Doing fitness stuff like playing all major chords all over the fret in slowly increasing speed is a pain but it helps a lot having more fun afterwards, in short: the better the seeds the completer the harvest
#11: Don't be afraid of improvisation, the sooner you'll begin to play over a song the better you'll improve your licks and your knowledge of scales. Oh and #12: Watch every single video made by Scott Devine, this guy is a beast!
#11 Learn how chords are built. #12 Learn to navigate chord changes. #13 Learn about substitutions. #14 Learn to play in odd time signatures. #15 Know that there are rhythmic subdivisions in almost every bar music. #16 Know when to lead, follow or get out of the way.
Loved number 9, that's something I have really been digging into lately. Here's some other thing that would be on my list 1) Learn to read music. A little goes a long way and there is a lot of great material out there to help you learn 2) Jam with other musicians as much as possible. Also jam with people more experienced then you. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will learn a lot off of them 3) Play as many different styles as you can! You don't have to become an expert in celtic glam punk or South Brazilian yoga meditationals, but if you hear something out of your normal element that you like, try to learn the tune! 4) Play the music you listen to. I know this sounds like a bit silly, but I'll give a personal example. I am a big fan of the The Arctic Monkeys and have been for years, but I wouldn't learn their songs because in my mind they were too simple and I wouldn't gain anything by learning them. After 5 years of listening to some of these tunes everyday I finally broke down and figured them out. It was the best feeling reproducing these sounds that have become apart of my life, even though they were super simple! Music is about the joy it gives us, even if that joy comes from a 3 chord song! 5) Listen to music at different volumes. Huh?????? That's right! Listening to a song at low volume is a completely different experience then listening to it at high volume. With the different perspective, you can often notice things that you didn't before. Try listening to a song through speakers and then headphones as well!
Hunter isn't that funny though? We are always trying to create these complex intricate pieces yet look at a lot of the music we listen to in our daily lives. It's often very simple stuff. Sometimes though "simple" is the best way to convey a feeling or emotion. As musicians we often times overlook simplicity. At least in the beginning (the beginning once you can play.) And over complicate things. Besides simple doesn't always mean easy. A great tip is learning to make the "simple" stuff sound easy if that makes sense. It's actually easier to spot an amateur in the simple stuff even. All the greats play simple sometimes and they make it sound so good, easy and emotive. I often tell my students that if what your playing doesnt sound easy (as a finished product or out playing live, not practicing) then you are probably playing above your skill level. Anyway some good points man.
#3 Is the problem I've been having for years now...I hear all the time that practice makes perfect, but what should I practice? Do you have any practical tips? Loving the list!
#11 : Know how to jam with other musicians!! I find this really crucial to moving forward as a bassist, and it helps you get a lot more fun and productivity out of your time with other musicians. Basically it's knowing how to apply all these 10 points, as well as understanding how to deal with people and make music with them
+Ryan TFK Damn I just thought the same thing and also wrote a comment about it! Jammin with other musicians is the greatest thing and one of the best ways to apply the points Scott mentioned :D
Scott, things I'd add... with all due respect. 1.- Record yourself. So you can identify your strength and weaknesses. 2.- Be very auto-critic. Correct yourself without been to hard on you. 3 .- Don't underestimate yourself, something that might look simple, can actually sound great. Than you guys. God bless you all!
Here are two other things I think are important: 1. *Posture and Comfortability:* This could encompass things like strap height/material, neck thickness, neck action, etc. 2. *Playing Live:* You need to get out and share your musicianship with others so you can not only get comfortable with it, but also, get positive and negative feedback on your playing.
#11: love what you do, love your instrument and its sound #12: never let yourself down by others who say: "pah! Bass is easy, because of 4 strings and nobody hears the bass" #13: when you practice do brakes and stretch your fingers, because if you don't you do yourself harm #14: don't drink and drive, but drink and practice #15: buy mor bass guitars :-) #16: slap da bass! #17: find a teacher #18: Ukulele is not a "mini-bass" #19: listen to the music, grab your bass and try to help the band you're listening to, to sound more "bass'y" #20: believe in yourself!
I think two things you haven't mentioned specifically in this video is: to look at other genres of music in which you don't play in and check out what bass players in those genres do to make their music good and the second thing was to enjoy your music and jam with other people, it helped boost my confidence and mindset to take music as a career when I could enjoy music with friends or just new people who also liked the same music as me and just made focusing on bass a lot easier,
Great video man! Here's my daily routine: 1) scales and modes (always use a metronome) Some days I focus more on a particular mode, someday a focus is on a particular key. 2) workout drills in particular styles be it jazz or R&B or rock, I pick a different style to work on daily. 3) work on gig prep, any tunes coming up. 4) just groove out and have fun for a while.
Nah! I just go over his amp and set the "Bass" to 0 and cut a little of the "Mid" as well... From there on he can put his volume wherever he wants that my bass will cut through!
I agree with all of these! I would also add #11: Play in a group setting as early and as often as possible! That will help you stay motivated, figure out what skills you need to build, become a better musical listener and communicator, and broaden your horizons by exposing you to new music. (Oh and ideally, your fellow musicians will be better than you enough for you to be able to learn from them, but not by so much that you can't keep up. As I read somewhere, "Always be the worst player in your band" haha. But whatever the case, just go out and find some people to play with!)
Hah...Great list Scott. For me after 45 years of playing #1. is still Practicing. #2.Figuring out what it is I need to focus on practicing (maybe the hardest) #3. Getting in that TIme / Every Day. ( I do believe it's true that even just 5 mins helps.) So a new #11 on your list might be what I do ~ Keep my bass on the stand where I can grab it quickly. (For me nothing kills the desire to play like putting my bass in the case) As an after thought a #12 learn how to Tune well. And there are different ways to Tune as I found out in the last few years ~ some players are now not 440 Hz concert A but 432 Hz concert A. Maybe this could fall under Ear training?
Hey, great list Scott.! Add just add re: point nine, if you can learn a bass-line, and SING the lyrics at the same time it really forces your fingers to move with an extra degree of independence and assertiveness. It's hard, and I often think Mark King isn't given enough respect for this (nor that he writes the lyrics and the music etc). I've just been learning to sing and play Stevie Wonder's I Wish bass-lline and it is like rubbing your tummy and patting your head simultaneously but so rewarding when you get it right!
