PICK PLAYERS SUCK? Hell no. There are tons of amazing bassists who I love who use picks - Paul McCartney, Sting, Tim Lefebvre, Matt Freeman, Bobby Vega, Carol Kaye, Justin Chancellor, to name a few (UA-cam em!). I actually cover this point in my Myths video here ua-cam.com/video/dh07nFxnT-U/v-deo.html I also agree with all the comments that make the point that tone is completely subjective and totally dependent on what it is you’re trying to achieve. My goal with this video was to help >>beginners
Really cool video! You explain very well (I'm french and I don't even need subtitles!). Could you do an advanced video for EQ? 😁 🎛️ Thanks you very much!
As someone who's played bass for over 20 years, I appreciate that you use entry-level gear in your instructions. For newer players it can be discouraging when the people trying to teach them are playing $3k bass on 4x10 200watt stack (or more) while the student is playing a $200 Squire on 1x10 50watt combo.
Thanks Casey! That's why I'm giving the Squier so much love in the vids (plus I like playing it), there's no reason someone can't get a working setup for $300 or less and start bassing it up.
The name on a headstock does not make a good instrument. Seen plenty of great musicians gig with cheap equipment and no one but maybe one gear snob knew the difference. My number one is it must stay in tune. Seen expensive guitars that couldn’t do that.
Another tip for noobs is, you can’t tell what your tone should be until it’s in a MIX. The sound you love coming from your amp at home probably isn’t what sounds best with your band. Try to make a good rehearsal recording. This truer for bass than for any other instrument.
Kyle C I am just going to save people ALOT of time. If you are a beginner and are planning on playing in a band, save yourself some time and money and get yourself a Fender Jazz Bass or Precision Bass. Don’t do what I did 16 years go and get a “cool looking” Ibanez or “insert brand here”, and wonder why your tone doesn’t sound like the records until you play a Fender Jazz bass two years later that blows your mind at how good it sounds because “you thought fender basses were so cliche and wanted to be different”. Yea, that was basically me. Do yourself a favor and honestly just buy a Jazz Bass. You can find some good sounding Fender Squire Jazz basses if you know what to look for. Put some round wound strings and go at it.
@@crackedfingerz cheap, active electronics, pretty good quality control make them hard to pass up. They don't sound like they are made of wood though I know what you mean..
Wiser suggestion about tone! I spent so many days trying to tweak knobs, blend pickups, setting pedal only to discover the tone I loved didn't match the band's mix 😣 it takes time away from rehearsals but for a bass damn if that's important!
sometimes if instruments are just a little out of tune, it can sound thicker so you arnt necessarily wrong. in this case i think it was too out of tune to sound good, but its all subjective right?
I'm a guitar player that's been playing for going on 15 years, and stumbled upon your channel a few days ago and have to say that you do this thing right. I love your approach and humor and look forward to clicking on the next video every time one ends. Flawless lessons for a dummy guitarist learning bass fundamentals too!
I’ve been playing guitar just on 20 years now and sold an old les Paul last year to buy a Flying V and have money left to buy a cheap used bass and a decent bass amp that I wouldn’t grow out of. Ended up with a squire precision which is great and only cost about 150 bucks so was able to spend a little more on the amp, bought a new fender rumble 40. Haven’t really gotten around to playing much over the last year but your channel has really inspired me to make time. Just wanted to thank you! P.S heaps of people act like ‘if you can play guitar you can play bass!’ Although already having music theory knowledge and muscle memory that allow me to jump right in, I must say it’s a little harder than some people would think. As a guitarist I was very much a blues rock player where as a lot of the bass playing that inspires me is pop, disco and RnB. So I am having to work at it fairly hard, especially because you’re laying down the groove on bass and I’m really having to learn the fundamentals and structure of music I don’t know as well to truly play in a way that I’m happy with. Does anyone have any advice for a guitarist trying to learn bass? Thanks again!
@@BassBuzz "A single (GOOD) picture is worth a 1000 words." Excellent choices of pics too. In the beginning, I had to buy a set of each types to figure out visually/audibly the differences. Btw, I'm mostly flatwounds with short scales and roundwounds with full scale basses. Altho I have found there ARE a few cases where reversing string type works better. Currently am experimenting with mixed strings on a single bass.
