A little update on the Bass Guitar

I am amazed how well I have "stuck to it" since I bought the bass. So, I thought I would give a little bit of an update!

I do not get a lot of time on it, but I try to put in 15 minutes a day. There can be a few days that go by that I do not touch it, but I get 15 minutes in about 85 percent of the time. Sometimes I get thirty minutes or more.. but that is pretty rare.

I know I am starting off with a bad habit and am limiting myself. I am not really learning "music". I am learning to memorize bass lines by tablature. I do not learn a lot of music theory that way, but I get the enjoyment of playing. That is (after all) why I decided to play the bass. I just wanted a way to have some fun and relaxation - not to become a world renowned bassist... So, is it a bad thing that I am not learning all kinds of theory? I don't know... But I sure enjoy playing what I do know!

I have taught myself all kids of little bass lines that consist of 3-5 notes played in a sort of rhythmic pattern but I wanted to find something a little bit more involved. I found this Google Video called Bass guitar teacher gets funky! (Dial up users beware. It is a Google Video and takes a few minutes to load up - but is worth it!). It appeared this guy was having a lot of fun playing, and I wanted to play something more like that!

I searched out and found the tablature for "A Forest" by The Cure. It is a pretty easy little bass line, but one of my favorite songs... It only took me a day or two to "get it".

Not long after that, I found (what I believe to be) the best bass players web site around. It's called "Active Bass". I found the site a little hard to get used to at first, but I think that has to do with the unbelievable content on the site!

I played around on the site a bit, and searched around the "Lessons" area. I found something I liked called "! + Coasting" to try.

(Click the link and on the page you can play the song in MIDI format - Turn off the extra "track" by clicking on that checkmark. Set the "Tempo" to 130, and the "Sound" to electric pick to hear about how I sound when I play it.)

I LOVE how it sounds, and I LOVE how it plays! I really get into it at times! I have actually modified it just slightly (and by accident) because while learning it I lost my tab sheet, and ended up trying to fill in by memory. I ended up learning a version that contains a wrong note or two. I think my family may be getting sick of hearing it (I overheard Jonathan, and Rebecca humming it yesterday) so I decided it was time to return to Active Bass and search out another Bass Line or two to work on.

I found quite a few. I am not going to post them all here, but I did find one (which is actually a series of three separate bass lines) that really interested me. They can be combined to make one large bass line.

"Alright Sad Type Bit #1" - "Alright Sad Type Bit #2" - "Alright Sad Type Bit #3"

(You can listen to these as well!)

All totaled there are nineteen measures. If I use ! + Coasting as an example, I had those 6 measures down pretty good in about 2 weeks. At this same rate "Alright Sad Type Bits 1, 2 and 3" should take me about a month and a half to get down...

So, I guess we'll just have to see how it works out..

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A Little Something New? - Part 2

So.. to refresh your memory - I was asking you.. What does a 37 year old man (with very little formal musical training, and several "hit & run" attempts to learn a musical instrument) do when he wants to express himself musically (and more than just listen)??

Well, first of all - My sister (who is very musically talented in the Piano, Clarinet, Accordian, Organ, and probably a few instruments I am forgetting) offered (out of the blue) to bring us a "family guitar" that she completely refurbished from a "dumpster dive".

This offer has caused me to do some thinking about what I want to accomplish from learning to play an instrument. I also made some realistic observations on my part. Here is some of my "inventory items"

• I am not interested in music as a career.
• I am WAY too old to worry about starting (or playing) in a band - although helping out in church (if I ever got good enough) may be fun!
• I am WAY too old to worry about trying to "look cool" and pick up girls by learning an instrument.
• I never have been great at playing any instrument.
• I would like something that is "not too complicated"
• I enjoyed playing the guitar (when I did do it).
• I am not good at reading music, but had fun trying to figure out the guitar tablature.
• I truly enjoy "feeling" the music, both physically and emotionally.
• The last guitar I picked up (my son's) felt small to me. (I am a pretty big guy!)
• I'd like to "try something new"
• Although I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sound of the Sitar & Tabla, I believe that it may be way to complicated (and expensive) to learn.
• I am more apt to "play along" with my own music (that I enjoy listening to) than I am to play "stand alone", or compose my own.
• I want to find something I can play to help me relax and unwind.
• I am interested in finding something that I can have fun playing with, and not get too upset, or frustrated with while trying to learn - After all, the whole idea is to relax and have fun, right?
• I would like Something small enough to be "portable" but not so small that it feels uncomfortable.
• It would be nice to have an instrument that can be played both (LOUD) and (quiet) as is appropriate for the situation at hand.
• An instrument that can be fiddled with while watching TV or visiting (like I did with my son's guitar)
• I want something I don't have break the bank to get into.
• I would like to see something I can "teach myself", take some "online lessons" or pick up a PC CD, or DVD with some pre-recorded lessons.

