Minotaur, many congrats! There is a lot of fun in those four strings!
And as jwmartin said, welcome to the low end! 8)
Sidenote: I just blew off an acoustic guitar forum (won't name it in the interest of maturity) for not having a good atmosphere in my view. Too much posturing. I've joined forums on a whim, with little watching it and lurking and been sorry for it. You strike gold when joining this site.
Treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. I asked a lot of questions when I first joined GN - knew half a dozen chords and virtually nothing of theory. The replies I got were always so helpful and considerate that I always try to be helpful and considerate in turn, and pass onto others what I've learned....and I've noticed the same thing in other people.
Solid gold, indeed - 24 carat!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Minotaur, many congrats! There is a lot of fun in those four strings!
And as jwmartin said, welcome to the low end! 8)
Thanks Nuno. Yes, I am having fun. It's a good feeling when you follow a song, either the bass line or the rhythm and you make your changes, and feel and hear the rhythm of the bass (without flubbing, of course lol).
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Sidenote: I just blew off an acoustic guitar forum (won't name it in the interest of maturity) for not having a good atmosphere in my view. Too much posturing. I've joined forums on a whim, with little watching it and lurking and been sorry for it. You strike gold when joining this site.
Treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. I asked a lot of questions when I first joined GN - knew half a dozen chords and virtually nothing of theory. The replies I got were always so helpful and considerate that I always try to be helpful and considerate in turn, and pass onto others what I've learned....and I've noticed the same thing in other people.
Solid gold, indeed - 24 carat!
:D :D :D
Vic
Heck, you know the questions I have and do ask! And many more to come. Not to derail the thread or talk trash, I'm going to give the other forum another try. Something I noticed in forums is that they are generally of two kinds:
1. Experienced advice with "back up", meaning examples or clarification.
2. Opinions mainly, with little or no experienced advice; opinions given as gospel truth.
What I like about this site (and some others I frequent... TB is definitely one) is that they are the first kind... experienced advice and responses. :wink:
Having been playing with my bass, getting to know it, I've discovered that it is like a shot in the arm or a boot in the arse to refocus on my total playing. It's a diversion from the feeling of "I have to practice xxx". So my recommendation (and this is my opinion only :lol: ) is that if anyone is getting bored or distracted or losing focus in their playing... learn another instrument! :D Bored with guitar? Get a bass or keyboard. Bored with bass? Get a guitar! My next project is to noodle around with a keyboard again. I did in college. I even had one of those little Magnus Chord Organs in high school. I was pretty good at it.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
My next project is to noodle around with a keyboard again
I can NEVER find enough time to fit in keyboard practise - I might get to fool around with it once a month for a couple of hours, but there's always too many guitars around, and if I neglect one or other of them, they might not be nice to me next time I pick 'em up!
When it comes to keyboards, everything I've learned has been derived from guitar theory....but my left hand is the weak link. Since I severed that tendon a couple of years or so back, it's taken me all my time to a) get back to my previous standard, and b) to get better. Never seemed to have the time to put any practise in on keys - and when I did, I couldn't manage chords any more with that hand, just single bass notes.
One day, I'd like to be able to do the keyboard part to "Nantucket Sleighride" by Mountain - a few years back, my ambition was to be able to play the guitar parts. I slaved over the rhythm, sweated over the lead and worked hard on the bass line - I finally nailed 'em all, at least to my satisfaction. There were times I NEVER thought I'd get there....but I finally made it. That, and learning ALL the guitar parts to Boston's "More Than A Feeling," convinced me I'd finally made it out of the novice bracket and into the realms of "Yes, I CAN play guitar - and I can PROVE it!"
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that NOTHING is impossible - some things are a lot harder than others, but with practise, dedication and sheer bloody-mindedness, I WILL get there in the end. And if a fairly averagely talented hack like me can play (and work out for myself!) those songs, hell, ANYONE can do it!
I'm still a long way short of the guitarist I want to be, especially playing lead - but when it comes to rhythm, and when I look at the guys I was jamming with a couple of years ago, I can see how much I've improved and how they've stood fairly still. Three things keeps driving me on - one, there's always a couple of new, harder songs to master, that I won't be satisfied till I've nailed. A year ago, it was "Kashmir" in DADGAD - couldn't get my fingers in the right places, couldn't get the timing down. Now, it's almost a beginner song for me - I've moved on, got better, worked harder at it. And two, one day I want to be able to translate the songs I've written, the way I hear them in my head, to disc. And three, I can always get better, and I will!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Time to learn and practice, finances, and space in the house are the current limiting factors for adding any more musical gear. Oh, would that I had another room! Not to mention it being a little too much to handle.