The fact it is the same time I see a pic of flatwounds (I play guitar since 2003, and moved to bass some years ago but they never carry flats in any store cause the cheapest set is 45 bucks so no one buys it *in my country)
@@Dankster-yo8xv my sets average $35/set because I use Ernie Ball cobalts with .110 for the lowest string on my 4 string, I use cobalts on my 5 string and then my 2 six strings get D'Addarios, one gets EXL 165-6 and the other gets EXL 170-6 plus my acoustic bass gets faltwound cobalts. All are around $35
"Know your knobs" Oh god, my first bass was a Yamaha RBX-374 that had 4-knobs and two active humbuckers. I had no idea what anything did and I went from having five months of practice to playing in a punk band still not knowing what any of the knobs did. My tone sounded like garbage because I never messed with the knobs and instead of slapping the strings I was more or less punching them with my knuckle. Eventually I traded it for a Jazz bass with a broken tuning peg.
@@j3tt436 I got a really good bass that is almost never out of tune when I'm not moving it (due to temperature/humidity changes) so when I don't record something it's usually fine to play it without tuning first. If it's out of tune I'll usually hear that pretty fast.
@@BassBuzz Well, the sound guy will also try to make everything you play sound like a P with old strings anyway, and flatten your sound as far as possible. After all, the guitarist has to have all that room for his distorted hammer-ons, power chords and tremolo runs. He'll also be on break whenever you are tuning, checking your levels or generally near the stage...
As someone that grew up playing in concert and marching bands I didn’t even know ppl could play an instrument without tuning. That’s literally step number one 🙃
I just found your channel and I really love what you do/how you go about doing it. No nonsense, no ego, easy-to-follow lessons that make the transition from guitar to bass incredibly comfortable and a lot less frustrating for someone like me. Thanks for all the hard work that goes into your videos and your dedication to keeping them coming. Cheers.
I've been playing for more than 50yrs, starting at 7 years old with classical piano/music lessons for almost 8yrs. At 15yrs of age I picked up the guitar and I gravitated to the bass. I have played with friends just Jamming and I've played with working bands for the 70's and 80's. I have also done sound reimbursement from being able roadie to running the board. What a great and wonderful time of my life from CBGB's to the Rat Cellars of Stoney Brook college , I wouldn't trade it for anything. Anyway, I can appreciate your tutorial video ( only saw this one ) but most of it was Your Opinion and not what others might think. To Each Thier Own. That's what makes a variety of different types of music. Keep up the good work.
The first time i touched a bass, which was about six years ago, i was struggling to find my grip and had no knowledge whatsoever about the knobs at all. And after watching this video, I'd say that's the biggest tone fix I picked up. Now I'm in the clear about what the knobs on my bass do. Big thanks!
good stuff mate! it's as hard for non-beginners to explain all this clearly (as it is so "self-evident") as it is for beginners to imagine it (as it is so "secondary"). keep up the good work!
As much as these fixes are great, here's another great tip: switch where you pick between the bridge and neck to change your tone, or even use a pick. Ultimately use guidelines to get a good start, then throw them out and do what feels natural. Most bassists will say only play with the drummer, specifically the kick drum. I play off of everything as a bassist. Also, if you're switching to bass from guitar, you might find it way easier to get a tone that's uniquely you by using a pick. I liked using Dunlop 1mm nylon picks, so my tone cut more.
Excellent info! One item I would add related to the tone knob on passive basses and amp settings is to set your volume and tone knobs to 7 on your bass, then setup your amp tone and volume. Now you can make your bass brighter or darker during your live performance instead of just darker, and also increase or decrease volume depending on the song.
@@nicolaskim7779 Both. Personally, I recommend using your left hand to mute the strings higher (pitched) from wherever you're currently playing. You can use your thumb to mute those thicker strings while you're playing the thinner ones. If your hands are big enough, you can also sorta wrap your left hand around and use your thumb to mute the E (or B) string. Look up the floating thumb technique to learn more about muting with your plucking hand's thumb. Or look up videos on muting in general; there's tons of them. :)
@@alistair5309 Explore different finger positions (which finger you are using and which fret you are playing the note on). For the higher notes,, you can often play the same note in three (or more) positions on the neck. You may be accustomed to using your index finger to fret a given position and by shifting to your middle or ring finger, allow yourself to mute with the index finger after the "pull off." Or, you are using your ring finger. By shifting to index or middle allows you to muffle the string with a quick, light squeeze of the ring finger.
