Learning by ear, the bands that are easy to start with

[5 string Mike]

.... When you guys started playing along with records, how do you know when your getting it right?

 

Welcome to the LD

 

When it sounded like what was coming out of the stereo.

 

While that may sound like a simplistic response, when I would sart out, I would get most of it, but there would be a few places where it wouldn't sound right. Once I figured them out and everything sounded like what was coming from the stereo, that is when it was right.

 

Remember that the notes are only a small part of the music.

 

To paraphrase Victor Wooten music also consists of rhythm, tone, space, technique, feel, listening, dynamics, phrasing and articulation.

 

Some musicians overemphasise the notes aspect. ....

 

This is where styles like John McVie shine. His signature lines are simplistic but disciplined. He lays down a good solid rhythm for Lindsey and Christine to do their thing on, with the occasional fill here and there. What notes you play are just as important as how and where you play them. The best bass players aren't always the ones who can play the fastest appregios and pull-offs, but the ones who lay down the right groove at the right time.

 

One of the things I like best about the bass is that you can play the role of someone like John Mc Vie, or Cliff Williams, or Flea, or Vic or Marcus. You can be in the background keeping a rhythm, or you can be front and center laying down the funk. Many people seem to think that the bass is the guy who stands in the shadows playing root notes and keeping a rhythm- which is true to a point. Then you point them in the direction of the Marcus/Flea/Vic/Stu's of the bass world, and you can see just how dynamic and versatile the world of bass is. You can play 2,4,5,6,7 strings, upright, fretless, you can play across just about every genre known to man, and there is just this huge realm you can explore, if you choose to do so.

[Rocky McDougall]

If you have a system that is easy to back up a play over. It is best to learn very short segments and play them over and over until you hear the bass really well. Nail down that portion and then go on to the next. One thing I like about the Tascam is the Looping capability to automatically play a section over and over as many times as needed.

Rocky

[Gruuve]

How about a little disco? I think there are some great bass lines in KC and the Sunshine Band's tunes...not difficult but some good grooves and the bass is very easily discernible.

 

Dave

 

[Bottom End]

Hi Odd Notion, Welcome

I play with a Tascam Bass Trainer CD player which allows me to increase or decrese the bass frequency. Also, you can slow down the music as much as 50% without changing the pitch. When I find a song I like, I try to copy the bass lines as I hear them from the CD. Later I can modify or change up my bass lines as I like.

But for now, you need to train your ear to "Hear the Bass", this is possible with concentration. Try it. You will need a playback system that can produce the bass clearly.

Welcome to the Forum, let us know your progress.

Rocky

 

+1 on the Tascam, since you can also plug your bass into it, it's also a good headphone amp.

 

FWIW, I like Cliff Williams bass work in support of AC/DC's songs, no more, no less. When you are just starting out, learning anything that you like is better than nothing. Overall, he does have a groove, and very is very solidly locked in with the drummer, another trait all bassists should have.

 

The best bass players aren't always the ones who can play the fastest appregios and pull-offs, but the ones who lay down the right groove at the right time.

+1, for me, that is the what bass playing is all about.

[Phil W]

Yes, absolutely. It took me decades to realise it was as hard (or harder) to play a basic root five well and make it sound great as it was to play a complicated part.

 

It ain't just about the notes or we'd all sound very similar using the same 12.

 

So you can take any real simple line and learn to play it really well and make it swing and that'll count for a lot.

 

[EZ]

IMHO if you can play a little, just try and learn lines you hear and like. I see a lot of people here saying learn the chords and all this other stuff, but IMHO that will come in time. There is no right or wrong way to learn a bass line we all have our own methods. I would not just look for easy songs to learn, yes it will build your confidents, but it could cause you to shy away from the more difficult stuff. If you hear a line and you like it go for it. In time will learn chords, and scales and how they relate, and then it will become easier for you to learn stuff by ear, because you will hear that minor or major mode being played. A lot of songs use circular fourths, and there really is not a true bass line, but more of a groove, you find the fourths and you have the song, again you will learn this in time. I noticed most of the artists that are being suggested are rockers; get you a full plate of funk also. I mainly play R&B/Funk, Smooth Jazz, and Classic Rock. There is nothing like funking up a rock song, its just great. Have fun.

