BASS GUITAR LESSON
The Elements of Music
by Andrew Pouska
One of the first things I like to do is give the student a general overview of the basic building blocks of music and how they apply to playing the bass. This bass lesson is to simply give you a taste of the basic elements which make up music. If you feel like you don’t fully understand everything that follows, don’t worry. It will make more and more sense over time. This is simply a preview. There is a lot of information to absorb in this lesson, and I wouldn’t expect you to get all of it in one reading.
Why Study the Basic Elements of Music?All styles of music, be it rock, jazz, Classical, funk, blues, country, hip-hop, or whatever, use the same basic elements of music. The reason each style sounds different is each style combines the basic musical elements in a different way.
A second thing that sets apart musical styles is the musical instruments used. Classical music sounds the way it does in part because it uses violins, cellos, woodwinds, and the like. Rock sounds the way it does partly because it uses distorted electric guitars. Electronic music sounds the way it does partly due to the use of synthesizers and computers. But, the basic musical elements for each style remain the same.
These elements are the essence of music, and are a big part of what you should study as a musician. Something important to my teaching philosophy is to thoroughly teach each student all the basic elements of music. Once those are understood it’s only a matter of understanding how each style combines those elements to create that style's unique sound. As old styles evolve and new styles emerge, the student will be able to quickly adapt if he or she already knows everything that makes up the new style.
If you know the basic building blocks of music, playing, creating, and improvising music will be much easier and more satisfying. This approach isn’t difficult, but it does take patience and commitment. This isn’t one of those “Play like a pro in 10 days!” approaches. This stuff takes years to learn.
Now, let’s get an overview of these musical elements about which I keep talking…
One of the first things I like to do is give the student a general overview of the basic building blocks of music and how they apply to playing the bass. This bass lesson is to simply give you a taste of the basic elements which make up music. If you feel like you don’t fully understand everything that follows, don’t worry. It will make more and more sense over time. This is simply a preview. There is a lot of information to absorb in this lesson, and I wouldn’t expect you to get all of it in one reading.
Why Study the Basic Elements of Music?All styles of music, be it rock, jazz, Classical, funk, blues, country, hip-hop, or whatever, use the same basic elements of music. The reason each style sounds different is each style combines the basic musical elements in a different way.
A second thing that sets apart musical styles is the musical instruments used. Classical music sounds the way it does in part because it uses violins, cellos, woodwinds, and the like. Rock sounds the way it does partly because it uses distorted electric guitars. Electronic music sounds the way it does partly due to the use of synthesizers and computers. But, the basic musical elements for each style remain the same.
These elements are the essence of music, and are a big part of what you should study as a musician. Something important to my teaching philosophy is to thoroughly teach each student all the basic elements of music. Once those are understood it’s only a matter of understanding how each style combines those elements to create that style's unique sound. As old styles evolve and new styles emerge, the student will be able to quickly adapt if he or she already knows everything that makes up the new style.
If you know the basic building blocks of music, playing, creating, and improvising music will be much easier and more satisfying. This approach isn’t difficult, but it does take patience and commitment. This isn’t one of those “Play like a pro in 10 days!” approaches. This stuff takes years to learn.
Now, let’s get an overview of these musical elements about which I keep talking…
The Elements of Music p.2
MeterMeter refers to how the pulse, or beat, of the music is divided and counted. Commonly, music is divided into repeated groups of 4 beats counted 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4…and so on. Many other meters are possible. It’s possible to count in 3, 5, 12, or any other number of beats. Some meters are more common than others.
As a bassist, your basslines will help define the meter of the music. Defining where beat 1 occurs helps people to feel the meter. Often several musicians as a group do this, but you should be able to define the meter all on your own.
Without a reference, you can't tell what the meter is:
What Meter?
By punctuating or defining beat 1 every 4 beats, you create a pulse in "4":
Pulse of 4
By punctuating or defining beat 1 every 3 beats, you create a pulse in "3":
Pulse of 3
TempoTempo refers to the pace of the music, or how fast or slow the beat of the music is.
Bass players, as well as all of the other musicians, maintain the tempo by not speeding up or slowing down the music as it is played.