@@alistair5309 Mute the higher strings with the fingers of the LEFT hand, that you're using to fret on a lower string. Instead of "reaching over" the string, you lay your finger(s) ACROSS the higher strings, just enough to stop them from ringing. Muting the LOWER strings I find more challenging. Methods vary, you _can_ use your left hand thumb to mute the E string, but it's not recommended because, technically, it should be on the back of the neck. You can also mute lower strings with your palm if you play with a pick. For the most part, though, bassists mute with the non-plucking fingers of their plucking hand, i.e. thumb, ring finger and pinkie. Experiment around and find something comfortable. Just make sure you never, ever, leave a string unmuted and ringing. It will destroy the sound of the whole band. Seriously. It's as important as fretting notes cleanly. Good luck, you will find your own way as long as you stay aware of the potential problem.
I have to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Been a musician for years but just jumped into bass thinking it was like guitar... lol, I was so damn wrong. Your videos def helped me on the right track to better playing and sound . Thank you again
I must say, as a COMPLETE beginner, I’ve watched about three of your videos and I’ve learned so much in them, thank you for that. Subscribed after the second video and I’m glad I did.
As a guitar player for decades who recently decided to pick up bass I appreciate this vid. I don't need an explanation of bass anatomy, notes on the fretboard or how to hold it. What I do need is practical tips on the technical differences of fingerstyle bass vs picking guitar strings. Picking up the bass gives me a new respect for better bass players I've jammed with over the years.
I think mids are very important even to beginners. They dictate whether the bassists can get through the mix or not. At live settings, I tend to crank up my mids to full. I have to sacrifice my desired tone just so I don't get drowned by my bandmates.
This is the worst thing I did as a beginner. Try without. You might have to re-tune after a few songs but your strings will sound better for a longer time.
In a way yes, by letting them adjust after restringing the bass for a few hours, then intermittent/interval tuning in between to let them settle. but another thing to note is knocking your guitar (unintentionally) against hard surfaces can cause vibrations that can loosen your tuning, quite subtly, and temperature changes can also cause some minor shifts. nevertheless, tuning your bass regularly before you play it will keep these issues at bay.
I usually do smaller gigs and don't need more than my b100 combo, but one feature it has that's a godsend is the frequency notch, which lets you dial out the "evil room resonance frequency" whatever it happens to be.
When you were explaining about the different types of strings, I think you should have mentioned, that the strings are made of either stainless steel strings or nickel (there are some other types as well, but these are the most commonly used ones). Stainless steel strings will give you a brighter, aggressive sound, while nickels sound warmer and more mellow. As for the two pick-up configuration, it is worth nothing that running both pick-ups at full volume, will result in a rather dull tone, because they will cancel out some of each others' frequencies (mostly mids). So I would suggest having the neck pick-up at full volume and then dial in the necessary amount of volume from the bridge pick-up, until you reach the desired level of brightness in your tone. The blend knob is certainly easier to use, but it does not allow you two dial the same wide range of sounds as the two individual volume knobs. Another thing to keep in mind, when setting up the tone of your bass, is how it will sit in the band mix. What sound good soloed, does not necessarily sound good in the mix. Keep the videos coming !
It took me a long time to figure this out: your tone sounds totally different in your basement when you are sitting 3 feet away compared to when you are at a gig when the audience is 30 feet away or more. In fact, while you are playing a gig, if your amp is behind you, it will sound boomy with too much bottom, but if you walk out 20 feet is sounds pretty good and if you walk out 40 feet it sounds even better. Most amps are biased toward more bottom end, I think for this reason. The bottom end dies out rapidly from the amp to about 10 feet and then it sounds much better.
This video was very good and has a lot of great information. I started playing electric bass guitar July 2021 the first time in my life and bought an acoustic bass guitar 2 months ago. I love it. My boyfriend has played guitar, electric bass and banjo for many years. We go to music jams every week. I was on stage with him after I started playing the electric bass 5 weeks prior to that. It was awesome and scary at the same time.
Halfwounds are awesome! Been using them since the 80's. Allows you to roll up the highs without getting too much string noise so you can get a nice, clear tone when arpeggiating and chording.
I'm not a newb, been playing for 35 years, but I love your channel. It is interesting and keeps your attention to the subject at hand.....and I find it entertaining as well. I recommend beginners to your channel as a great place to start. Keep up the good work. Maybe some day I'll be as good as Josh newb!
I’m a newbie to bass guitar, have loved playing the drums for decades. Am learning a huge amount following your lessons! Thanks, Josh in 2020! here in 2025!