You could not be any more right, Scott! Also, you have such a positive attitude in your videos, it's a great pleasure watching someone speak so kindly and frankly Thank you!
#11 "ONE two three four ONE two three four... and then you try to fit your different notes, what you feelin' like, in between that" - Bootsy. Your videos are an inspiration! thank you! and i love those flat wounds btw
Kudos on transcribing. Some years ago I traveled to the USA for some music lessons that I couldn't get at home. I attended a clinic by John Clayton and his advice has stuck with me ever since. This is good for any instrument. He said: Get yourself 10 or 12 good jazz solos and transcribe them. Don't slow them down and don't use any software that does the job for you. In other words use nothing but your ears and your instrument. This will take some time but when you have finished you will have the ears and chops to soar in any jazz situation. John Clayton is a first call jazz bassist, plays with the symphony orchestra and what he doesn't know about music isn't worth knowing. He said that if you follow this advice you won't need a music conservatory. Your ears will be awesome. I didn't take this advice 100%. I did increase my transcribing however. Whenever I have transcribed a solo I invariably learn something.
as an older guy and a very beginning beginner these ten points are plenty for me at the moment so Ill just keep watching your blogs .Thanks so much for your help.The one thing you missed as far as I am concerned is get yourself a good professional teacher. Which I have and hes brought me on by leaps and bounds
11. Have a good practice environment. Have a practice amp or head phone mixer; beat box, metronome, whatever you need, set up permanently so playing bass is simply a matter of picking up the bass and turning the stuff on.
My to do list: - learn that damn fingerboard better - learn songs better (only working on bass lines, melodies and sometimes chords currently) - ear training
I'm a completely self taught musician outside of one guitar lesson and a year of piano lessons which I have mostly now forgotten or at least just pushed to my subconcious. The piano lessons helped but as a self taught musician I have ALWAYS struggled with theory and I find myself stuck on guitar and now sort of bass (Just now teaching myself). I started as a drummer, and that's where I feel most comfortable because I'm able to improvise and play at a fairly decent level. Bass has actually been a lot of fun for me just because I'm a percussionist and bass has so many different tones you can get out of it that I think are really under appreciated. I've taught myself to play lacquer head by primus and I really dig the slap/funk/punk styles of bass, but I'm really interested in learning jazz bass theory just because jazz is such a diverse and complex form of music where bass is one of the most important instruments in the ensemble. I've learned a lot by watching Scott's videos and I definitely subscribed ;)
Hi Scott!!, there´s something I think you´re missing in this video and it´s the search of a bass sound of their own, I mean, most of the bassist I know or that I´ve seen in jams don´t give much relevation for EQ, or what kind of gear they need to get the sound they like. Mostly they just turn up the lows and down the highs like if that would give them more... power?, but they end up loosing the shape of what they´re playing (I don´t really know if I´m being clear, I just saying how I visualize it). In my case, I always liked Flea´s sound, a very sharp and estrident sound, but it took me more time than I would like to admit to realize that I could get something similar with the tools that I already had. And at one point you say we must start by copying someone, and I think this is the same, and it´s really important for every musician (not only bassists) to try to reach their own sound as to find their own "voice" threw it. It would be good to have a video about that. Thanks for reading. Sorry about my english.
Hi, just watched this video today. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in the other comments, but I find it helpful to try playing a given piece in several different keys. That way if you ever need to transpose, it can be done much more easily. Not sure where this would fit in the numbering scheme though. :-)
One most vital thing, if you can't hear what you are playing on your bass guitar, try turning on the bass amp! Hi, I totally love these lessons, I think I am going to have to book a course with you Scott. OK, here's the deal. I already play keyboards (35 years and Jazz!) and drums (10 years on and off) so I have a musical grounding. I picked up the bass about 3 months ago and really, I don't know why I didn't start playing years ago, (maybe because I used bass pedals :-)) I would love to know where you get that glove from, it looks so comfortable, as my band friends keep telling me that blisters are part of the playing. I DON'T WANT BLISTERS! The bass I have now is borrowed so I am going to need to get one for myself, I have looked at these DIY kits and luckily I am a woodworker (french polishing/lacquering etc) I think that bass you have in this video could do with sprucing up lol Anyway excellent video and I am now going to your website. Cheers :-)
#11 - Be multi style bass player. There are lots of different lessons and approaches that can be learned from different styles, as a brazilian guy, i can say that there are many "perks" to be absorbed from our musical culture. #12 - Transcribe the vocal line into bassline. Sometimes the phrases transcribed just fits like a glove (pun?) into that freestyle improvisation Sorry for bad English xD
#?: Go out there and start jammin' with people! I think this is so important, especially when you start playing with people who are better musicians than you. Like you said, Scott, a kid learns language by listening to his/her parents and by just trying to speak with them. When you are jamming with people, it is essential that you listen to what's happening around you. The moment you start playing with them, even if it is partly wrong in the beginning, you will hear what sounded good, you will hear mistakes, but most of all you learn how to interact with other musicians. The best part of it is that you are most likely having fun during the process of learning! For me, constantly jamming with many different musicians for years was the most important thing, and maybe also was the one reason why I'm still hooked up on the bass and why I now want to take it to the next level and maybe make a living out of it. I guess this is not a point on the list of MUST KNOWs, but I think this is one of the most important things which can help you accomplish most of the Tipps you just mentioned, such as ear training, being aware of the other instruments and understanding them, timing, constant practice and so on
I am mostly a metal guitar player but I love watching your videos and try to incorporate some of these bass techniques into my guitar playing. (AND my bass playing of course)
on #3, what are some vital things to practice? Just starting and like he said, I don't want to be practicing things that won't help me excel in bass. Any suggestions would help :)
Knowing the scales over the entire fretboard really helped my improvisation and helped me jam over songs when I found the key, mode and structure on my guitar. So, I'm ok with Blues Pentatonic lead and chords. Scott, you're awesome on bass and that's where I'm getting my rhythm and harmonics as I'm learning bass. I suck at reading music and am better with tab. How much do you recommend learning to read music?