[JukeBoxHero]

Out of curiosity(since I've done it once before) is it ok to listen the bass track purely by it self or is it preferred to listen to it with all instruments. I got this one video in mind for learning the last bits of My Hero by the Foo Fighters. I'll link the video in question.

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNEz-AAxN6k

 

 

[Patrick J.]

Is your teacher teaching you how to read music? If he is not, then he's teaching you how to to be an illiterate player... and needs to be replaced.

If you learn properly, you will develope an ear for music. With practice, your ability to play by ear will improve.

A good well-rounded bassist should be able to read both standard music and tablature, work from charts and play by ear.

If music is comparable to a journey, then printed music is comparable to a road map. The better you can read, the better you can travel without asking for directions and/or getting lost.

You don't have to be a fantastic reader to be a fantastic musician, but the better your reading skills are, the better off you will be.

As for what bands I recommend, AC/DC is not the best. Their music is crude and neanderthal compared to great artists.

If you aspire to become a great bassist, I recommend listening to the really great musicians, especially those who are respected and have influenced others to follow in their footsteps.

To name a few, there is James Jamerson (from the old Motown hit records), Sir Paul McCartney (the Beatles, Wings, solo recordings) Joe Osborne (session musician who has been playing for about 50 years), Carol Kaye (one of the most recorded session players) along with other studio musicians.

Learn bluegrass, blues, C&W, Gospel, jazz, pop, R&B, rock'n'roll, and just about anything and everything. Don't limit yourself to just the music that you like.

If a working C&W or a southern rock band that plays a lot of high paying gigs (like almost every weekend) is suddenly in need of a bassist, you don't want to be rejected because you're the one who only knows how play heavy metal. I doubt that you want to be limited to only playing with some stupid hobby players.

Good luck.

[JukeBoxHero]

Yeah, my teacher is teaching me how to read music. It's somewhat easier to learn because I play trombone in my High School band. My bass teacher is trying to make me a well rounded player, teaching me different techniques, reading classical music and such.

[Tom Capasso]

I agree that if you are paying a teacher, you should be learning how to read as part of your study. It's not the only way to play unless you are a classical musician (and even then, you need to be able to listen).

 

And I am fine with the suggestions you made.

But these statements?

 

As for what bands I recommend, AC/DC is not the best. Their music is crude and neanderthal compared to great artists.

 

...you don't want to be rejected because you're the one who only knows how play heavy metal. I doubt that you want to be limited to only playing with some stupid hobby players.

Good luck.

C'mon. I like lots of types of music, but I had no idea that I was a crude neanderthal because I like AC/DC.

 

There are plenty of heavy metal players who are more than "stupid hobby players".

 

Encourage people to do more, but don't knock what people like.

Tom

[JukeBoxHero]

 

There are plenty of heavy metal players who are more than "stupid hobby players".

 

 

Yeah, some heavy metal players are very proficient switching from metal to jazz. I could wager to say that particularly in the progressive metal and early tech death scene at least.

 

Correct me if I'm missing your point, but I' only trying to add some more to the discussion.

[Bottom End]

Since you are starting off playing by ear, I recommend Motown and other early soul. Learn everything on the first Blues Brothers album, as an example of simple bas lines that are easyto figure, but challenge you to get it in the pocket.

Other "roots-rock" bands like the Blasters and Los Lobos have tons of great songs that start off easy, but can be made to groove.

Also, blue-rock, like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, blues based, as well as their inspirations like Albert Collins, Albert King, Otis Rush, simple to learn, but challenging to get in the pocket, even better, you can apply them to a lot of songs.

[Phil W]

Yes, early soul definitely. Motown by ear is a challenge. A good challenge but a challenge - I suppose it depends on the song.

 

I started with blues and reggae and they were good reference points as I learned by ear.

 

Nothing wrong with metal and rock - it's just another style.

 

Nothing wrong with starting with something simple either - and I'm not implying that all rock and metal is simple.

 

If you can hear how to make a simple root-five groove properly then that's good ear training.

 

Of course reading is a very useful skill but this thread is about recommendations for easy learning by ear to begin with. It's in danger of going off topic. What's wrong with learning ACDC to begin with if that floats your boat? You're not going to start with Coltrane and I wouldn't recommend a beginner start with complicated lines to transcribe/learn by ear unless they started with a measure or so at a time.