The main point here wrt tone is "know what does what." Also take some time to experiment and hear how your instrument's tone controls interact with the amp tone controls. Once you understand that, then you can start to fine tune it. For the beginner playing with a group, probably your best bet is bridge pickup and your tone knob(s) down to minimum. (Rule #1 of playing with a group: Don't try to outshine the lead guitarist. You won't work much.) However, bass tone is a very subjective thing and depends a good deal on what you're playing with. Do you want to feel the bass more than hear it? Then see my remark about tone knobs. That's what you'll hear on a lot of classic rock. Do you want to hear your fingers/pick ala Iron Maiden? Is your bass a major component of the arrangement and needs to be heard on its own ala Rush? Are you simply octave-down weight for the guitar as in the case of a lot of metal music? Gotta answer all that to know what direction to go. Also remember that a bass with active pickups can be a very different animal than one with passive pickups. When in doubt, you can't really go wrong with a P bass. It is perhaps the most preferred bass of recording artists, producers, and engineers everywhere.
Some good advice for beginners what made it for me you showed the amp set up which makes a big difference so many people start beginner bass lessons showing all the parts of the bass and how to pluck or pick it and right through the lessons they never show an amp set up. I love the how to play lessons where they show all the notes to play and never show the amp settings. A beginner has no idea about drive compression gain etc which makes a big difference to what you are playing
Pulling across instead of plucking. I have been playing guitar for 40 years and took up the bass a couple weeks ago. I can play stuff right off but I'm newbing it up big time. Your vids are super helpful.
I bought your course and while I'm only on M1 L4, It's been super fun. This video helped me solve one of my problems, my fingernails were catching the strings, but only sometimes and it was driving me crazy that I couldn't get the same sound every time and I was sure I was plucking the same way. Clipped them, and problem solved.
You should immediately tune your instrument every single time you pick it up to play. If you are playing a gig, then you should check your tuning when you initially set up, immediately before you start your set, and in-between songs as often as you possibly can without bogging down the flow of your set.
Great video. When I first started out on bass, I blasted the tone and volume pups in my J bass not knowing any better. Finally figured out that picking, finger plucking, position of volume and tone knobs all made a huge difference.
Just bought a cheapo bass yesterday as haven't touched a bass in years. Had almost forgotten the importance of getting the set up sounding sweet with the tone knobs for bridge and neck pickups
Hey man, love your videos and teaching style. Teachers like you are what this country needs, highly informative and constantly entarnaining! Thank you!
I'm so glad you just focused on the treble and bass knobs because my amp doesn't even have a mid knob and everyone else mentioned it like it was super important. Made me feel like Id never be good just because I've got the wrong amp. And thanks for mentioning the two knob one pickup setup, again everyone acts like you *need* two, which sucks when you've only got one.
Recently I've bought an amp for my bass. I had no idea what treble means and how to use middle,treble and bass. Thank you for explaining. Now I get it.
I play electric bass, double bass and nylon string guitar so I need to preserve my nails. Nails will shred on electric bass so I evolved my use of Alaska Picks - one each on middle and index fingers. I have to EQ for the clicking, but they are a great compromise in my world - can't slap and pop with them though.
Ha. That's why I said "too thin for a lot of bass playing". Obviously Jaco's tone was magnificent and anyone who questions that should be stoned to death. BUT, that is not the right tone for a lot of stuff that working bass players have to play. But yes, if you're covering The Chicken, roll to the bridge, of course. Also, this video is targeted towards beginners, who might not have the ear to catch their bridge pickup is thin and then compensate on the amp EQ end to make it work. Obviously if you have the ear to make pickup decisions based on the music, then ignore my beginner advice. 😎
If you can play like Jaco or Lemmy, you probably don't need advice on how to tweak your sound :-). But it probably is true that settings with the Neck-pickup involved probably fit for more songs than single-bridge-pickup-settings. Could You agree with that?
@@caseyryback6932 "play like Lemmy" as if he was a some kind of genius of the bass... Surprise, but he wasn't. He was a guitarist who was handed a bass. With his bass EQ turned down and trebles turned up, he played just like guitars. There is no bass in most Motorhead songs. He was just a rock n roll vocalist playing simple lines on his (bass) guitar.
Been playing bass for a year and the brand of strings that I've landed on are Ernie Ball strings and they have that perfect zing to them that are perfect for me,I have also been using these tone fixes for 5 months and they have helped me improve. Thank you, Bass Buzz!
It was nice to know that I was already doing all those things. I guess it helped to be a guitar player and recording engineer before taking up bass a year ago.