I purchased my first bass guitar & amp last year. I felt I was inspired to learn to play it. I_Love the sound of the bass in music. For a short_time I was taking bass lessons, but had to end them. I'm not able to afford them right now, & it may be quite some time b4 I can go back to them. I've been reading "bass guitar for dummies." It is Very helpful, but I know that having an instructor is a great asset. I didn't know Just how crucial a good bass player is until I started reading the book & watching videos like yours. They have to know A lot. I "toyed" around with the drums many_years ago, but never took lessons, & my confidence level just wasn't_there. Now years later I have the desire to play an instrument & want_to learn the bass. Based upon what I've read so far about learning music & what_the bass player has to know & what_their purpose is, I'm having A Lot of difficulty deciding whether to continue or not. I want_to play along with our church keyboardist & organist. I want_to play for God & my church. I've already made a substantial investment in buying an instrument "combo." Bass, amplifier, learning materials, & some basic accessories. I'm struggling on knowing what_to learn first, even though I have a book. I was once told, "just follow the book lesson by lesson." I could really use some advice & some more inspiration. Can you help?
Bass playing is an elephant and the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Do you know any music theory? Basic music theory will help you, if in no other way, to understand what other musicians are talking about when they start to use music terms like note, chord, scales, arpeggio, etc. Don't beat yourself up because you can't play like Jaco (very few people can.) It is OK to be frustrated, just don't get discouraged. It is a long road to master any instrument. Taking a drum class can help you with your timing and groove. You have your inspiration, you want to play in church. Now you need to keep yourself motivated to take the small bites and chew them well. If you can practice 15 minutes EVERY day, you WILL improve. Repetition, repetition, repetition. You have NOT chosen the easiest instrument, as it is both a rhythmic and melodic instrument, so you need to work on both tempo and intonation. Don't give up. When you get it, you have chosen the coolest instrument.
Hey Scott! I would add style to the list! Being able to be versatile depends on your ability to understand and effectively produce music that fits the music that you're playing and gives people the "I've heard this song before" feeling.
My personal number 11 and 12. 11. Don't be afraid of chromatics. Too many times I see beginners too afraid to step outside the structure of the scales and chords. Chromatics are a great way to lead the listeners ear to wherever it needs to go. And number 12. Get to know your own equipment and tailor it to how you like to play. You'll always sound best playing your own bass.
Thank you for great lessons. I think #11 might be - make your own music not only exercises and record as much as you can, because it leads you to looking for new ideas and learn to be more focus on what you're playing (especially when recording). Recording music and exercises let to hear that small things we might have been missing when we were focused on playing (some harmony better or worst, some miss-time hits).
The simplest tip is one from Joe Pass “learn to play some songs” once you can play your favourite,then you can take it apart and find out what you have actually done musically. Learn a bassline then play it elsewhere on the neck in the same key. That’ll teach the notes easier than just trying to memorise them.
Hey Scott, love your vids. Thought i'd add to the last point that practising for the sake of practising defeats the purpose of making music. I find that having fun with it is the best way of getting somewhere with your playing. Sure technical exercises are vital but i feel like one mustn't forget why they play or why they started playing. If it's because of any other reason than passion or fun, it most likely won't work out for you. We may be talking about the same thing but thought i'd just share my view on it :p ~ Ville S
Great lesson Scott, those things really really got me thinking!! I have just a few things that I think is very important aswell and that is: 1. If you want to get more gigs and have a bigger chance of becoming a good musician, learn how to read music fluidly. Its very important to know, and if you get in that situation when you're starting to get these bigger gigs (in a big-band for example) its a hell to not be able to read so good... ( I've been there). Start with playing the melodies in "The Real Book" for example. Often not so complicated and also great to know, if youre into Jazz. :) 2. Dont keep your "Inspiration-sponge" DRY! I think that, to keep on practicing and playing you NEED to be inspired or it will feel pointless.. so try to be inspired/get inspired all the time and absorb as much music as possible. Example: go and see a lot of live-music, or watch vids on RUclips, there's tons of great concerts/clips in every genre, as you guys probably know. These things really helped me. Thanks again Scott, you're the best. /Jon
I think the biggest thing I'm going through right now is learning how to write music. I've followed all of your videos over the past 1.5 - 2 years and I have learned a lot but the one place I struggle is actually writing music as a whole more as a composition view. I've been given the tools on how to work others and create my own craft but that won't get you far if you're like me -in a fairly dysfunctional band. It isn't your realm to teach how to write music on any other instrument, but that has been a huge thing for me because I have never been in the presence of say a guitarist that would actually write music. I'll just end my incoherent ramble posing this question: Do you deem learning how to write music across multiple instruments worthwhile vs pouring the same countless hours into your own instrument? I have been struggle with this for a while now.
I just got the hang of #6 "I don't know every note all the time but always know where the root-notes are" That solves it for me and stretches my ? into a !. Tell you, good to watch an episode more than once, especially Scott's 10 commandments.
I think the matter of learning constantly is that it takes it's time til the things you've learned and practiced enter in your "normal" or daily bass playing. It's not like - "Oh, I've learned it and now I can use it". Normally you see month later "Oh, that was the technique I learned a few month ago. Cool, now I am using it."
It's a very good list and I tic a lot of the numbers. #2 learning the songs is #1 for me. I start playing stuff and then I am on E thinking, hm, I wonder what chord is playing now and where E goes into the arpeggio for that chord? I think it's a very complete list. I do a lot of playing instead of practice and I guess you've been there.
My addition would be to play a 6 string guitar too and learn E and A shape barre chords all the way up the neck. It'll help you learn chord tones and bass notes, plus it's twice the fun.
I think playing with other people is essential as a bass player. The bass role is mostly supportive, so playing alone or jamming insipid groves on your own room will get frustrating and will not reflect your potential with the instrument. When you play on a band or on a jam session is when you really feel the strength of our instrument, is when you lead the harmony that you notice how rewarding is to play bass. I used to play tuba on a symphonic band, and all the phrases of my instrument sounded like shit. I almost gave up before me first ensemble because of how demotivating it was. But somehow I continued playing and when the time came, I got into that realization. Playing along with other people is the most essential thing, to me.
One thing I've noticed with a lot of my fellow gigging friends, regardless of instrument, is that they spend to much time on being a more technical musician and forget to focus on being a musician. It isn't about how many notes you play or how fast you do them, it's about the notes that you play and when you play them.