A slow tempo:
Slow Tempo
A fast tempo:
Fast Tempo
RhythmRhythm, in a specific sense, refers to when and for how long individual musical events occur. A musical event could be all sorts of things – a single note, a group of notes, a percussive sound like a drum, or even silence. Rhythm is about when to start and stop these musical events. The when of a musical event is called attack. The how long of a musical event is called duration.
There are many different rhythms and combinations of rhythms. Rhythms have different names, such as half note, quarter note, and eighth note, which indicate their duration. This will be explained in later lessons.
A large part of playing the bass revolves around rhythm, and will be a lot of what you study and practice.
A simple rhythm may sound like:
Simple Rhythm
A more complex rhythm on a similar idea may sound like:
Complex Rhythm
Now, on to harmony...
As a bassist, your basslines will help define the meter of the music. Defining where beat 1 occurs helps people to feel the meter. Often several musicians as a group do this, but you should be able to define the meter all on your own.
Without a reference, you can't tell what the meter is:
What Meter?
By punctuating or defining beat 1 every 4 beats, you create a pulse in "4":
Pulse of 4
By punctuating or defining beat 1 every 3 beats, you create a pulse in "3":
Pulse of 3
TempoTempo refers to the pace of the music, or how fast or slow the beat of the music is.
Bass players, as well as all of the other musicians, maintain the tempo by not speeding up or slowing down the music as it is played.
A slow tempo:
Slow Tempo
A fast tempo:
Fast Tempo
RhythmRhythm, in a specific sense, refers to when and for how long individual musical events occur. A musical event could be all sorts of things – a single note, a group of notes, a percussive sound like a drum, or even silence. Rhythm is about when to start and stop these musical events. The when of a musical event is called attack. The how long of a musical event is called duration.
There are many different rhythms and combinations of rhythms. Rhythms have different names, such as half note, quarter note, and eighth note, which indicate their duration. This will be explained in later lessons.
A large part of playing the bass revolves around rhythm, and will be a lot of what you study and practice.
A simple rhythm may sound like:
Simple Rhythm
A more complex rhythm on a similar idea may sound like:
Complex Rhythm
Now, on to harmony...
About Music Theory
Music TheoryFirstly, I'd like to say that you don't need to learn music theory in order to play and create music. Similarly, you don't have to know the theory of gravity to keep from flying off the face of the earth. But, you'd probably agree that if you were studying to be a physicist, it'd be a good idea to know about various physics theories — even if you wanted to rewrite them. The same is true with music and becoming a musician.
What is music theory?A theory is not truth. A theory is an attempt at explaining something. Music theory attempts to explain what music is doing and why it is pleasing to hear.
For centuries people just like you and me have been singing, playing instruments and creating music. Over time, certain good-sounding musical events kept occurring again and again. After a while people started giving those musical events names. Those named events slowly turned into an accepted language for describing music.
In general, music theory tries to explain:
Why do we need music theory?Since people before us have figured out many things that sound good, studying music theory gives us a head start in learning to play and create good-sounding music. There are many possibilities of combining notes, rhythms and chords. If you sat around trying to piece it all together by yourself, it could take many extra years of work. There's enough to work on that you don't need to make learning music harder on yourself.
On top of that, if you just play what you hear naturally, you may miss out on learning to play new things you can't hear naturally. By studying music theory you will learn to hear new things you may have otherwise not picked up on.
Music theory gives us a universal language with which we can talk about music. Having a language is useful when we need to communicate musical ideas to other musicians. Sometimes, like at a gig, there's no time to play something for someone to get a point across. It's easier to say, "Play G minor instead of Bb in the verse."
Theory also helps us write down our musical ideas. It is very useful when you can accurately write down a musical thought you had or read someone else's.
Ultimately, music theory helps a musician mentally organize his or her overall understanding of music.
The Future of Music TheoryMusic theory keeps evolving just like music itself. It's not fixed. New ways of naming things and explaining people's impressions of what they hear continue to develop and always will. That should serve to remind you that theory is not truth. It's just the current way we explain music.
