do we know each other spinninwheels ? I have a T-shirt with your Sig on it.

The Miracle Worker put other people's problems into perspective, when compared to Helen Keller's.

I wish I would have coined that phrase. Now, I only try and live up to it.

calling grumpy Mac


the common conception is that bass is easier for rock bands. I presume this is because you play single notes, not simultaneous notes, so for a beginner or basic player, yes, it is easy. If you use a pick and play a short scale bass (usually 29-30" scale), and are playing simple songs using the three basic chords and 4/4 common time, you're good to go. The strings last much longer than guitar strings - many players use the same set for years.

Some hard things:

1. spinninwheels is correct - you cannot be lazy. Guitarists have the luxury of coming in whenever.....when the first beat of every measure comes around, if you are not right there with the bass note, the whole band falls apart.

2. your amp will almost always be larger and heavier than the guitarist's. He/she will still be louder than you and they will get more attention. few people pay attention to the bassist.

3. the bigger strings will callous your fretting fingers more than guitar strings. so there is a "breaking in period". Basses are usually bigger and heavier than guitars, wso players who are large or tall or strong have an advantage. There is a longer reach between notes so you need long fingers or good dexterity to move around.


Having said all that, there are many great bassists who are short or slight of build. One bassist I played with had really short fingers but he just moved around on the neck very quickly in a somewhat unorthodox fashion, and he sounded amazing. If you gig at places with a good PA and sound person, you can invest in a little red box (forget the brand name) that will take your signal straight through the house PA and not need to lug an amp.


Finally as Grumpy or any good bassist will tell you, playing advanced bass or even intermediate is a whole nother ball game. Even at the basic r&r levels the bass has a profound influence on the song; the more sophisticated the music gets the more this is true, imo.

Can anyone do it?

Notwithstanding this classic bass player joke
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A young boy tells his father he wants to learn to play the bass. So his dad buys him a bass, & signs him up with a music teacher. After the kid's first lesson with the teacher, dad asks him "So what did you learn at today's lesson?"

Kid says "This week I learned that hitting this open string is called an E note."

A week later the kid comes home, and dad asks him "So what did you learn at today's lesson?"

Kid says "This week I learned that hitting this other open string is called an A note."

Another week later the kid comes home, and dad asks him "So what did you learn at today's lesson?"

Kid says "I didn't go to my lesson, I had a gig."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

...it's, as others have pointed out, possible for many people, easy for a few, and impossible for some. I've been a professional bassist for ~30 years so it's hard for me to remember what it was like when starting out. It's no easier than any other musical instrument, but it's arguably a lot more fun than many!

Notwithstanding this classic bass player joke
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A young boy tells his father he wants to learn to play the bass. So his dad buys him a bass, & signs him up with a music teacher. After the kid's first lesson with the teacher, dad asks him "So what did you learn at today's lesson?"

Kid says "This week I learned that hitting this open string is called an E note."

A week later the kid comes home, and dad asks him "So what did you learn at today's lesson?"

Kid says "This week I learned that hitting this other open string is called an A note."

Another week later the kid comes home, and dad asks him "So what did you learn at today's lesson?"

Kid says "I didn't go to my lesson, I had a gig."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




:roflmao2:

I found playing the bass guitar easy but then again i grew up with a significant number of years of piano lessons supplemented by afew years of violin lessons. I'm just glad the violin lessons translated fairly well to the bass guitar.

That being said, i had to teach myself how to play bass which i learned by listening to disco/funk and playing along. The funny thing now is that i've carried that funk-ish style to all the other songs i play with my band. :lol:

No pick for me. Finger dexterity FTW. Unfortunately, the blisters are a total PITA until you build up callouses.

My current weapon of choice:

http://www.andysmusiconline.com/photos/Fender-0136600-2.jpg

Bass guitar string breakage == owie.

playing a bass is easy.
Playing a bass really well is not easy.

Notwithstanding this classic bass player joke
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A. It's no easier than any other musical instrument, but it's arguably a lot more fun than many!

That's like the classic joke:

What is the definition of a drummer?

A person who hangs around with musicians:eek:

Bass can indeed be lots of fun. I've only played it here and there but those were some of my best musical experiences, limited as I may be on the instrument.

My favorite cheesy bass thing is the low E string zoom - just run a glissando up the neck and back down. Ever since I first heard Geezer Butler do that I was hooked:love: If you're Tommy Stinson you do it in every single song, and like it:D If you're Phil Lesh you do it once or twice a gig on a low B and shake people's fillings loose:lol:

Can anyone do it?


Starting to learn is fairly easy. Learning to be a Bassist..... not so easy.

I have a theory.

1: there is a tiny percentage of the population just "gifted" in the way of music
2: there is a tiny percentage of the population completely unable to ever play music - don't hear it or something.3: The rest of us (maybe 95%) - we can all learn to play something or sing with time and effort.