------ So... Here is what I came up with... ----------

• Piano? - Been there, done that. Too large a piece of furniture.
• Brass instrument? - Been there, done that. No way to play quietly if kids / wife are asleep, or I am watching TV or visiting with Michele.
• Drums? - Too big, takes up too much space, no real way to move it around realistically.
• Sitar or Tabla? - Nahh.. too complicated - (but I still LOVE listening to them!)
• Guitar? - I like the idea... fits most (if not all) the criteria. I have enjoyed it in the past, but never stuck to it.
• Banjo? - Sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Starter sets are available. Seems a bit petite and delicate for a big monster like myself.
• Bass Guitar? - Similar to the guitar, yet bigger than a banjo or the guitar, will fit my "monster" frame, portable, can be quiet at times yet also loud enough to "feel" when I would like it to, self teaching lessons are available, (I belive it to be) less complicated than the guitar, I can learn (or play along) to some of my favorite music (listen to "A Forest" by The Cure for an example).

I went back and looked at these things, and then (about two weeks ago) started surfing around the net.. "Bass Guitar", "Teach yourself Bass Guitar", "Electric Bass Guitar", "DVD lessons Bass guitar", "learning the bass guitar" and so on, and so on, and so on... I have come across many different sites dedicated to just that. The more and more I searched the more and more excited I have become.

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I think I have finally reached a decision. I am going to look into the possibility of picking up a bass guitar.

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Ebay is full of them. Starter sets that include a bass, practice amp, gig bag, cable, picks, tuner, etc, etc, etc...

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Ok. I know I get weird ideas (pipe dreams) stuck in my head, and that are a "flash in the pan" ideas. They take up my thoughts until they come to fruition, and then I get "board" with them and move on. I honestly thought this Blog would be one of them. I am still blogging, and even though the "Deck Series" is finished, I am still finding things to blog about...

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Maybe I'm rationalizing this to myself, but I believe that students who start school later in life do better in school - they take things a bit more seriously. By following this line of thinking, maybe I would take the Bass Guitar a little more seriously... Maybe I am telling myself this to help justify an "out of the blue" idea of taking up an new instrument at the ripe old age of 37... (can you teach "old dogs" "new tricks?) I hit some inspiration about taking on the bass guitar my age HERE. (This is a blog by a woman my same age, taking up the bass herself!) and while searching the activebass.com website, I found a whole thread about people taking up the bass later in life... ACTIVEBASS.COM "TOO OLD" THREAD. It would seem that I am not alone in this adventure. Perhaps this is not just a wild goose chase afterall....

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Well, I tell you what... I don't have the answers to the above questions. What I will do (given our family budget, and my available leisure time) is take some time looking for a good deal. I don't want to run out and buy the first thing I find, but I don't want to spend forever chasing a pipe dream either. I have a few feelers out there. I have a cousin that plays in a band, and I have a brother-in-law that a very talented guitar player. He is very musically gifted, and perhaps will have some advise or direction for me...

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I found a guitar style that I like - it's not a frightening "Death Metal" style (although I do listen to my share of it), outrageous color, or outlandishly priced guitar (Although it is still more than I would like to pay...) This one is called the Dean Edge 09 4-String Electric Bass Guitar - in the natural satin mahogony wood finish. It looks warm, inviting, and the wood tone with black accents fit the colors and styles that I like.

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But for the price of (or less than the price of) this guitar (and JUST the guitar) I can pick up a "starter kit". Much of what I read about this guitar (in online reviews) say it makes a GREAT introductory guitar, but also is a great performer for the advanced user as well... Who knows.. Too early to say...

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I now have to convince my wife that I am not crazy, that this is something I would like to do (or perhaps this may be this is just a "mid life crisis" and to be happy it's cheaper than a motorcycle!), and that the money is not going to be wasted by buying a guitar.

