(Part 3) Top products from r/Bass

Don't sweat it!

It's better than sitting home and watching tv, right? Now at least you have a good story:)

You probably had some nerves which along with the sheer volume of sounds going on will cause your adrenaline to spike, which will mess your playing up (finger control and hearing are affected). That plus not being able to hear what's going on and working with unfamiliar tunes is rough.

There's no magic to practicing chord changes, you just have to do it. Playing along to album tracks works great - I have the GK Bass Amp app on my phone that lets me slow down and loop over sections and whatnot. I'll generally grab the chord sheet online and then play along with the recording while looking at that. Here's an example, Loving Cup by the Stones that matches up with the album version:

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/t/the_rolling_stones/loving_cup_crd.htm

For practicing the chord changes, you don't need to play the exact bass line note for note (although transcribing the bass line is a good exercise as well). You just need to hear the changes and be able to play with them - fake it 'til you make it.

If possible, find someone who can play acoustic guitar and sing and play bass with them (or sing the vocals yourself). Just those three pieces will really make you hone in on what the bass is supposed to be doing.

Jams can be tough for a good sound mix because there's a bunch of random people with random gear doing random things, so it's not good. Hell, it's tough for established bands to get a good sound mix. Don't be afraid to speak up about not being able to hear well. At a minimum, you probably want to be able to hear the drummer and another rhythm instrument (keys/guitar), depending how their skill level and personality. Some guys are hardwired to try to help other players out, other guys don't give a shit. Drummers are great to lock in with, but they usually don't know the chords/notes so it's not super helpful.

It's also definitely ok for you to ask about the song - key, tempo, format, etc.

Part of playing is reading people, both musically and personally. Guitar players will try to lead you with what they're doing, so know that the bottom four strings of the guitar are the same as your bass. Try to figure out who knows the song and follow them.

It's also OK to turn your volume off if you're completely lost during a song. Better to drop out than blow it. Make sure you tell them after the song's over that you were lost and stopped playing - they should try and help you.

Oh, and if you're going to be doing blues jams, this book is awesome:

https://www.amazon.com/Blues-Bass-Essential-Techniques-Supplement/dp/0634089358

Gives you all the things you need to jam on the blues - intros/outros/rhyhms/riffs/etc plus charts of songs you're likely to run into (Stormy Monday, Pride and Joy, etc).

These are cheap and great for practicing:

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-302USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B005EHILV4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416091986&sr=8-2&keywords=behringer+usb+mixer


This is my favorite though:

http://www.rolls.com/product.php?pid=PM351

I use it for monitoring myself live on upright gigs, but its brilliant for practicing. My favorite part is that it has both 1/8 and 1/4" headphone outs, so you dont have to waste time trying to find your adapter :)


I have several USB and Firewire recording interfaces, but one thing that can be annoying is that the specialty interfaces require drivers that can be a nuisance to use. For example, my big 48 channel Firewire interface only has ASIO drivers, so if you're using Windows and you want to play along with an mp3, I wind up having to import the audio onto a track in my DAW and then play over it. On OSX this is not really a problem.

The analog mixers like the Rolls can mix anything, and the cheapo two channel interfaces like the Behringer thing just show up to the computer as a generic stereo audio interface (it uses a popular Cirrus Logic audio chipset). They don't need special drivers so any piece of software like Transcribe can play to them.

The other thing that has sucked about the USB audio interfaces is that I've thrown away two of them in the last year or so when the manufacturers (M-Audio and Tascam) quit releasing drivers for them. So if you want to get something you can use for a long time, go generic, or analog.

I subscribed to Mark Michell's (Scale the Summit bassist) website Low End University that covers a myriad of topics both bass and non bass related, I'd say its a little more advanced material than what Scott Devine offers but both are great and have some good stuff for free.

As for books, I'd always been really interested in music theory behind jazz and certain video game OSTs and I can't recommend Mark Levine's The Jazz Theory book if that's your sort of thing. As someone else posted, Alex Webster's book is marvelous for not so much composition but being able to fluidly play intense rhythms and using three fingers.

Lol at the person who already mentioned Jaco, he really is the god around here. And for good reason. But seriously, great jazz solo stuff. check out Chromatic Fantasy, Portrait of Tracy, and if youre really up to the challenge, Donna Lee.

Im sure you could easily make your own solo arrangements of Blackbird or Teen Town as well.

Transcriptions of all of those can be found in The Essential Jaco for like $15 used as well. I have it, and most of it is very accurate (I think a few notes in Donna Lee are just a tad off, but I digress.)

