As much as I believe in auto-didactic learning – (for many people this is the best way to learn while others need a dedicated teacher) -
looking back, I have to admit I could have saved me a lot of time while learning faster if I had had a step by step course.

No doubt, a regular bass teacher can be very helpful for many beginners while you still have to deal with their style – their playing, music and teaching style – AND their personality.

Both can give one a hard time while fun and joy continuously fade away.

If I was to start learning from the beginning again I would use tools that are available since several years.

Yes, I´m talking about internet online bass courses.

If you search the internet for “bass courses” you will find quite a lot of different programs that you could choose.

But which gives you the most for your money?

As Winston Curchill said:

“I am easily satisfied with the very best.”

Well, you could choose simply by looking at their web pages and if you like their layout and the cleverness of their description.

However, don´t think “I´m not fooled that easy and their marketing tricks don´t work on me!”

They do – and they do well.

(Ever wondered why you see the same boring commercials on TV over and over again?
They are shown because they work, despite how dumb they may appear.)

But you’re not interested in that stuff.

You want to know how to play bass.

If I had to choose a program I would consider five main criteria to decide if the program is fitting to my needs (No – price is not the main criteria!):

• Is it really a step by step guide that has a wide range and can be used by an absolute beginner as well as by a player that has mastered the basics?
• Does it teach both technical training as well as a good portion of music theory?
• Is it profound yet easy to understand and can I apply each lesson immediately?
• Is the program developed by real musicians that know what they´re talking about?
• Is the course based on applied learning psychology?

See, these bullet points are highly subjective and only show what I think is essential for an bass guitar course.

So, feel absolutely free to search the huge amount of information for all the different bass guitar related themes in the internet.

Work yourself through all kinds of forums and the many many posts to find the fitting program for you.

The time it costs you is well invested and you may get some new insights.

Maybe you even will realize that you can´t use the freedom such a course provides and that it´s not important for you to be able to learn at your own pace.

Maybe you can´t deal with it not to be pushed into kinds of music that you never wanted to hear nor to play.

Maybe you realize that you never would have the discipline to learn by your own and that you absolutely need someone who´s controlling you.
That´s absolutely ok and it was worth every hour of research.

BUT: Anybody who feels comfortable with all the benefits an online course gives may find here some further ideas on How To Play Bass Guitar online.

Until next time.

Hopefully you are already. The sooner you realize this fact the sooner you can take good care of them and train them properly.

Just like for any guitar player your fingers have to be fast, relaxed, flexible.

But also they have to be strong.

Continuous finger training is often overlooked and not considered to be important.

Most beginners concentrate on learning scales, chords, rhythm or the sound of their bass but they lack to train their fingers.

Every beginner and far more every advanced bass player has to be aware that hands and fingers are almost always overlooked when it comes to training.

Go to any gym – you can work out in thousands of different ways – but try to find just one course that concentrates on this incredible tool that made mankind so effective: the human hand.

There are several ways to do it but today I want to recommend a practice that I use since years and it benefits me more than any other kind of finger training:

QiGong Balls

No, I don’t want to push you into new age or eastern mysticism.

Used regularly these balls will keep your fingers lissome.

You will gain strength quite fast without even noticing it.

In order to improve blood circulation and agility in the fingers Qigong balls have been used for centuries in Chinese medicine.

The Qigong balls are placed into the palm of the hands and rotated with the help of the fingers.

The movements cause the muscles in the hand and the lower arm to regularly tense and relax.

You may not be interested in the therapeutic side effects although you may experience some positive effects that could surprise you when using them regularly.

I suggest to work with these balls on a daily basis for about ten to fifteen minutes.

That’s absolutely enough.

You can do it while listening to music, watching TV, talking on the phone…

The obvious main benefits of consistent training with these balls are:

• they stimulate motor activity in the hand
• they exercise the hand and arm muscles
• they loosen the tissue and stimulate blood circulation in the hands
• they strengthen hands and fingers without overstraining them

(You can find more resources when doing some research on the internet for terms like “Qi Gong Balls“, “Chinese Health Balls” or “Chinese Exercise Balls“.)

