Most Important Parts Of Learning To Play Bass.

[DiMarco]

In these Covid-19 days I got to see many many online videos, usually of bassists showing off some advanced technique that is hard to master. Only a few of them however managed to make me want to watch twice. So many are missing the point in my opinion that I feel the urge to address this. So here we go.

What to focus on:

Play everything with feeling, never let the groove out of your sight. You will sound boring if you do.
Technique is important only to yourself so you can physically pull off what you want to get across musically without making the feel of it suffer.

Nobody in the audience is interested in any technique or advanced music theory being applied. Only the few geeks in the audience that also play an instrument (there are but few and your succes does not depend on them).

Elaborating on this, do play harder songs while studying so you keep learning. Don't play those live until you're absolutely comfortable doing so. A band with a bassplayer that doesn't hold his groove is a bad band that nobody really wants to hear. If your drummer can't keep up groovewise, choose songs that are more easy to play for the combined rhythm section also. You and the drummer are the foundation on which the rest of the band should be able to rely. The two of you are what makes people want to shake their ass if you're doing a good job.

So: Any audience you play for wants to feel good. This does not depend on how great your technique is. It only depends on how much feeling you are able to convey. If you get them to dance or simply nod along you're doing a good job.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

I always say to people, when you listen to Victor Wooten, try to forget how "hard" it is to play, or how complex or whatever, and just dig how hard he grooves. He really has just about the deepest pocket of anyone on the planet. The fact that he can play such complex lines is really just a bonus. One thing that's instructive is a Davie504 (YouTuber) video in which he asks his viewers to submit challenges for the hardest bass solos ever, and he learns them and plays them. He nails them all, but there is an audible difference in feel when he attempts the Victor Wooten tune. It's not bad. Not at all. But it ain't Victor.

His novel "The Music Lesson" is a godawful piece of new age fluff. Don't read it. Instead, get all of the good stuff from it delivered in a much more down-to-earth format by watching his "Groove Workshop" DVD. This video should be required viewing for all musicians regardless of instrument.

 

[Foal30]

I've listened to Wooten maybe 4 or 5 times
I read his interviews , ideas etc.

I watched some Davie504 (some students Luurve him)
Some of it was quite funny.

@DiMarco

If the primary function of a Musician is to coney or pro ke feeling then Bass Guitar is a pretty good choice.

 

[kimgee]

Thanks for sharing that video. Wooten has an excellent perspective on music. I have several of his albums, and while he is an amazing bassist, I am not real fond of his musical style. Interstingly, I did enjoy reading his book.

 

[DiMarco]

When you think about the songs and bass playing you like most, the ones who make it feel good are probably your favorite players.

Dug Pinnick, Steve Harris, Bobby Vega, Joe Dart, Cody Wright, Verdine White, Lemmy, Jeff Ament.
They all make the song work better. This is where it's at. Knowing the technique is 1% of the job, applying it with taste the other 99%.

Focus on feel only. The rest will grow on you.

 

[Hardy]

I think you guys speak about mastering a bass. Learning bass is all technique. And the most important technique is to start SLOWLY. That is for programming the notes into your head, the moves in your hands and the groove into your ear. Only when this works you can increase speed without loosing the groove. For two and a half years now I train this now. I now play stuff which I couldn’t play in the 12 years before. And there is another important factor: patience. Without patience you don’t improve and you will feel frustration. Getting better is a question of years. That’s why I don’t watch too many vids of bass players. I have my own pace and degree of training.

 

[DiMarco]

In effect, playing a part slowly to keep the groove is one of two ways. The other being playing less notes to maintain your groove.
This is what Victor was talking about. If you play just a few notes but make them feel really good with the rhythm and melody, you're already there. The rest is bonus material.

Whether this is named learning or mastering the bass I don't know. I guess what you call it does not matter that much.

 

[kimgee]

I think you guys speak about mastering a bass. Learning bass is all technique. And the most important technique is to start SLOWLY. That is for programming the notes into your head, the moves in your hands and the groove into your ear. Only when this works you can increase speed without loosing the groove. For two and a half years now I train this now. I now play stuff which I couldn’t play in the 12 years before. And there is another important factor: patience. Without patience you don’t improve and you will feel frustration. Getting better is a question of years. That’s why I don’t watch too many vids of bass players. I have my own pace and degree of training.

Well said sir!