Wish Me Luck!

[Mikey]

After years and years of playing drums and ignoring for the most part my guitars and bass pplaying, I've decided to take up bass again. I know I won't be able to schlepp those drums around forever and I don't want to get away from music because of that. So, I'm starting to get back into it again. I have a new bass basics book to work through and an excellent bass playing teacher son to help me through.

I'm starting with note location on the neck, right hand technique, and playing scales. I was always a thumb plunker back in the 60's and am going to go to three finger method.

Any good hints for me to learn where the freakin' notes are? When I was young I was a "relation note position" guy. I knew ehre the next notes were located by relative position on the board. Now, I want to actually know the note names at the different positions.

[dave]

I don't know how familiar you are with the guitar. but the bass is the same as the 4 lowest strings on a guuitar. What I would suggest is:
1. Memmorize this pattern: W-W-H-W-W-W-H, which is the notes of the major scale, whole being skipping a fret between notes and half not skipping any frets.
2. Using this method for the C Major scale, the Half's are B and E, which means there are no notes between B and C or E and F.
3. Starting on the open E:
E: 0-1-3-5
A: 2-3-5
D: 2-4-5
G: 2-4

This means that you are playing
E-F-G-A
B-C-D
E-F-G
A-B

WHen you are doing this, don't just play the notes, but also say or sing them. Once you have memorized the first 5 frets, go on down the neck.
Also, since one the 4 string bass, the open string is the same note as the 5 fret of the next lower string.

[Mikey]

OK Dave, Thanks!
I'll be working that for now. Seems to make perfect sense.

[dave]

If you like computers, you could try these two programs, FretBoard Warrior, which I have used, and found it somewhat helpful, and Absolute Fretboard, which I've never used.

[Mikey]

Thanks Dave,
I did the Fret Board Warrior thing.
I think it's pretty useful for what I want to do.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by dave

If you like computers, you could try these two programs, FretBoard Warrior, which I have used, and found it somewhat helpful, and Absolute Fretboard, which I've never used.

I have used the Absolute Fretboard Trainer and I found it to be excellent. There are several ways of learning from it. I have only used one of the several ways and it served me well. I think AFT is a pretty good program. It not only shows you the notes and then lets you practice. It can even test you and grade your progesss.