I just bought an electric bass- any suggestions for a new player?

Question

its a four string Ibanez- any advice about learning how to play?

Answer 1

Play till your fingers fall off. Also, try to play with other people that can show you things. It would be worth it to take lessons at a local music store, at least for a few months. Keep in mind that you are trying to learn how to teach yourself eventually. You can only learn so much from another player. The best thing anybody ever did for me was to teach me how to learn. How to teach myself.

Also, buy a pitch pipe, do not use an electric tuner. I have always believed that an electric tuner never allows you to train your ear. I now have near perfect pitch and can tune a guitar just by hearing where it should be. I can tune and out-of-tune guitar in less than a minute. And what's better, I can hear a note and know what it is and figure out the song. Let your ear get trained too.

Answer 2

If you really want to play it takes determination, patience and lots of practice. It takes determination in order to get your fingers to do things that they don't want to do.
Work on some finger stretching exercises. You have a decent bass. Getting instruction from a person is better than trying to learn from finding something online or from a book. that way you can learn from example.

Answer 3

Violent Femmes, Presidents of the United States of America, and Cake. They all have simple, yet prominent bass lines that are fun to play and distinctive sounding. Congratulations!

Answer 4

buy a book on bass basics and one with tab for songs you like. Also you might want private lessons.

Answer 5

BEST ADVICE FOR A NEW PLAYER IS TO GET SOME ONE THAT PLAYS MUCH MUCH BETTER THAN YOU!!!!

Answer 6

Practice, practice and more practice. And don't give up.