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Frequently Asked Questions by Beginning Bass Players

This site is continually under construction, so check back for updates. Send comments or suggestions to: jclyerly@hotmail.com

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Table of Contents

  1. How do I buy a good bass?
  2. How about an amplifier?
  3. Should I get a combo or a head and cabinet?
  4. What about effects?
  5. Do you give brand or model recommendations?
  6. Where can I find a good bass teacher?
  7. Is it a good idea to start out on guitar?
  8. Which bass players should I be listening to?
  9. Should I take formal lessons?
  10. How often and how long should I practice?
  11. How can I keep from getting into a rut?
  12. Should I learn to read music?
  13. Can you recommend some good method books?

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How do I buy a good bass ?

You can get a decent, "workhorse" bass for surprisingly little money, but don't skimp on basic quality. Shop around, and take
a knowledgeable friend with you. Here are some things to look for:

  • Sound -- This is, after all, the whole point of music, isn't it? Your ears are the ultimate judge here. One tip -- listen to each bass you intend to buy unplugged. If it sounds bad unamplified, no amplifier in the world will make it sound good.
  • Feel -- How does the neck feel under your hands (see the "Action" category below)? How is the balance? Play it sitting down and standing up. Does the body fit nicely against your waist? Are the controls solid and conveniently placed but enough out-of-the-way so you don't accidentally whack the volume control at just the wrong moment? Is the cable-jack in a good location? Almost all these criteria are subjective; you are the only judge. If it doesn't feel right, don't buy it, no matter how good a deal they tell you it is.
  • Noise -- You don't want any. Try out a prospective purchase through more than one amp, if possible, or through your own amp, if you already own one, in order to tell the difference between amp-noise and bass-noise. Very few basses are totally quiet through any but the best amps; you will hear at least some hiss, especially if your amp uses tubes. What you should avoid like the plague is the loud constant hum that comes from power line radiation via your pickups, or from your amp's power supply. Not only will this kind of noise ruin your sound, but it could present a serious safety problem.
  • Action -- This could actually come under the "feel" heading, but I think it's important enough to warrant its own category. Your strings should not be so low they buzz on the frets and cause false notes, nor should they be so high that playing becomes difficult and intonation is affected (see below).
  • Intonation -- Does it play in tune in all positions, all the way up the neck? A quick test: for each string, sound the harmonic at the 12th fret, and then the fretted note at the same fret. The notes should be identical - down to the cent. Good basses have adjustable bridges to fix any problems in this area, since intonation will change slightly every time you change string gauges or adjust the neck. For your first bass, have the store adjust this for you (and check it to be sure it's right) or if it's a private purchase, check it and take it to a repair shop. Checking and setting intonation is a skill that all bass-players should eventually acquire.
  • Extra Doodads -- As a beginner, you don't need 'em. Heck, for that matter, I've been playing for over 30 years, and I don't need 'em! Keep it simple.
  • Maker -- Don't be too hung up on brand names. I've seen pure junk with famous names on the headstock, and pure gold from off-names or no names. Your ears and your hands are a much better indicator of quality than any label.
  • Price -- Get the best equipment you can afford. Know what size, power, and features you want, shop around, listen before you buy, and be a hard-nosed bargainer; that way you'll get the best equipment for your money. You should be able to get a good, work-horse quality bass for around $250.00, and a good practice amp for about the same.
  • Strings -- Flat, round, or "ground-round?" What gauge? For an old-fashioned (excuse me - "classic") jazz, blues, or Motown sound, use the heaviest gauge flat-wound strings you can get. For a more modern, "funky" sound with lots of snap and bite, use round-wounds. "Ground-rounds" are a compromise; they are round strings that have been ground down on the surface to give a smoother, flatter feel. Their sound is somewhere between flats and rounds. Use what sounds and feels good to you.
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How about an amplifier?

