Want to learn to play the bass guitar, help plz

[Bloodstalker999 10+ year member]

I have a friend who plays the electric guitar and his brother sings, they used to be in a band. Recently I have started to hang out with him more and we have decided it would be fun to have a band. Nothing special, just basically a reason to hang out and do a little smoking and making some music. So I have decided that I want to start playing the bass guitar, my friend has been playing electric guitar for some time now and said he taught his sister to play bass and offered to teach me. Where this thread comes in is I wanted to see if anyone here plays the bass guitar and can link me to a few good sites to read so I can learn. Or any helpful sites really.

Also I wanted to see if some one can link me to a bundle set that would be a good starting package for the bass guitar.

Also I would like to note I have never played an instrument besides the piano and even that was just like a few songs my grandma taught me, so any advice should be in the most basic, and easy to understand format.

I appriciate all and any help //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Thanks

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[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Well...I have been playing bass for a long time. Guitar too.

Sites...Hmm...I play be ear so I am not too sure. You can type in bass tabs or something in Google and it will help you.

Go to a music shop and pick up mel bays beginners bass book. It will show you anything and everything you will need to learn to get started.

Now, for an instrument. I go to Pawn shops. You can get really good equipment at a lower cost there. What kind of music you guys playing? I have a few P-basses, a Jazz bass, and a gibson grabber/ripper...Each sounds different. For an amp, start off with something that will just get you by to practice on. Fender and Peavy make good little bass amps that you can carry with you.

Hope that helps.

 

[Bloodstalker999 10+ year member]

Thanks for the reply.

As far as music comes I think we are going to try for a tool like rock, kinda mellow but at times it can rock hard. Its kinda hard to say though because we have nothing, well my friend has stuff and so does his brother but me and another buddy are going to be joining them with myself on bass and my other buddy on drums and we both have nothing, so its kinda like a soft clay block waiting to be molded.

For sites I came by this one which seems to be pretty good but thats relative to nothing because I am completely new. For all I know he can be teaching everything wrong.

I was going to start looking on craigslist for a guitar but I remember reading a thread on a website that was going out of business and they were selling beginner sets for cheap, I just can't think of the thread for the life of me. I figure if I buy a beginner set similar to that, it would be then best thing because I don't even know whats needed.

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

if your left handed, i got a barely used squier guitar and a lil Drive amp i could sell ya heh. i'll let it go cheap

 

[Bloodstalker999 10+ year member]

I am right handed, but can switch hands without missing a beat //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif jk

What the specs on the amp?

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

couldnt tell you off the top of my head. Its at my girlfriends house. Its nothing too special. Worked great for occasional jams with the friends. I'll snag some specs off it tomorrow if yer interested

 

[Bloodstalker999 10+ year member]

Yeah I would be interested but no rush, just when ever you get around to it because I have no spare money at the moment

 

[Bloodstalker999 10+ year member]

Would something like This benefit me or is it just total crap?

 

[wu36ca 10+ year member]

Well...I have been playing bass for a long time. Guitar too.
Sites...Hmm...I play be ear so I am not too sure. You can type in bass tabs or something in Google and it will help you.

How can you play bass by ear //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif It seems like most songs the bass is mixed out and if you can hear it you can't tell what is being played.

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

How can you play bass by ear //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif It seems like most songs the bass is mixed out and if you can hear it you can't tell what is being played.

What kind of music do you listen to? I can hear the bass in almost any song that there is a bass line. If its not there I can even hear something that I would like to put in there. Playing by ear means that I can hear the scales and play with just about any song that I hear.

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Would something like This benefit me or is it just total crap?

It would be ok for a first bass. Definatly not the best by any means...but it will work. I bet that amp will sound like *** and not be nearly as loud as you want though.

 

[azimuth 5,000+ posts]

How can you play bass by ear //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif It seems like most songs the bass is mixed out and if you can hear it you can't tell what is being played.

playing by ear doesn't mean you play songs note for note. it means that you can hear what sounds good without looking at sheet music. alot of musicians don't know how to read music until far into their carreer.