There are a lot more ways to train the fingers and I will mention some other methods in later posts.

Think about it and start to sense your hands as your most important physical resources when you start to learn how to play bass guitar.

Until next time.

Whenever a beginner asks me how to play bass guitar I want to know his very own reason why he wants to learn playing bass.

The reason why is essential because it is the initial reason that predicts if someone will will quit soon, stay mediocre or become good.
I already mentioned it in a former post:

To my opinion you will only become a good bass player when you have an deep desire to play, to express yourself, to follow your passion.

All the technical and musical skills will evolve with time but you won’t get far if you lack passion.

The best bass players, your personal idols, became what they are because they deeply love music and to express themselves through their instrument.

It’s all about PASSION!

With passion for your instrument you will keep the motivation.

With motivation you will practice because you want it.

Without it is just a waste of time and you won’t keep up.

That may sound harsh but it’s my experience.

Imagine to be able to play your favored music, your best loved song, the very same notes that your idol is playing!

What does that feel like?

Does it give you a feeling of satisfaction?

Can you say “YES!”?

If your honest answer is “YES” than your chances are good to reach your goal and to keep the motivation during the different phases of the learning process.

Many don’t agree but my simple advice for a beginner is this:

Get home, sit down with your bass and forget about scales, chords, techniques or sounds.

Just listen to your best loved song – the song that deeply touches your heart (whatever kind of music it may be) – tune into the music.

Then start to play along the music.

Don´t even think about to figure out the baseline. You don’t have to. You’re not rated. You’re doing it for the fun.

Just find yourself the first tone that fits. Try to catch some notes that are in harmony with the music.

Then play along the same song again.

Don’t care if you remember the same notes as before. Just enjoy when it sounds right.

Eventually you will be able to play a little sequence. No hurry – it will happen.

That are just your first steps but what’s important is that you experienced your first success:

You are able to get a few notes right!

You are able to become part of your best loved song!

You get a taste of the feeling and the satisfaction “real” musicians gain from music.

That’s a crucial experience I want you to have as early as possible – before any other lessons.

This first little success will give you the motivation to go on.

With this motivation you get better and keep the willingness to practice continuously.

With your practice you experience more and more little successes.

The little successes grow to larger ones.

You get passionate and will master more and more steps.

Every step sustains your motivation.

You have created a kind of cycle – a learning cycle based on satisfaction – that can get you very far as a musician.

For sure that is not the only way to learn playing and different people have different learning styles but of one thing I’m convinced:

Without satisfaction from the beginning you will have a hard time to learn how to play bass guitar.

Playing Bass Guitar

Well, that´s the reason why you’re here so it’s nothing new.

You also don’t care who I might be and that’s fine.

I just intend to share some thoughts and experiences – and chances are they will be different from what your local Bass Guitar Teacher might tell you.

I’m passionate about music and a passionate musician although I never played in front of more than 500 people.

So don’t expect to get tips how to become famous.

As a child I was musically educated by teachers. I know the benefits of having the basic musical knowledge and I experienced the disadvantages of a formal education.

At some point a teacher can hold you back to find your own style and your own musical expression.

The problem is, you need enough technical and musical skills to be able to develop your style.

I quit with formal teachers for years and learned to play more instruments as an autodidact.

After all the only way to learn how to play any instrument is PRACTICE. Nothing more and nothing less.

“So what?” you will think – “Tell me something new!”

Well, the number one reason why most people quit to play an instrument or don’t get as far as they could is the lack of passion.

Without passion you loose the reason why you play at all and soon you think:

“Why should I keep up? It’s nothing but boring!”

In most cases that is the end of all musical attempts.

On the other hand if you manage to keep your passion you will endure to get through the boring exercises and will get better.

You get better and suddenly are capable to play more advanced stuff.

You gain satisfaction – your passion grows – you practice more – you get better…

That’s when the fun begins and you love to play…

You’re on the way to become a good musician or at least you have the chance to.

However, I apologize for getting a bit off topic.

Whenever I feel about I will make a post about something related to How To Play Bass Guitar.

Until next time.