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I also hope my sister does not feel that I do not appreciate her offer. Jonathan (our 11 year old son) has been hinting around a guitar for the past year. I have been watching a wholesale website that offers a 3/4 size drednaught acustic guitar on clearence about once a year for an outragously low price ($29.99). I saw the offer in July, and put one on order only to get an apology email from the company tne next day saying that they ran out of stock before my order could be filled. I know that Jonathan and Zachary would both be very intrested in the guitar from Denise, and how fun would it be to "jam" (Grateful Dead, or "A Forest" style) with your kid?

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If you (dear reader) have any tips, suggestions, or recommendations for me, I'd love to hear them!

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Also, if you have any leads for me (or have an old bass guitar sitting around collecting dust) on a good introductory fretted electric bass guitar, and / or amp, I would also love to hear from you!

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Thanks in advance for any comments, tips, suggestions, recommendations, or leads!

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David - the Father-of-Five.

A Little Something New? - Part 1

My past musical experiences have been minimal.

At a very young age, my parents signed my sister up for piano lessons, and I took a few guitar lessons. I was not old enough to wrap my fingers around the fretboard, and only had two or three lessons. When that did not work out, my parents put me in piano lessons with my sister. I was in piano lessons for a few years. I was never "very good" at it, and because I was not real good at it, and it was not my "first choice", my interest was not there. I practiced because I "had too" and the music I played was not music that interested me. The song I remember playing the most was "The Entertainer"... Need I say more?

I did finally quit piano lessons. A few years after piano lessons I had a short lived "run in" with the saxophone. My "failure" with the saxophone was less to do with me, and more to do with the incompetent music teacher at my elementary school.

It was sixth grade. I signed up for band, and requested to play the saxophone. There were two of us "just starting" to play. I had the rented "alto sax" and the other guy had an old family "baritone sax". The teacher was glad two see the variety and started lessons.

This went on for about half the school year. The time came for the spring concert, and so for the first time, all the band sat together for practice. (Remember, this was elementary school "lessons" and less of a band. The teacher taught the same songs to everyone (regardless of the instrument) and then the highlight of the year was to put each of these kids in "Lessons" together and call it a "band".) Anyway, so for the first time we all gathered in the gym to "practice" we played a few songs. The teacher was obviously listening for something "wrong" but had us each keep playing. About half way through the practice, she had the other saxophone player and myself play our parts together without the rest of the band. She narrowed down the problem to the saxophones... (sigh..) It was not long before she approached us and asked us why we were not playing the right notes... She took our music lesson books and that is when she realized that she gave the alto books and materials to the baritone player, and the baritone books and materials to the alto player.

The solution to the problem was simple... She told both the baritone and alto sax players (that would be me folks..) to just "pretend" to play during the concert, and we would start from scratch after the concert. I did the "pretending" part, but never went back to start all over. So ended my relationship with the saxophone.

Two years later (eight grade) I started back into the guitar. This was fueled by my original interest in the guitar at a younger age, but even more so, by the "popular kid" at school. He had played some AC/DC songs on his electric guitar on a lunch table during a party or talent show or some such thing at the end of our seventh grade. He looked like he was having such a great time, and I could (for the first time in my life) FEEL the music. I think this was the day that (at least LISTENING to) music became a driving force in my life. When we got back to school in the fall, I signed up for guitar lessons. I enjoyed the guitar, and finished out the year of guitar lessons without anything eventful. My favorite song to play from that time-frame was "Suicide is Painless" the theme song to M*A*S*H*. Because we rented the guitar, I had to return it at the end of the year, and I never returned to it. I think perhaps the transition between 8th grade (junior high) and 9th grade (High school) made me a bit anxious, and helped end my guitar playing days.

Fast forward about 20 years, and my oldest son (about 16 at the time) gets an old electric guitar (6 string) and an amplifier from his uncles for a birthday gift. I picked it up and was able to remember about 3 chords. I played those three cords, practicing over and over until I started getting blisters on my fingers. I then went and downloaded some "online" guitar lessons, and started teaching myself Tablature. I was adding more chords, and picked up on the TAB for "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes, and a couple of different tunes by (probably my favorite band of all time) The Cure. I sat and strumed on the guitar while talking to my wife, and watching TV.

When he finally moved out, he took the guitar with him, again ending my relationship with the guitar.

It has now been two years since he left, and I have been missing playing it.

What is a 37 year old man (with very little formal musical training) to do when he wants to express himself musically (and by more than just listening)??

Stay tuned...