As a beginner, you certainly don't need a stadium-sized earth-shaker. To learn, get something relatively small that can handle the low end. Be sure to get a bass amp however; you can seriously damage a guitar amp's speaker by running bass through it, and it won't sound that good anyway. A headphone jack is a nice idea too, especially if you live with or near others who might not appreciate the vibratory epiphaenomena accompanying your musical excursions. Just be sure that your headphones can handle an extended low-end. Also, when listening to any amp you're thinking of buying, listen to it with its tone controls and EQ set flat. A versatile EQ is nice to have, but if you have to radically adjust the EQ all the time just to get a decent sound, try another amp. My practice amp has a 10" speaker and puts out 25 watts, which is perfect for practice, and yes, it has a headphone jack. Once you start playing in a band or with other musicians, you can move up to something more powerful, depending on the type of music you play. For low-to-medium power gigs, a 100-watt amp through a 12" speaker is fine; for a little more power try 150 - 200 watts through a 15" speaker. For serious head-banging, there really is no upper limit. But remember, until you can hire roadies, you will be humping all your gear around by yourself! Oh, and please take care of your hearing!
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Should I get a combo amp or a head and cabinet?

This depends on several things - price, power, weight, and, of course, personal taste. My feeling is that combos are good up to about 300 watts or so. Beyond that, they get to be too heavy to lug around, and too bulky to fit in the trunk - or even the back seat - of the average automobile (I'm assuming, of course, that you will be lugging your own gear around all by yourself). Anything bigger than this will require a separate head and cabinet, just to keep from damaging yourself, if for no other reason. With any kind of amp, of course, the final decision must be based on what kind of sound you want. Strike a balance between you ears, your wallet, and your back!
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What about Effects?

First of all, decide if you really need to use effects at all. Can you get the sound you want without them, using only the controls on your bass and amplifier? If you can, then this is the way to go - not only for bassists, but for guitarists as well. For example, Jack Casady gets his famous roaring overdrive sound not from an effect pedal, but by feeding a line out from his main amp into a smaller amp, overdriving that, and miking the overdriven sound from the smaller amp through the PA system.

I rarely use effects myself, since I mainly play blues, which usually calls for a deep, clean sound. However, back in the days when I played more rock, I used a number of effects, and I still occasionally drag one or two out of storage for special occasions.

Not too long ago, bass players were stuck having to use guitar effects, and had to search high and low to find the few guitar effects that sounded decent for bass. This was because most guitar effects emphasized the upper ranges and cut the bottom end drastically. We had to either radically alter our EQ settings, or resort to such tricks as splitting the signal into clean and effects paths, and emphasizing the bottom end on the clean side to compensate for the losses on the effects side. Lately, however, effects for bass have come into their own, and most manufacturers of guitar effects now make versions which (they claim) are tailored for bass.

Herewith a list of the most popular effects types with a bit of commentary:

  • Distortion: The ever-popular "fuzz-box". Available in bass specific models from several manufacturers. Listen to alot of them; each has its own color, flavor, and texture.
  • Overdrive: Similar to distortion, but usually less "violent"; sounds more like an amp turned up loud rather than on the verge of meltdown. Also available in bass-specific models.
  • Flanger: Gives a weird, swirling sound to the bass. I used one of these in my "70's Mellow Pop" days. It made my bass sound like it was made of rubber and being played underwater. Very few bass-specific models.
  • Phase Shifter: The classic effect for guitar; I haven't seen any bass-specific models. If you have, let me know, and also tell me what you think of the sound.
  • Chorus: Adds a shimmering quality to the signal. Some people like the way bass sounds through a chorus; Your mileage may vary. I've seen a few made especially for bass.
  • Wah-wah: Adds an "articulated" sound to the bass, more suited to melodic work than groove-keeping. Available in bass-specific models.
  • Equalizer: Handy for sudden radical shifts in tone. Available in bass-specific models, this is one of the few effects I sometimes find useful in a blues format. They come in two basic varieties: graphic and parametric. Graphic equalizers allow you to shape your overall sound; Parametric equalizers allow you to zero in on and boost or cut specific bands. I use both types.
  • Noise Gate: Not really an effect per se; it's handy for quieting noisy single coil pickups when you're not actually playing. If you don't want (or can't afford) to switch to humbucking pickups, this might come in handy. I still find this useful on occasion.
  • Compressor: Evens out your signal across strings and from soft vs. loud playing. Better for recording than live playing, and since any studio will have a better one than can be put in a pedal, it's not really useful to own. Available in bass-only models.
  • Direct Box: Again, not an effect per se, but it will save the day if your amp doesn't have an XLR line out. This will allow your bass signal to feed into a PA system or recording console.
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Can you give me some brand and model recommendations?

