(Part 3) Best products from r/Bass

http://www.scottsbasslessons.com

This was one of my first books. It starts off fairly easy, but gets moving pretty quick.

This is the Tao Te Ching of bass.

This was one of the books that helped get my technique to where it is today. I'm not sure if the new version has all of the same exercises.

Always read notation. Tab becomes a crutch, and the quicker you learn notation, the more you'll use it, and the better you'll get at it. It's a skill, it's frustrating at first, but it's worth it.

This is my favourite Music Theory book.

Transcribe music. Not only learn how to play it by ear, but learn how to write it down as well. It's really hard at first, but it's probably the best thing you can do to learn to jam, interact with other players, and communicate your ideas to anyone at any level.

Want Chops?

Find a qualified bass teacher in your area. Don't go to that guy who plays guitar and teaches bass on the side and only uses tab because he's never had to read. It may not seem like it, but there are differences in technique that an experienced bass player/teacher would know that a guitar player may not. Find a teacher that pushes you every lesson and makes you want to sit in a chair for hours working on technique, transcribing, and listening.

On top of getting an instructor, scour the internet for every piece of information you can get. At first you'll get some bad advice, but you'll find that there is a lot of great information out there. Always test the boundaries of what you're being taught by anyone with the information you're absorbing for where ever you're getting it. One of the best teachers that I had said "If you're teacher tells you there's only one way to do something, it's time to find another teacher".

I'll give you more great advice from a different teacher. He was this old grizzled player that played Jazz before, and after, Jazz was cool. He said:

"There are only three things you need to do to be a successful musician. One: Show up. If you show up every time you're going to be ahead of 95% of the rest of the musicians out there. That means every lesson, every rehearsal, every gig, every time.

Two: Know your parts. If you show up every time, on time, and know what you're supposed to play, you're going to be ahead of 99% of the players out there.

Thirdly: Play your heart out. If you show up, on time, know what you're playing, and love what you're playing, no matter what it is you're playing, then you're going to be in that 1% of musicians that actually get steady gigs."

Have Fun.

I've found Gripmaster quite helpful. It really does develop your finger strength and is especially useful for training the pinky - I rarely used it for playing because it was so weak, and it was so weak because I rarely used it for playing. It's only about $10 and is priceless when you're starting out or don't have the time to practice daily.

The truth is, though, that nothing will be as effective as just playing your bass. Practice for at least an hour a day, play random stuff - even 1-2-3-4 exercises build up your finger strength. If you've only been playing for a month, strength is not the only thing you might be lacking - dexterity is also an important factor, and that unfortunately cannot be trained with Gripmaster. So just find a nice song to play and play it, play it, and play it - you'll notice an improvement in your general playing skills quite soon.

I have smaller hands as well, the best thing is actually hand strength exercises. I started squeezing a tennis ball all day then graduating to a hand grip / finger strength squeeze thing.

If you have good hand strength you can maintain the longer stretches in the fretboard

Edit. This is the grip machine I used worked great for me!

Prohands Gripmaster Hand Exerciser, Finger Exerciser (Hand Grip Strengthener), Spring-Loaded, Finger-Piston System, Isolate and Exercise Each Finger, (7 lb Medium Tension, Red-Gripmaster) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006GC5D8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0DxKDbPZDDVKK

Get yourself a nice leather strap. Something 2½" or wider would be best, maybe even 4" if you're playing a six-string. I recommend Levy's, personally. They're a bit on the expensive side (expect to pay $50+ for a quality strap) but they're incredibly comfortable, and if you take care of it, they'll last forever.

If you're on a budget, this strap is great for the money and should stand up to a heavy six-string quite well.

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!

Victor's musicality is best showcased (imo) on his double album, "Sword & Stone/Words & Tones."

I picked it up after reading his book "The Music Lesson" (another good source of inspiration) and thought I'd enjoy the instrumental tracks most. I ended up loving the tracks with vocals ten times more than the instrumental stuff.

I've never been able to get into Jaco, for whatever reason I just don't get it. And Vic's talent is so beyond my ken, it's mostly intimidating for me to watch him or listen to him.

I've found lately that the albums I listened to in the 80s (two notable examples being Bryan Ferry's "Boys and Girls" and "Bete Noire") have some of the most incredible bass playing I've ever heard. I'm sure those, among many others, are what inspired me to play bass.

I'm the same as you. I found this on Youtube and it was a pretty good start. Also, I'll probably get murdered, but the "Bass Guitar for Dummies" is pretty good. I saw it recommended on here somewhere. Also This is a really good tool. Between those three things you can get most of the basic theory down pretty quickly and easily no matter what learning style you have.

