I worked from home this past Friday and took about 5 minutes to play some bass. It was the first time since just before Thanksgiving that I've played it. And I haven't picked it up again since.
It's not because I don't have the desire to play anymore, but because work has gotten in the way. I started a new job in 11/21/11 - a day that will live in infamy - at least in my circles. I left a job that treated it's employees like slaves with the hope of starting a new one at a friendlier place. Things started out well enough, but within 2 weeks, I was as miserable as I was at my previous job. Now, it's worse.
But this is a blog about learning the bass. I am simply posting to say I haven't given up. This is just a setback - hopefully a short-lived one. I had two goals for 2012: learn the bass and run a marathon (NYC or NJ). This new job is killing both those efforts.
However, I am back in the job market. I have to keep hope alive that I will find something new and more sane. Can't wait to pick up the bass again and get back on track.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Real Bassist?
I think I might be a real bassist now. I'm not saying I'm a good bassist. But I think I might be "serviceable". And after only a couple of weeks of bass ownership. It probably helps that I've played some guitar over the past 12-ish years and drums over the past 25 - so I'm not a total n00b.
Last night, I turned on an original song by a friend of mine with the thought of composing a bass line. Was going to go back to an email exchange where we figured out what the chords were. But instead, I thought I could do without that.
Guess what.
I did it! I found the root notes of the chords fairly easily using the little understanding of progressions I'd gained over the last week-ish. Then I cam up with patterns for each chord using my recent learning about chord structures on the bass as well as octaves. All of a sudden...
BOOM!
I had a real bass line. And then I had an alternate line, too. Took all of about 5 minutes to come up with both. So I plugged into the mic input on my laptop, fired up Audacity, and recorded a new track along with the song.
Now I have to figure out how to do this with decent sound quality because, frankly, the quality of the bass sound sucked using this method - it's practically unlistenable. But, what the heck...I'm a real bassist now. I'll figure it out.
Last night, I turned on an original song by a friend of mine with the thought of composing a bass line. Was going to go back to an email exchange where we figured out what the chords were. But instead, I thought I could do without that.
Guess what.
I did it! I found the root notes of the chords fairly easily using the little understanding of progressions I'd gained over the last week-ish. Then I cam up with patterns for each chord using my recent learning about chord structures on the bass as well as octaves. All of a sudden...
BOOM!
I had a real bass line. And then I had an alternate line, too. Took all of about 5 minutes to come up with both. So I plugged into the mic input on my laptop, fired up Audacity, and recorded a new track along with the song.
Now I have to figure out how to do this with decent sound quality because, frankly, the quality of the bass sound sucked using this method - it's practically unlistenable. But, what the heck...I'm a real bassist now. I'll figure it out.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Rio!
Last week, I tried getting through just one bar of a tab for Duran Duran's "Rio". Before I go any further, indulge me this explanation.
Though Duran Duran is considered a pop or pretty-boy band, the musicianship was considerable - especially with the guitarist (Andy Taylor) and bassist (John Taylor). It was, in fact, while listening to Duran Duran songs in my youth that I first really noticed the bass guitar and found paying more attention to it. John Taylor played some seriously funky lines that belied the seeming simplicity of the songs. The reasons so many of their songs shone so brightly were the bass lines and guitar tracks.
So, now that I'm really making a go of the bass, I want to see if I can play some of those songs and decided to start with "Rio". Reading the tabs made me fairly ill. I couldn't figure out what notes went where and how on Earth I could make it sound right. So I searched online for video lessons of the song.
There were a few. And watching them was humbling. I felt quite far from being able to play like that. All sorts of muting the strings and moving the left hand all over the fret board. Oy vey. that was when I decided I needed to learn more about scales and intervals. I somehow felt like I just needed to practice to create some muscle memory so that moving around the fret board that quickly would be less of a problem.
On to tonight. Went through several pages of a book dedicated to practicing chord intervals and repeated them over and over for about 30 minutes. Fairly boring stuff but I saw progress and that kept me going. But after 30 minutes, I felt like I'd had enough for one night and went back to playing songs. Got through my usuals and saw a marked improvement in my smoothness playing "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Don't Stop Believing". So I decided to go back to Rio and see what I could make of it and, guess what...I got through the 1st 2 measures. Then I got through 4 and then a whole verse. I quit while I was ahead and ended my session without getting into the chorus.
Granted, it wasn't the smoothest playing in the universe, but what a feeling of accomplishment. I keep seeing progress and it's keeping me going.
