One year ago today, June 5, 2019, I received the inexpensive 4 string bass and tiny amplifier that I had ordered from Amazon. It was an early gift to myself to celebrate my 70th birthday.
I had long yearned to play bass but wasn’t sure if I’d stick with it, therefore I spent conservatively. After all, I had given up on drums in high school (kicked out of the band) and later while in my twenties, the trumpet. With that in mind, there was a good chance I would fail with the bass as well.
I floundered for the first couple of weeks after strapping on that cheap bass. I watched as many YouTube videos on playing the bass as I could find, purchased a passel of books, and signed up for a free trial at Scott’s bass lessons (which I cancelled within the trial period).
In my quest for knowledge, I came across a YouTube video explaining the best strap height. The video was presented by a laid back, humorous young fellow by the name of @JoshFossgreen . I began to follow Josh on YouTube, checked out BassBuzz, and soon decided it was him that I wanted to be my first bass teacher. I began the B2B course on June 15, 2019 and finished that September. Thank you Josh for kick starting a bass journey that should have begun decades ago.
Now, it’s a year later and not only have I stuck with the bass, I have become obsessed with perfecting my skills. It didn’t take long for me to replace that no-name bass with a 5 string Yamaha BB235, and then later adding a Ibanez SR375EF 5 string fretless. The cheap amplifier was quickly replaced with a Rumble 40, and later with a Rumble 100.
After finishing the B2B course, I completed another course on scales, where I learned every scale and mode. I then completed a course on chord tones, which provided me with a great insight into how chords are constructed and played on the bass as arpeggios, and how they’re affected by key signatures. I’m currently taking a sight reading course, with the goal of being able to instantly play any sheet of music without forethought. My next goal is to perfect my ears so I can identify tones and intervals. Yes, I’m obsessed.
My little practice area in a corner of the family room has grown into a mini music studio, which I have recently moved into the dining room (the dining room table has found it’s way into the family room). I mostly play fretless now, which I really love.
It’s been a great first year, which seems to have had a lifetime of music theory and playing skill crammed into it. I still have a long way to go, but I’m happy to have progressed from absolute beginner to where I am now. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of everyone here on the BassBuzz forum.
Congratulations @PamPurrs on your Bassiversary. Also a great big thank you for sharing your journey, it has for me been inspirational.
I also have appreciated your investigative journalism that you have brought to the forum. Looking forward to your new adventures when this lock-down is over.
Jamie
Happy bassiversary @PamPurrs, and thanks for inspiring me. I wish to follow in your footsteps.
I opted to not purchase the scales course you did, and opted for @JoshFossgreen ebooks and private lessons with the author. I do think that other courses will be in my future in parallel with lessons when I am comfortably thru the books.
I will sign up or buy any future content Bass Buzz offers of course.
Again, happy bassiversary, early happy birthday, and thanks for the other stuff too.
Your concern of giving up the instrument is one I share. I tend to obsess with one hobby to a certain degree of knowledge and then drop it. So far I am still enjoying myself and I am not as far in my journey as you are but for me it wasn’t a journey into bass playing, but a journey into music, music theory and everything around it.
I hope I can keep the flame alive when I have to start working full time in the office again.
Regarding ear training: I do it as a filler exercise when I got nothing else to do or have to wait for a few minutes on something. I think it’s one of the things one should practice often instead of for a long time. So maybe it would help you to already start with such filler exercises. Then again I can completely understand that you want to structure your approach and not learn everything at once.
Been there, done that! I figure if I get enuf Basses, there will always be one within arms reach when I am home, so they will a.ways be in my face screaming at m to play them.
I too wonder what will happen when I go back to work, but I don’t have to worry about that til November at the arliest, and even then, not sure if I am going t go back to what I have been doing for the past 27 years yet.
!