Fingerboard Harmony by Gary Wills might be a good option.
https://www.amazon.com/Fingerboard-Harmony-Bass-Builders/dp/0793560438

I really like how he presents theory and breaks down geometry of neck/notes. He super cool, got to study with him a bit back in the day. :)

I know it's your only bass but properly setting up you bass will work wonders for your playing. Plus all basses change their setup as the humidity changes so it's a good thing to know how to fix your axe if it's not playing right at gigs. What used to mess me up is I would try to eye ball it. Then I got these things and dialing in my bass is much easier. I play six string basses which means there is more tension so I check my bass before each gig just to be sure.

FretGuru 2 Precision 8-in-1 Guitar String Action Gauge Fret Rocker Ruler Luthier Tool guitarist gift #BONUS LEATHER CASE# Super Precise CNC Machined, Diamond Honed, Polished Edge = NO SCRATCHED FRETS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG29EYI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_CGyLDbA5PCZKS

Notched Straight Edges - 34" & 35" Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JS69756/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_4JyLDb2RYN2WX

As long as your laptop has a "mic in" jack you can do this. It might not sound as good as if you were running through an interface, but you can do basic recording-n-stuff.

You are going to need some sort of audio editor or DAW that you can record onto; I use Audacity because it's both free and easy to use.

To connect your bass to the laptop you're going to need a cord something like this.

I've heard of folks that boogered up their sound card, so start with your bass volume very low and sneak up on it.

Have fun!

The Hal Leonard stuff is pretty good. In addition to the basic books make sure you get a copy of Music Theory: A Practical Easy to Use Guide. I learn something new every time I crack open this book. I think you'll appreciate it.

edit: this appears to be included in the "Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition"

I bought this one (planet waves 3 inch padded bass strap) when I got my Ray 34 which is a pretty heavy bass. Feels great. Love it.

I like Gary Willis' book, Fretboard Harmony, as a good intro. In my opinion, knowing chord tones (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) for major and minor chords is a great place to start.

I don't have anywhere to play my drums atm so ...

I bought this

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How big of a mistake did I make? I've had it for about a week, replaced the strings, lowered the bridge (may not have been a good idea for a nooby?) and thought about messing with the truss rod but I'm not sure of it's full function. I don't think it's price warrants taking it to a luthier. It works pretty well I think, I'm just slowly learning how to play The Wall while I watch TV.

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.

Flatwounds are just strings, you can put them on any bass, you can even get the strings Steve Harris uses ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotosound-Monel-Harris-Flatwound-Strings/dp/B0002GNY0A/ref=asc_df_B0002GNY0A/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311040652259&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11565379397721149673&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006567&hvtargid=pla-433400527840&psc=1&th=1&psc=1).

By all means give them a go, but I would recommend you go with roundwounds. Harris' sound is very bright, which is odd for flatwounds, except when they're very new, he replaces them every time he uses them. Roundwounds maintain the brightness for longer, they won't sound exactly the same, but you can keep them for months and still have a reasonable approximation.

check out these vox amp plugs. you can plug it straight into your electric bass and then plug head phones in so you are the only one who can hear!

http://www.amazon.com/Vox-AmPlug-Bass-Guitar-Headphone/dp/B001GH4H3W

ive never played an accoustic bass before so i cant tell you which is better but i love my electric

I got the Goplus Electric from Amazon. Great first bass and unbelievably cheap. Doesn't matter that it's a no-name brand and without the fancy stuff. If you're looking to learn the fundamentals and jam out with some friends, it's my pick.

P.S. I'm not endorsed by them or anything, but have had good experiences. Link here

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.

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 use one of these, pretty happy with it.

I got mine from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RJ6HV0/

You can also get them from Guitar Center: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Basslines/SJ5-3S-Quarter-Pounder-Pickup-for-5-String-Jazz-Bass-Set.gc

Or, Musician's Friend: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/basslines-sj5-3s-quarter-pounder-pickup-for-5-string-jazz-bass-set?rNtt=5%20string%20jazz%20bass%20pickups&index=1

Note that in the listings, these are called and labeled "Basslines," but I guess Seymour Duncan did away with that brand and is just releasing them as Seymour Duncan Quarter-Pounders now. I also bought a set of these for my 4-string Jazz bass, and they sound better than the stock ones. Hotter, a bit more treble is available, punchier, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I0BGYM8?psc=1
This is what I have and its phenomenal. Gel cushions throughout, and REALLY tough leather for the ends so your bass won't slip. If you are shorter and like your bass up high this might not be the one for you as the strap is long. I am 6' 3" and at its highest point its still about one inch too low for me, but overall I love it and will have it forever.