On top of everything that has been mentioned below, there's two points that are easy to forget: -If you make a mistake, don't make it obvious. The crowd doesn't have to know how hard it is to play what you play. -ENJOY what you do! We're musicians because we like it, we chose this path and as bass players, we've got the funniest instrument to play. Cheers from México!!!
#11: learning to play "not too much" at once and noodling around all the time, to leave space so that the music can breath! just the bit, the music needs and to support the musicians you´re playing with! There are many guys who want to play everything they learned in a 3 min song... #12: practising phrasing #13: practising to be able to sing what you´re playing
For me, I'm going to get my first lesson tomorrow. I really want to make sure I am not developing bad habits and looking for suggestions on my basic left and and right hand technique. Also one thing that helps me is "perfect practice makes perfect". So for me, it is important to practice songs so I do not practice made up crap, so when I do improvised jamming my fingers will go to the notes I've practiced. I've been practicing songs on songster sence June 2018, im close to being able to play Orion and Seek n destroy. Also working on fer alise. Thanks, i hope this was helpful.
#11 Perhaps not as important as some of the other tips people have said in the comments, but learning to care for your bass (changing the strings, cleaning it and understanding it) will come a long way.
It may be worth mentioning how playing with other musicians regularly can help take your playing to the next level, even if it is just a drum and bass set up.
Hey Scott, great video! One question, #3 says you need to know what to practice. Where do we find the "Map" or how do figure out what we need to work on? Thanks!
11. Jam. JamjamjamjamJAM, it's one of the most fun things you'll ever do, and you'll familiarize yourself with how your band/ensemble members play. 12. Learn to read music. Being literate in a language is important, and to fully understand (and dare I say enjoy?) a language, you need to learn how to read. While it's not always necessary to read, it only helps to know how. 13. Make improvisation a close friend. Make sure you can hang at its place whenever you need to. 14. Learn when to lead and when to back off. Sometimes a song needs a little more bass to get funky. But sometimes you need to hang back and lay down a groove. There's a reason bass shares the pronunciation with base, show them why. :)
The most importsnt thing for me is to make the practice or whatever fun. So don't just play what you have to learn but make a game out of it or combine it with a song or anything. I think it's really important.
Hi, Scott Devine ! Really great lesson. Concerning about what you could miss I think it would be great to have links on you other lessons after each topic. I know you have plenty of them! =)
A very important must i feel is , spending out on a very good set up for your instrument. If it feels great then you will want to pick it up and play it more .
Wow, kind of good stuff to rely on, couple days ago i ve met at jam session in rock pub in our town other bassplayer. He seems so incredibly good at it. I asked him how he practise playing on bass. Actually he said your tips in summary and recommended watching your videos :).
Hey Scott, you're based in England right? I've been playing bass for the last 5 years and thought it might be time to get some lessons. Unfortunately I live no where near you and I'm at a loss as to who to approach for lessons, as the quality and pricing can be so varied. Do you know any solid tutors based I'm Edinburgh? As always mate this is great stuff and you make total sense. Thanks a lot, you have seriously helped me continue my playing :))
Scott Devine Strange how different people are. I think: you play fantastic on that particular bass so the neck must be magic then, even if the sound is like a bottomless toy-bass compared to the Overwater bass.)
I want to start practicing regularly but I don't know what to practice or what a regular routine might need to look like. Any ideas for a road map of what to practice? I'd love to pay a teacher, but that's just just not feasible for me.
#11 look into different genres. for example your favourite game or movie soundtrack or that one radio song you kinda like.. learn it, you can addapt alot from it into your favourite genre
@ 5:28: Scott, is there a good method to achieve this? (i.e. knowing all your notes on the fretboard by heart) When I say "to achieve this" I mean, other than printing on a piece of paper and trying to memorize a bit every single day. What kind of practice could get you there? Thanks
I think you forget one thing : do not forget to have fun while playing ^^
Clever. That's like the most important factor..
True.
+Benjamin Lemin That seems like it falls under #10. Mindset
Doing fitness stuff like playing all major chords all over the fret in slowly increasing speed is a pain but it helps a lot having more fun afterwards, in short: the better the seeds the completer the harvest
I refuse to have fun when playing.
#11: Don't be afraid of improvisation, the sooner you'll begin to play over a song the better you'll improve your licks and your knowledge of scales.
Oh and #12: Watch every single video made by Scott Devine, this guy is a beast!
Marcus Miller Ha... +1! Awesome man :)
You know you're doing well when Marcus Miller comments on your video. You are both so amazing.
+Scott Devine Hello Scott I plan to sign up for your lessons. I was just wondering what bands you enjoy the most.
Diego Jimenez Ha - too many to mention Diego! I just love great music! :)
#11 Learn how chords are built.
#12 Learn to navigate chord changes.
#13 Learn about substitutions.
#14 Learn to play in odd time signatures.
#15 Know that there are rhythmic subdivisions in almost every bar music.
#16 Know when to lead, follow or get out of the way.
Mike B Great points here Mike! :)
And a lot of other musicians, too.
Making a freaking move , you'll my freaking day.
Loved number 9, that's something I have really been digging into lately. Here's some other thing that would be on my list
1) Learn to read music. A little goes a long way and there is a lot of great material out there to help you learn
2) Jam with other musicians as much as possible. Also jam with people more experienced then you. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will learn a lot off of them
3) Play as many different styles as you can! You don't have to become an expert in celtic glam punk or South Brazilian yoga meditationals, but if you hear something out of your normal element that you like, try to learn the tune!
4) Play the music you listen to. I know this sounds like a bit silly, but I'll give a personal example. I am a big fan of the The Arctic Monkeys and have been for years, but I wouldn't learn their songs because in my mind they were too simple and I wouldn't gain anything by learning them. After 5 years of listening to some of these tunes everyday I finally broke down and figured them out. It was the best feeling reproducing these sounds that have become apart of my life, even though they were super simple! Music is about the joy it gives us, even if that joy comes from a 3 chord song!
5) Listen to music at different volumes. Huh?????? That's right! Listening to a song at low volume is a completely different experience then listening to it at high volume. With the different perspective, you can often notice things that you didn't before. Try listening to a song through speakers and then headphones as well!
