is learning to play the bass guitar hard?

Answer 1

Surftele is right on the money. You get out of it what you put into it. And, what are your goals in playing the bass?

If you want to play bass in a rock band, or something like that, learning to play the bass will be an easier task, as opposed to wanting to play in a jazz band or wanting to play professionally, which will take years of study and preparation.

If the first goal is what you desire, start by compiling recordings of all the songs you wish to learn. Listen to them over and over until you get to the point where you can sing the entire bass part as you listen. This is very important. You must sing along because it will train your ear to hear the low end more skillfully.

Once you can do that, you should be able to pick out the notes of each bass line on the instrument. Of course, start with the easier tunes, ones that don't jump around so much. As you find the notes, you'll also be training your playing technique. Hopefully you aren't playing with a pick (leave them to the guitarist) and are starting to use your first two fingers (index and middle). At that point, now all you need is about one hundred hours of practice on the instrument, to make it through a rehearsal with a group of like-minded musicians. Another one hundred hours to get good at what you're doing. And another hundred to where you are ready to play for an audience.

Basically, practice your craft. No one listens to bands (for very long at least) if they can't even make it through their own set list. Once you are ready, find venues to play. Most of the time, they'll be free and won't pay you a dime. But name and face recognition is the key to getting invited back and to getting new gigs as well. Eventually, you'll get paid.

Now if you want to play professionally, or just to play the harder styles of music, like jazz, you will probably need to invest in some private instruction. Not saying that you HAVE to have it (I, myself, am a self-taught bassist), but it will make things easier in the long run. Second, play in every group you can - your school concert band, the school jazz band, jam with your friends, etc. Third, and most important, learn how to read music!!!

I can't stress this one enough. LEARN HOW TO READ THE NOTES ON THE PAGE!!!! Sorry to yell, but if you really are serious about getting above the level of an amateur bassist, you need this skill nowadays. Bassists get hired by how well they play the first time they see a new chart. We are, after all, the tonal foundation for the whole group. If we make too many mistakes, we don't get hired again.

Knowing how to read music often means not only how to read the notes on the page, but the chord changes as well. Do you know what a major chord is? a minor chord? what the notes of a particular chord are?

Now do you see why you might want instruction? It's hard to learn all of that if you don't have any help. The only reason I am able to play professionally on the bass is because I mastered the trombone as well as music theory many, many years ago. Then it was just a step over to the left to apply what I knew to playing the bass.

I definitely don't want to rain on your parade, but there are certain realities about this goal that you should know. There is always a need for a good bassist out there. Hopefully, you find the inspiration along the way, because the challenge involved will cause much perspiration. But that's the way it is. Music is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

Good luck
VT

p.s. If you want to contact me with more questions, feel free to do so.

Answer 2

Learning to play bass well enough to play basic rock and roll is not hard. Learning to play the bass with a great deal of skill is very difficult, but worth the effort.

Answer 3

Not very hard, but it takes its practice. It is kind of boring if you're not in a band cause the bass is meant to accompany all the other instruments. ATM I am learning to play the guitar and my teacher tells me that the bass is simpler to learn; so it's up to you really!

Answer 4

It's not that hard - you can't be lazy and depend on tab. Learn some jazz and get a real book and learn your scales and modes. This will help you when you are working on your bass lines. Also, listen to a variety of music and keep your ears open for the bass lines in songs....

Answer 5

Bass is probably the easiest instument to just pick up and play. You can do simple bass lines quite easily within a few days of practising but to really get good at bass takes quite a while. Just stick at it and you'll get there.

Answer 6

Well that all depends on your definition of hard. I would learn basic guitar first. Bass guitar isn't too fancy, you are just really in the background but it is necessary and has a big impact in rock.

Answer 7

no, it's really simple, probably one of the easiest instruments to learn. I've been playing the violin for seven years and recently picked up bass guitar and I guess it's easy for me because I already know music.

Answer 8

It depends on whether you can think in terms of base lines instead of rythym or lead lines.
My exgirlfriend wanted to play bass (she was an acoustic player). The thicker strings were hard for her, and then she found she couldn't think in terms of bass lines.
But, if you like bass and have time to practice, by all means you go girl!

Answer 9

No harder than any other art form. Remember this... music has both a mathematical side( tones, counts, meter etc.) and an artistic side... (feeling, groove, emotion etc.) Many great musicians could not even write their own names never mind read music. That however is no excuse for you not to learn to read music as well as study theory. It will only make you a better musician.

Answer 10

not if you practice and work really hard at it and if you do that then you'll be the best at it