Music related stuff on eBay/Aliexpress/anywhere else - instruments, equipment, etc

[thominhose]

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DbcKNaAKHY

Berthoud gives some general principles in this video that I can fully agree with. The thing is that the amount of work you need to put into mastering the fundamentals (think of the principle of needing 10.000 hours to master a skill, of course training correctly) is not to be underestimated (and you just need to aggregate the numbers he mentions...). So looking at the awesome stuff that the world's best virtuosos on an instrument can perform is jaw dropping and an inspiration but seeing the end result hardly ever reveals the blood sweat and tears to get there (if you can get there...).
Tapping a piano pattern on a bass making it sound cool, I totally get that.
And I'm so bold to state, that I think it's similar to amp distortion that can make bland melodies epic and bloodless power chords mighty, and you really have to restrict your harmonics when using distortion as a downside.
But, considering the principles of economy of motion and form following function which is way less restricting for amplified string instruments compared to acoustic ones, I'm not sold on the idea of the bass guitar being the ultimate tool to perform this technique on. Placing something on your lap that can rest there well appears more intuitive.

[thominhose]

Since Berthoud also mentions the ear training and ensemble music playing at a stage as early as possible. It'd be worthwhile taking this test:
https://www.themusiclab.org/quizzes/miq

I did so a few months ago out of interest and in each of the categories i was slightly below average. Bummer. 
I can only hope that there's some bias in participants in so far that mostly skilled/interested people take it.
Why do I mention this? If you're on the god tier, in many instances you can simply skip the tedious process of translating working sheets or tabs into muscle memory and get down to business right away, which constitutes the fun.
Consider Beato who is never shy of analysing chord progressions. What to make of this:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9sR7kdh_qs


Is there any lowest denominator on musical theory that rationalises why this intro is that way and not another?  Or is it essentially, as he names it: Because it sounds cool. How would you come up with that if it's not either Fagen's or Becker's brain somehow aeady knew what sounds it wanted to evoke right away.

[Like Ra]

My point is - there is no only one correct way of using an instrument. Any way is correct, as long as it allows you to express yourself through that instrument.

[Like Ra]

The cool thing is: we watch the same channels 😉
(and have similar fetishes 😋 )

[Like Ra]

Beato

A side note: I subscribed to Rick's ear training course, but I'm not convinced, that it's the best way for the money (even with 50% discount). I still prefer smartphone apps. More convenient, funny, playful, and cheaper.

[Like Ra]

seeing the end result hardly ever reveals the blood sweat and tears to get there (if you can get there...).

The most important thing is having fun. Without fun, what's the point in all those "blood, sweat & tears", especially, if "the end result" might be far from expected?

I'm with Victor Wooten here... I wish I had a teacher like him (or even anybody from Wooten's family, they are all incredible)...

[thominhose]

Sure without intrinsic fun, it's absolutely pointless (except if you're incredibly talented and make a living of it, but I don't think that can be the case and those folks in the entertainment industry that are successful with horrible "music" simply have no taste [life is unfair!!!] or a high pain threshold). But I wonder if it is a guaranteed great experience being taught by demi-gods which may not even be aware of the challenges us mere mortals face. But what do I know, considering the fact that a bunch of very accomplished names were taught by Joe Satriani, became famous before he himself rose to fame. 😉

[Like Ra]

I wonder if it is a guaranteed great experience being taught by demi-gods which may not even be aware of the challenges us mere mortals face.

I watched some videos from Vix Woods camps (Victor Wooten school - https://www.vixcamps.com) - and they are incredible! For example, only yesterday I learned, that Divinity Roxx (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinity_Roxx) skyrocketed after such a camp with Victor.

Just bookmarking:

https://www.inlander.com/spokane/victor-...id=7618784
https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2020/06/25...or-wooten/

[Strappado]

I think you got it, fun is essential. Work is too, but that only comes when there is enough fun...

On electric guitar, "Smoke on the Water" is a classic that people learn fairly soon. No idea, what song it is on bass, but I strongly recommend the prominent (i.e. what you hear) bass line on "Hey Joe" by Jimmy Hendrix. Starting on 2:19 here:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXwMrBb2x1Q
. Don't look for sheet music, just do it by ear. that is the best ear training you can get, and this recording is pretty clear, good for a start. If you don't get all notes right, who cares. Eventually you might, or you can fill in the gaps to your liking. This song actually covers a lot of bass playing in "classical pop music", and it is not really hard to play, once you figured out, where to grab the notes on the fretboard.

This is not the fastest way to go shredding all over the fretboard, but that's not real bass playing anyway. A good bass structures the sound on the lower end and a missing bass is often easier to hear than a well played one. A lot of songs will fall apart if you take away the bass (or the drums), so that is a good idea to keep in mind when learning. Of course, that also means good timing and cooperation with the drums, which requires good listening. Idea: Check, how bass and drums play together on "Hey Joe" (and many other pieces).

By the way, learning from the gods is nice, but can be extremely frustrating. Especially, if they explain, what they do, saying stuff like "look, it is very simple", smile into the camera and then play something you consider absolutely impossible. Well, teachers can be even worse at this. I always set my standards high on a low profile, meaning, that in public I tried to stick to what I could actually handle and played it as well as I could. If you like rock music, you could listen to the french group "Telephone" and pay attention to the bass. The bass player considered herself almost incapable, but but what she did was exactly, what the music needed. For example:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnJGquPm4o0


I only read quickly through this thread and I think, you got some hardware that hopefully works now. As for software, you could check for "Cakewalk", free version available at bandlab, which is a nice music community (mostly because the distribute this piece of software 😉). Cakewalk comes with a variety of good effects, which will add to the fun while playing bass. You can also use plugins from other programmers, many of them also for free. Pre-amps plugged into your computer are nice too, but you have to pay for them and you are stuck with what they can do. The drawback of (not only) Cakewalk is, that you need a while to figure out how to use it and that is time you could spend practising.

I could go on for hours, but that won't help you and I have to go to bed!

Have fun with your bass!

[Like Ra]

"Hey Joe" by Jimmy Hendrix.

Your mentioning Hendrix is very interesting, out of the guitar Gods, he's easily the only one I can't listen to. Tried many times - 2min max... 😆

By the way, learning from the gods is nice, but can be extremely frustrating. Especially, if they explain, what they do, saying stuff like "look, it is very simple", smile into the camera and then play something you consider absolutely impossible. Well, teachers can be even worse at this.

Have you heard of Wooten brothers, or Victor Wooten? 😏

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA_A1aXlMTw


That's the way to teach!