Hunter isn't that funny though? We are always trying to create these complex intricate pieces yet look at a lot of the music we listen to in our daily lives. It's often very simple stuff. Sometimes though "simple" is the best way to convey a feeling or emotion. As musicians we often times overlook simplicity. At least in the beginning (the beginning once you can play.) And over complicate things. Besides simple doesn't always mean easy. A great tip is learning to make the "simple" stuff sound easy if that makes sense. It's actually easier to spot an amateur in the simple stuff even. All the greats play simple sometimes and they make it sound so good, easy and emotive. I often tell my students that if what your playing doesnt sound easy (as a finished product or out playing live, not practicing) then you are probably playing above your skill level.
Anyway some good points man.
#3 Is the problem I've been having for years now...I hear all the time that practice makes perfect, but what should I practice? Do you have any practical tips?
Loving the list!
#11 : Know how to jam with other musicians!! I find this really crucial to moving forward as a bassist, and it helps you get a lot more fun and productivity out of your time with other musicians. Basically it's knowing how to apply all these 10 points, as well as understanding how to deal with people and make music with them
Ryan TFK Always have hard time to figure out where I can move the chord progression after I start to play some steady bassline.
Ryan TFK Totally agree Ryan! Thanks for watching man :)
+Ryan TFK Damn I just thought the same thing and also wrote a comment about it! Jammin with other musicians is the greatest thing and one of the best ways to apply the points Scott mentioned :D
Scott, things I'd add... with all due respect. 1.- Record yourself. So you can identify your strength and weaknesses. 2.- Be very auto-critic. Correct yourself without been to hard on you. 3 .- Don't underestimate yourself, something that might look simple, can actually sound great. Than you guys. God bless you all!
Here are two other things I think are important:
1. *Posture and Comfortability:* This could encompass things like strap height/material, neck thickness, neck action, etc.
2. *Playing Live:* You need to get out and share your musicianship with others so you can not only get comfortable with it, but also, get positive and negative feedback on your playing.
DaveSwag +1 Dave! :)
#11: love what you do, love your instrument and its sound
#12: never let yourself down by others who say: "pah! Bass is easy, because of 4 strings and nobody hears the bass"
#13: when you practice do brakes and stretch your fingers, because if you don't you do yourself harm
#14: don't drink and drive, but drink and practice
#15: buy mor bass guitars :-)
#16: slap da bass!
#17: find a teacher
#18: Ukulele is not a "mini-bass"
#19: listen to the music, grab your bass and try to help the band you're listening to, to sound more "bass'y"
#20: believe in yourself!
I think two things you haven't mentioned specifically in this video is: to look at other genres of music in which you don't play in and check out what bass players in those genres do to make their music good and the second thing was to enjoy your music and jam with other people, it helped boost my confidence and mindset to take music as a career when I could enjoy music with friends or just new people who also liked the same music as me and just made focusing on bass a lot easier,
Great video! One thing that I think is extremely important is learning what the parts of the bass are, the knobs etc.
Great video man! Here's my daily routine:
1) scales and modes (always use a metronome)
Some days I focus more on a particular mode, someday a focus is on a particular key.
2) workout drills in particular styles be it jazz or R&B or rock, I pick a different style to work on daily.
3) work on gig prep, any tunes coming up.
4) just groove out and have fun for a while.
#11 Guitarist play too loud ... always
#12 Buy a bigger amp than your guitarist
:)
+Nicolas Degand ha ha (true)
#F11: + the keyboarders
Nicolas Degand yeah that's what Entwhistle did
I'm a guitarist in a band and you are absolutely right lol
i feel like I'm a 12 year old commenting on a pewdipie video lol
Nah! I just go over his amp and set the "Bass" to 0 and cut a little of the "Mid" as well... From there on he can put his volume wherever he wants that my bass will cut through!
ok so what do we practice? Can you suggest 5 solid exercises please.
I think you have to pay for that.
@@russjones4397 i think after 5 years he quitted bass
I agree with all of these! I would also add #11: Play in a group setting as early and as often as possible! That will help you stay motivated, figure out what skills you need to build, become a better musical listener and communicator, and broaden your horizons by exposing you to new music. (Oh and ideally, your fellow musicians will be better than you enough for you to be able to learn from them, but not by so much that you can't keep up. As I read somewhere, "Always be the worst player in your band" haha. But whatever the case, just go out and find some people to play with!)
***** Da - totally agreed man! Keep groovin'! :)
Hah...Great list Scott. For me after 45 years of playing
#1. is still Practicing.
#2.Figuring out what it is I need to focus on practicing (maybe the hardest)
#3. Getting in that TIme / Every Day. ( I do believe it's true that even just 5 mins helps.)
So a new #11 on your list might be what I do ~ Keep my bass on the stand where I can grab it quickly. (For me nothing kills the desire to play like putting my bass in the case)
As an after thought a #12 learn how to Tune well. And there are different ways to Tune as I found out in the last few years ~ some players are now not 440 Hz concert A but 432 Hz concert A. Maybe this could fall under Ear training?
Hey, great list Scott.! Add just add re: point nine, if you can learn a bass-line, and SING the lyrics at the same time it really forces your fingers to move with an extra degree of independence and assertiveness. It's hard, and I often think Mark King isn't given enough respect for this (nor that he writes the lyrics and the music etc). I've just been learning to sing and play Stevie Wonder's I Wish bass-lline and it is like rubbing your tummy and patting your head simultaneously but so rewarding when you get it right!
. Sir give some tips for improving a reggae bass ,amp set up and more stuff about reggae.. Thanks .im always watching your lessons.. #mindset
You could not be any more right, Scott!
Also, you have such a positive attitude in your videos, it's a great pleasure watching someone speak so kindly and frankly
Thank you!
Yari117 Ahhh thanks man! :)
#11 "ONE two three four ONE two three four... and then you try to fit your different notes, what you feelin' like, in between that" - Bootsy. Your videos are an inspiration! thank you! and i love those flat wounds btw
can you please just keep being you? as a guitarist first, this has been AMAZING for me to watch and learn from. You're the man
Kudos on transcribing. Some years ago I traveled to the USA for some music lessons that I couldn't get at home. I attended a clinic by John Clayton and his advice has stuck with me ever since. This is good for any instrument. He said:
Get yourself 10 or 12 good jazz solos and transcribe them. Don't slow them down and don't use any software that does the job for you. In other words use nothing but your ears and your instrument.
This will take some time but when you have finished you will have the ears and chops to soar in any jazz situation.
