give me all advice you have about the bass guitar, stat!

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I am in a bass crisis situation.

I need to be about 5 times better in approximately 7 days.

Not posted to ILM intentionally, aight?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

what kind of music is it?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Kind of 60s garagey, poppy rock and roll. Kind of Kinks-y?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Ok, not a hard genre to be passable in. I know this. I can do this. But I am listening to a demo with their old bass player, and he is far better than me. Need help. Need practice. Need pep talk.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

ROOT NOTES BAD

― the surface noise made by people (electricsound), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:50 (twenty-one years ago)

don't be scared of using a plectrum but be warned it sounds a little crap to do so

― the surface noise made by people (electricsound), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:50 (twenty-one years ago)

root notes bad!

PH34R

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:52 (twenty-one years ago)

your job involves vibration

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

practice the pentatonic scale over n over

― glenn matlock, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

i consider it a perk, sure
xpost

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

E A D G

― henry jones, jr, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

sigh.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:55 (twenty-one years ago)

practice by playing along with new order songs

― the surface noise made by people (electricsound), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, i'm on the right track according to you.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:59 (twenty-one years ago)

worked for me!

― the surface noise made by people (electricsound), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Be as precise as you can. When practicing, try and hold each note for as much as its worth. Its all about the left hand (or the right hand if you're left handed).

― tyler (tyler), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:06 (twenty-one years ago)

don't be afraid to not play. nice and spare is often best.

(that sounds like something an asshole guitar player would tell you i guess)

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

It's better to play one note crisply than ten notes sloppily.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:32 (twenty-one years ago)

(NB I cannot play bass for shit.)

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Playing in octaves = superrad.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Remember your box. No, this is not as kinky as it sounds. The key to good bass playing is remembering that all the notes that sound good are in a box on the frets - root note, 2nd (good for grace notes), 4th, 5th, 7th, Octave.

Move about within the "box" of your key and it will all sound good. Especially for 60s garage type stuff. The "Rain" bassline and the "Taxman" bassline (which are the archetypical 60s basslines) are both just well executed box positions.

Here is a diagramme of the box for the key of G:

G|-----
D|--7-0
A|--4-5
E|--R-2

In tab, you could play something like this:

G|-------
D|-5---3-
A|--3-5-5
E|3------

There is no need to just play root notes, or just plod in 4 on the floor style. But DO pay very close attention to the kick and snare. Try to get roots, octaves or 5th on the kick and your grace notes and accents (4ths and 7ths and 5ths) on the snare.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 08:21 (twenty-one years ago)

i like the box too

― the surface noise made by people (electricsound), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 08:40 (twenty-one years ago)

What does stat mean?

(I managed to pick up the bass pretty simply - I got okay at it pretty quickly. Just practise like a motherfucker, ideally to "Please do not go" by the Violent Femmes - if you can play the bass solo in that, you can play anything)

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 09:07 (twenty-one years ago)

surely root notes ubergood for garageband?? keep it simple, and have fun!

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 09:14 (twenty-one years ago)

listen to the cranberries and do everything they don't. this goes for all aspects of playing, songwriting, treating nannies etc. but especially the bass guitar.

― Dave Amos, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone who thinks Garage or 60s automatically equals "simple" hasn't listened to enough of the genre.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 09:47 (twenty-one years ago)

wtf? i guess its down to taste but for me the best garage rock = cromagnon riffs - "125" "pushing too hard" "davy crockett" "strychnine" "all day & all of the night" etc etc etc

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 10:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Easy: stop posting to ILX and start practicing your bass! Playing along with records you like is a good way to start.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

alternately, d/l some tracks from the Stax Records box set, and play along with Donald "Duck" Dunn.

I recommend beginning with "Knock on Wood" by Eddie Floyd.

― Kingfish Disraeli (Kingfish), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 13:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks everybody! Kate especially. I've been playing along to the Zombies and the Kinks a lot in preparation (especially "Picturebook" -- no special reason except that I like it a lot and the bassline is cool).

I know nothing of theory, etc., in fact I barely know what notes are what. I've always played by ear/feel, and had no problems, but this is different. I want to be good, not just passable.

I've basically just practiced the hell out of the bass for the past couple days. My hands hurt. No pain no gain!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Stop using your hands! Use your box!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

My hands hurt from using my box!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Root notes good! At least on the 1.

