Me too. Things would have been so much easier.
100%, and I don’t think anyone is saying otherwise. In the end the mission is to have fun making noise.
It’s not like a binary choice though; you don’t have to sacrifice playing to learn song structure and basic harmony, or vice versa. Just like practice, it’s simply about putting in the time.
That is literally all it is.
As for learning to read music - I don’t think it’s really that difficult. In fact I bet almost anyone here could pick up the basics needed to get something valuable out of it in under an hour, and then after that like Al says, it’s practice reading it.
There’s a lot of value in basic music literacy even if you can’t play to sight reading at full speed. I’ve only been able to do that on two instruments (neither of which were bass) and it’s still super valuable for me for bass.
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I started piano lessons at 8. I started working with a philharmonic soloist at 10. I’ve been reading sheet music almost as long as I’ve been reading words.
Being able to read music got me into my high school madrigals group. 13 members. 7 part harmony (2 first soprano, 2 second soprano, 2 first alto, 2 second alto, tenor, 2 baritone, 2 bass). I was the second-best tenor who tried out, but I got in because none of the other 12 could read sheet music well enough to see a 7-note chord (the starting pitches) and play it. Before each song, I had to go to the piano and arpeggio down the 7 notes, first soprano first. Madrigals are sung a cappella and you have to know your line. Madrigals are like 7 solos going on at the same time.
You may have noticed that there was only one tenor. Lordy, did I have to work hard on my intervals. I had no one to get my line back from if I lost pitch control.
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Yes absolutely especially with reading.
You’d have to walk a fine line with theory our drummer and keys are music major graduates so technically they know more and deeper than the guitarist an I, but we usually don’t talk shop especially in front of another bands. We see that all the time and it came off as a know it all. We just stay off the topic as the house band. It tends to rub people the wrong way face to face. It’s better that they think that we’re just the local hicks than trying to match wits with the FOB experts full of knowledge, 
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I have made $20 so far reading tab 
Lots of good points from @Al1885 @Ed @MikeC and @howard
I think we should also remember that a lot of beginners on here (myself included) are late learners.
That means work, family and other commitments can eat into practice time. So I’m firmly in the have fun making noise first camp and leave the theory for later once you’ve worked in your timing, groove, feel etc.
One of our guitarists knows a lot of theory and will tell me all about it. He can’t keep time for shit though. 
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I’m in the camp of learning in parallel. I can read some music theory in the bathroom stall but co-workers look at me funny when I drag a bass in there.
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Absolutely!
Also, I noticed (being almost f#cking 60 now), that it’s very hard to learn stuff when you get older. It’s not impossible (as nothing is impossible), but it’s very slow, tedious and sometimes very frustrating, especially when you compare your current self to your former self.
You can make up this disadvantage with discipline, but it takes out some of the fun!
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As a child, I had a few years of solfège (3 if my memory is correct). I dropped out because of conflicting schedules with sports.
I started bass almost five years ago and haven’t dared looking into notation yet, feeling overwhelmed and discouraged 
Right now, I manage to find the right notes on the fretboard most of the time and have acquired some knowledge of music theory: key, chord progressions, minor, major, blues and dominant.
That’s more than enough for getting through a blues jam already.
I might get back to notation at some point (or not) 
Hardest part for me was not messing up conversion of notes names between Romance and English names 
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Thanks for the video!
When I think about the circle of fifths… well, my language students can often recite little sentences to memorize things - but can’t apply the thing (“i before e…”).
My girlfriend also says that her parents pushed music so hard and with such an annoying pseudo-academic edge that she quit playing the flute. Must be something about flutes. On the flipside, she sometimes picks up my bass and I see a punk rocker in her… she just wails away at the strings, I love it! 
Me, I have read too much and can therefore memorize theory and jargon quite well. Which is great, when your fingers can’t back it up - not. 
In theory, you can never learn enough. I really, really like the concept that you should learn what you need for your next goal - and have fun. Thanks @JoshFossgreen
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Actually, can someone explain to me how to build a ninth chord? All I know is that I add the next note after the octave to make it a bit “interesting”. I’d love to see a good example of how this sounds and why it’s cool sometimes, and sometimes not.
Cheers,
Antonio
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A keyboard is the best tool for demonstrating chords. Here is a good explanation of how a ninth chord is built and used in a progression.
To really learn how bass intervals, arpeggios, and chords are made and used on a bass, the Chord Tones Essentials course by Talking Bass is the gold standard for any bassist.
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I love this video.
I also love theory.
I also love the focus on where you want to be.
In my experience, setting an honest goal is the trickiest part. Most of my students start out wanting to know everything and play everything… but only practice for level 1 or 2.
Once that happens, the theory tends to leak out of lessons, and the focus shifts to the things that are manageable with less time/investment.
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Leave the stall door open and maintain eye contact. Total power move. They’ll never bug you again about it.
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This technique works every time, even when not holding a bass. 
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For me, there are a lot of factors. I wish I had taken up an instrument when I was a kid and could have more easily learned the concepts. Now, as a 40+ year old with a full time job and other responsibilities, it’s not at the top of my list to learn theory. I think it’s a combination of having the motivation to want to learn it, and being gifted/talented/skilled in being able to grasp and apply the concepts.
I can watch videos and read all about theory and know all there is to know, but if I don’t have the ability or motivation to apply what I’ve learned, what was the point?
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The question answers itself: In this situation, there is no point in studying theory.
As mentioned, with all things being equal (and most often not illegal), we humans tend to do what we want to do. Everyone has a life and responsibilities that demand attention, yet those fortunate enough to have the means tend to find opportune times to engage in their extracurricular interests, like hobbies. And some hobbies require time and energy to pursue.
Luckily, playing bass has the levels @JoshFossgreen so brilliantly defined and laid out as a continuum.
The thing is: No one is saying anyone has to study music theory to make sounds with a bass. Everyone is free to choose the motivations and goals that fit him/her best along the bass player continuum. No one level is better or superior to any other; they are merely places that players either feel comfortable with or are compelled to be. In other words, any level any player chooses brings that player joy and fulfillment, which is appropriate for the thing we lovingly call playing.
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Spend some time on the r/musictheory, it’s almost all level 5 wanking 
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Yeah but all of Reddit is Level 5 wanking
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R/bass and r/bassguitar are generally pretty good as well as r/acousticguitar and r/guitarlessons 
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Oy… not sure what you are calling me here, but a little bit of wanking has never hurt anyone
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