Up next:
Though Duran Duran is considered a pop or pretty-boy band, the musicianship was considerable - especially with the guitarist (Andy Taylor) and bassist (John Taylor). It was, in fact, while listening to Duran Duran songs in my youth that I first really noticed the bass guitar and found paying more attention to it. John Taylor played some seriously funky lines that belied the seeming simplicity of the songs. The reasons so many of their songs shone so brightly were the bass lines and guitar tracks.
So, now that I'm really making a go of the bass, I want to see if I can play some of those songs and decided to start with "Rio". Reading the tabs made me fairly ill. I couldn't figure out what notes went where and how on Earth I could make it sound right. So I searched online for video lessons of the song.
There were a few. And watching them was humbling. I felt quite far from being able to play like that. All sorts of muting the strings and moving the left hand all over the fret board. Oy vey. that was when I decided I needed to learn more about scales and intervals. I somehow felt like I just needed to practice to create some muscle memory so that moving around the fret board that quickly would be less of a problem.
On to tonight. Went through several pages of a book dedicated to practicing chord intervals and repeated them over and over for about 30 minutes. Fairly boring stuff but I saw progress and that kept me going. But after 30 minutes, I felt like I'd had enough for one night and went back to playing songs. Got through my usuals and saw a marked improvement in my smoothness playing "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Don't Stop Believing". So I decided to go back to Rio and see what I could make of it and, guess what...I got through the 1st 2 measures. Then I got through 4 and then a whole verse. I quit while I was ahead and ended my session without getting into the chorus.
Granted, it wasn't the smoothest playing in the universe, but what a feeling of accomplishment. I keep seeing progress and it's keeping me going.
Up next:
- More practice with intervals and maybe scales
- Continued improvement with "Rio"
- Trying to come up with a bass line for Skika's song called "Traveling Capo"
Monday, October 17, 2011
Pictures
I don't have any photos of the actual bass I own. But here's a stock photo I found online of the exact same thing. It's the Sterling by Music Man SB14. Mine's in like-new condition so there's no real difference.
And this is the amp that I won on eBay - assuming the seller was honest. It's a Crate BT15 - 15 watts and a single 8" speaker - pretty much a pure practice amp and that's all I care to have. Again, just a stock photo:
And this is the amp that I won on eBay - assuming the seller was honest. It's a Crate BT15 - 15 watts and a single 8" speaker - pretty much a pure practice amp and that's all I care to have. Again, just a stock photo:
That Was Fast
Got through my first book on beginning bass guitar. It was short. Not a ton of detail but a nice way to get started.
Unfortunately, most of the pages were devoted to rhythm studies. This is a good thing for a beginner's book since bass is a rhythm section instrument. But as a reasonably educated drummer for 25 years (I took lessons for about 4 years), I'm very well versed in rhythm and reading rhythm notation. So a good part of this book was a waste for me.
But still, the parts on chords, octaves, etc, though short, were extremely useful and helped me get much more comfortable with understanding the fret board better as well as how to easily find notes within a chord structure and the octaves. When I listen to the radio now, I can very clearly hear that so many bass lines are written very simply based on the structures of the chords played by the rhythm guitar and/or keyboards.
So, on to the next book. I want to get more into the chord structures and learning fingering patterns around them. I have a couple other books that are good for beginners (including a "...For Dummies" book) that I'll peruse over the next couple of nights to see which will serve my immediate purpose.
In related news, I should have a practice amp very soon. Won it on eBay. Not that I want to play out loud, but I want to be able to clearly hear what it sounds like when I'm playing and plugging headphones directly into the bass just isn't cutting it. I hope I can get it before leaving for LA (on business) next week.
Unfortunately, most of the pages were devoted to rhythm studies. This is a good thing for a beginner's book since bass is a rhythm section instrument. But as a reasonably educated drummer for 25 years (I took lessons for about 4 years), I'm very well versed in rhythm and reading rhythm notation. So a good part of this book was a waste for me.
But still, the parts on chords, octaves, etc, though short, were extremely useful and helped me get much more comfortable with understanding the fret board better as well as how to easily find notes within a chord structure and the octaves. When I listen to the radio now, I can very clearly hear that so many bass lines are written very simply based on the structures of the chords played by the rhythm guitar and/or keyboards.
So, on to the next book. I want to get more into the chord structures and learning fingering patterns around them. I have a couple other books that are good for beginners (including a "...For Dummies" book) that I'll peruse over the next couple of nights to see which will serve my immediate purpose.