See the "Working Gear" link on my main page. If I didn't like that stuff I wouldn't use it.

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Where can I find a good bass teacher ?

Well, first of all, if you're in or near Silver Spring, MD, drop me a line at jclyerly@hotmail.com ! The first thing to do, however, is decide on what style of bass-playing you want to learn. What do you listen to? There are all sorts of styles - Rock, Blues, Country, Folk, Jazz, etc., and any combination thereof. Beginners often take lessons from a music store, and this is fine. The teachers are often either professional musicians or college- or graduate-level music majors (or both). You might get a better deal form a private teacher who works out of his or her home - less overhead. As you progress, you will want to learn from a teacher who plays professionally the type of music you want to play. That way you can get advice about the "nitty-gritty" of being a professional musician (and decide if that's really what you want to do) as well as just musical instruction. If you see someone whose playing really knocks you out, ask them if they teach or would at least be willing to give you a lesson or two. You can learn alot from just a single one-on-one session from a really competent musician!
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Is it a good idea to start out on guitar?

Well, if you've already been playing guitar, you certainly don't want to forget what you already know! As a general principle, it's always a good idea to have at least some familiarity with another instrument, particularly one that is played by people you will be working with. Being able to "read" a guitarist's or keyboardist's hands in "real time" is a handy skill to have. Some years ago I worked for one of those "alphabet-soup" government agencies where I was taught to read upside-down and backwards, so I could read everything on people's desks as I sat across from them. I found that this came in very handy for working with keyboardists. I also find it handy to go to the guitar or keyboard on occasion for theory work, learning the basic structure of a new tune, etc.
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Who are some bass players I should be listening to ?

The answer depends, of course, on what style of playing you want to do. Below I present a table of some of the major bass-players (in my opinion) for each style with which I am familiar. Some are artists in their own right, with major releases out under their own names, and some are strictly sideplayers. Note also that some appear under more than one category.
Jazz Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Rufus Reid, Scott LaFaro, Paul Chambers
Blues Jack Casady, Willie Dixon, Tommy Shannon, Jerry Jemmott, Brewer Phillips*
Rock Jack Casady, Carol Kaye, John Entwhistle, Paul McCartney
Fusion Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke
Country David Hungate, Dave Pomeroy
Soul/Motown/R&B/Funk James Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Duck Dunn, Bootsy Collins
*Actually, Brewer Phillips is not a bass player; he played rhythm guitar behind the late Hound Dog Taylor. But since the Hound Dog did not work with a bass player, it fell to Brewer to provide some of the bluesiest, funkiest bass lines I have ever heard, in addition to his fantastic rhythm chops. In fact, when I first heard the Hound Dog's live album Beware of the Dog, I wasn't sure at first whether it was guitar or bass doing the backup work! His lines are well worth studying by all bass players.
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Should I take formal lessons?

Yes, if you can afford them. Here again, you should shop around, and don't be afraid to switch teachers if you are dissatisfied with the teacher you have, or feel you've gone as far with your present teacher as you can go. See the section on finding a teacher (above). If you can't afford "formal" lessons, you can be creative about finding "informal" instruction. Get a good method book (see below), especially one that comes with a CD or tape, listen to alot of music, both in and beyond your chosen style, and seek out other bass players for tips. We're a friendly, supportive bunch, for the most part (it's the nature of the instrument, I think), and most will be glad to show beginners a thing or two, especially if you ask politely and maybe buy us a drink between sets....
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How often and how long should I practice?