In SummaryThe idea of music theory I want you to have is that it is not a set of rules or instructions, but a tool you can use to aid your musical development. Music theory does not tell you what to play or not to play. That will always remain up to you. Knowing music theory won't make you less creative. (It's only the people who haven't learned theory that say this, by the way.) You are as creative as you are. Nothing will change that. All music theory will do is give you more tools with which you can express your musical creativity.
What is music theory?A theory is not truth. A theory is an attempt at explaining something. Music theory attempts to explain what music is doing and why it is pleasing to hear.
For centuries people just like you and me have been singing, playing instruments and creating music. Over time, certain good-sounding musical events kept occurring again and again. After a while people started giving those musical events names. Those named events slowly turned into an accepted language for describing music.
In general, music theory tries to explain:
- Rhythm — when and for how long musical events happen
- Harmony — how notes are combined (keys, chords and chord progressions)
- Melody — groups of notes played one after another
Why do we need music theory?Since people before us have figured out many things that sound good, studying music theory gives us a head start in learning to play and create good-sounding music. There are many possibilities of combining notes, rhythms and chords. If you sat around trying to piece it all together by yourself, it could take many extra years of work. There's enough to work on that you don't need to make learning music harder on yourself.
On top of that, if you just play what you hear naturally, you may miss out on learning to play new things you can't hear naturally. By studying music theory you will learn to hear new things you may have otherwise not picked up on.
Music theory gives us a universal language with which we can talk about music. Having a language is useful when we need to communicate musical ideas to other musicians. Sometimes, like at a gig, there's no time to play something for someone to get a point across. It's easier to say, "Play G minor instead of Bb in the verse."
Theory also helps us write down our musical ideas. It is very useful when you can accurately write down a musical thought you had or read someone else's.
Ultimately, music theory helps a musician mentally organize his or her overall understanding of music.
The Future of Music TheoryMusic theory keeps evolving just like music itself. It's not fixed. New ways of naming things and explaining people's impressions of what they hear continue to develop and always will. That should serve to remind you that theory is not truth. It's just the current way we explain music.
In SummaryThe idea of music theory I want you to have is that it is not a set of rules or instructions, but a tool you can use to aid your musical development. Music theory does not tell you what to play or not to play. That will always remain up to you. Knowing music theory won't make you less creative. (It's only the people who haven't learned theory that say this, by the way.) You are as creative as you are. Nothing will change that. All music theory will do is give you more tools with which you can express your musical creativity.
The Role of the Bass
Bass is often one of the most over-looked instruments in a musical group. Many audience members have no idea what a bass even is. Despite this fact, bass is probably the most critical instrument in a group. It is rare to find a performing band without a bass player. As a budding bassist, you should be happy to know there is always a high demand for bassists—especially good ones.
The Responsibilities of the Bass PlayerTraditionally, the bass performs two basic and vital functions within a band or group:
The Rhythmic Pulse
The drummer, when present, also aids in providing the pulse. However, don’t be mistaken that it is the drummer's job to create the pulse and you are only along for the ride. Your sense of rhythm must be very solid and independent of anyone else in the group. Each group member should have good rhythm independently while playing together as a whole.
Your rhythmic skills are the most important thing for you to master as a bassist. It doesn’t matter how perfect your choice of notes is. If your notes are in the wrong place rhythmically, it won't feel or sound right.
The Harmonic FoundationMost people realize the bass player helps with providing the rhythm. A lot of people don't realize the other important function the bass player — supporting the harmony.
Harmony means together. In music, harmony is the playing of several different notes at the same time. Sometimes one person alone, such as a guitarist or pianist, creates this harmony. Other times several people, such as an orchestra, rock band or a barbershop quartet, create the harmony together.
The bass plays a powerful role in how we hear harmonies. When we hear several notes played at the same time, we hear them all relative to the lowest sounding pitch — the bass note.
The following examples let you hear the powerful effect the bass note has on the harmony. In each example the same two notes are played on the piano while the bass plays a different note creating a different musical effect.
Bright, plain, cheery sound
Dark, sad sound
Mysterious sound
Harsh, ugly sound
The bass player's second major traditional role is to properly define the harmony by supplying the correct foundational notes.
In SummaryAs you continue studying music, you will learn that music is comprised of three main elements—rhythm, harmony and melody. The bass lays the foundation for two of these three elements. Studying bass means to study rhythm and to study harmony, and the techniques to create them on the bass.
