How to teach my son bass

[Magic Russ]

My son has been taking some guitar lessons for a while. We got him a build your own bass (short scale P bass) for the holidays a while back and we are (I am) nearly finished.

Just wondering any ideas on how to teach him bass?

[khanyz]

For me it was a combination of things.
1) Get a book that covers some theory, primarily scales, and at least tab.
2) Practise scales and arpeggios, up and down the fret board, with different right hand techniques. Videos can help with technique.
3) Listen to a lot of bass players and how they interact with drummers, not just the music he likes. Learn to play parts by ear (frustrating as it is), as well as from tab.

This is the vital, straightforward, but repetitively frustrating and boring stuff. You’re kind of building a bypass between your ears and hands, around the brain, including muscle development. After that, he’ll just play and be able to concentrate on what’s being played around him.

I’d been learning and playing (in orchestras) Double Bass for 4 years when I started bass guitar. That gave me a huge head start but I still had to practise and also get used to playing with fewer people, and no obvious leader, in bands.

Some of the bassists I listened to, and learned, are (in no particular order and obviously showing my age); Jaco Pastorius, Noel Redding, Jack Bruce, Tina Weymouth, Kim Deal, Stanley Clarke, Mark King, Nathan East, Sting (The Police), Les Claypool, Adam Clayton, Muzz Skillings (Living Colour), Tim Commerford, Duff McKagan, Flea, Billy Sheehan, Bruce Foxton and Fred Abong (early Throwing Muses).

I could go on but most of the others are really just single tracks with great bass parts, such as The Cure/The Lovecats.

I could also include Chris Wolstenholme but by that time I’d stopped practising and it didn’t take long to play those parts.

[sqigls]

learn the 12 bar blues in every style.
and listen to an extreme amount of reggae.

[khanyz]

and listen to an extreme amount of reggae.

There’s no such thing. You must mean listen to an amount of extreme reggae

[Harry_HH]

Concerning learning any instrument, concentrate different areas
-generic music studies (other instruments, theory, music history, composing, arranging)
-instrument-specific technique
-intuitive learning (by listening diverse genres, playing with other people etc.)

The best bass players have generic music talent, and often master other instruments, as well.

Of course, all depend on the level of insterest and ambition.

[fese]

Ask him what motivates him. People learn differently, some like practicing scales and finger technique, others prefer learning songs from recordsplaylists, either by ear or by sheets.
Sure, in the end a good mixture is important, but especially in the beginning, it is about keeping people motivated.
Except when they have a high intrinsic motivation anyhow, the scrap that

[sqigls]

and listen to an extreme amount of reggae.

There’s no such thing. You must mean listen to an amount of extreme reggae

i listen to certain amounts of some quite extreme reggae

when i started playing bass in `91, i was influenced by Flea, Les Claypool, Bill Laswell and the likes.
I got quite good at it, but it took about 7-8 years to realise that it wasn't bass playing that i was really interested in, it was the bass frequency.

now i just play the brown note on synthesisers

[VariKusBrainZ]

Nothing beats listening to music and learning to play by ear. Vital for jamming skills.
I'll often fire up a playlist on YouTube and jam along on guitar or bass.
So encourage him to learn with music he enjoys, not some shitty learn to play Beatles book.
Its even easier with bass as you don't have pesky chords to figure out.
Plus its all about being in time, which most guitarists are clueless about.

[donkey tugger]

Its even easier with bass as you don't have pesky chords to figure out.

What?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBIa0o36pPo

[VariKusBrainZ]

Its even easier with bass as you don't have pesky chords to figure out.

What?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBIa0o36pPo

You know what I mean.
Of course you can play chords on bass but as a beginner your unlikely to start there.

Learning to play consistently in time and dynamic is the hardest thing I find as a finger bassist.

But then I hardly practice and am a guitarist that picked up bass 5 years ago.
My bass is shit and you could fit a sandwich under the strings the action is so high.
But I love it's sound.

[revvy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEwGdmhqBgM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiDVdlNg0U4

[donkey tugger]

Its even easier with bass as you don't have pesky chords to figure out.

What?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBIa0o36pPo

You know what I mean.
Of course you can play chords on bass but as a beginner your unlikely to start there.

I know.. But I'm from the Lemmy/Peter Hook school - 6 strings, plectrum, maximum chords. Err, a guitarist playing bass then..

[vurt]

anaesthesia (pulling teeth) - the mighty cliff burton
if that doesnt get him intetested, hes probably not a bassist.

[CapnLockheed]

anaesthesia (pulling teeth) - the mighty cliff burton
if that doesnt get him intetested, hes probably not a bassist.

Yeah that or find him a beginning drummer and guitar player.
Lock them in the garage and don't let them out till you hear an actual song.
Unless, of course, you have neighbors close by. That's how I started playing
guitar!

[SneakyBeats]

SLAP him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggNRXu1avDk