The simple answer to this question is "as often and as long as possible." The great Jazz sax player Charlie Parker used to tell stories about how he drove his neighbors crazy by practicing ten or eleven or more hours a day -- every day. Most working musicians adhere to this bit of wisdom: "If I miss a day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the band notices it. If I miss three days, everybody notices."
For beginners, a good practice routine would be half-an-hour a day four days a week, for starters, going to an hour a day five days a week after six months, and then, when things get serious, two hours a day six or seven days a week, or as close to that as you can get. Practice should be divided among the following topics: reading (real reading, not just tab!), theory, technique, and learning new tunes and new ways to play old tunes. Tape your practice sessions, work with records and play-alongs, get a buddy to run changes for you while you put lines to them, and if you play another instrument like guitar or keyboards, record some changes and tunes you can play back and practice against. And always work with a metronome! Drum machines are cool, but they can fool you with "fancy footwork." Set a good basic beat on a metronome and work with that to really get your time down solid.
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How can I keep from getting into a rut?

When I find that I am in a rut when practicing or playing, it's because my brain has become disconnected from my fingers, my ears, my eyes, or all of the above. What you need is a challenge! Ruts are cause by the Same Old Thing, so you have to ditch that Same Old Thing, or at least put it on hold for a while, and get into Something New. One obvious solution is to play with different people, in different styles, and in different places. Keep an eye out for new musical experiences and new educational opportunities. This requires Conscious Effort, and can be intimidating. For example, I recently attended a weekend jazz improvisation clinic at Montgomery College in Rockville, MD, held by Jamey Aebersold. Now, I'm a blues and rock player, and let me tell you, trying to read jazz charts and hold my own against a room full of horns really kept me on my toes. It actually put blisters on my fingers for the first time in 3 years! That weekend gave me a whole new perspective on playing, practicing, and just "doing music" in general (thanx, Jamey!). I'm still assimilating and processing that weekend, and I'm sure it'll be a long time before I find myself in another "rut." My weekend at Fur Peace Ranch (see link on main page) was another "rut buster." Keep your eyes open for opportunities like this, and you'll never have to worry about getting into a rut.
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Should I learn to read music?

You betcha! All musicians should be able to read standard musical notation for their instruments. This is not to say that you must become a super sight-reader, just be able to tell what's happening on the page. Lord knows, I'm certainly not a session-caliber sight reader -- anything fancier than a dotted-eighth-and-sixteenth note figure makes my eyes go all blurry -- but that's enough for me to do most of what I need to do. However, if you want to become a professional, first-call session player, you absolutely must become fluent in the standard written language of music. BTW, see some of Carol Kaye's books for tips on sight-reading, and check out her website, www.carolkaye.com for more tips on all areas of professional bass-playing.
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Can you recommend some good method books?

I've used many books, from introductory methods to advanced tutors to "fake books", to learn and teach from. You should also look into instructional videos and "play-alongs." Below are listed some of my favorites:

Publisher

Author

Title 

Mel Bay

 Roger Filiberto

Mike Hiland		 Mel Bay's Electric Bass Method 1&2 (CD available)
Electric Bass Position Studies
Mel Bay's Complete Blues Bass Book (CD available)
Hal Leonard




 Ed Friedland


Dr. Licks
Keith Rosier
Jerry Jemmott
Gary Willis

 Jazz Bass (w/ CD)
Building Walking Bass Lines (w/ CD)
Expanding Walking Bass Lines (w/ CD)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (w/ CD)
Jump'n'Blues Bass (w/ CD)
Jerry Jemmott Blues and R&B Bass Techniques (w/ CD)
Fingerboard Harmony for Bass (w/ CD)
Jamey Aebersold Jamey Aebersold Check out all of his play-alongs, esp. 1, 2, 21, 24, 30, 54 (w/ CDs)
Homespun Tapes Jack Casady The Bass Guitar of Jack Casady (video)
Sher Music

 Chuck Sher
Chuck Sher & Marc Johnson
Mark Levine 		The Improviser's Bass Method
Concepts for Bass Soloing (w/ tapes)
The Jazz Theory Book
Charles Colin Bugs Bower Chords and Progressions for all Bass Clef Instruments
Cherry Lane Music Ray Brown Ray Brown's Bass Method
Myriad Rufus Reid The Evolving Bassist
Alfred
 Carol Kaye
 Electric Bass Lines 1-6
How to Play Electric Bass
CPP Belwin Jerry Coker et al. Patterns for Jazz (for Bass Clef Instruments)

Finally, here's a freebee to get you started: Bass Scales and Arpggios
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