New Thumper for Jesus

JesusFreakFMK · 05-26-2010, 11:30 AM

Been playing about six months. Bought an Ibenez starter set up.

Understand root notes, chords and scales. Don’t have them memorized, but understand how they work around the fretboard. Have the frets memorized on the E & A. I’m jamming with a few friends playing some covers of popular Christian songs. Got some good feedback from some more experience musicians that says I need to work a little more on my timing. I come in a little early at times and late at others. All ears if you can help!

Also, could use some knowledge of bass set up, like adjusting pick ups knobs etc. Don’t know what I’m doing in that area.

I’m thirsting for more, love learning and playing. Any advice would be great!

Brother thumper in Jesus

Ethan.Bassist. · 05-26-2010, 03:10 PM

Do you have a pic or something of the bass you have?

I attached an image of mine with explanations of the knobs. ...Those were in my younger youth group days where a girls' sunglasses. Cuz we were cool like that!

And regarding the other stuff. Just practice and experience. Other than playing at church and stuff, I just learned mostly by playing with music I listened to (IMO, tabs are good to start out with) and practicing scales from time.

And welcome!

...Oh, and I should say, the one pictured is an Ibanez as well. What kind do you have? Does it have 3 or 4 knobs?

Ashleigh · 05-26-2010, 04:13 PM

My advice would be play with a drummer as often as you possibly can, that is key for building good timing. If you can't play with a drummer playing along to cds is good too.

roscoestring · 05-26-2010, 09:34 PM

Play with anyone that you can as often as you can.

Youtube is good to play along with.
A pic of the bass would be helpful in explaining the knobs and such.

JesusFreakFMK · 05-28-2010, 04:59 PM

Don't know why, but I cannot figure out where to put the pic attachment. Feel like a fool. Anyway, it has three knobs.

**JesusFreakGirl** · 05-28-2010, 08:13 PM

The key to my learning was and still is playing with as many people as possible as often as possible, and when you must play alone, the metranome and singing is your friend. also studying your music is your friend. get to know where the rythmn guitar moves and how the drums set to a song and just slide right into that and keep the rythmn tight. Also, its helpful to remember when you move up the neck (where the frets are shorter) the notes repeat themselves after your double dot mark. (so you can play an open E, or play the E string on the double dot fret and you're playing an E again). Also, learn as many notes as possible in one position so that you don't have to move your hand around a lot when you play.

Ethan.Bassist. · 05-28-2010, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesusFreakFMK

Don't know why, but I cannot figure out where to put the pic attachment. Feel like a fool. Anyway, it has three knobs.

Okay, I suppose that's all we need to know.
I'm going to guess that the one closest to the neck is the volume for the pickup that's closest to the neck.
The next knob down would be volume for the other pickup closest to the bridge.
And the third one down I'd say is probably tone.

Anyone want to back me up on that?

Oh, and to attach an image or any attachment, go to "go advanced" then scroll to the bottom of the page where I think it says "manage attachments" then click on one of the slots and add a pic.

Ashleigh · 05-28-2010, 10:42 PM

Quote:

for me, musicians without metronome is a noob.

Um... well I've been playing bass for 9 years and have never used a metronome, i don't even own one. Over the years many musicians I have played with have commented on how solid my bass playing and overall rhythm is. I guess metronome's work for some people though.

Ethan.Bassist. · 05-29-2010, 01:19 AM

yeah, I never used a metronome because I always played with recorded songs. Like cds. I should practice more with one though at least with the full band. I hate doing it though. At my old church at youth group for practice we would mic the metronome and bring it up in the house and monitors to just under feedback levels and then we practiced. I hated it. and I usually never count the exact beats...like if a song is in 65 or something i'll count it in 130. I like eighth notes.

**JesusFreakGirl** · 05-29-2010, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethan.Bassist.

Okay, I suppose that's all we need to know.
I'm going to guess that the one closest to the neck is the volume for the pickup that's closest to the neck.
The next knob down would be volume for the other pickup closest to the bridge.
And the third one down I'd say is probably tone.

Anyone want to back me up on that?

Sounds right to me

rexherring · 07-11-2010, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesusFreakGirl

Sounds right to me

Should be rignt. The Ibanez GSR190 is the usual bass in the starter kits and that is how mine is.

kent56p · 07-29-2010, 12:52 PM

Congrats on wanting to play bass. Christian Guitar is a very good community indeed. I come here to get away from the musician boards that I'm part of that are dominated by secular viewpoints for good and bad. You could join, or at least check out Talkbass.com which is a bass players community full of all kinds of advice and chat in it's many topic forums geared for bass players from beginners to working pro's. There are also other christian bass players there. I'm not dissing this community by the way. I'm just pointing out another rescource for a young musician that could prove to be valuable to them.

Anyways congrat's on wanting to play in the deep end of the musical pool. It's fun.