They're great just make sure your style of music allows it to be that dark. If you're playing in a rock band with 2 electric guitars you might just get absolutely buried. Which actually can be ok if that's what you're going for, just bottom line know the tradeoff for the darker sound. I will agree though, for that particular phrase he played to demonstrate, the flats sounded better.
I use flats on my Hofner violin bass, and love the way it sounds. It's nicefor jazzy type songs, and Beatles songs (of course.) Plus the fact that it is a semi-hollow body just put 'em on and pretend you are a giant playing upright.
I enjoyed the video quite a lot. I have played guitar now for something like 18 years (wish I was 18 years good, but I'm good enough I suppose). The point is, I picked up an acoustic (then an electric) bass about a year back. I've been doing ok; the folks at the local blues jam keep inviting me up to do bass rather than guitar, but that may just be because you can't swing a cat around here without hitting a guitarist. Anyway, I ran into a tip I wanted to verify with you. A pro musician came up to me (we'd never met) and he says "You played guitar first, didn't you?" I first thought I'd overdone it on fills and such, even though I try not to do that. He says he could tell because of the tone of my playing. I tend to cram the strings right up against my fretting fingernails. He says play with the pads of the fingers for a better? more authentic? (shrug) bass tone/experience. Is that a thing? Why? Why not? Also, how do you achieve that very thick but bright sound that's gotten so popular? Is it powerful lows and highs and ditching mids? Thanks for the video and any advice given here.
The nail part with wolverine claws got me. Awesome channel.. just picked up the bass after almost 20 years. Never was able to slap properly as a teen, cause YT didint exist and videos like you do werent around! Thanks a lot man!
The two things that have really improved my tone lately are: a) sometimes, you need to turn the Bass knob down and turn the volume up. b) you can almost always boost some mid frequency to be more present. On my Ampeg amp, what I tend to do is engage the Ultra Low (mid cut at 500Hz) but then boost the 200Hz-300Hz range. This results in a tone that is more evened-out than a mid scooped tone but has a little more nuance than if I did nothing.
love this! Great video not only for beginners but for those who have been playing for some time just to revisit the fundamentals. For myself, EQ has been dependent on the room and the ensemble. I've played some venues where there is such a huge natural "boost" in the low end that I've had to turn the bass knob all the way down. Sounded like crap onstage but when I got a recording from the room the balance in the band was perfect. A GOOD sound tech can advise when you are playing in their house.
Very informative videos! I’m a deaf bassist and I don’t do it by ear so I tend to keep my amp EQ Settings as follows: Bass at 60% Mid at 50% Treble at 40% I have flatwounds on my Jazz Bass and I keep the knobs at: Neck and Bridge pickups at Full volume Tone at 50% Haven’t received any complaints about my sound yet.
@@Defmusicman1 Ha! :P BTW I just looked up "deaf bass player" because I'm fascinated that you're able to do that, and found this video, I think this is you? Sounds great! ua-cam.com/video/mGZfOg65QN0/v-deo.html
Thank you. Just picked up a 70's lawsuit Castilla bass. I'd like some flat wounds on it at some point and see how it changes the sound.. But the biggest thing I learned was finding the sweet spots on my amp's EQ.. I do think I'd been disturbing my neighbors with all the boom and slap 😅 Fun fun.
Unfortunately had to figure a few of these out on my own (e.g., slightly pulling up on the strings, and adjusting fingertip angle to avoid nail-strikes). If one chases the sound and tone, they’ll eventually figure out what’s right and wrong (for them), but great to have guidance, so appreciated. 👍
Nail clippers should come with every bass. Nobody talks about how much more you're going to clip if you play bass. This is the first acknowledgement I've heard on YT :)
You are the first bass player I have come across who actually recommends using old strings. I find the usual mantra to change your strings regularly a bit dogmatic, too. If you are into heavy slapping stlyes, then yes, there is no replacement for fresh strings once in a while. Otherwise, don't change a running system if it sounds fine.
I know it's a year later but you clearly haven't been talking to many bassists. They are notorious for using strings forever. So much so that it's a meme. I'm one of them. I HATE the sound of my bass with new strings. It takes about a week for them to settle down and sound right again. Unfortunately after about a year the G string goes just completely dead and I have to change them.
I play with a pick and with my fingers. I'll play some parts of a song near the bridge with a pick for a bright sound and other parts I'll hold the pick in my teeth and play above the 20th fret with my fingers for a darker warmer sound. Palm muting is also easier with a pick than with a thumb and sounds better because the pick gives it more attack.