In related news, I should have a practice amp very soon. Won it on eBay. Not that I want to play out loud, but I want to be able to clearly hear what it sounds like when I'm playing and plugging headphones directly into the bass just isn't cutting it. I hope I can get it before leaving for LA (on business) next week.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Progress Again
As planned, my practice last night consisted of chord structures and understanding the fret board (OK - that wasn't planned but is necessary).
I learned the notes of the G and C major chords and played some grooves around them as written in the book I'm using. I don't remember what book it is because it's a home and I'm not.
I intend to progress in the book next time I practice but also go back and review what I already did. It's funny, I'm finding some similarities in how I was when I was first learning the drums. I suspect it's like almost anyone else. I do some structured practice but still need to play songs. So, after the lessons in the book, I went back to the James Brown tune and just kept playing it - the difference was I was listening through headphones.
Before last night, I was only hearing the raw sounds of the strings - not very loud with a solid-body bass. But I found my 1/8" to 1/4" jack converter and plugged in my headphones last night and heard the sound with the electronics for the first time. Wow. Sounded so cool.
As for tonight, we've got plans and I won't likely be home until close to 11:00 or midnight. So I don't imagine I'll be putting in any bass time. Will try and get some more done over the weekend.
I learned the notes of the G and C major chords and played some grooves around them as written in the book I'm using. I don't remember what book it is because it's a home and I'm not.
I intend to progress in the book next time I practice but also go back and review what I already did. It's funny, I'm finding some similarities in how I was when I was first learning the drums. I suspect it's like almost anyone else. I do some structured practice but still need to play songs. So, after the lessons in the book, I went back to the James Brown tune and just kept playing it - the difference was I was listening through headphones.
Before last night, I was only hearing the raw sounds of the strings - not very loud with a solid-body bass. But I found my 1/8" to 1/4" jack converter and plugged in my headphones last night and heard the sound with the electronics for the first time. Wow. Sounded so cool.
As for tonight, we've got plans and I won't likely be home until close to 11:00 or midnight. So I don't imagine I'll be putting in any bass time. Will try and get some more done over the weekend.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
So What Now?
Went through a whole bunch of tabs last night. Spent most of my time on James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)". Fun song in general and a fun song on the bass. I can't play it perfectly, but I think I did pretty well for never having owned a bass before this week.
That said, after a few days of going through online tabs, I'm feeling like I'm hitting my first plateau. Seems early to be hitting plateaus, but it's not like I'm a total newbie. I've played some guitar and have been a drummer for 25 years. So I've been a part of music - or music has been a part of me - for a long time and the instrument is far from foreign to me.
I feel like I need to do something to take a step toward real improvement rather than just being a casual player. I have a few books I've downloaded and think I'll spend some time with them.
It seems the consensus among expert bassists (based on my own online research) is that understanding chord structures is more important than scales. Bassists tend to not play scales so much as tailoring bass lines around the notes within the chords being played by the other instruments in the band. So, for example, if the rhythm guitar is hammering on a C Major chord, the bassist should base the bass line n the notes in that chord starting with the major triad - the 1, 3, and 5 in this case.
I know chords on the guitar - at least, I know how to play them. I don't know the notes contained within them. I think this is what I'll try and learn next and I'll see if the books I have contain sections focused on that aspect of playing. I know at least one of them is good in this way.
Looking forward to learning some new things tonight.
That said, after a few days of going through online tabs, I'm feeling like I'm hitting my first plateau. Seems early to be hitting plateaus, but it's not like I'm a total newbie. I've played some guitar and have been a drummer for 25 years. So I've been a part of music - or music has been a part of me - for a long time and the instrument is far from foreign to me.
I feel like I need to do something to take a step toward real improvement rather than just being a casual player. I have a few books I've downloaded and think I'll spend some time with them.
It seems the consensus among expert bassists (based on my own online research) is that understanding chord structures is more important than scales. Bassists tend to not play scales so much as tailoring bass lines around the notes within the chords being played by the other instruments in the band. So, for example, if the rhythm guitar is hammering on a C Major chord, the bassist should base the bass line n the notes in that chord starting with the major triad - the 1, 3, and 5 in this case.
I know chords on the guitar - at least, I know how to play them. I don't know the notes contained within them. I think this is what I'll try and learn next and I'll see if the books I have contain sections focused on that aspect of playing. I know at least one of them is good in this way.
Looking forward to learning some new things tonight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)