bass help

[yourJohnCusak]

I'm getting started with playing bass, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips/advice on how I should go about it. More specifically, should I get lessons or is it possible to teach myself ?
thanks.

[patrickhowell]

Do you have any friends that are good at bass or guitar? If so, they could give you a few pointers. If not, you'll probably be better off taking a few lessons. But the two best things you can do as a musician (bassist, especially) are 1) play along with CDs, and 2) play in a band.

[God of Thunder]

I taught myself and I feel confident in my bass playing capabilities. It's just a matter of how dedicated you are willing to be to your craft. Everything you need to know is in the books. teachers just help you answer questions (I think anyway) And Patrick is right on the money with playing with CDs and in a Band.

[catscradle]

I taught myself and I feel confident in my bass playing capabilities. It's just a matter of how dedicated you are willing to be to your craft. Everything you need to know is in the books. teachers just help you answer questions (I think anyway) And Patrick is right on the money with playing with CDs and in a Band.
ditto.

[vandalsandquinn]

go here www.activebass.com (http://www.absolutepunk.net/www.activebass.com) that will help you a lot

[TheDeekay]

When I started playing bass 6 years ago, I started by getting pointers from friends who played guitar and drums. Other than that I just read different lessons posted on different tab sites. As long as you dedicated and willing to practise alot to improve you'll do fine.

[Nelsonpunkrock]

I started playing when i was in grade 7 so that was like 8 years ago. I played in school band and it helped not only my technique but my overall understanding of musical structures to be able to read music notation.

I would really recomend going down to your local guitar shop and picking up a begginer bass instruction book. It might be boring at first when you're starting to learn the basics but it'll be worth it in the end when you're able to understand what is happening with the music and what notes fit best in what places etc. Once you've got the basics down, start playing along with cd's and finding other musicians to play with. Playing with more experienced musicians will really help you improve quickly.

That's basically how I learned.

[FondestMemory]

i say avoid lessons. generally self-taught musicians are more fun to play with and are more capable of developing their own style.

as for learning though, find a friend that plays guitar. sit down with him and jam. just play the root notes and keep up with him. that'll get you familiar and comfortable playing. it'll help with your timing, your control and getting a feel of what needs to be done to construct a song. once you're comfortable and familiar with playing root notes, just play around and try different things. and honestly, starting out, concentrate most of your energy on the low e and a strings. the rest will follow.

[yourJohnCusak]

Thanks, guys (and girl).
I really appreciate the advice. My friend plays guitar and I've talked to him about getting together sometime just to jam.