I bought a cheap bass a little while ago, the idea being that I could teach myself to play it (with a lot of help from Jack). I've been doing a bit of practice every now and then, and can play along with fairly simple songs now. The biggest problem is not having enough time. I feel that if I sat down for a couple of hours each day I'd be rocking out in no time. Also I jammed my finger playing basketball last week and it's still a bit sore so I haven't been doing too much slapping.
I've played sax for so long that I can do it without thinking, everything comes very naturally. Kind of like driving - you don't have to concentrate on slowing down to go round a corner or changing gears, you just do it. But on bass I'm still at the point where I have to really think about everything I'm doing... what note am I looking for, what string am I supposed to play, how do I get my fingers there in time. I'm looking forward to the day when it all just happens. For now I'm still on L-plates.
YO! Thought I'd sign up and add my unnecessary contribution to this wonderful Blog!
The last time I was in the JoyntMobile I don't remember you slowing down to go around corners..but maybe that was an exception.. Sounds like you'll be laying down the funky bass grooves in no time!
You could just do what James Morrison did; He mentioned in his autobiography "blowing my Own Trumpet" (http://www.theage.com.au/news/book-reviews/blowing-my-own-trumpet/2006/10/06/1159641512660.html) that when he was a young lad he spend an entire gig watching the fingers of the bass player in the band mezmorised by his perfect technique, it stuck with his and we went to bed that night thinking about the patterns and movement of the fingers as well as the progressions of the songs they played that night. The next morning he had the urgent desire to pick up a bass and try to play it..so he went to a friends place and said "I've gotta try something on your bass" ..and Hey presto! He could play the bass. Hmm ...bollox.
Oh and by the way a sore finger never stopped you slapping previously...or so I heard! ?
Oi! It'll all come together soon and you'll be bass playing with the best of them!- with the exclusion of perhaps James Morrison! Keep playing!
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