John Clayton is a first call jazz bassist, plays with the symphony orchestra and what he doesn't know about music isn't worth knowing. He said that if you follow this advice you won't need a music conservatory. Your ears will be awesome.
I didn't take this advice 100%. I did increase my transcribing however. Whenever I have transcribed a solo I invariably learn something.
as an older guy and a very beginning beginner these ten points are plenty for me at the moment
so Ill just keep watching your blogs .Thanks so much for your help.The one thing you missed as far as I am concerned is get yourself
a good professional teacher. Which I have and hes brought me on by leaps and bounds
11. Have a good practice environment. Have a practice amp or head phone mixer; beat box, metronome, whatever you need, set up permanently so playing bass is simply a matter of picking up the bass and turning the stuff on.
spoddie +1 Spoddie! :)
My to do list:
- learn that damn fingerboard better
- learn songs better (only working on bass lines, melodies and sometimes chords currently)
- ear training
rémi kerhoas Great list man! :)
The relic on that bass is just gorgeous.
michael sexton It certainly is Michael - I love that bass! Thanks for stopping by :)
Join Scott bass lessons. He's the best
How do I find out what to practice? I need that map.
Scott you are an amazing teacher thank you so much for the great videos!
I'm a completely self taught musician outside of one guitar lesson and a year of piano lessons which I have mostly now forgotten or at least just pushed to my subconcious. The piano lessons helped but as a self taught musician I have ALWAYS struggled with theory and I find myself stuck on guitar and now sort of bass (Just now teaching myself). I started as a drummer, and that's where I feel most comfortable because I'm able to improvise and play at a fairly decent level. Bass has actually been a lot of fun for me just because I'm a percussionist and bass has so many different tones you can get out of it that I think are really under appreciated. I've taught myself to play lacquer head by primus and I really dig the slap/funk/punk styles of bass, but I'm really interested in learning jazz bass theory just because jazz is such a diverse and complex form of music where bass is one of the most important instruments in the ensemble. I've learned a lot by watching Scott's videos and I definitely subscribed ;)
Hi Scott!!, there´s something I think you´re missing in this video and it´s the search of a bass sound of their own, I mean, most of the bassist I know or that I´ve seen in jams don´t give much relevation for EQ, or what kind of gear they need to get the sound they like. Mostly they just turn up the lows and down the highs like if that would give them more... power?, but they end up loosing the shape of what they´re playing (I don´t really know if I´m being clear, I just saying how I visualize it).
In my case, I always liked Flea´s sound, a very sharp and estrident sound, but it took me more time than I would like to admit to realize that I could get something similar with the tools that I already had.
And at one point you say we must start by copying someone, and I think this is the same, and it´s really important for every musician (not only bassists) to try to reach their own sound as to find their own "voice" threw it.
It would be good to have a video about that.
Thanks for reading.
Sorry about my english.
Hi, just watched this video today. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in the other comments, but I find it helpful to try playing a given piece in several different keys. That way if you ever need to transpose, it can be done much more easily. Not sure where this would fit in the numbering scheme though. :-)
One most vital thing, if you can't hear what you are playing on your bass guitar, try turning on the bass amp!
Hi, I totally love these lessons, I think I am going to have to book a course with you Scott. OK, here's the deal. I already play keyboards (35 years and Jazz!) and drums (10 years on and off) so I have a musical grounding. I picked up the bass about 3 months ago and really, I don't know why I didn't start playing years ago, (maybe because I used bass pedals :-)) I would love to know where you get that glove from, it looks so comfortable, as my band friends keep telling me that blisters are part of the playing. I DON'T WANT BLISTERS! The bass I have now is borrowed so I am going to need to get one for myself, I have looked at these DIY kits and luckily I am a woodworker (french polishing/lacquering etc) I think that bass you have in this video could do with sprucing up lol Anyway excellent video and I am now going to your website. Cheers :-)
#11 - Be multi style bass player. There are lots of different lessons and approaches that can be learned from different styles, as a brazilian guy, i can say that there are many "perks" to be absorbed from our musical culture.
#12 - Transcribe the vocal line into bassline. Sometimes the phrases transcribed just fits like a glove (pun?) into that freestyle improvisation
Sorry for bad English xD
#?: Go out there and start jammin' with people!
I think this is so important, especially when you start playing with people who are better musicians than you. Like you said, Scott, a kid learns language by listening to his/her parents and by just trying to speak with them. When you are jamming with people, it is essential that you listen to what's happening around you. The moment you start playing with them, even if it is partly wrong in the beginning, you will hear what sounded good, you will hear mistakes, but most of all you learn how to interact with other musicians. The best part of it is that you are most likely having fun during the process of learning!
For me, constantly jamming with many different musicians for years was the most important thing, and maybe also was the one reason why I'm still hooked up on the bass and why I now want to take it to the next level and maybe make a living out of it.
I guess this is not a point on the list of MUST KNOWs, but I think this is one of the most important things which can help you accomplish most of the Tipps you just mentioned, such as ear training, being aware of the other instruments and understanding them, timing, constant practice and so on
I am mostly a metal guitar player but I love watching your videos and try to incorporate some of these bass techniques into my guitar playing. (AND my bass playing of course)
tsivata Guitar players are welcome man! + I LOVE Metal too :)
best teacher.... thanks for everything scott
Jeffrey Lopez Cheers Jeffery :)
on #3, what are some vital things to practice? Just starting and like he said, I don't want to be practicing things that won't help me excel in bass. Any suggestions would help :)
Knowing the scales over the entire fretboard really helped my improvisation and helped me jam over songs when I found the key, mode and structure on my guitar. So, I'm ok with Blues Pentatonic lead and chords. Scott, you're awesome on bass and that's where I'm getting my rhythm and harmonics as I'm learning bass. I suck at reading music and am better with tab. How much do you recommend learning to read music?
