Fender Rumble 40 Studio + DIY Fun?

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Maybe I’m a heretic or at least an outlier. But the half-year-plus since I bought this (as a total newbie at 59.5 to music-making), w/a third-hand 1995 Jazz MIM, I confess I’ve not been learning many notes–yet. I find it a relief to fool around with making noises along with my Spotify playlists on shuffle, so I never know what’s next. As I do concentrated mental work for a living, I want to ease off thinking, and worrying as I’m a perfectionist about getting everything just right in whatever system I face. So I let another part of my body (soul?) emerge a half-hour or so daily. I figure this is my therapy post-2020. I realize probably nobody on this forum may be “progressing” as such, but this has let me free up my hands, get used to moving about the frets, and given me confidence along with joy.

I know in time I will plug along with B2B (my wife keeps mocking me as I’m not a bad-ass yet) in its intended form for which I invested a considerable amount. But I wanted to know if 1) any of you have followed a similar lack of regimen for better or worse, at least for an interim 2) what kind of creativity have you found in playing with the settings to make setlist entries on the studio Rumble? It’s my adult toy, but I can’t figure out how to invent, say, a “dub” sound, or to make it accompany different genres in the way I “hear” settings I cannot reproduce. I call my present state improv bass…and in this DIY fumbling pumps the attitude that, at 16 in 1977, inspired me the year art-punk spread.

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That’s what we’re all doing in one way or another. I don’t think anyone on here is making serious money playing bass. I’m having fun, period.

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HI @DrJLMurphy

I think a lot all day too, and I have to say B2B is a lot less thinking and a lot more enjoyment than other courses. I think if you get going in it you will find you enjoy yourself a lot.
I also think you might enjoy your noise making tinkering more with Josh’s wisdom under your fingers.

As for the Studio, I had one.
I bought it because I really had no idea what type of amp I wanted and I figured it was a good way to trial many. It most certainly helped me make my decision, btw.
I must say I did not use many of the effects as I have a big pedalboard for that.
One thing I can say about replicating effects you hear, its a hard bit to nail. Many effects on bass are very subtlety used, or if combined make it tougher to unravel. Not sure what type of music you are trying to replicate but you might find adjusting tone on or pickups on your bass, then your EQ knobs on your amp will get you closer to a lot of what you are hearing vs. effects per se.

I do enjoy putting the practice material away and seeing what sounds I can make, everyone should. Instead of trying to match what you are hearing, try just messing with effects and see if anything starts to sound familiar to you, basically stumble on the music vs. searching for the tone. That’s what I was doing when i realized I started sounding like an old Ted Nugent guitar riff sound, and then just started figuring out the notes.

Noodling is great, but B2B is better.

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Playing around with an instrument, just making noises, learning to recognize intervals, playing songs you know or melodies you hear in your head is an extremely important part of becoming a competent musician. I think it’s more important than being able to play notes off of a page… just make sure that you’re learning something with your noodling.

If you want a sound like an 808 then you can use an octave pedal effect, a drive and an envelope filter. You might get some ideas here The 10 Greatest Synth Bass Lines Through History

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The only caveat I’m going to add to my earlier comment is something I heard Erich Andreas (Your Guitar Sage) say over on his channel when I was struggling with guitar a few years ago.
He said that 'There’s no magic pill to improving. You want to get better? then play at least 5 minutes a day. How good will you get with 5 mins a day? Not very, you’ll suck! So If you want to get better you have to practice a lot and sometimes that means eating your vegetables (scales, theory, playing with a metronome/drum track etc).
If you’re happy noodling, that’s great. But just be realistic about where you’ll be in a years time if all you ever do is noodle.
My polite suggestion is to learn one song the whole way through (no matter how simple). I was told this countless times when failing at guitar and didn’t listen. When I picked up bass I learned a complete song and then another. It’s been hands down the best thing to improve my playing.
YMMV

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I’d say this: Do whatever is fun to you.
I am kinda similar, I also like to fiddle around with sounds I can get with different effects. Pretty early in the beginning, I got it into my head to play the Bass solo in Invincible from Tool. Even got myself a bass whammy just for that.
I can play it okayish right now, the sound is still totally off, but I am getting there (I am aware that I am trying to get something similar with a lot less budget that would be needed to get there 100%).

I am 2/3 through B2B, and also get sidetracked a lot. But that is ok. I am doing this for fun, I am not on a schedule.

Though I strongly suggest to get through B2B at least 1/3 or so. I think around that point was for me where I really felt I got enough skill to get going and learn some songs I like. Before that point, it was kinda like: I want to learn that song! But my fingers just wouldn’t comply.

Like @Barney said, learning songs is a very good way to move forward.

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You have the right attitude, @Malyngo . . . :+1:

Cheers
Joe

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Thanks to everyone who’s kindly joined in the thread. I know it’s as if I’ve signed up for driving lessons and I’m in if not park than, say neutral, fiddling with the dashboard buttons! I look forward every day to pick up the bass for pleasure, not duty, and B2B is all about that.

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Absolutely. Right on.

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@DrJLMurphy

Just wanted to offer up a slightly different perspective, since my own experience sounds somewhat similar to what you are describing. (And wanted to offer support based on my path so far)

I started the course and bought a bass at age 56. I will be 60 next month, and I’m still less than half way through completing the modules! Currently going for the delayed completion record :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: hahaha.

But my journey so far has been a blast, and I cannot imagine going about it any other way. After spending probably 2 months initially with this course, I found myself taking what I was learning and devoting more time to writing my own simple riffs, using drum tracks. (And less time with the course) I was much more motivated to spend time practicing using drum beats, working on timing and being able to play in sync.

All that kind of happened organically without any plan- but looking back on it, I think at least for me it was a successful path and motivated me to pick up that bass at least for awhile every single day. It also helped to experiment with the same little bass riff combinations with a variety of different drum beats/genres/tempos/etc., and in doing so, helped develop my timing skills.

Here I am years later… I probably only jump back into the course for a short bit every 3 or 4 months. But I formed my own 90s cover band a few months ago, and that takes up the majority of my practice time these days. We have a growing set list of 10 songs so far, and because of my foundational lack of technique, proper learning of scales, basic music theory, etc, I am playing pretty basic versions of these tunes. (But as long as I can keep good timing with the drummer, I don’t think my band members seem to mind)

For me, this approach continues to work. I would say that it certainly just depends on what your personal goals are, how disciplined you are etc. If you can plow through the course, common sense says its better to walk before running! But for people with busy schedules and perhaps limited time, having fun, being creative, etc can keep you more motivated if you opt to go in more of an unconventional direction.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

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No matter what you’re doing as long as you are enjoying it that is all that counts :+1:

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