Little expansion on the mids for anyone wondering. When messing with the mids with EQ at home, in practice or in recording find one that you like and sits well within the mix...thats fine and great. Changing Mid levels are more important when it comes to live performance and will change dramatically from gig to gig depending on the environment. If you're in a open space with lots of natural reverb you're going to want to boost the mids to in order to cut through that. Hopefully the tech guys will be good enough to account for this in most situations but if not, its always worth investing in a really long cable, or even a wireless setup so you can stand in the audience area during soundcheck to hear out for any adjustments you need to make.
Hey Josh, well done. I was tone deaf until I saw your video. Now I'm feeling more "equalized" and flat wound, or maybe I'm round wound, or well rounded. Either way , I'm better informed, thanks to you. Kudos! Job well done. I left the multiple "knob" jokes alone, because that's just wrong. Cheers!!! 👍💗😊
Nice set of tips. I loved the one of cutting your nails. I learned to play with a pick back in my teens and since picking up the bass again, have been learning to play with my fingers. I keep finding that my middle finger gets a different tone than my pointer. I can play much smoother and get an even tone when I play with just my pointer, like Jamerson. I have difficulty keeping a steady rhythm and consistent tone with two fingers. I keep practicing and know it will improve, but then go back to the pick or just one finger plucking. Is this a common issue? PS, since I started playing again, there is so many great stuff online. I tried several and came across yours. You are by far, the most engaging and personable. I wish these vids were around when I was a teen just starting out. Keep up the great work.
Hey Thomas, I think it's always a struggle for pick players to adjust to fingers. It seems to take a lot of work (which is why I recommend people start with fingers, whether they also learn pick or not). Make sure you're not making fingernail contact with the middle finger, and just keep working the rhythm stuff, it'll come. And thanks for the kind words!
As a bass newbie, it’s now official - U r my bassist main man Ur gr8 m8 Confirms my choice of flat wound strings for jazz styles But now I know round wound better for others
OMG, you are such a DORK! Totally endearing and I am totally hooked and committed to spend my Corona virus lock down month to learn bass from you!!! I'm committed and really excited. BTW I am a guitar player, and love how you mimic those out of groove guitar show offs!!!
Great info! 👍🏼 I agree on a lot of it being subjective & depending on what sound you are trying to go for. I think that someone can be an overly picky tone nerd(as with any instrument) that you take the fun out of playing all together. Don’t let someone else’s opinion stop you from playing what you love. As you play more & more- you’ll discover what you like & don’t like on tones. I try to remember that 90% or more of the people listening to you play will not care or remember what you sounded like at all. Have fun & absorb knowledge from other musicians but DO NOT let someone else’s opinion stop you from playing & growing. 🤘🏼
Teach players the importance about being in tune, because all the music is built on top of your bass tone. You are the foundation. If you are out of tune than the entire group will be off. I love the KORG tuner's big display. This is useful for you to check your overall intonation on the bass. Play open string, now play string fretted up one octave. They should match, if not, then take it into a guitar tech, or learn how to set your intonation by watching video.
Tried all of this before B2B course. This was a clarification with different names for what I called it. My AMP and Headphones are about where you have suggested, and I use the tone on the Bass to get brighter or more vintage. Too muffled is not good place if your really trying to hear your string mistakes on my gear. I like the ruble so I go the other way on the tone sometimes.
my beautiful nails...got a bass for xmmas and even tho i am 31 i'm learning it's never to late! bought your course! it's extremely helpful. thanks so much!
PICK PLAYERS SUCK? Hell no. There are tons of amazing bassists who I love who use picks - Paul McCartney, Sting, Tim Lefebvre, Matt Freeman, Bobby Vega, Carol Kaye, Justin Chancellor, to name a few (UA-cam em!). I actually cover this point in my Myths video here ua-cam.com/video/dh07nFxnT-U/v-deo.html
I also agree with all the comments that make the point that tone is completely subjective and totally dependent on what it is you’re trying to achieve. My goal with this video was to help >>beginners
Thank you! I'm a 15 year old intermediate guitarist. I just got a bass for my UA-cam cover videos. Loved the tips!
Sting hasn't played with a pick since 1994
Chris Squire of course.
Carlos D. though
Really cool video! You explain very well (I'm french and I don't even need subtitles!). Could you do an advanced video for EQ? 😁 🎛️ Thanks you very much!