Listen to the kick drum, and sometimes it sounds cool to avoid playing on beats 2 & 4. Oh, and time is everything.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

If you miss a note, blame jazz.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:05 (twenty-one years ago)

The strings are thick!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

If you miss a note, do it again, with confidence.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Alternate between letting notes ring out and playing them staccato, even if you're only playing one note. buhp buuuuuh buhp buuuuuuuh buhp buuuuuuuh buhp...

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Dance.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I WANNA BUY A BASS GUITAR AND A STACK WHAT SHOULD I GET I WANNA SOUND LIKE MAGMA, CAN, LIGHTNING BOLT, BOREDOMS AND RUINS.

― Be sure to Loop! Loop, Loop, Loop. (ex machina), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Lessons.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Jon - first, steal a bass from some young'un on the stree, then buy every amplifier, stomp box, and speaker cabinet you come across, and plug them all into each other...VOILA BASSZILLA.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

what if i built a cab that used nothing but PC speakers?

― Be sure to Loop! Loop, Loop, Loop. (ex machina), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:18 (twenty-one years ago)

also, play the Kinks' "Victoria"

― Kingfish Disraeli (Kingfish), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

It definitely isn't exciting fun, but playing pattern exercises walking up and down the neck in time with a metranome going from 1/4 notes to 8th notes to 16th notes is a good way to build up finger strength. Coming up with patterns that jump back and forth strings really helps with lateral movement. After working basic patterns, work major/minor scale and chord forms in the same manor. From that kind of basis, there are myriads of different rhythmic exericises one can do. I'd be sure to work going high to low as much as low to high.

I played in bands from summer of 89 till late 98, but my bass sat mostly dormant until last summer. I would practice by running these kind of exercises for 30-40 minutes and then work through the band's set once or twice playing to a cdr. Doing these fretboard calishtenics did more to bring back my chops than anything.

― earlnash, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Psh, "chops". Psh!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

http://hootpage.com/briangibson-watt04a.jpg

― deanomgwtf!!!p%3Fmsgid%3D4581997 (deangulberry), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

BRAIN GIBSON IS SO CUTE I WANT HIS LOUD BABIES IN MY BELLYBTUTON

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

You're just saying that because he vaguely looks like you.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

!!!!!!???!!???????!?!?!?!?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.beefymeats.co.za/images/lamb_chops.gif

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

He does sort of, in that picture.

― deanomgwtf!!!p%3Fmsgid%3D4581997 (deangulberry), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

NICALICOUS WANTS NICKALICUS" LUVBABIES IN HIS CHEEK POCKETS LIEK SO MANY SQUIRRLS WIF THEIR NUTZ RGIHT NWO

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

OOPIES - XPOST, OBV. Neither Brian nor Nick look like meat, last time I checked. Also, why is the government worrying about terrorism when what the world really needs is to clone Brian Gibson and Mike Watt and make strange bass-playing hybrids of then!??!!?

― deanomgwtf!!!p%3Fmsgid%3D4581997 (deangulberry), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually Brian looks like Nick and my lurvechilde!

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

How embarrassingly stupid I was in May. I'm now happily ensconced in this band and have had no probs with my bassing.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 20 January 2005 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Half-baked theory: there are basically four levels of bass-playing complexity.

1. Play the root.
2. Alternate between root and fifth, with the occasional octave for fun.
3. Arpeggiate the chord.
4. Write a line or counter-melody that is interesting in its own right.

I hasten to add that plenty of perfectly good songs can be made with a level 1, 2, or 3 bassline. Sometimes holding down quarter notes on the root is just what the song wants.

Musicians--especially other bassists--love level 4, but I suspect that most ordinary listeners usually don't notice or care. I tend to stick to suggested arpeggios.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 20 January 2005 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Hm. I like the idea of "the box" in that you cover a lot of ground with only two frets. Mad Puffin, when you play the major triad, do you stretch your fingers or move your hand?

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Colin Greenwood from Radiohead does soooooo fucking many basslines that would fit your level 4 description, and remains one of the subtlest bassliners. I heart him.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

WTF I forgot about that whole thing up there. Brian Gibson doesn't look like me! But Mike Watt totally looks like my dad.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Um, for me a typical major is like this (let's take A for example):

G ---------
D ---------
A ---4-7---
E -5-----5-

But for A minor I might be inclined to go:

G ---------
D -----2---
A ---3-----
E -5-----5-

So I rarely find myself reaching more than three or four frets.

Does that make sense?

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, sure. For me, in olden days I would have held or at least let my index finger hover over that 4th fret on the A string while I played a note on that 7th fret, but not anymore.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:26 (twenty-one years ago)

four weeks pass...

