The D.I.Y. method's the best - that way you'll develop yr own style & methods of playing. Besides.. bass - it's only got 4 strings.. how hard can it be?!!

download guitar pro (bitlord etc) and learn using the tabs from an infinite number of songs. its easier when you can play songs or attempt to play songs you know...you can slow it down etc

I was lucky to learn on my Da's John Birch, 'learn' in the very loosest sense!

PQ

I'd agree with that - figure it out yourself. Not that there's much figuring to do The best bass players are those that are original and know exactly what fits in a song, not the ones that are fastest or mot technically proficient.

Very true - best example of that is Kim Deal... she truly knows how to "underplay" a song to absolute perfection.

You need lessons to learn the bass???!! Jesus.

Playing bass is great. I joined a band as a guitarist/pianist and have actually been playing bass for most songs even though I'd never even held one before. It's easy to pick up and much easier to get your own sound than with guitar.

I must give it a go sometime. Even when mucking about with sequencers and synths in the past, I've always been better at just building a "groove" than working out melodies or constructing anything resembling a "song" (minus lyrics, which I've never even attempted, because they'd be crap)

Playing bass is actually a LOT harder than most people give it credit for ... yeah, some basslines are really simple & really easy to play, but most aren't. I've played guitar for years & always thought - bass, only 4 strings.. how hard can it be?! That's before I tried to emulate some of our bassist's basslines - feckin' impossible.. esp as he plays without a plec!

I love the plectrum plucked sound though. Its all over Pet Sounds.

True - it suits a lot of songs alright.. Charlie's a hardcore f**ker though.. "plecs & cappos are for fags" is his motto! He's a savage player though - if you have a listen to "Time Stretch" on the player on MySpace, or the video for "White Light Explosion", you'll see what I mean (MySpace.com/starbelgrade) - they were both recorded live at the TBMC (I'm not looking for a cheapo way to knock up the plays here - couldn't give a toss about that malarky, just makin a point about bass styles - complex vs simple!)

Cheers for all the words of wisdom!!!

Never meant to imply it was easy... but I think for the most part bass playing is more sort of intuitive than other instruments.

Unless you're formally trained, surely every instrument is intuitive?!

Bass rocks!! :-)

It's probably one of the easiest instruments to learn by yourself as you're not strumming chords like a guitar, it's mainly single notes you hit. Once you know what to listen out for picking up basslines from songs you like is a great way to practice too.. if you know someone who plays bass it can be good to get them to show you a few of the basics, but there's also a load of good beginner books out there!

.. I love watching guitarists trying to do complicated solos on the bass fret board, not as easy as they thought!

Bass is easy to pick up but it takes a lot of practice to get really solid.. practicing with a decent drummer (or a decent drum machine!) can really hone your skills too..

There's only one rule for the bass: hanging down around the knees, not tucked under your armpit.

Hear Hear!! Hookie & Simon Gallup being the key exponents of "how to look cool playing bass"... the key is ; if the bottom of the bass doesn't touch the ground at least once during every song, you ain't doing it right!

Oh. I was talking about trousers ;D

Hardcore bassline...

Star Belgrade - White Light Explosion

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christ, thats a quare tune..is that a glockenspeil type thing (the wooden percussion instrument?) looping the whole way through the tune?

PQ

I don't know.. I'll have to ask the drummer.

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How do you know the stage is level at a gig?
The drool is coming out both sides of the drummer's mouth.