As someone who's played bass for over 20 years, I appreciate that you use entry-level gear in your instructions. For newer players it can be discouraging when the people trying to teach them are playing $3k bass on 4x10 200watt stack (or more) while the student is playing a $200 Squire on 1x10 50watt combo.
Thanks Casey! That's why I'm giving the Squier so much love in the vids (plus I like playing it), there's no reason someone can't get a working setup for $300 or less and start bassing it up.
The name on a headstock does not make a good instrument. Seen plenty of great musicians gig with cheap equipment and no one but maybe one gear snob knew the difference. My number one is it must stay in tune. Seen expensive guitars that couldn’t do that.
@@aaronyoung8491 coughGibsoncough
@@BassBuzz my first bass (circa 96) was a MIM Squire P bass. Still have it and still love it!
This is a great point. As a guitarist, I’m always wondering why the heck my guitars so much thinner to peoples’ vintage strats les pauls
Another tip for noobs is, you can’t tell what your tone should be until it’s in a MIX. The sound you love coming from your amp at home probably isn’t what sounds best with your band. Try to make a good rehearsal recording. This truer for bass than for any other instrument.
Kyle C I am just going to save people ALOT of time.
If you are a beginner and are planning on playing in a band, save yourself some time and money and get yourself a Fender Jazz Bass or Precision Bass.
Don’t do what I did 16 years go and get a “cool looking” Ibanez or “insert brand here”, and wonder why your tone doesn’t sound like the records until you play a Fender Jazz bass two years later that blows your mind at how good it sounds because “you thought fender basses were so cliche and wanted to be different”. Yea, that was basically me.
Do yourself a favor and honestly just buy a Jazz Bass. You can find some good sounding Fender Squire Jazz basses if you know what to look for. Put some round wound strings and go at it.
@@castlehill6717 Was it an Ibanez Soundgear bass? I hate those. Why are they so damn popular?
That's why I'm here.. I thought it would be easy to mix in the bass to my songs. .. On a budget...with old improper equipment..
@@crackedfingerz cheap, active electronics, pretty good quality control make them hard to pass up. They don't sound like they are made of wood though I know what you mean..
Wiser suggestion about tone! I spent so many days trying to tweak knobs, blend pickups, setting pedal only to discover the tone I loved didn't match the band's mix 😣 it takes time away from rehearsals but for a bass damn if that's important!
1:22 "Here is two recordings and tell me which one sounds worse"
-Uh ok
* Plays the recordings *
- I think #1 sounds worse
"It was #2, right?"
-Oh...
Same ^^
sometimes if instruments are just a little out of tune, it can sound thicker so you arnt necessarily wrong. in this case i think it was too out of tune to sound good, but its all subjective right?
I think I'm tone deaf because both sounded the same to me lol
Chris Sims you definitely are then lol
I got it as soon as i heard the phasing in the notes, that never fails to me
I'm a guitar player that's been playing for going on 15 years, and stumbled upon your channel a few days ago and have to say that you do this thing right. I love your approach and humor and look forward to clicking on the next video every time one ends. Flawless lessons for a dummy guitarist learning bass fundamentals too!
Thanks Drake!
Right??! As we would say back in the day...
This act kicks ass!
I’ve been playing guitar just on 20 years now and sold an old les Paul last year to buy a Flying V and have money left to buy a cheap used bass and a decent bass amp that I wouldn’t grow out of. Ended up with a squire precision which is great and only cost about 150 bucks so was able to spend a little more on the amp, bought a new fender rumble 40. Haven’t really gotten around to playing much over the last year but your channel has really inspired me to make time. Just wanted to thank you! P.S heaps of people act like ‘if you can play guitar you can play bass!’ Although already having music theory knowledge and muscle memory that allow me to jump right in, I must say it’s a little harder than some people would think. As a guitarist I was very much a blues rock player where as a lot of the bass playing that inspires me is pop, disco and RnB. So I am having to work at it fairly hard, especially because you’re laying down the groove on bass and I’m really having to learn the fundamentals and structure of music I don’t know as well to truly play in a way that I’m happy with. Does anyone have any advice for a guitarist trying to learn bass? Thanks again!
put down the guitar and pick up a bass
Him: "Hear the difference?"
Me: "No"
me
Same
Agreed
Novice *filth*
@@justinTime077 lol
Thanks for explaining flat / round wound and using PICTURES.
You're welcome Matthew! I had to take those pictures myself, I couldn't find a single article on the internet clearly showing the difference.
