New bass player

welcome BlakeM

I guess you should start with basics

keeping a steady pace

I just put the recording on and pick out the notes

like

ac/dc -- live wire

also

learn scales so you know where the notes are

and practice those scales at least half of your rehearsal time

it makes learning any song easier

I agree with OC. Learn your scales and every single fret position on the neck. THEN look for songs for the end of your practice session.

Also, find a variety. I try to cover every type of music. I play some Sublime, Metallica, The Beatles, John Michael Montgomery, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, John Mayer, Hootie and the Blowfish, Anberlin, or whatever. I usually pull up Pandora and just try to play the biggest variety of songs I can whether I like that artist or not. It'll help make you a bit diverse hopefully. Works ok for me.

Welcome and good luck!

Any tune you know well enough to hum is good to learn. Especially if you are sick of it, cause often learning a song kinda kills it.

Also, this is an awesome scale learning tool:

http://www.studybass.com/tools/chord-scale-note-printer/

Edit: bah, get accused of being a spammer even if I preview.

Well, what's the type of music that you like! When I was starting, I learned some simple Black Sabbath riffs, also, I learned Weezer's blue album, and a host of other things! My best advice is...if you hear a line you really like, ear it out. Nothing more satisfying then figuring out, and being able to play a kickass line that you love!

like I said in OP I have the B.E.A strings down D.G I'm still working on. Mr.Foxen thanks for the site I use it all the time! Also Suede Loafer I enjoy john mayer. most of the beatles, Red hot Chili peppers, green day, kid rock, AC/DC, LOTS of Punk and Ska, and Jason Aldean. (Pretty much everything.) I am trying to find a website that has 5 string scales. I don't understand how to get them on Studybass.

Thanks for the help!
Blake M

for scalar exercises, i do the following:

say start @ C on the A string (3rd fret)

a C bluesy/minor kind of scale would be:

C (A string 3rd fret) - call #1
D# (A string 6th fret) - #2
F (D string 3rd fret) - #3
F# (D string 4th fret) - #4
G (D string 5th fret) - #5
A# (G string 3rd fret) - #6
C (G string 5th fret) - #7

first start just playing the scale in ascending order, then in descending order.

once you have that, try playing it like this (in terms of the right hand #s):

1,2,3
2,3,4
3,4,5
4,5,6
5,6,7

then descending:

7,6,5,4
6,5,4,3
5,4,3,2
4,3,2,1

i change up the patterns of 3 and 4 descending and ascending as i move up the neck at each fret.....

this works on muscle and muscle memory and dexterity.

you can apply to any scale or pattern (triads, 3rds, etc).

Good luck finding scales based around 5 or six string basses, but they are not that hard take the C major scale, CDEFGABC. Can be played on a 4-string bass say on fret 8, on a 5-string tuned to BEADG, you can now do it in the first position starting on the first fret on the B-string ( happens to be C!)

This thread makes me wanta make a site or article/tutorial for scales for 5 and 6 string basses

EDIT: Not to promote another bass forum but this article at talkbass may help you out

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125519

you guys are going about this all wrong. no one has even brought up the fact that first you must learn to look like a bada$$... prepare a CSS, then set up your coffee table like a stage... practice standing there looking cool.. then after a few days of that, strap on your bass... hang it as low as possible. cause that looks cool. then after a few days of low strap action, practice jumping from your coffee table... kick your legs out as you do so... whip your head around... grab a beer and drink it while in the air... yeh thats the gist! put together outfits that consist of leather and ripped up t shirts. you got to look cool first before you even consider learning any scales or anything....

rock.

DDD

Jackie thanks for the scale one question though. Do I stay on the A string or can I transpose the note values onto say the D and G strings? Thus making a multi string pattern instead of just playing the A string?

Master of chains Love the site am learning what's posted there now. Also it doesn't have to be a 5 string scale it's just preferred. I'd gladly learn 4 string scales. I mean a scale is a scale, right?

DDanDevious. 1. I would rather have proper technique then looking cool. 2. I would break said coffee table. 3 I am also a stinky so I learned a long time ago to dress for comfort then style. 4. I just realized you were kidding and now feel slightly stupid

Blake M

ya DDD is slightly insane without his meds...and slightly less insane with his meds.

Well yes a scale is a scale, but its hard to find patterns for 5-6 string basses.

And to answer your other question, sure you don't have to have it all on the A string. that's only one way to do the scale, you can do it though all the strings ( how i do them) just make sure its the same pattern of notes.

I'll just toss a recommendation to learn chord tones and intervals before getting too far into scales. Scales aren't a bad thing by any means and you will need to learn them at some point, but for just getting started, I think scalar intervals may be a bit more useful to be able to play songs.

The examples of Studybass are pretty good. You could just use those same patterns on the low B string. The patterns themselves are probably more relevant for learning than the key that they're played in.

And, last but not least, welcome to the ugliest place on the net. Grab a beer and settle in for awhile.

doh! i edited my original post to reflect string changes.........

but you can apply the pattern thing to any scale starting on any string..... 3rd fret or higher makes it easier, although you could throw in open notes if you wanted...

DDD forgot about the mohawk.

Yeah, he also forgot about the black powder.

Poor boy's losing his touch.

I think his mind is focused too much on Spain!

All that said, his advise is always solid and should be followed to the letter under any and all circumstances!