I'm not a huge fan of his music, but Vic Wooten is another one I'm sure you would enjoy at least checking out. Classical Thump and Amazing Grace are some Essentials, although neither are super jazzy.

Hope that is a good starting point!

This book has Portrait of Tracy transcribed correctly in standard notation, and also includes tablature. Normally I am opposed to tabs in all their forms, but in this case they're very helpful as they show you the proper places to play the harmonics, which are not always very obvious. This should be a good place to learn from, good luck!

Bass Fitness is, for me, the golden standard to which I hold all guitar practice books. It's a no-nonsense text that offers little in the way of guidance or assistence, but stick with it and you will notice a difference in your playing in due time. It's not perfect by any means -- in fact it is quite rough around the edges -- but it works.

For more general resources, check out 101 Bass Tips, which features of a plethora of different tips and tricks for the working musician -- everything from set-up and maintenance, to technique, to recording and tone, and much more. It's also accompanied by a CD with examples and practice songs you can play along to.

Once you've got the basics down and you're ready to move into the more advanced facets of bass playing, you might want to try out some books on musical theory. I suggest this, this, and these. Hope these help!

How much do you want to spend and how will you be transporting it?

There are a wide range of options from cheapie gig bags to heavy duty road/flight cases.

I like to spend good money on gig bags since I will use them with multiple basses over a long time. I used the same Mooradian Double Bass Guitar gig bag for over 10 years. The only reason why I threw it out was it got a bit mildewy/moldy from being shoved under my bed for 2 years (I used hardshell cases exclusively during that time). A note on gig bags-I vastly prefer to have one that has backpack straps that are padded. When I lived in Chicago, I took public transit (subway, buses, commuter trains, etc) to gigs, so having the bass on my back gave me free hands in case I needed to bring an amp or just to access to my train tickets/cards.

Hard cases-it depends on the intended transport method. If you're looking for a light-duty case for an instrument you will be transporting in your car, a tolex case would suffice-they look cool and are a step up in protection from a gig bag. The base model SKB hardshells are a safe bet. Something like this. The next step up, and would be suitable for all but the heaviest of road/flight uses is the SKB iSeries. I've been using one of their open cavity cases since 2012. It has been in the back of the gear truck for over 1k gigs, flown around a dozen times, and other than replacing the wheels once and a few scratches, it is in great shape.

The Squier Vintage Modified series basses are typically P or J shaped. so they will fit in a wide range of cases.

I just bought a used Ibanez SR650 from Guitar Center -- my first bass -- and it's tremendously pleasing so far. It came with a hard case, which I'm pretty sure is an SKB 44, based on this Amazon listing: https://www.amazon.com/SKB-Electric-Bass-Rectangular-Hardshell/dp/B0015B0AX0/

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The case seems effectively to have been free, based on the price of other SR650s on GC's website, so that's sweet, but I've noticed that there's just a little bit of play when the bass is sitting in the open case. Is that normal, that the bass can shift a little within the padded cavity of the case? Maybe when the case is closed the padding on top locks it down?

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Or should I consider adding in some extra fabric or padding around the bass (around the body, I guess?) in order to make sure the bass is completely immobilized within the case?

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Any advice would be appreciated.

By far, the most helpful music theory book I've ever seen is The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine

It's definitely helpful in understanding the thought behind scales/modes/chordal relationships.

You will need to be able to read music somewhat, but if want to be the best you can be, you'll want to learn to read music anyway. I believe that book would help any musician to get to the next level.

Hands down, Victor Wooten. And while he might be a great bass player, I really appreciate the guy for his view on music.

I'd encourage anyone to see the Music as a language video aaand read The music lesson. It's one of the best books I've read all year.

I use a Lexicon Alpha interface. Its about as basic as it comes, but hell it works just fine. One instrument and one mic input, I usually plug my bass straight in or run it through my amp output since I'm too cheap to get buy a DI or a good mic for bass. It also comes with the program Cubase. Again, its basic and its kinda finicky, but its as functional as any other software once you learn how to use it. There could be better interfaces at this price though, it looks like Behringer also has a pretty competent interface for $50 but I've never used it.

