Beginning Bass

salukulady

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Okay Guys, I need some help. My son who's 13 just got an Ibanez short scale bass delivered today. We have been having fun all day playing around with it but we need some direction. My son plays trombone so he understand bass clef etc. but we really don't know where to start. Can one of you steer us to a good beginners site or just a picture of a fret board with notes on it so we know where to find a C, D, F, G etc. Thanks!
 
bass

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/99_bass-guitar-basics.htm

that site has some good vids for basic bass stuff. also, go to the local music shop and buy a chart of the bass fretboard and memorize it. you should know every note on the neck. the major and minor scale patters are movable...so just know where the root is to play along or create bass lines...
and, have fun! bass is awesome!
 
more bass

oh yeah...try to start out with good technique, use one finger per fret (prob hard at first but a short scale bass will help) and fret the string right up on the fret, not back behind in between the frets. jaco said he fretted in exactly the same place on a fretted or fretless bass. and with your right hand (if right handed) practice alternating fingers every time. doing this across the strings can be a challenge at first. do the scales very slowly making sure you alternate your first and middle fingers every time. you can experiment with tone by moving your right hand fore and aft on the bass. back by the bridge will be a tighter more focused tone and up by the fingerboard more of a round tubby tone (reggae).
sorry this is longwinded... i love bass!
 
What the poster above said, learn the proper etiquette now so it's not a hassle relearning later!
One finger per fret.
Left hand thumb in the right position, so as not to mess up any muscles and for proper technique in accordance of speed.
All that jazz.
I got a bass teacher who was only a student but he taught me all the proper techniques and I couldn't be more thankful I learned it back then the right way.
 
Dont mind this being upside down.

E F F# G G# A Bb B
E|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

A Bb B C C# D D# E
A|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

D Eb E F Gb G Ab A
D|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

G G# A Bb B C Db E
G|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

For some reason the notes wont allign with the fret numbers but yea, you get the point, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure it out haha. If you didnt know, if you want to find the octaves on each notes all you have to do is take a note, then go 2 frets forward, then 2 frets down.
For example:
F or A
G|----------|------------(2)----------
D|----3-----|----7--------------------
A|----------|--------(0)--------------
E|-1--------|-5-----------------------

The () is another option of play the same notes.
If you want to expeirment on some Major or Minor scales, i think Aldrine did a video on one for the ukulele but its basicly the same with bass, guitar, etc.

Major
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1261

Minor
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2582

Just follow his technique.
(Like how he says Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half)

Example: Major bass scale

G Major Scale
G|------------------------------------
D|----------------2--4--5-------------
A|-------2--3--5----------------------
E|-3--5-------------------------------

Hoped this helped.
 
hey salukulady, just wanted to post in here to be helpful. i believe you asked for something like this http://www.steve-nelson.co.uk/BassFingerboard003.jpg

it works from left to right, Low to high

also someone mentioned earlier of "Thumb placement" this is very crucial and hard to make up if you start incorrectly... here is a pic
new3id6.jpg


any other questions just ask!!!
 
Thank you all so much. My son has been digesting all the info.....keep it coming, we really appreciate it.
 
@dannyboy: try wrapping your tabs in CODE tags (they can be found in the advanced message panel) and the text will line up as you planned.

For complete reference, dannyboy's suggestions again:

Code:
Dont mind this being upside down.

E F F# G G# A Bb B
E|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

A Bb B C C# D D# E
A|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

D Eb E F Gb G Ab A
D|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

G G# A Bb B C Db E
G|-0---1----2----3----4----5----6----7------------

For some reason the notes wont allign with the fret numbers but yea, you get the point, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure it out haha. If you didnt know, if you want to find the octaves on each notes all you have to do is take a note, then go 2 frets forward, then 2 frets down.
For example:
F or A
G|----------|------------(2)----------
D|----3-----|----7--------------------
A|----------|--------(0)--------------
E|-1--------|-5-----------------------

The () is another option of play the same notes.
If you want to expeirment on some Major or Minor scales, i think Aldrine did a video on one for the ukulele but its basicly the same with bass, guitar, etc.

Major
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/fo...ead.php?t=1261

Minor
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/fo...ead.php?t=2582

Just follow his technique.
(Like how he says Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half)

Example: Major bass scale

G Major Scale
G|------------------------------------
D|----------------2--4--5-------------
A|-------2--3--5----------------------
E|-3--5-------------------------------

Hoped this helped.
 
Bass

I have a bass and was a bassist before guitar and now ukulele. I used to call it my bass guitar, but think about it...
...4 strings not 6...
It's a bass uke!
 
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