Bass probs

Incagnito_Bassist · 08-05-2013, 07:56 AM

Alright so i've had a long history with playing instruments (Starting in 4th grade with the violin (5 years) Than moving to the upright bass in my high school orchestra for 4 years) So I have a pretty good handle on reading music and all that good stuff from classical training. Sadly I never had an electric bass until about a year ago and I was never able to pick it up until a few weeks ago. So now I sit here attempting to teach myself how to play with all my basic knowledge of music but almost none on electric bass (Equipment, secrets behind learning the electric and all that jazz) But I want more than anything to be in a band during my college years and play music live in small little gigs around the town. (No dreams of being big and famous I just love making music and love when people like hearing me make music.) After all this I have one problem I am an unfocused procrastinating Stoner but I have dedicated myself to practice 2 to 3 hours a day on a basic schedule and i was just wondering if anyone here had any tips for a slightly beginner with a background already in music So any bassist or anyone that knows a little something any feedback would or anything that would help me reach my goal would be super appreciated.

~~Lord Larehip~~ · 08-07-2013, 04:24 PM

What, precisely, do you want to know?

Manuel Marino · 08-07-2013, 05:07 PM

just pick a beginner's course and focus on it for few months. If you still like it, come back here and we'll give you more specific suggestions.

Astronomer · 08-08-2013, 02:36 AM

What precisely do you need to know? If you have a background of music and are classically trained/can read music etc it should be pretty easy to pick up once you get a feel for the instrument, especially if you played double bass! It's pretty much the same core concept... I played piano and was able to migrate to electric bass pretty easily once I got a feel for the instrument

Once you have the basics down it's pretty easy to transfer all of that musical knowledge you have!

~~Lord Larehip~~ · 08-09-2013, 10:11 AM

Double bass and bass guitar differ in some key areas:

-When doing two-finger pizzicato on double bass, the index finger is used to reach the higher pitched strings whereas with bass guitar it's the opposite. The method of plucking is different as well. You use more of your finger to pluck a double bass string but use the fingertips for the bass guitar.

-Slapping is an entirely different animal. On double bass, you "grab" the string with the meaty part of your fingertips and pull it back then let it clack against the fingerboard and then immediately follow that by slapping your plucking hand over the string so that it thumps against the fingerboard. The clack and thump are paired. You can also thump the fingerboard twice in a row in a clack-thump-thump pattern to get that nice double-slap sound. With bass guitar, you thump the two top strings with the edge of your thumb and pluck the other two with your first and/or second fingers. I frequently thump the strings without plucking. I like the percussive sound of the thumped bass but the pluck is too funky or discoey so I usually do away with it. I often pluck with the third finger while using a pick gripped between the first and second. I invented that one--I think. Other bassists tell me they never saw that one before.

-Just as you can't use a pick on the double bass, you can't bow a bass guitar. Once you learn double bass, that's a skill you should NEVER give up.

-You can actually play a 6-string bass like a guitar. My old instructor actually plays bossa nova on his and it sounds beautiful. I've never even seen a 6-string double bass. I've seen 5-stringers. There are also neck extensions on certain double basses which you'll never see on bass guitars although some of them have hip-xtenders which kind of serves the same purpose.

-The fingering is the same except when you play the fingerboard above the body. On a double bass, you have to resort to thumb positions to get way up there. But you finger a bass guitar like any guitar.

Those are some of the differences. Reading the music is the same, though. So you can play a classical bass piece on a bass guitar and you can play a rock song on double bass since the music will look pretty much the same.

08-05-2013, 07:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
Incagnito_Bassist Groupie Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 1	Bass probs Alright so i've had a long history with playing instruments (Starting in 4th grade with the violin (5 years) Than moving to the upright bass in my high school orchestra for 4 years) So I have a pretty good handle on reading music and all that good stuff from classical training. Sadly I never had an electric bass until about a year ago and I was never able to pick it up until a few weeks ago. So now I sit here attempting to teach myself how to play with all my basic knowledge of music but almost none on electric bass (Equipment, secrets behind learning the electric and all that jazz) But I want more than anything to be in a band during my college years and play music live in small little gigs around the town. (No dreams of being big and famous I just love making music and love when people like hearing me make music.) After all this I have one problem I am an unfocused procrastinating Stoner but I have dedicated myself to practice 2 to 3 hours a day on a basic schedule and i was just wondering if anyone here had any tips for a slightly beginner with a background already in music So any bassist or anyone that knows a little something any feedback would or anything that would help me reach my goal would be super appreciated.

08-08-2013, 02:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
Astronomer we are stardust Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,894	What precisely do you need to know? If you have a background of music and are classically trained/can read music etc it should be pretty easy to pick up once you get a feel for the instrument, especially if you played double bass! It's pretty much the same core concept... I played piano and was able to migrate to electric bass pretty easily once I got a feel for the instrument Once you have the basics down it's pretty easy to transfer all of that musical knowledge you have! __________________

08-07-2013, 04:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~Lord Larehip~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 899	What, precisely, do you want to know?

08-07-2013, 05:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Manuel Marino Groupie Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Italy Posts: 12	just pick a beginner's course and focus on it for few months. If you still like it, come back here and we'll give you more specific suggestions.

08-09-2013, 10:11 AM	#5 (permalink)
~~Lord Larehip~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 899	Double bass and bass guitar differ in some key areas: -When doing two-finger pizzicato on double bass, the index finger is used to reach the higher pitched strings whereas with bass guitar it's the opposite. The method of plucking is different as well. You use more of your finger to pluck a double bass string but use the fingertips for the bass guitar. -Slapping is an entirely different animal. On double bass, you "grab" the string with the meaty part of your fingertips and pull it back then let it clack against the fingerboard and then immediately follow that by slapping your plucking hand over the string so that it thumps against the fingerboard. The clack and thump are paired. You can also thump the fingerboard twice in a row in a clack-thump-thump pattern to get that nice double-slap sound. With bass guitar, you thump the two top strings with the edge of your thumb and pluck the other two with your first and/or second fingers. I frequently thump the strings without plucking. I like the percussive sound of the thumped bass but the pluck is too funky or discoey so I usually do away with it. I often pluck with the third finger while using a pick gripped between the first and second. I invented that one--I think. Other bassists tell me they never saw that one before. -Just as you can't use a pick on the double bass, you can't bow a bass guitar. Once you learn double bass, that's a skill you should NEVER give up. -You can actually play a 6-string bass like a guitar. My old instructor actually plays bossa nova on his and it sounds beautiful. I've never even seen a 6-string double bass. I've seen 5-stringers. There are also neck extensions on certain double basses which you'll never see on bass guitars although some of them have hip-xtenders which kind of serves the same purpose. -The fingering is the same except when you play the fingerboard above the body. On a double bass, you have to resort to thumb positions to get way up there. But you finger a bass guitar like any guitar. Those are some of the differences. Reading the music is the same, though. So you can play a classical bass piece on a bass guitar and you can play a rock song on double bass since the music will look pretty much the same.