Years ago my nephew had a Casio electronic keyboard. My sister paid a lot of money for it, but he hardly touched it. I wonder what happened to it. There's only one way to find out. If I got one of my own, it would probably be something like this (no, it would be this):
Casio CDP-100 88-Note Weighted Hammer Action Digital Piano
Learning all the notes on the fretboards is my first order of business now. I neglected that in the interest of just learning chord shapes and how to play a song. Though my teachers were just as guilty of the neglect for not laying out a learning path and drilling me. I asked my last teacher if he was going to drill or quiz me; he no said in an uninterested and undemanding voice. So I'm on my own now (and happier for it).
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Those keyboards are also very fun to play. They usually have many rhythms and effects to play with.
Concerning the notes on the fretboard. Probably the bass will help you to learn the fretboard because the bass is usually played with notes and not with shape chords like the guitar. At least I learnt the fretboard quicker on the bass.
Concerning the notes on the fretboard. Probably the bass will help you to learn the fretboard because the bass is usually played with notes and not with shape chords like the guitar. At least I learnt the fretboard quicker on the bass.
That's a good point. I have some charts I made up that map out the fretboards. Oh yeah, there are a million on the interwebz, but I made these to my own liking. Trouble is, they're a pain in the butt to look at, look at the fretboard, look at the chart...
I'm thinking of something like this. http://www.dontfret.com/ It may be a crutch to some, but I look at it as training wheels on a bike. Eventually they come off. :)
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
On the bass, try to learn the notes on the 3rd and 4th, they are the same notes than the 5th and 6th guitar strings. The same note is on the 1st and 2nd (3rd and 4th respectively) two frets higher.
It is much easier than guitar for the way in which the bass is tuned. Really you only must learn 12+12 frets and fortunately we used them as roots for chords in the guitar. And they will sound deep on the first five frets, you will play a lot of songs there.
Scales will also help a lot!
On the bass, try to learn the notes on the 3rd and 4th, they are the same notes than the 5th and 6th guitar strings. The same note is on the 1st and 2nd (3rd and 4th respectively) two frets higher.
Yes, I learned that even before I thought about getting a bass; when it was just in a "I'd like to learn bass" stage. In fact I asked someone before I got my bass if I could practice bass riffs on the lower 4 strings of the guitar. He said sure why not? A lot of bass players got their start that way. The technique and sound is different, but the notes are the same in the same place.
It is much easier than guitar for the way in which the bass is tuned. Really you only must learn 12+12 frets and fortunately we used them as roots for chords in the guitar. And they will sound deep on the first five frets, you will play a lot of songs there.
Scales will also help a lot!
I've noticed bass players not using the D and G strings too much; most everything is on the E and A strings, and not much further up the neck than frets 7-8.
I've started tinkering with the blues scale; I'm going to revisit the pentatonic scales, at least the first box to begin with. I never could get my head wrapped around the 2-5 boxes. I'd lose my place. :roll: I guess it's not so horrible to start off just using the first box. I run the major scales in my head as mental gymnastics.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
I've noticed bass players not using the D and G strings too much; most everything is on the E and A strings, and not much further up the neck than frets 7-8.
They are the same notes but they don't sound exactly in the same way (perhaps it is just a matter of perception). The strings are thicker and the sound is fuller.
I'm writing a blog about my bass learning ( http://learningbass.wordpress.com/ ). Sorry, it is in Spanish :( and sometimes Google Translator does not work well.
I write tablatures (and also standard notation partitures) for exercises, riffs and songs that I usually practice. Perhaps it can help you.
I've noticed bass players not using the D and G strings too much; most everything is on the E and A strings, and not much further up the neck than frets 7-8.
They are the same notes but they don't sound exactly in the same way (perhaps it is just a matter of perception). The strings are thicker and the sound is fuller.
I'm writing a blog about my bass learning ( http://learningbass.wordpress.com/ ). Sorry, it is in Spanish :( and sometimes Google Translator does not work well.
I write tablatures (and also standard notation partitures) for exercises, riffs and songs that I usually practice. Perhaps it can help you.
Thanks, I will check it out. I can read a bit of Spanish and I can speak a little. My partner and in-laws are Puerto Rican, so what I can't make out, I can have it translated. In fact years ago when I first met the aunts and uncles, they were speaking in Spanish about me (not bad). My partner said to them "be careful, he understands". Since I had said very little even in English, they laughed it off. They continued talking and at the right time I responded politely in Spanish. Their eyes bugged out and their jaws dropped. My partner said "I told you he understands and speaks a little Spanish." :lol:
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Very funny! :lol:
They are notes, diagrams. I thought it could be interesting to put in a blog because perhaps it could be useful for more people. I don't know. It is also a way to keep my notes all together!