Bass is a very powerful instrument. A good bassist can often rescue a mediocre group, while a bad bassist can easily destroy a great group. Use your bass-playing powers for good, not evil. Learn about rhythm. Learn about harmony.
- Bass provides the rhythmic foundation.
- Bass provides the harmonic foundation.
The Rhythmic Pulse
The drummer, when present, also aids in providing the pulse. However, don’t be mistaken that it is the drummer's job to create the pulse and you are only along for the ride. Your sense of rhythm must be very solid and independent of anyone else in the group. Each group member should have good rhythm independently while playing together as a whole.
Your rhythmic skills are the most important thing for you to master as a bassist. It doesn’t matter how perfect your choice of notes is. If your notes are in the wrong place rhythmically, it won't feel or sound right.
The Harmonic FoundationMost people realize the bass player helps with providing the rhythm. A lot of people don't realize the other important function the bass player — supporting the harmony.
Harmony means together. In music, harmony is the playing of several different notes at the same time. Sometimes one person alone, such as a guitarist or pianist, creates this harmony. Other times several people, such as an orchestra, rock band or a barbershop quartet, create the harmony together.
The bass plays a powerful role in how we hear harmonies. When we hear several notes played at the same time, we hear them all relative to the lowest sounding pitch — the bass note.
The following examples let you hear the powerful effect the bass note has on the harmony. In each example the same two notes are played on the piano while the bass plays a different note creating a different musical effect.
Bright, plain, cheery sound
Dark, sad sound
Mysterious sound
Harsh, ugly sound
The bass player's second major traditional role is to properly define the harmony by supplying the correct foundational notes.
In SummaryAs you continue studying music, you will learn that music is comprised of three main elements—rhythm, harmony and melody. The bass lays the foundation for two of these three elements. Studying bass means to study rhythm and to study harmony, and the techniques to create them on the bass.
Bass is a very powerful instrument. A good bassist can often rescue a mediocre group, while a bad bassist can easily destroy a great group. Use your bass-playing powers for good, not evil. Learn about rhythm. Learn about harmony.
The Basic Elements of MusicThe elements of music can be broken down into three general categories: rhythm, harmony, and melody. Each of these categories has a number of subcategories which I will define below. I have also added some recorded audio examples. Just click to load them as you go.
RhythmAs a general category, rhythm refers to all the time-based aspects of music. Let’s examine the common elements of rhythm and how it relates to bass playing…
BeatBeat refers to the underlying pulse of the music. Most music has a steady, recurring beat to it. When you listen to music, you might be inclined to tap your foot to the beat.
One of your biggest responsibilities as a bass player is to maintain the consistent pulse of the music, or help keep the beat.
Here's an example of the bass and drums creating a steady beat:
RhythmAs a general category, rhythm refers to all the time-based aspects of music. Let’s examine the common elements of rhythm and how it relates to bass playing…
BeatBeat refers to the underlying pulse of the music. Most music has a steady, recurring beat to it. When you listen to music, you might be inclined to tap your foot to the beat.
One of your biggest responsibilities as a bass player is to maintain the consistent pulse of the music, or help keep the beat.
Here's an example of the bass and drums creating a steady beat:
Mistakes Beginners Make
by Andrew Pouska
In this article I’m going to point out what I consider to be the biggest mistakes beginner bass players make when learning how to play bass. I'm assuming your goal as a bassist is to be creative and knowledgeable. Most people want to play original music and understand how music works. I often feel bad (and sometimes downright angry) when I see someone who really wants to learn, but they are misguided in their learning approach. Most of the time it's not even their fault. A student might pick up the wrong book at the wrong time or a student might take lessons from a poor teacher.
There are many approaches to learning. I don't have all the answers. But, in my years of teaching experience I’ve seen a lot of people try different approaches to learning and I feel like I have a good sense of many things which work and don’t work. These are all my opinions of course. So take what you want from them.