Bigger drivers that have a better low frequency response. When I headphones practice, I use either in-ear (so the ear-plug/monitor type) or Sennheiser HD 598's [$150]. The in-ears don't need as much power and since they're so close to your ear drum you can pull a lot from such a low power, small driver. The Sennheiser's are a little on the flat, open side so your mileage may vary because you need something decent to power them. I know that it's isolated cousin, the Sennheiser HD280Pro [$99] is also a great tracking style headphone (isolated, clear, not super hyped and pretty comfortable for long sessions.) Can't speak for the B3 but most of the Zoom stuff I've seen at that pricepoint seems to be okay. They made a lot of cheap garbage back in the day, but some of their processors now are pretty cool.

Carlo Mombelli intergalactic bass guide! This guy is a monster of the bass. Hands down my favorite and weirdest bass player ever. Super inspirational as well: http://www.amazon.com/Intergalactic-Bass-Scales-Arpeggios-Fingerings/dp/1476868891#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1454022688461

Also here is some of his music, check it out:https://soundcloud.com/permanentrecordcapetown/carlo-mombelli-thehunter

More on the mindset of playing bass than any one specific technique, but I highly recommend Victor Wooten's Groove Workshop or his book The Music Lesson (the audio book version is nice too, narrated by Wooten and features some playing between chapters.)

The Milestone is a P/J shape. Any generic case will work. It's just a matter of how much you want to spend.

You could go for a cheaper "open cavity" style case that go for $50 - $75.

Or you could go for a nicer case, that has better padding and a generic p/j mold, which goes for about $100 - $130

I have an older Peavey Millenium BXP 5 that I carry in a generic Coffin case. It doesn't have any kind of molding or compartments for accessories, but it has done a great job for the past 15 years.

etymotic earplugs are cheap on amazon and work great. i love mine. they are always in my pocket.

Do yourself a favour and start learning from a classical standpoint right now. Seriously, you will have an enormous leg up on 99% of other players if you do.

Hal Leonard's Bass Method is an amazing resource for beginners. It starts you off at the fundamentals and takes you through everything you need to get started.

You might also want to invest in a bass scale poster for your wall. Practicing scales and shapes is absolutely key to learning how to properly support your band because it teaches you the muscle memory you need to play in various keys.

In addition to this, my three golden rules for practice are:

• Practice to a metronome. Develop good timing from day one. Tightness is not negotiable.
  
  
• Start slow. If you are not able to play accurately, you are playing too fast for your current skill level. Playing fast sloppily damages progress by cementing bad habits into your muscle memory, which you will then have to undo.
  
  
• Practice mindfully. Don't strum your bass while watching TV. Sit down in a private space away from distractions and focus on your practice. Make goals for yourself, visualize them, and keep your nose to the grinder.

Not digitally unfortunately. I have these.

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https://www.amazon.com/Best-Victor-Wooten-transcribed/dp/1575604132?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffab-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1575604132

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https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Jaco-Solos-Collection/dp/0634017543/ref=pd_sbs_14_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0634017543&pd_rd_r=6d6c593c-3c0a-4b1a-86ea-22e882945c53&pd_rd_w=b7C3I&pd_rd_wg=KWVGz&pf_rd_p=d66372fe-68a6-48a3-90ec-41d7f64212be&pf_rd_r=5SS5D4GNPW7FXETNHSX7&psc=1&refRID=5SS5D4GNPW7FXETNHSX7

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Excellent learning material if you've got a few bucks though. Fair warning, close to half of the Wooten book is unusable for me because I don't want to learn the tuning for the "tenor bass" he has strung for a lot of his solo stuff. Limping your way through Classical Thump is a great way to cut your teeth on slap bass though.

Here is my advice, buy some new strings and a feeler gauge. Grab an allen wrench, a screw driver, and your tuner. Restring your bass with the new strings. Then watch this video for neck adjustment. It helps to have a capo, if you dont and pen and some rubber bands will do fine. After you watch that video set up your bass neck relief. Then set your intonation. This covers most of what you need to do to get it sounding more accurate. This should help with the fret buzz.

Basically you will need a couple of things:

• Some way to get sound from your bass to your computer. I'd recommend a DI. Some amps include them, or you can purchase one for not too much money (e.g. Behringer has a $20 one).
  
• Some way to get the audio into your computer. There are relatively cheap USB or Firewire audio interfaces out there. I have a Focusrite Saffire 6 that was under $200 and works well.
  
• Some software to record and process the audio. There are many options; Reaper is relatively cheap and free to try.
  
  All told you can probably spend less than $300 and have a solid setup for most things you would do.

Instead of the Bass Grimoire, I prefer Intergalactic Bass, but that's just me. Another one that is maybe a bit more accessible for students is Fingerboard Harmony; not a beginner book, but it has some useful text to support the diagrams.