[Bottom End]

As an example, "Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honeybunch)" is not hard to play, (that pattern seems to occur in about 100 songs) but man, once I had that Eureka! moment and realized that was how it was played, what a sense of accomplishment. It made me want to keep learning.

 

Another thing I do after working on really learning a song or seriously practicing is just slap in a CD, or put the iPod on shuffle and try to figure out each song as it comes along. I'll stop it to work on part of the bassline, but it's really meant as an enjoyable challenge, a game, just getting into the right chord is a good start, getting the changes, or the killer bass riff (like Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain") one or two passes, and on to the next. Maybe I'll come back to a song later for some serious attention.

[JukeBoxHero]

Phil W: What reggae would you recommend, I don't know where to go really in that genre.

 

Edit:Removed the question mark because that wasn't really a question.

[Bottom End]

I wanteed to wiat and let Phil reply first, but this thread has sunk to the second page, so here's my 2 cents:

 

UB40-Earl Falconer plays it simple but ssmooth on something like "Please don't Make Me Cry", and then steps it up for songs like "Rat in My Kitchen".

 

"Israelites" Desmond Dekker, a classic, with a nice little walkup bass riff that gets into your head.

 

Bob Marley and the Wailers-Any and all songs off the "Live" album, most of the songs off the "Legend" album, then just keep digging into the back catalog, especially "Exodus" and my personal favorite "Kaya".

 

Black Uhuru-"Spongi Reggae", it seems like the bassline starts and stops, but it actually just flows through the whole song. Lots of tasty fills, and a different line for almost every verse.

 

Take a trip into the early days with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, "Oh Carolina" compare and contrast with Shaggy's version.

 

"Soon Come" by Culture, lots of space in this one, less is more.

 

"Dancing Mood" and "Rain From the Sky"by Delroy Wilson, These are the universal reggae basslines, it's all feel.

 

 

"Wild Thing" by Sister Carol

 

"The Harder They Come" Jimmy Cliff, a classic, a nice challenge.

 

"I Can See Clearly Now", probably the first reggae song most people ever heard on the radio, whether they knew what reggae was or not. Nice changes, lots of feel.

 

"Curly Dub" by Lee Perry and the Upsetters, dub style is great, because it features the bass, but is low tempo so you can figure it out. IF you like dub, look into Scientist as well, the album "Encounters Pac-Man" has lots of great lines.

 

"Now That We've Found Love/Try Jah Love" Third World, very uptempo, forceful bass, a latin feel, almost soca.

 

"54-46 Was My Number/Funky Kingston" Toots and the Maytals, proto-reggae, constantly feels like it'll fall over, but keeps on moving forward.

 

"Zungzungzungzen" Yellowman, so simple, yet it gets the crowd going, and keeps 'em going.

[JukeBoxHero]

Thanks for recommendation, I'll listen to some tomorrow. Planning on listening to the rest of the Muse album I bought tonight.(Black Holes and Revelations)

[Phil W]

Nice picks! I missed this sorry.

 

I learned with reggae because that's what I was listening to.

 

Any melodic reggae bass - anything with Robbie Shakespeare or Aston Barrett or any of the above.

 

Half the reggae I used to listen to I never knew the name of - it was on unlabelled cassettes, the radio or over massive soundsystems.

[Bottom End]

Half the reggae I used to listen to I never knew the name of - it was on unlabelled cassettes, the radio or over massive soundsystems.

 

Me Too! Most of the reggae I first learned about was from my buddy while we were in Germany. His sister lived in NYC, and would send him cassettes she'd taped off the radio; to this day I have no idea who some of the artists are.

[CaptainCutthroat]

I'm a big punk fan and that is great music to start out with because of its relative simplicity. The Descendants are a good band and Tony Lombardo is really good on the bass. I will also second the suggestions of old Motown and R&B songs as they generally have great bass lines. Bob Marley and The Wailers are also a great suggestion simply because Aston "Family Man" Barrett is the meat, potatoes, the veggies, and the butter for almost every Wailers song. Bob, Tosh, and the I-Threes were the wine you wash the meal down with and the ganja you smoke before and after.