Hi all,
Four months! It seems it was yesterday when I was buying the bass... Currently the bass becomes my main instrument. I play the guitars some days and I keep enjoying but I play the bass every day (I mean every day that I can play or practice).
I divide my practicing/playing time in some warming and technique exercises such as scales and arpeggios (I keep using the David's book here), playing new songs and also old ones. I try to listen the bass in as songs as possible, and I try to figure the bass lines. Thus I learnt new (easy) songs but I am not ready for some of them.
In fact I was trying to identify what is the meaning of "easy song" from the bass point of view. I can define the features of an "easy song" for guitar, I think everybody could do it here: no barre chords, no too fast tempos, no too many chords, etc. Some songs seem easy but when you try to figure it out, some parts could be very tricky! For example, some Cream songs that apparently sound easy have parts very difficult!
In order to avoid these troubles I wrote to Santa asking for one of those "easy pop songs for bass" books. It seems the songs are sorted by difficulty. It will give some clues. Moreover it comes in musical notation, not tablature. So it will help to improve my reading, another of my goals.
I did mention it in another thread as a reply to a question. I started a blog with notes, exercises, songs and other issues that I learn or use. It could be defined as a "networked notebook". The idea is to share the info that I am gathering while I am learning. It is not a site with lessons or very advanced topics, just a site with info that a beginner like me considers useful for himself. Perhaps it could be useful for other people. It is receiving a good number of hits per week and also some positive feedback. It aims to me to keep sharing my notes with the others. I am writing in Spanish.
As usual, thanks for your patience while reading my comments!
And this time, Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!
Good point - there are easy songs for guitar that are not so easy for bass, and vice versa.
Look to the Beatles for a variety of bass lines. Paul includes all the classic walks as well as some very inventive melodic lines.
Good to hear about your experiences Nuno. I'll look forward to your book review.
If you want easier bass lines, try some U2 songs. "With or Without You" for example. Very simple root-note thumping, but getting the timing perfect is another story.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Thanks guys! :D
Yes, "With or without you" is apparently easy. It is already in my song list. Similar songs are "The zoo" by Scorpions and "La grange" by ZZ Top. Slow, not too many notes, but hard from the timing aspect. I'll try more U2 songs.
And also try The Beatles. But... it seems it is more or less a general rule: if you remember the name of the bass player, the song will not be easy! Obviously, always there are exceptions and The Beatles and McCartney have lots of songs.
By the way, I forgot it. I also bought and use practically every day the book "Blues Bass" by Ed Friedland. Very good book. I'll write a review in the reviews forum soon.