He wrote this which is a great read. He interviewed family and friends, and tracked some of the demos that were in it.

A standard instrument cable is a quarter inch Tip-Sleeve Connection. It is an unbalanced cable. Which is fine for use with instruments obviously, but can lead to electrical interference, ground loops, and loss of signal over long lengths.
When you use a DI you want to use a balanced cable, basically a cable that is has a ground connection. The two most common kinds of balanced cables are XLR, and quarter inch TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve). TRS cables look almost identical to instrument cables.

This explains the difference: http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/whats-the-difference-between-ts-and-trs-cables/

This is probably way more in depth than you'll ever need, but it is a good reference: http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/cable-buying-guide/

Edit: To Clarify, when I say DI I mean using a DI box like this http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-DI400P-BEHRINGER-ULTRA-DI/dp/B000KUA8G6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417904828&sr=8-2&keywords=DI+box

If you are talking about just plugging your directly into an interface, an instrument cable will work just fine.

I used to use the foam earplug when running the weed eater, loud rehearsal, etc. Then I got these and I like them a lot better. ETY-Plugs High Fidelity Earplugs, Standard Fit, Frost Tip

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015WJQ7A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

The aux in bypasses the preamp and tone adjustments from the amp so you need to adjust the bass with an equalizer app or bass boost app on your phone. One other option I have used is a mini mixer with stereo inputs using the proper cable from your phone to the inputs (probably RCA type) or 1/4" dual mono inputs on the mixer...I have a couple of these cheap Behringer USB 302 for around $50-60 (they used to be around $40 when I bought mine)...https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-302USB-Premium-5-Input-Interface/dp/B005EHILV4
These will allow you to adjust the bass and treble from your phone. Cheers

Silly name, but a great book - Intergalactic Bass

The teaching method in this book works the way my brain does. That's really all I can say.

Thomastik Infeld are among the more expensive but IMHO the finest flatwound strings around. Silky smooth, they last forever. Great old school vibe in my view.

check out the product and the reviews at the bottom of the page:
https://www.amazon.com/Thomastik-Infeld-JF344-Bass-Guitar-Strings/dp/B00162ZSW6

Here are my accessories in a backpack I take to every gig:

• Snark Tuner
  
• Sansamp Bass Driver DI
  
• Two extra 9V Batteries
  
• Vitamin C
  
• Herb Wong's Jazz Fakebook
  
• Two cables (I should be carrying two more)
  
• Pen
  
• Blank sheet music
  
• Strepsils (I sing)
  
• Two sets of earplugs
  
• Folder containing repertoire and lyrics of our set
  
• Extra set of strings
  
  I hope this helps!

I can think of two very good books. I'd buy them both, honestly.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Walking-Bass-Acoustic-Electric/dp/0793580420
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Friedland/dp/0793542049

So what about something like this https://www.amazon.com/Tech-BSDR-SansAmp-Bass-Driver/dp/B0002D0EN8 ? From what I can tell its mostly the same settings, between that and the pre-amp, It's just in the form of a pedal. I currently don't have any pedals, so maybe this would be a good place to start in terms of getting the Wentz sound, and getting a little bit more tone control?

Amazing grace would be a nice choice as long as you nail the use of space and understand the use of tension in it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1575604132/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1377444319&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165 has the notes and tabs of a simplified version that you can build on, but there are a few errors in the transcriptions. You'll want to check out videos of Vic playing, to get the "slaps" used during the rhythmic parts

The most important part however is being able to show you aren't just stumbling through it, but know exactly what you're doing (this goes for any song you choose).

Hi,

For a thorough blues bassline guide I like Ed Friedland's Blues Bass. It comes with a CD and Ed plays the guitar parts too. He builds up multiple styles using basslines and the price is not bad:

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Bass-Essential-Techniques-Supplement/dp/0634089358/ref=la_B001JS9DZA_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421892796&sr=1-3

HTH

I've been using these Flatwounds for a year and a half and love them.

Thanks. I got these Ernie Balls off Amazon in 50-105 gauge. A lot cheaper too

https://www.amazon.com/Ernie-Ball-Regular-Slinky-Nickel/dp/B000MFL7UU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=ernie+ball+tapewound&qid=1564074149&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSkpHMjdWUFQ2SVdCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTU2NTM4SENETENMTVVYTDdaJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MDY2NTVRMDI4SURKNzZLOEMmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I think that piece of kit is just a mixer and won't work as an interface to for recording.