Thanks again :)

Would this one do the job :

https://www.amazon.fr/Behringer-UMC22-U-Phoria-Interface-entr%C3%A9es/dp/B00FFIGZF6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1543522081&sr=8-6&keywords=audio+interface

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).

>and when I mention grip trainers, I mean the ones that isolate each finger like this

So I just bought one because of your post, and got a good chuckle out of the top Amazon review.

Red at the bridge and blue at the headstock. I am 90% sure that is the Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) signature Rotosound string set. My Dad played those for years and years and years.

Here is a pic of a few of his basses with them on: http://2nr2qe35tr6o25q3na30huex.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2013/02/pic-3.jpg

Amazon link:https://www.amazon.com/Rotosound-SH77-Harris-Flatwound-Strings/dp/B0002GNY0A

Ditto on the Dunlop strap locks. For a strap, I like this Planet Waves 3" strap with internal padding. For bass straps, in general wider and softer is better to distribute the weight. This meets both those criteria.

Goplus Electric Bass Guitar Full... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KNZOYO4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Best bass ever

I recommend this book right here. It has been an invaluable help to me.

Ive been really happy with using my DI box for this setup.

Its got 2 inputs, input 1 is my guitar and input 2 is my PC, phone, mp3 player, whatever. This lets me merge the two signals into the set of headphones.

My amp also allows me to do this, its got an AUX input and a headphone out. Really makes practicing simple.

Buy this. I have a very heavy bass and this strap is wonderful

It's not padded, but I really like this Planet Waves 3" wide strap.

Not an interface, but here's a simple & cheap ($50) option for practice: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GH4H3W/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Basically it's like plugging headphones directly into your bass. You can also mix in another audio source from the line in port.

KLIQ AirCell Guitar Strap for Bass & Electric Guitar with 3" Wide Neoprene Pad and Adjustable Length from 46" to 56" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I0BGYM8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Rp7wCbVSKTQDW

These are what I use on both of my 6 string basses. Incredibly comfortable, easy to move in, holds the weight well, etc. They are a bit pricey if you're used to $10 straps, but I've never had a better one. I've tried all the big name ones too and for myself this takes the cake.

This is my favorite theory book: https://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Theory-Comprehensive-Musicians-Essential/dp/0793579910

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...

Gary Willis' Fingerboard Harmony for Bass

I like this one...
KLIQ AirCell Guitar Strap for Bass & Electric Guitar with 3" Wide Neoprene Pad and Adjustable Length from 46" to 56" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I0BGYM8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P4OPCbEZKF5TD

Gary Willis' Fingerboard Harmony for Bass is very good. Still kicks my ass

Would [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC22-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00FFIGZF6/ref=sr_1_9?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1509823864&sr=1-9&keywords=usb+audio+interface) one work for what I need? As I said, I don't know what I'm looking for and I don't know if this one's good or not. I just searched "usb audio interface" on Amazon.

I bought two of these:

[KLIQ Aircell padded strap] (https://www.amazon.com/KLIQ-AirCell-Electric-Neoprene-Adjustable/dp/B01I0BGYM8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519674658&sr=8-1&keywords=aircell+padded+strap)

My only disappointment is that I waited so damn long to try it. It's wide, the padding is ultra comfortable, and I rarely ever even notice it while I'm playing.

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

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001GH4H3W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1415640539&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

(Vox Amplug)

https://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Electric-Guitar-String-Straps/dp/B01KNZOYO4/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=bass&qid=1557151241&s=gateway&sr=8-5&th=1&psc=1

Buzzing? That's weird. Sure it's not the headphones? Sometimes they can't handle the low frequencies and that can happen.

I would say the only real option is a Behringer U-PHORIA UMC22. As for a cable, it's not really going to make much of a difference what you use. Unless you're using a high end interface I doubt you'll notice.

I have this padded one. My only complaint is that the internal pad prevents it from being more adjustable. But I'm only 5'6" so you might not care.

Don't think in terms of long term goals, think short term goals. Break everything that you want to do down into smaller and smaller sections. For example, you want to learn that sweet sweet intro to Only Ash Remains. Instead of worrying about how insane it is all put together, break it into its components. Practice simple two-handed tapping arpeggios and hammer-ons and pull-offs. Learn the lick at a painfully slow speed. Then forget about the whole thing and come back to it anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks later. Don't let yourself get frustrated. Realize that all the crazy stuff you want to be able to play took the artist months if not years to be able to play. It's a journey and it takes time.

Beyond that, find some outside direction to your practice. Find a teacher and/or pick up a book or two and start making your way through it.

i have one of these and it actually aggravates my rotator cuff problems. i prefer this one: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Guitar-Strap-Internal/dp/B0002GZBLU