Note "Time and Effort" - sometimes massive amounts of each.

As per instruments, I think there are degrees of difficulty, but any can be done. Most you can make a melody on or something in a fairly short time. All require time, time, and effort to master.

Bass is a cool choice, and if you are play well, you'll be in demand. That's my local experience anyway. (Maybe some parts of the world are overpopulated with bass players.)

Those are usually the ones who think that they are great musicians

It's like riding a bike.

playing bass professionally is like riding a bike well enough to get paid to race it.

I only play acoustic bass now, and it is more of a physical challenge to make it through 4 hour gigs. In terms of the amount of hours and years it took to be able to play at the professional level, I would say electric bass is one of the easier instruments.

Once you have all of the technique and strength issues, the main thing that separates a good bassist from a mediocre one is an amazing sense of rhythm. A great bassist will hear subdivisions in even the slowest time.

You're either gifted and can play bass pretty well right away with moderate practice.

Or, you're me. I bought my first bass in 1994. Been playing since. Some years it's been maybe 100 hours playing time. Most years it's more like 200. 15 years later, I am finally starting to get a pretty good groove going and can add some fills without sticking out like a sore thumb.

As with biking, it's not about the gear - it's about the engine (or talent in this case). I've gone through a LOT of basses, some so-so and some amazing. I'm now playing a 5 string OLP bass, bought off musiciansfriend on sale for $150. It's a great bass. Just get something that plays pretty well and practice.

It's like riding a bike.

playing bass professionally is like riding a bike well enough to get paid to race it.

I only play acoustic bass now, and it is more of a physical challenge to make it through 4 hour gigs. In terms of the amount of hours and years it took to be able to play at the professional level, I would say electric bass is one of the easier instruments.

Once you have all of the technique and strength issues, the main thing that separates a good bassist from a mediocre one is an amazing sense of rhythm. A great bassist will hear subdivisions in even the slowest time.

The ability to improvise and add artistically is something that many will never have (myself included). Given enough practice, I can play just about any piece as it was written, but that will never translate to being a great bassist.:(

it goes like this. (just in a general sense)


Drums
then
Bass. or vice versa

then the rest of the instruments/vocals
-------------------------------------------
these 2 things keep a tune moving along. one cannot live without the other

now if you can't play like Flea, then just play the dots. if you are consistent, just stay on time
and have -some music sense- and try some changeups....but you don't need to know how to
play bass to be extremely effective at using one in a jam band. play one note if you have to, you
can still be crucial to the jam. other musicians will carry the tune or lead.

no worries


as you become more talented then you can reach out and direct the songs with riffs and
whatnot. but steady bass is 100% fine and workable. stay in the background, don't mess
up and it is win win.

bass 'can be' extremely complex though, if you want to be, and can be lead guitar. but you need chops.

I wouldn't call myself a bass player, but I play bass and get rave reviews from the band on 'jam night'
where we have working musicians come visit and rock out....it is my timing and some experimental sounds
I do....or I just lay low and thump like a metronome. can't work my fingers for crap, but I know music.

same a when i drum. I am not amazing but I can be a metronome and lay a foundation and make breaks
and that is all the others need from me.



I think bass is the easier to learn because the strings physically are wider apart and if you are trying to
develop hand mechanics it is a bit easier to not fat-finger other notes.

Also, if you find the bass too easy - sing if you can, and see what that does for your timing:crash:

With respect to the size of the bass and the guitar - whenever I switch back to guitar, it feels like the strings are ridiculously close for some reason;) But I know that's the mind playing tricks on your spacial awareness.

I don't consider myself to be a very good bass player. But I have a lot of fun, and that's what counts. Having room for improvement always gives you something to aspire to. And that is the drive behind many good artists.

edit: just out of curiosity, what's everyone playing? myself - Yamaha BB414

To *start* playing the electric bass is easy. Pick it up and start plucking. To learn to play it properly is not easy at all. Outside of musicality, the bass requires a lot of guidance in proper technique. The large body and long neck provide lots of weird technique interpretations, and, unfortunately, many ways to hurt yourself.

The most common problems are:
- poor left hand thumb placement (although everyone from Flea to Louis Johnson play with their thumb sticking way up, it should be right below the most convex point on the neck)

- left elbow sticking way out

-left wrist twisted way too much

- right hand fingers not plucking properly (viewed from the side, they should be "walking" and rebounding off of the string below the current one. Getting the right amount of force and consistency in volume is tough. Getting students to pluck gently at the right angle is, too.

- right elbow way too far out there, and the whole arm not relaxed enough

With poor technique, you can get a variety of joint and bloodflow problems. It's important to pay a teacher for at least 3 or 4 lessons for technique alone.