Here is my list of common beginner mistakes:
Not Making the Effort to Find a Good Bass TeacherSometimes even one lesson with a good bass teacher can put you on the right path and approach to learning. Take the time to ask around or look up teachers. Don’t just choose someone because they live 3 houses down from you. If you have to drive 45 minutes each way for good bass lessons, so be it. Don’t be afraid to try out a lot of teachers and see whose style you like best.
If you can help it, make sure you study with someone who is really into bass and has spent a lot of time studying it. There are a lot of guitar teachers who will gladly teach you bass, but they're not really bassists at heart. Even though they share similarities, guitar and bass are not the same instrument. The role and the approach to playing them are very different.
Just Learning Tabs and SongsLearning songs, basslines, and solos is an important part of developing as a bassist. One of the biggest mistakes bassists make is only learning songs. Unless your goal is to be a human bassline jukebox, learning songs should be just one of many parts of your bass practice routine.
The trap here is students feel like since they can physically play a song, they are learning and developing. That’s only a fraction of really learning about the instrument and about music. When you learn a song you have to take away something from it beyond the physical ability to play the song. If you want to develop your creative muscle, you need to glean concepts from songs you learn such as the use of rhythms, the way the notes were used, and other various musical concepts. This is essential if you want to create your own basslines and music. If you don’t study what makes the bass part work, you’re getting very little out of it.
To gain an understanding of what makes basslines and music work, you need to study the building blocks of music — melody, harmony, and rhythm — as well as the technique to produce them. If you’re not studying the foundations of music, you won’t be able to make as much use of and make sense of the songs you are learning. You want to approach things from both sides: the songs and the underlying musical principles.
Not Having FunThe flipside of just learning songs is not having any fun while learning how to play. There are some boring and tedious parts to learning to play bass. But, you should always be working on something that is pleasurable and satisfying. Most of all, find the right balance of the tedious stuff and the fun stuff so you are motivated to practice. Just don’t do only one or the other.
Getting Stuck in One StyleOne thing I never understand is when people say, “I just like metal” or, “I just like jazz.” To me it seems like if you really like any one style of music, you just really like music. And, if you want to be a musician, you’d want to study music. I urge you not to define yourself as only liking one style. You might prefer metal, but you might learn a bunch of useful concepts from reggae to apply to metal. Music is music. Some styles make some musical concepts easier to grasp than others. That’s why you want to explore everything.
Not Learning Music HistoryA big part of understanding music comes from studying its origins. A lot of students get caught up in what is happening now. That’s all they want to look at. What’s happening now is a result of what happened before. Analyzing what was done before can lead you to deeper insights about current trends. Also, it can lead you in new directions altogether. If you don’t like music’s current state, you might go back in history and build a new direction off of a previous time in music’s history.
ImpatienceMany of the beginning mistakes can be reduced to impatience. There is a lot to learn and it doesn’t happen quickly. If you are really into learning you may discover it’s never-ending. However long it takes to learn something is how long it takes. There’s no timetable. You don’t have to meet certain goals by a certain time. Just keep at it and it will come.
Something I feel is important is you need to learn to enjoy every moment of your musical development. You will always feel like you can play better and that there’s so much to learn. That never goes away. The way you relate to your playing right now is probably the same way you will feel all of your life. Embrace it. That’s you.
Playing Too Much, Too FastA lot of times beginning musicians get it in their heads that proof of mastering an instrument is being able to play a lot of notes and play very fast. After all, all of those masterful musicians do it all the time. Therefore, beginners think, I need to play fast!
For novice musicians, the speed and quantity of notes is just the easiest part of it to perceive. There is, however, a lot more going on than just the speed and quantity of notes.
In the early stages be careful not to play too much or too fast. Bad habits develop quickly. Practicing slowly and accurately is more important in the early stages. It gives you time to absorb the sounds and pay attention to details. Be patient. A metronome is a good aid to pacing yourself.
Not ListeningOne of the hardest things to get beginners to do is listen. You need to listen to what you are playing. I’ve seen a lot of young players come in and say they can play a song perfectly. Sure enough they put their fingers on all the right frets and play the right rhythms, but the bass is out of tune! As a result, it doesn’t sound like the song at all. Think with your ears, not your fingers.