I purchased my first bass guitar & amp last year. I felt I was inspired to learn to play it. I_Love the sound of the bass in music. For a short_time I was taking bass lessons, but had to end them. I'm not able to afford them right now, & it may be quite some time b4 I can go back to them. I've been reading "bass guitar for dummies." It is Very helpful, but I know that having an instructor is a great asset. I didn't know Just how crucial a good bass player is until I started reading the book & watching videos like yours. They have to know A lot. I "toyed" around with the drums many_years ago, but never took lessons, & my confidence level just wasn't_there. Now years later I have the desire to play an instrument & want_to learn the bass. Based upon what I've read so far about learning music & what_the bass player has to know & what_their purpose is, I'm having A Lot of difficulty deciding whether to continue or not. I want_to play along with our church keyboardist & organist. I want_to play for God & my church. I've already made a substantial investment in buying an instrument "combo." Bass, amplifier, learning materials, & some basic accessories. I'm struggling on knowing what_to learn first, even though I have a book. I was once told, "just follow the book lesson by lesson." I could really use some advice & some more inspiration. Can you help?
Bass playing is an elephant and the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Do you know any music theory? Basic music theory will help you, if in no other way, to understand what other musicians are talking about when they start to use music terms like note, chord, scales, arpeggio, etc. Don't beat yourself up because you can't play like Jaco (very few people can.) It is OK to be frustrated, just don't get discouraged. It is a long road to master any instrument. Taking a drum class can help you with your timing and groove. You have your inspiration, you want to play in church. Now you need to keep yourself motivated to take the small bites and chew them well. If you can practice 15 minutes EVERY day, you WILL improve. Repetition, repetition, repetition. You have NOT chosen the easiest instrument, as it is both a rhythmic and melodic instrument, so you need to work on both tempo and intonation. Don't give up. When you get it, you have chosen the coolest instrument.
number eleven ...precious advices and accurate add to a funny way to give it .. this man is the boss
Hey Scott! I would add style to the list! Being able to be versatile depends on your ability to understand and effectively produce music that fits the music that you're playing and gives people the "I've heard this song before" feeling.
My personal number 11 and 12. 11. Don't be afraid of chromatics. Too many times I see beginners too afraid to step outside the structure of the scales and chords. Chromatics are a great way to lead the listeners ear to wherever it needs to go. And number 12. Get to know your own equipment and tailor it to how you like to play. You'll always sound best playing your own bass.
Thank you for great lessons. I think #11 might be - make your own music not only exercises and record as much as you can, because it leads you to looking for new ideas and learn to be more focus on what you're playing (especially when recording). Recording music and exercises let to hear that small things we might have been missing when we were focused on playing (some harmony better or worst, some miss-time hits).
The simplest tip is one from Joe Pass “learn to play some songs” once you can play your favourite,then you can take it apart and find out what you have actually done musically. Learn a bassline then play it elsewhere on the neck in the same key. That’ll teach the notes easier than just trying to memorise them.
I love how well used your bass looks. A well used bass is a loved bass😊👍🏽💜
Great! I totally agree with you and with all of the points!
Krzysz -tof Groove is... ON! :)
Hey Scott, love your vids. Thought i'd add to the last point that practising for the sake of practising defeats the purpose of making music. I find that having fun with it is the best way of getting somewhere with your playing. Sure technical exercises are vital but i feel like one mustn't forget why they play or why they started playing. If it's because of any other reason than passion or fun, it most likely won't work out for you. We may be talking about the same thing but thought i'd just share my view on it :p
~ Ville S
Apostrophe Agree
***** Couldn't agree more! Keeping it fun is essential. Thanks for stopping by man :)
Great lesson Scott, those things really really got me thinking!!
I have just a few things that I think is very important aswell and that is:
1. If you want to get more gigs and have a bigger chance of becoming a good musician, learn how to read music fluidly. Its very important to know, and if you get in that situation when you're starting to get these bigger gigs (in a big-band for example) its a hell to not be able to read so good... ( I've been there). Start with playing the melodies in "The Real Book" for example. Often not so complicated and also great to know, if youre into Jazz. :)
2. Dont keep your "Inspiration-sponge" DRY! I think that, to keep on practicing and playing you NEED to be inspired or it will feel pointless.. so try to be inspired/get inspired all the time and absorb as much music as possible. Example: go and see a lot of live-music, or watch vids on RUclips, there's tons of great concerts/clips in every genre, as you guys probably know. These things really helped me.
Thanks again Scott, you're the best.
/Jon
Btw, totally agree on every number of your list!
Jon Henriksson They would be great additions Jon! Thanks for stopping by :)
I'm going to show this video to the drummer in my band, most of the same points apply. Thanks Scott.
I think the biggest thing I'm going through right now is learning how to write music. I've followed all of your videos over the past 1.5 - 2 years and I have learned a lot but the one place I struggle is actually writing music as a whole more as a composition view. I've been given the tools on how to work others and create my own craft but that won't get you far if you're like me -in a fairly dysfunctional band. It isn't your realm to teach how to write music on any other instrument, but that has been a huge thing for me because I have never been in the presence of say a guitarist that would actually write music.
I'll just end my incoherent ramble posing this question: Do you deem learning how to write music across multiple instruments worthwhile vs pouring the same countless hours into your own instrument? I have been struggle with this for a while now.
I just got the hang of #6 "I don't know every note all the time but always know where the root-notes are" That solves it for me and stretches my ? into a !. Tell you, good to watch an episode more than once, especially Scott's 10 commandments.
Scott, I gotta say,you are my role model!
I like #9! You go scott, Thanks!
You are the man, Scott. Thank you very much for the inspiration!
Great Scott!! Those are good tips.
I think the matter of learning constantly is that it takes it's time til the things you've learned and practiced enter in your "normal" or daily bass playing. It's not like - "Oh, I've learned it and now I can use it". Normally you see month later "Oh, that was the technique I learned a few month ago. Cool, now I am using it."
It's a very good list and I tic a lot of the numbers. #2 learning the songs is #1 for me. I start playing stuff and then I am on E thinking, hm, I wonder what chord is playing now and where E goes into the arpeggio for that chord? I think it's a very complete list. I do a lot of playing instead of practice and I guess you've been there.
My addition would be to play a 6 string guitar too and learn E and A shape barre chords all the way up the neck. It'll help you learn chord tones and bass notes, plus it's twice the fun.
I think playing with other people is essential as a bass player. The bass role is mostly supportive, so playing alone or jamming insipid groves on your own room will get frustrating and will not reflect your potential with the instrument.
When you play on a band or on a jam session is when you really feel the strength of our instrument, is when you lead the harmony that you notice how rewarding is to play bass.
I used to play tuba on a symphonic band, and all the phrases of my instrument sounded like shit. I almost gave up before me first ensemble because of how demotivating it was.
