Newest Target Members Only Lesson - Fly On The Wall - Bass Lesson #1 with Sandy

What we have so far, new songs added weekly!
TGNesh
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 5:08 pm

I have both, can't help to say that the tone of the electric is way better. So keeping that one and probably sell the acoustic one.

daryl wrote:
So how many bass players (with a bass guitar) do we have at TG?

Daryl
Michele (has 2 bass guitars I believe)
Vanessa (just the 1 acoustic or do you have an electric too?)
Sandy

Who else?


willem
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 5:38 pm

TGVanessa wrote:
You're kidding right??

willem wrote:

but only play roots and fifths is a bit sad

Willem
no I was' nt,, but do you try to tell me that bass players only play roots and fifths, I tryed to do that but found it a bit sad,( I guess I know now why bass players look that way too) B)

Maybe I understand it wrong, we play roots and fifths, root on 1 2 fifths on 3 4 ?

Willem

ps. maybe you could add a bass video on one of your lessons, that would be great. :laugh: B)

Willem


michelew
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 5:54 pm

Sandy - I'm sure you'll have a lot more fun now that you've got a practice amp. I'm a little envious. :)

Willem - I love playing the bass. It absolutely makes me smile. I've primarily been playing roots, and fifths and a few passing notes. Put some rhythm into it and it's HEAPS of fun. I know I have A LOT to learn about playing the bass, but you don't need to get fancy to be adding heaps to what others are playing.

Sandy - make Willem jealous with the fun you're having. :) :) :) as in keep telling us about it. :)


willem
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:11 pm

michelew wrote:
Sandy - I'm sure you'll have a lot more fun now that you've got a practice amp. I'm a little envious. :)

Willem - I love playing the bass. It absolutely makes me smile. I've primarily been playing roots, and fifths and a few passing notes. Put some rhythm into it and it's HEAPS of fun. I know I have A LOT to learn about playing the bass, but you don't need to get fancy to be adding heaps to what others are playing.

Sandy - make Willem jealous with the fun you're having. :) :) :) as in keep telling us about it. :)
I realy enjoyed this FOTW , I do know nothing a bout the bass, okay playing a root I finding a sort of logic and 'm glad to know a bout the fifth , also interesting for study the fretboard.

'Cos I know the bass notes are very important in music I wanna know a bit and hope for more information.

I don't have a bass guitar, if I want to have one it is a electric,, man those acoustic ones are to heavy on the strings.

Willem


sandysue
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:34 pm

willem wrote:
michelew wrote:
Sandy - I'm sure you'll have a lot more fun now that you've got a practice amp. I'm a little envious. :)

Willem - I love playing the bass. It absolutely makes me smile. I've primarily been playing roots, and fifths and a few passing notes. Put some rhythm into it and it's HEAPS of fun. I know I have A LOT to learn about playing the bass, but you don't need to get fancy to be adding heaps to what others are playing.

Sandy - make Willem jealous with the fun you're having. :) :) :) as in keep telling us about it. :)
I realy enjoyed this FOTW , I do know nothing a bout the bass, okay playing a root I finding a sort of logic and 'm glad to know a bout the fifth , also interesting for study the fretboard.

'Cos I know the bass notes are very important in music I wanna know a bit and hope for more information.

I don't have a bass guitar, if I want to have one it is a electric,, man those acoustic ones are to heavy on the strings.

Willem
Willem I think the bass guitar is mostly emphasizing the bass notes, I went to a concert last night and saw Booker T an the MG's, a band with lots of longevity. I watched the bass player all night and he did play notes other than bass notes sometimes, and he did do lots of rhythm. I didn't see him use his right thumb, just his fingers, just as Neil said on the FOTW lesson. He played all up and down the fretboard. It was very cool. It's like everything else, it just takes time to learn it and you have to start out with the basics, which means you probably need to concentrate on the bass notes at first.


sandysue
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:46 pm

Vanessa I have no doubt that you are a great bass player, I have seen a video or two when you were playing bass. I'm sure you also teach bass guitar lessons. :)

Michele I've seen you play bass too and you do an awesome job as well. I've only been playing for a couple of days so I need to hang lots of black crape so you guys don't actually think I know anything yet. lol :S

Daryl, I love that you put me on the bass player list along with all of you that actually know how to play bass guitar. I'm kind of embarrassed though because I just started learning, and I can't even find half of the bass notes on the fretboard yet, but thank you for the vote of confidence. :)


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daryl
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:48 pm

Sandy, One can play bass with fingers, or a thumb, or a pick. It all depends upon the song and the sound the player wants to achieve. It's like one can play a 6-string guitar with a pick, or a thumb, or the "imaginary" pick, or fingernails, or all fingers, it just depends on the song and sound the player wants. Here''s a quick video of Paul McCartney teaching one way to play the bass:



And here's one using a pick:



sandysue
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Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:18 pm

thank you Daryl

Great video's. Paul was wrapping his thumb for the E and A strings some of the time and of course he has really mastered the bass guitar over the years. He makes it look easy. It looks like you could do just about anything you want as long as you are emphasizing the bass notes. I think with the electric guitar you can also use foot pedals to change the sound or the volume of what you are playing.

Sandy


ps Daryl, Robert Schembre has been a bass player since high school, if not younger, so he should be on your list too. :)


TGNesh
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Sun Feb 07, 2016 9:29 am

I think you're off with a great start Sandy and indeed focussing on finding the bassnotes first, as in knowing where they are on at least the two bottom strings. If you can memorize those, you'll know the notes on the other strings as well, using this method of an octave shape, which Neil showed you.

In general I would advice anyone to just play along with a lot of songs. Just finding the roots of the chords instantly (and in different spots of the neck, if you can). Start for example in the key of G. Play for example Tequila Sunrise and when you're comfortable finding the notes instantly, check it by trying out for example Take it easy, which is faster and also in the key of G. Once you're comfortable with the key of G, move on to another key and so on. You'll of course find out that the relationship of notes in any key is the same all over the neck (when not playing open strings), just like with barre chords on the guitar.

Willem: Roots (and octaves) and fifth's are actually véry effective, especially if the bass guitar sounds really good, with deep tone and sustain. It creates a solid foundation of debt and sound and of course in particular rhythm/groove in a band. You can do a LOT with those notes. Check for example the main pattern in Hotel California:



Just roots (octaves) and fifth's. Few passing bassnotes in the chorus, that's it. I'm sure you get my point. :)

But yes, of course, playing bass if more than roots and fifth's. In the end, it's very much about the rhythm, no matter what you do. So besides focussing on where the notes are, one should focus on playing exactly in time/spot on, that's one's main job as a bass player or a drummer for that matter. Check for example 'Another one bites the dust'. (the beginning), spot on it has to be.



Adding bass lessons to a lesson? Well you gotta talk to Neil/Matt about that. They're the boss! :P I do have a lesson on a cool song planned for which I intend to ask my bass student to join me (the play through). He looks véry cool on stage, not sad. ;)

Ness


sandysue
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Sun Feb 07, 2016 10:53 am

Thank you Vanessa for the great information and video's. It looks like there is tablature for bass players too. I'm actually finding it a little easier now to learn the fret board just concentrating on the four lowest strings, using the root and fifth position, and the full octave position.

Sandy


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