Luckily, Behringer makes an even less expensive mixer/interface that will do exactly what you're looking for: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-302USB-Premium-5-Input-Interface/dp/B005EHILV4/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1407273279&sr=8-9&keywords=behringer

have any suggestions to something useful for learning, printing out? all i know of is this.

cheers

http://www.amazon.com/Bays-Bass-Scales-Wall-Chart/dp/0786667168/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426655167&sr=8-1&keywords=bAss+guitar+chart

For the DI, I use the standard one. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/tech-21-sansamp-bass-driver-di It's ridiculous how much of a difference it makes in your tone. You can get a huge range of different tones on it. I can even make my 4003 w/ flats on it sound insanely funky if I play with the bridge pickup with the tone all the way up, and the treble/high-mids boosted on my amp and DI. I always suspected I needed one but put it off for a while due to the price. Once I finally coughed up the money for one, I called myself an idiot for not having bought it any sooner.


And right now I actually have a pair of old D'Addario flats on my ric, but I plan to buy some TI's pretty soon. https://www.amazon.com/Thomastik-Infeld-JF344-Bass-Guitar-Strings/dp/B00162ZSW6 I'm not exactly sure what flats are the absolute "best" for the ric, but I've seen people recommend these quite often so I'm excited to get some in and deaden them up soon.

These are a good starting point. Just get these and go from there.

My amp doesn't have a DI output unfortunately... would something like this be good?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KUA8G6/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479535732&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=active+di+box&dpPl=1&dpID=414veu%2B2FtL&ref=plSrch

There are ones that cost way more than this. My bass doesn't have active pickups so I probably shouldn't get an active di box rather than a passive one, right?

[this is better] (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Jaco-Pastorius-Recorded-Versions/dp/0634017675/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396495436&sr=1-1&keywords=jaco+pastorius)

It has both notation and tabs. Nice comparison when learning to read...

I'm pretty sure it will do the job but probably for that amount of money you can get a recording interface
Edit: check these out
https://www.amazon.com/Lexicon-2-Channel-Desktop-Recording-Studio/dp/B000HVXMNE/

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UM2-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00EK1OTZC

https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T56CM/

get nice earplugs and they wont mess with the tone as much. other people have recommended these, which i used to use until i lost them: http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Protection-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS

Sounds like you've got the right attitude, which means you're on the right path.

Here's the Duck Dunn book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1495052923/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ep3EDbYZN4E5J

I like Bob Magnusson's "Art Of Walking Bass"

I like ETY

I use these. I actually bought mine in the drum section of Sam Ash, they were rebranded to have I think the Zildjian or Vic Firth logo on them and they were a bit more expensive. But it was like taking the volume knob and rolling it down a little. My ears didn't ring and the music actually sounded a bit clearer. You can wash them. You should watch them.

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-ETY-Plugs-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0015WJQ7A/ref=lp_3779871_1_7_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1536824612&sr=1-7&th=1

I use a set of Sennheisers (HD280 Pro) for our headphone monitor system at our practice space. I play an upright too with these giant low end fundamentals and a lot of boominess, and those Sennheisers are the only headphones in the place that can take the signal without using a high pass filter.

Building Walking Bass Lines

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Builders/dp/0793542049/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539965332&sr=8-1&keywords=walking+bass+lines

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Blues Bass Method

https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Blues-Method-Acc%C3%A8s-audio/dp/0634089358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539965415&sr=8-1&keywords=ed+friedland+blues

May 1.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575604132/ref

This book changed my life

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Headphones/dp/B000065BPB

These and a fender rumble.

The bass is the foundation in which all other parts of the music are built on.

Here read this, you’ll understand after.

The Music Lesson By Victor Wooten

available on Amazon

There's always the J.S. Back for Bass book. Will edit when I have the link handy.

Edit for link: J.S. Bach for Bass https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786687827/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lxZ3Cb4FWWTMS

Learn some Bach or Beethoven.

Bach Cello Suites are nice..

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Walking-Bass-Master-Class/dp/0793580420

If you have a Mac then you have garage band which has some decent sounding bass amp sims for free. You just need an audio interface, which you could find for probably under $40.

First interface I got is this one, https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000HVXMNE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520916937&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=lexicon+alpha+audio+interface&dpPl=1&dpID=31JIs7zmfCL&ref=plSrch and it’s $48.

Not great but definitely gets that job done.

I generally use custom molds but if not those then a pair of ER20s usually do the trick.