Not Playing With Other People Soon EnoughThe students I see develop the most quickly are the ones that go out and play with other people. There’s nothing like making mistakes and making a fool of yourself to motivate you to practice. You are constantly made aware of flaws in your playing. And, playing with others will help you prioritize your learning. You will realize things like: I don’t need to work on playing slap bass, first I need to work on playing quarter notes consistently!
It doesn’t need to be a public performance. It could be you and a friend at home. Find a jam session. Play with a teacher. Don’t be scared.
Underestimating and Overestimating AbilitiesI’ve noticed two prevalent personality types among bass students. Some students are always really down on their playing — the “It’s not good enough” syndrome. And, others think their playing is great when it’s not — the “I’m awesome” syndrome. Neither of these is good for you.
Those who are down about their playing delay themselves or procrastinate. They won’t play with people until it’s good enough. Don’t wait for absolute perfection. It’ll never come. Just jump in and do it!
Those who think they are awesome miss all the faults in their playing. You can’t fix what you don’t recognize. This is where a teacher pointing it out comes in handy. Not realizing there are things to work on in your playing will greatly stunt your musical growth. Don’t let your ego get in your way.
Not Realizing How Much Work It IsLearning to play an instrument is a lot of work and commitment. No one can do it for you. In that sense music is a great equalizer. It doesn’t matter how much bass gear you can afford, your race, or where you live. Every musician has to earn it. Just a few years of solid work can take you far. In the scheme of things a few years is nothing.
SummaryHopefully this article will point some of you in better directions with your approach to learning. I hate to see people get discouraged, frustrated, or quit just because they didn’t go about learning in a good way. Fill your learning approach with variety, have an open mind, listen, be patient, don’t judge your playing too much or too little, practice, and have fun!
In this article I’m going to point out what I consider to be the biggest mistakes beginner bass players make when learning how to play bass. I'm assuming your goal as a bassist is to be creative and knowledgeable. Most people want to play original music and understand how music works. I often feel bad (and sometimes downright angry) when I see someone who really wants to learn, but they are misguided in their learning approach. Most of the time it's not even their fault. A student might pick up the wrong book at the wrong time or a student might take lessons from a poor teacher.
There are many approaches to learning. I don't have all the answers. But, in my years of teaching experience I’ve seen a lot of people try different approaches to learning and I feel like I have a good sense of many things which work and don’t work. These are all my opinions of course. So take what you want from them.
Here is my list of common beginner mistakes:
Not Making the Effort to Find a Good Bass TeacherSometimes even one lesson with a good bass teacher can put you on the right path and approach to learning. Take the time to ask around or look up teachers. Don’t just choose someone because they live 3 houses down from you. If you have to drive 45 minutes each way for good bass lessons, so be it. Don’t be afraid to try out a lot of teachers and see whose style you like best.
If you can help it, make sure you study with someone who is really into bass and has spent a lot of time studying it. There are a lot of guitar teachers who will gladly teach you bass, but they're not really bassists at heart. Even though they share similarities, guitar and bass are not the same instrument. The role and the approach to playing them are very different.
Just Learning Tabs and SongsLearning songs, basslines, and solos is an important part of developing as a bassist. One of the biggest mistakes bassists make is only learning songs. Unless your goal is to be a human bassline jukebox, learning songs should be just one of many parts of your bass practice routine.
The trap here is students feel like since they can physically play a song, they are learning and developing. That’s only a fraction of really learning about the instrument and about music. When you learn a song you have to take away something from it beyond the physical ability to play the song. If you want to develop your creative muscle, you need to glean concepts from songs you learn such as the use of rhythms, the way the notes were used, and other various musical concepts. This is essential if you want to create your own basslines and music. If you don’t study what makes the bass part work, you’re getting very little out of it.
To gain an understanding of what makes basslines and music work, you need to study the building blocks of music — melody, harmony, and rhythm — as well as the technique to produce them. If you’re not studying the foundations of music, you won’t be able to make as much use of and make sense of the songs you are learning. You want to approach things from both sides: the songs and the underlying musical principles.
Not Having FunThe flipside of just learning songs is not having any fun while learning how to play. There are some boring and tedious parts to learning to play bass. But, you should always be working on something that is pleasurable and satisfying. Most of all, find the right balance of the tedious stuff and the fun stuff so you are motivated to practice. Just don’t do only one or the other.