But somehow I continued playing and when the time came, I got into that realization. Playing along with other people is the most essential thing, to me.
All your Video are Amazing ! Thank
Thanks, I needed to hear that.
The "number nine" bit scared the hell out of me!
One thing I've noticed with a lot of my fellow gigging friends, regardless of instrument, is that they spend to much time on being a more technical musician and forget to focus on being a musician. It isn't about how many notes you play or how fast you do them, it's about the notes that you play and when you play them.
Thanks a lot, Scott!!!
Konstantin Salafountidis Cheers Konstantin! :)
Awesome list Scott! Keep giving bass to the world! Show some bass love for Chile!! :)
On top of everything that has been mentioned below, there's two points that are easy to forget:
-If you make a mistake, don't make it obvious. The crowd doesn't have to know how hard it is to play what you play.
-ENJOY what you do! We're musicians because we like it, we chose this path and as bass players, we've got the funniest instrument to play.
Cheers from México!!!
This realy helped me get the motivation to learn more:)))
#11: learning to play "not too much" at once and noodling around all the time, to leave space so that the music can breath! just the bit, the music needs and to support the musicians you´re playing with! There are many guys who want to play everything they learned in a 3 min song...
#12: practising phrasing
#13: practising to be able to sing what you´re playing
I have this question:What tools are needed except for the bass guitar? And which ones of those do you recomend for a beginner?
Loved your tips. Got another subscriber, greetings from Brazil
For me, I'm going to get my first lesson tomorrow. I really want to make sure I am not developing bad habits and looking for suggestions on my basic left and and right hand technique. Also one thing that helps me is "perfect practice makes perfect". So for me, it is important to practice songs so I do not practice made up crap, so when I do improvised jamming my fingers will go to the notes I've practiced. I've been practicing songs on songster sence June 2018, im close to being able to play Orion and Seek n destroy. Also working on fer alise. Thanks, i hope this was helpful.
I would mention safe, ergonomic hand technique in the section about structured, targeted practice. Or make a dedicated video for each hand!
#11 Perhaps not as important as some of the other tips people have said in the comments, but learning to care for your bass (changing the strings, cleaning it and understanding it) will come a long way.
It may be worth mentioning how playing with other musicians regularly can help take your playing to the next level, even if it is just a drum and bass set up.
Kwabena Boadu thank you! Tought i was really the only one thinking this is one of the most important things
Hey Scott, great video! One question, #3 says you need to know what to practice. Where do we find the "Map" or how do figure out what we need to work on?
Thanks!
11. Jam. JamjamjamjamJAM, it's one of the most fun things you'll ever do, and you'll familiarize yourself with how your band/ensemble members play.
12. Learn to read music. Being literate in a language is important, and to fully understand (and dare I say enjoy?) a language, you need to learn how to read. While it's not always necessary to read, it only helps to know how.
13. Make improvisation a close friend. Make sure you can hang at its place whenever you need to.
14. Learn when to lead and when to back off. Sometimes a song needs a little more bass to get funky. But sometimes you need to hang back and lay down a groove. There's a reason bass shares the pronunciation with base, show them why.
:)
The most importsnt thing for me is to make the practice or whatever fun. So don't just play what you have to learn but make a game out of it or combine it with a song or anything. I think it's really important.
Hi, Scott Devine ! Really great lesson.
Concerning about what you could miss I think it would be great to have links on you other lessons after each topic. I know you have plenty of them! =)
A very important must i feel is , spending out on a very good set up for your instrument. If it feels great then you will want to pick it up and play it more .
The cutscenes lmfao! XDD Great video really helpful!
Wow, kind of good stuff to rely on, couple days ago i ve met at jam session in rock pub in our town other bassplayer. He seems so incredibly good at it. I asked him how he practise playing on bass. Actually he said your tips in summary and recommended watching your videos :).
Cool. I so do agree and like your idea it realy helps me and motivates me to keep on practicing and learning this amazing instrument.
최재원 Keep groovin'! :)
Hirajoshi/Akebono and Chinese scales (pentatonic), my favourites. :)
Nice job. I think you covered the most important info. for getting started. Keep up the good work.
when you practice always try to hear/feel something it makes playing and practicing that more easy
ty, motivation started working of the SolFege
Hey Scott, you're based in England right? I've been playing bass for the last 5 years and thought it might be time to get some lessons. Unfortunately I live no where near you and I'm at a loss as to who to approach for lessons, as the quality and pricing can be so varied. Do you know any solid tutors based I'm Edinburgh?
As always mate this is great stuff and you make total sense. Thanks a lot, you have seriously helped me continue my playing :))
Samuel S H K Musical
Join his online academy @scottsbasslessons.com
The bass sound and look is beautiful
TheCluelesspanda Thanks! The neck is like a tree trunk but the sound is great! :)
Scott Devine Strange how different people are. I think: you play fantastic on that particular bass so the neck must be magic then, even if the sound is like a bottomless toy-bass compared to the Overwater bass.)
That it's important to take good care of your bass
Good job .hallo from Greece Scott
konkon3535 Cheers! :)
Awesome tutorial!
Hi Scott. I'm just starting out on bass. Any ear training apps you could recommend. Great videos by the way. I'm learning a lot from you
Gareth Wright did you find one
Check out www.iwasdoingallright.com/
Great jazz blog with an ear training tool
You are funny "heeeeeeere's number 7!" :) thanks for the tips, man. #8 "A bit of her" - you were referring to Nik West yes? lol
Nice one scott !!! ...
I want to start practicing regularly but I don't know what to practice or what a regular routine might need to look like. Any ideas for a road map of what to practice? I'd love to pay a teacher, but that's just just not feasible for me.
#11 look into different genres. for example your favourite game or movie soundtrack or that one radio song you kinda like.. learn it, you can addapt alot from it into your favourite genre
Great video! Great list! I love your tone! How do you get such a woody tone like that? I know you're using flatwounds, but what else do you do?
@ 5:28: Scott, is there a good method to achieve this? (i.e. knowing all your notes on the fretboard by heart) When I say "to achieve this" I mean, other than printing on a piece of paper and trying to memorize a bit every single day. What kind of practice could get you there?
Thanks
What would consider a good daily practice regiment ?
when looking for a bass (not electric) what is a price I should look for? what is a good place to buy bass guitars?