I'm buying my girlfriend a bass guitar for her birthday. Does anyone know if there are any decent books out there that teach scales/fingering/intervals etc. in a not totally boring way, possibly incorporated with songs that aren't totally cheesy?

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 18 February 2005 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Using a compressor will makes your playing sound 10x better.

― dewey, Friday, 18 February 2005 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi Jordan,
I used an old Mel Bay book when I was starting out by Roger Filberto, I think, that I remember being pretty good. One thing you should be aware of- a lot of the books teach the finger-per-fret or "guitar" fingering, which is very easy to understand and allows you to play a major scale without a position shift, but there is also the three finger/three fret method traditionally taught to upright players (although lots of other people use it) that is more comfortable in a lot of situations. This is known by some as the Simandl method, but the old Simandl book itself is known for being a bit boring or rhythmically tedious. Which reminds me-another book I used that was good was called Berklee Rhythm Studies For Bass, IIRC.

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 03:13 (twenty-one years ago)

lern to pla batman theme and applie it too everything

― dinner dinner, Tuesday, 22 February 2005 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

five months pass...

Then: I play New Order songs
Now: I play SCALES and New Order songs

quelle progression

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

My technique is so fucking bad. Seriously. I am gonna develop carpal tunnel syndrome in a couple years.

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 21:52 (eighteen years ago)

change it!!

― Jordan, Thursday, 3 January 2008 21:59 (eighteen years ago)

I am working on it. Starting over once you are already an A+++++ shredder is not fun though. Haw.

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 21:59 (eighteen years ago)

My technique looks like an albino tarantula attacking my fretboard. Awful.

― Pleasant Plains, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:01 (eighteen years ago)

Starting over once you are already an A+++++ shredder is not fun though. Haw.

Believe me, I know. This year I'm switching over to playing drums left-handed instead of right-handed!!

― Jordan, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:02 (eighteen years ago)

It's mainly just my picking hand (though my picking technique is good, it's just my fingering that stinks). My fretting hand is A+.

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:02 (eighteen years ago)

I still can't double pick.

― Pleasant Plains, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:08 (eighteen years ago)

Practice!

What instrument do you play?

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:09 (eighteen years ago)

i have been playing guitar for like 15 years now but i think i stopped actively getting better about 13 years ago, seriously

― n/a, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:10 (eighteen years ago)

I am not content with plateauing on the bass. With guitar I am happy to play G A C for the rest of my life. With bass, I am like "well, maybe I will learn to sweep pick or something so that I am not just staying the same."

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:11 (eighteen years ago)

I've been trying to play Joe Jackson's "Got the Time" for about 17 years now.

― Pleasant Plains, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:12 (eighteen years ago)

It was playing the Miracles' "Tears of a Clown" night after night that initially made me decide to rethink my technique.

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:13 (eighteen years ago)

That and having to use a pick en studio because my finger hits the body of the bass so hard when I play anything on the E string that it is audible in the recording.

― roxymuzak, Thursday, 3 January 2008 22:17 (eighteen years ago)

Try playing it through a guitar amp!

― S-, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:26 (eighteen years ago)

Roxy watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS7NXRQXem4

― chaki, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:28 (eighteen years ago)

use these

http://www.guitar.ru/interview/levin/funkfingers.gif

― Jordan, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:30 (eighteen years ago)

Haw, yeah right.

― roxymuzak, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:35 (eighteen years ago)

I think I pluck too hard, but i haven't broken a string in like 3 years.

― nickalicious, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:38 (eighteen years ago)

In fact I've had the same strings on the thing for at least 18 months.

― nickalicious, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:39 (eighteen years ago)

Advice: carry it in a case instead of wrapped in a blanket.

― nickalicious, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:39 (eighteen years ago)

dethklok dude = solid

― Jordan, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:39 (eighteen years ago)

yah that video is actually really good at explaining how to play nice and fast without a pick. something i find myself having a hard time explaining to people.

― chaki, Friday, 4 January 2008 00:41 (eighteen years ago)

yeah he is really, really good

― roxymuzak, Friday, 4 January 2008 01:36 (eighteen years ago)

learning bass myself over the last few months. kinda slacking off lately though. grrrrr. do you have to stick rigidly to the 'have four fingers on 4 frets' when playing a bassline?i find it so frustrating!

― Michael B, Friday, 4 January 2008 03:06 (eighteen years ago)

Do you have to? No. Should you? Yes.

― roxymuzak, Friday, 4 January 2008 05:31 (eighteen years ago)

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