Learning Bass Roadmap

I’d 3rd @akos and @Bassdacious on their theory book recommendations - Music theory for the Bass Player by Ariane Cap. I looked at a few different books but in the end felt the extra money was worth it for a Bass specific theory book. Plus it includes videos relating to the book. Also, I like her teaching style.
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:+1: :+1: :+1:

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Yes she and the book are great. There’s a lot here. One of those ‘keep coming back to” resourses

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I think finding one roadmap for all is too hard.
All depends on what your goals are and where you want to focus your time.
It is fine to lay out a generic roadmap for 20 year olds in academic instruction, but when you are our age, with limited time, practicing/learning purposefully, efficiently and having fun are paramount.
To me, this can only happen if you know what you want to do, and know the tools you need to get there. Sort of like going to the doctor and having at least half an idea what’s going on before you get there.

I have to chime in here again in praise of Mark’s classes. Not only are they great but they opened my eyes to what I want to do first, and what I want to save for later.

I have essentially bought them all at this point and honestly have years of work ahead with them. They not only stand on their own but compliment other learning to a T.

When I did Chord Tones, I also was working through Ari Cap’s first book - they reinforced each other wonderfully.

I am working through the site reading course and by happenstance it is reinforcing some key things I am doing with my live instructor.
- all the live stuff is notation only, so there’s that
- with the live guy, doing something called ‘voice leading’ which is a simple series of roots where you explore all the possible arpeggios and ‘transition tones’ between roots. If you don’t know the notes on the fretboard, makes this much harder.
- Smandl technique - all in notation.

I started the slap course and some slap work with my live guy, but, decided to put this on hold for a few other things instead, like pick work and walking bass. Instead of slap, I was really motivated by @JerryP’s Tony Bennet cover and decided I wanted to do some more meandering noodling to find my own bass lines to play along with sax tunes over some more simpler chord changes. So slap will wait.

Net/net, don’t let anyone tell you how you should be learning, but rather be smart and active in understanding what you want to do and what you need to learn. Josh’s course gives you the right foundation and a glimpse into every aspect of playing. I think it is up to each person to roadmap their journey, whether it takes them into the MIDI rabbit hole, the effects rabbit hole or a serious study of improv ability, etc.

I have found the best tools for knowing all of this is the collective hive’s advise and perspectives here in this forum to help shape my own knowledge of what I want to do next (not not do next, in the case of MIDI, thank you @PamPurrs for confirming that :wink:.

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Thank you John!

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Nothing wrong with weaving through multiple rabbit holes either…

Actually, the MIDI rabbit hole is not as rabid as I made it out to be, in fact all my issues have been sorted. Come on down, we have candy…

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Oh for sure, my feet are firmly trapped in many….more holes than feet quite frankly

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This REALLY gets me.
There’s like this loyalty/commitment test that band leaders all want to get people to sign in blood… meanwhile, there are no gigs that matter, there’s no career, there’s just someone who is trying - with total futility - to avoid having people cancel/flake/miss a gig/etc.

It doesn’t happen in bands that are full time and touring.
It won’t happen with the garage band playing covers.

This loyalty/commitment pledge should be illegal until the band is paying all of your bills.

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Nice. :sunglasses: :+1:

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This REALLY gets me.
There’s like this loyalty/commitment test that band leaders all want to get people to sign in blood

I responded to one guy by saying I would commit to bring a 6 pack on a Saturday afternoon. He didn’t take too kindly to that and must have missed the “hobbyist seeking weekend band/jam buddies” title in my post.

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Best response you could give.
Keep it light and honest, and you’ll find a fun crew… eventually.

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This made me smile.

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So, that just ended up being a drip ad for the Player’s Path.

¯\_ (ツ) _/¯

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lol

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Scott (or his marketing team) is relentless in those emails. I get at least one a day from SBL, often more than one. I just delete them. I don’t unsubscribe because about one out of a hundred is something interesting to me.

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eBassGuitar is about the same. Relentless emails from James, but there are some decent lessons. I’m sticking with B2B, though. Josh’s course has gotten me to the place I never thought I’d be!

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…and relentless eyebrows

Welcome @gnubian, glad you are here.

Feel free to introduce yourself here.

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I’m thrilled to be here, @John_E! :wink:

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@gnubian still the same. I just bought the walking baselines books.
biggest problem I am having is everything is in tabs now and all my muso friends talks in chords or notes

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Yeah, when I get music to learn from my friends, it’s a lyric sheet with chords. No tabs or notes.

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