Musician bass players

[macp]

I started to play the bass guitar many years ago then stopped playing partly because I knackered my old bass and partly because I discovered women & drink.Not sure in which order.

A couple of months ago I decided feckit Im 43yrs old why not start again so I went out and bought myself a bass(see pic).

I was wondering if there are any other bass players on here and are you self taught or did you go out and get tuition.If self taught have you any good training tips or literature that you use.

I know that jamming with other musicians is a really good way to learn and wondered if there were any musicians nearby who fancied a session now and again.

Edited by macp on Saturday 3rd October 12:28

[dazco]

I have 3 basses
A warwick
Rickenbacker
And a fender

I also have a Gibson Les Paul custom.

I am 43 like you and cannot play a bloody note on any of them.

Seems strange to get a five string to re-introduce yourself though.

[macp]

dazco said:

I have 3 basses
A warwick
Rickenbacker
And a fender

I also have a Gibson Les Paul custom.

I am 43 like you and cannot play a bloody note on any of them.

Seems strange to get a five string to re-introduce yourself though.

Man thats a lot of cash spent I love the sound of the Rickenbacker really distinctive.Is the Fender a jazz or a precision ?

I wrestled with the 4 string 5 string thing but I got a great deal on this bass and thought why not.Its certainly trickier learning on the 5 due to the string spacing but Im sticking with it unless I really feel like its holding me back.I love that low B though as my music taste is mostly RnB.

[dazco]

macp said:

dazco said:

I have 3 basses
A warwick
Rickenbacker
And a fender

I also have a Gibson Les Paul custom.

I am 43 like you and cannot play a bloody note on any of them.

Seems strange to get a five string to re-introduce yourself though.

Man thats a lot of cash spent I love the sound of the Rickenbacker really distinctive.Is the Fender a jazz or a precision ?

I wrestled with the 4 string 5 string thing but I got a great deal on this bass and thought why not.Its certainly trickier learning on the 5 due to the string spacing but Im sticking with it unless I really feel like its holding me back.I love that low B though as my music taste is mostly RnB.

I bought them all just after January, they were all what I percieved to be underpriced.

I see them as beautiful classic designs and if I do not start learning them, as I promised myself I would, they make for very fetching eye candy.

Fender is a precision but I appear to have lent it to a mate on a long term bassis ( see what i did there).

If I knew how to put photos on I would take some and put them on this thread. The Warwick is particularly beautiful.

Edited by dazco on Saturday 3rd October 13:05

[Evangelion]

I learnt to play the bass by just playing along to my favourite songs on cassettes (no CD's then) on the bottom four strings of the guitar so that when I bought a bass, I was ready.

Started off on some awful cheap thing but as I improved (and got better gigs!) was able to afford better ones over the years. Have a Ricky 4001 now.

(Photo is in the 'let's look at our guitars' thread.)

[macp]

Evangelion said:

I learnt to play the bass by just playing along to my favourite songs on cassettes (no CD's then) on the bottom four strings of the guitar so that when I bought a bass, I was ready.

Started off on some awful cheap thing but as I improved (and got better gigs!) was able to afford better ones over the years. Have a Ricky 4001 now.

(Photo is in the 'let's look at our guitars' thread.)

I have just started to play along to tracks on my ipod and it really does improve your ear and help you to learn where the notes are on the fret board.Did you pickup any bad habits being self taught and have they held you back at all ?

Just reading the thread mentioned and its awesome thanks.

[Z06George]

I was self taught but I made slow progress, after having lessons improvising and writing my own stuff is alot easier as I have been taught all the various scales, arpeggios etc. To be honest though there's nothing wrong with being self taught.

[chevy-stu]

Just playing along to tunes is a great way to learn, and help your ear training....


(I also think you'd be better off for a long while with just a 4 string)

[Forthright MC]

Aother self taught player here, i learned/learning to play by ear along with songs and stuff too
I've always had a keen ear for decent bass lines anyway tho'!

[...Mole...]

Self Taught and i have played for about 7 years now, although i barely play nowadays(i should really start again).

Had a six-string ibanez for a few years, although I moved back to playing a 4-string when i bought my self a Spector Rebop 4, have not looked back since.

[GetCarter]

Self taught - was a session bass player in London for ten years, now compose for a living. Best tip... get out there and gig! Nothing concentrates the mind so much as an audience.

Good luck.

[Bill Carr]

I'm self-taught, been playing for 5 years now. Always room for improvement! And dazco - I bet you can play at least 4 notes on your bass's

As a footnote, I have a Japanese Fender P - white with a tort scratch-plate.

[Bullett]

Self taught, although I had had some classical guitar training years before, been playing for 20years now and I'm still not a great musician!

Although I do think Bass is more about feel and glueing the band together than playing 200 notes a minute.

I have several basses.

A Fender Precision
An Epiphone Les Paul
A custom made 4 string
A custom made Acoustic.

I really want a Ricky next.