Getting Stuck in One StyleOne thing I never understand is when people say, “I just like metal” or, “I just like jazz.” To me it seems like if you really like any one style of music, you just really like music. And, if you want to be a musician, you’d want to study music. I urge you not to define yourself as only liking one style. You might prefer metal, but you might learn a bunch of useful concepts from reggae to apply to metal. Music is music. Some styles make some musical concepts easier to grasp than others. That’s why you want to explore everything.
Not Learning Music HistoryA big part of understanding music comes from studying its origins. A lot of students get caught up in what is happening now. That’s all they want to look at. What’s happening now is a result of what happened before. Analyzing what was done before can lead you to deeper insights about current trends. Also, it can lead you in new directions altogether. If you don’t like music’s current state, you might go back in history and build a new direction off of a previous time in music’s history.
ImpatienceMany of the beginning mistakes can be reduced to impatience. There is a lot to learn and it doesn’t happen quickly. If you are really into learning you may discover it’s never-ending. However long it takes to learn something is how long it takes. There’s no timetable. You don’t have to meet certain goals by a certain time. Just keep at it and it will come.
Something I feel is important is you need to learn to enjoy every moment of your musical development. You will always feel like you can play better and that there’s so much to learn. That never goes away. The way you relate to your playing right now is probably the same way you will feel all of your life. Embrace it. That’s you.
Playing Too Much, Too FastA lot of times beginning musicians get it in their heads that proof of mastering an instrument is being able to play a lot of notes and play very fast. After all, all of those masterful musicians do it all the time. Therefore, beginners think, I need to play fast!
For novice musicians, the speed and quantity of notes is just the easiest part of it to perceive. There is, however, a lot more going on than just the speed and quantity of notes.
In the early stages be careful not to play too much or too fast. Bad habits develop quickly. Practicing slowly and accurately is more important in the early stages. It gives you time to absorb the sounds and pay attention to details. Be patient. A metronome is a good aid to pacing yourself.
Not ListeningOne of the hardest things to get beginners to do is listen. You need to listen to what you are playing. I’ve seen a lot of young players come in and say they can play a song perfectly. Sure enough they put their fingers on all the right frets and play the right rhythms, but the bass is out of tune! As a result, it doesn’t sound like the song at all. Think with your ears, not your fingers.
Not Playing With Other People Soon EnoughThe students I see develop the most quickly are the ones that go out and play with other people. There’s nothing like making mistakes and making a fool of yourself to motivate you to practice. You are constantly made aware of flaws in your playing. And, playing with others will help you prioritize your learning. You will realize things like: I don’t need to work on playing slap bass, first I need to work on playing quarter notes consistently!
It doesn’t need to be a public performance. It could be you and a friend at home. Find a jam session. Play with a teacher. Don’t be scared.
Underestimating and Overestimating AbilitiesI’ve noticed two prevalent personality types among bass students. Some students are always really down on their playing — the “It’s not good enough” syndrome. And, others think their playing is great when it’s not — the “I’m awesome” syndrome. Neither of these is good for you.
Those who are down about their playing delay themselves or procrastinate. They won’t play with people until it’s good enough. Don’t wait for absolute perfection. It’ll never come. Just jump in and do it!
Those who think they are awesome miss all the faults in their playing. You can’t fix what you don’t recognize. This is where a teacher pointing it out comes in handy. Not realizing there are things to work on in your playing will greatly stunt your musical growth. Don’t let your ego get in your way.
Not Realizing How Much Work It IsLearning to play an instrument is a lot of work and commitment. No one can do it for you. In that sense music is a great equalizer. It doesn’t matter how much bass gear you can afford, your race, or where you live. Every musician has to earn it. Just a few years of solid work can take you far. In the scheme of things a few years is nothing.
SummaryHopefully this article will point some of you in better directions with your approach to learning. I hate to see people get discouraged, frustrated, or quit just because they didn’t go about learning in a good way. Fill your learning approach with variety, have an open mind, listen, be patient, don’t judge your playing too much or too little, practice, and have fun!
Source : http://www.studybass.com/