Welcome to the Talkingbass Free Online Bass Lesson Map. This is a structured plan of all the Mark J Smith Video Bass Lessons divided by topic. Free Guitar Lessons. Guitar Compass features hundreds of free guitar lesson videos. These online lessons are designed to teach you how to play guitar by covering the absolute basics up to more advanced soloing concepts and techniques. The lessons span different difficultly levels and genres like blues, rock, country, and jazz.
Everyone starts somewhere. Believe it or not, even the greatest bassists began just where you are right now; with no clue how to approach the instrument.
What separates a bass player from a musician is the ability to swallow your fear and attack the instrument head on. If you’re ready to do this, we can give you some beginner bass guitar lessons to get you started.
First off, picking; you need to decide whether you want to play with your fingers, or with a pick. This is all about your own personal choice; don’t let someone else tell you one way is right and the other is wrong.
Whichever feels best to you is the route you should take. Elitists will always try to tell everyone else what is right, wrong, true, and untrue; your job is to filter them out and decide for yourself. Whichever feels most natural to you is going to be the proper way.
Remember that whichever style you choose, it will mean the same amount of work; for picking it will be developing the various picking techniques, and for fingering, it will be developing a fingering pattern that is fluid and can cover the techniques.
Of course, to be a successful musician, it is way more than simply being able to pick and play notes on the guitar. There are various aspects of music to be learnt. For a holistic education for beginners, you need to develop both physical and theoretical elements of music.
To most people learning a new skill, a whole mountain of knowledge given at one shot will be too much of a pill for anybody to swallow and most people just give up before trying.
Just a Few Years Ago, I Was Just Like You…
I had been a total newbie some years back and I knows how it feels like to be a wide eyed bassist looking at other professionals effortlessly work their instrument.
The important idea here is to take things in small chunks. You should be patient in building your skills on strong foundations and that was what my former music teacher taught me to do.
In the following lessons, I am going to share with you some of my first hand knowledge and personal experiences that I had been through in my own learning. I had broken down some of the most crucial basic elements that will give you a jump start. Also, I highly recommend you to go through the lessons in the numbered order to pick up some basics before you head to other sections of the website.
Lastly, practice your instrument regularly, and in no time you will be on your way up in the world of music and enjoyment in playing the bass guitar. Have fun!
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List of Free Beginner Bass Lessons:
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#1 – Parts of the Bass Guitar And Their Functions
New to the bass guitar? In this lesson, we will explain the different parts of the guitar and the purpose that each element serve. This is a great article to get you familiarized with the guitar and how you can put your instrument to its maximum potential.
#2 – How to Hold the Bass Properly So That You Perform Better
This is one of the most neglected aspects that bassists usually take for granted. Holding the bass guitar correctly can contribute to good form, enhance your playing as well as avoiding injuries.
#3 – Should You Play While Sitting or Standing?
So, which is better? Read this article to find out more as we address one of the most commonly asked questions on whether you should be sitting down or standing up during bass playing.
#4 – How to Read Tabs in a Few Simple Steps
Learning to read and understand tablature is an essential part of being a bassist. After all, it is the simplified language of string instruments. Check out this easy tutorial as we bring you through the ins and outs of bass guitar tabs.
#5 – Notes on the Fretboard to Help You Find Out Exactly Where to Play
Did you know that most musicians (both guitar and bass players) have difficulty naming the notes on their fretboard? This is a fundamental tutorial that you need to go through as it sets the ground for further lessons.
#6 – Warming Up Exercises That You Can Use
Never neglect warming up your fingers before playing if you want to enjoy the instrument without all the pains and aches. Like muscles of an athlete, it is important to get your fingers geared up properly. We show you how…
#7 – How to Increase Finger Strength And Increase Dexterity
This lesson covers some essential exercises and tips that will help you build strength in your fingers to improve your coordination. An absolute essential for new players picking up the instrument for the first time.
#8 – 3 Essential Fretting Techniques to Help You Get the Sounds You Want
Like most other things in life, learning a new skill requires you and your body to get used to the way a bass guitar is played. This lesson discusses tips and advice that will help you fret the strings easier.
#9 – How to Count Rhythm And Keep Time Correctly
Music is all about timing. Learning to count rhythms properly will keep your notes in time and not sound like garbage. Being a bassist, this is very important as you will form the music backdrop for the entire band together with the drummer.
#10 – Beginner Rhythms – Get the Basics to Get Playing Along to Music
Once you have learnt how to count in time, this lesson will give you more examples of basic rhythms that you easily pick up. Mastering the basic rhythms opens the path towards a groovy future.
#11 – Muting the Guitar Strings Correctly to Get Rid of Unwanted Noise
Nobody likes noise. The problem that I usually see in musicians is that they are either very sloppy or just plain lazy when it comes to preventing unwanted noise from their instrument and playing. This article will give you some insights to control extra noises.
#12 – 3 Phases On How to Practice Effectively
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In this article, we will recommend you a schedule that will make your practicing more efficient. Most of us only have a limited amount of time for our bass everyday and you want to put this allocated time to good use.
#13 – Practicing With a Metronome – Why It Is So Important?
Keeping a piece of music flowing smoothly in time isn’t easy. With the metronome, practicing any lessons or licks will help you maintain a consistent tempo and improve your skills in leaps and bounds. Always USE it.
#14 – Methods to Plucking the Strings With Your Thumb
Good techniques with your fingers can help accentuate your playing and musical dynamics. Check out this article for tips to plucking the bass strings using your thumb.
#15 – Tips to Avoiding Injuries During Everyday Practice And Playing
Prevention is always better than cure. Like any other sport, bass guitar playing can also cause injuries to your body when you play without proper care. Read this article to find out how you can enjoy your bass playing without getting hurt.
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#16 – 6 Mistakes that Beginner Bassists Make And How You Can Avoid Them
Over my years as a bass guitar instructor, I had seen mistakes and issues that commonly reoccur among my students. Before it becomes a habit that is hard to break, you should take note of these common mistakes that beginners frequently make.
It is recommended that you go through this section in the numerical order.
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