@@BassBuzz "A single (GOOD) picture is worth a 1000 words." Excellent choices of pics too. In the beginning, I had to buy a set of each types to figure out visually/audibly the differences. Btw, I'm mostly flatwounds with short scales and roundwounds with full scale basses. Altho I have found there ARE a few cases where reversing string type works better. Currently am experimenting with mixed strings on a single bass.
It looked like the you were using coated flat wounds (maybe DRs?). Doesn't that dull the sound even more? Just wondering - I actually like that tone.
The fact it is the same time I see a pic of flatwounds (I play guitar since 2003, and moved to bass some years ago but they never carry flats in any store cause the cheapest set is 45 bucks so no one buys it *in my country)
This video was the entire reason I switched to flats, and I really don’t ever want to change my p bass back to rounds.
"How often to change your strings"
Me: *looks inside wallet* "I'll go with old strings."
"...As soon as the rust starts to damage my fingers and the fretboard." ;-)
why do old bass strings(not rusty) sound good? i roll the tone down a little when i put fresh strings to emulate the old strings sound LOL
They really are not expensive though.
@@JRut99 well most of us don't have jobs right now and bass strings are about $15
@@Dankster-yo8xv my sets average $35/set because I use Ernie Ball cobalts with .110 for the lowest string on my 4 string, I use cobalts on my 5 string and then my 2 six strings get D'Addarios, one gets EXL 165-6 and the other gets EXL 170-6 plus my acoustic bass gets faltwound cobalts. All are around $35
"Know your knobs" Oh god, my first bass was a Yamaha RBX-374 that had 4-knobs and two active humbuckers. I had no idea what anything did and I went from having five months of practice to playing in a punk band still not knowing what any of the knobs did. My tone sounded like garbage because I never messed with the knobs and instead of slapping the strings I was more or less punching them with my knuckle. Eventually I traded it for a Jazz bass with a broken tuning peg.
I never used a distortion pedal when I was younger. Now I always have a bit of distortion in my tone. It really helps the bass cut through the mix.
Boss distortion is the bomb! Highly recommend using one
Compression is what you should be using to cut through the mix. Disto only sounds good with certain genres
I also use compression but that alone is not enough to cut the mix. Compression alone isn't enough.
Those 3 year old strings sounded surprisingly good. For me, string life is the time between when new strings are broken in and when they die.
Tip number 7: get a fuzz pedal.
Tip number 8: get an octaver pedal.
Tip number 9: fire your guitar player and become the Royal Blood of acid rock.
Hell yeah !!!
Gongasoso Why get an octave when you can embrace the bass, like OM or Death From Above 1979?
Do not.
@@sebee13 Come over'ere 'nd stop meh, wee laddeh!
@@Gongasoso My problem is that I take things to serious.
Just found your channel! Bought my first bass this week and plan to use your videos to help me get started. Hope you keep posting regularly :)
Congrats on your new bass dude! More videos to come. :)
gongrats bro
How goes it?
Same!!
just tune your bass every time you play it
dodo dodo lol i don’t know how anyone could play without tuning first
@@j3tt436 I got a really good bass that is almost never out of tune when I'm not moving it (due to temperature/humidity changes) so when I don't record something it's usually fine to play it without tuning first. If it's out of tune I'll usually hear that pretty fast.
Alex Dattel mine are stable. It’s just I have ocd about checking the tuning and action constantly lol
Tune mine once a month without flaw
Just to be sure, I tune my instrument before each and every note.
Twice.
and the sound guy is probably taking a break during the bass solo. that sounded personal
Bass players forgive... BUT WE NEVER FORGET.😡
@@BassBuzz Well, the sound guy will also try to make everything you play sound like a P with old strings anyway, and flatten your sound as far as possible. After all, the guitarist has to have all that room for his distorted hammer-ons, power chords and tremolo runs. He'll also be on break whenever you are tuning, checking your levels or generally near the stage...
@@shannonrhoads7099 dont forget the guitarist needs room for his oversized ego-
@@akos5063 There's usually a separate semi for that in the tour caravan XD
@@shannonrhoads7099 oh yeah
As someone that grew up playing in concert and marching bands I didn’t even know ppl could play an instrument without tuning. That’s literally step number one 🙃
Don't forget, what may sound shitty on its own might sound good in a mix
Almost always the case if there's not really expensive pro equipment.
I just found your channel and I really love what you do/how you go about doing it. No nonsense, no ego, easy-to-follow lessons that make the transition from guitar to bass incredibly comfortable and a lot less frustrating for someone like me. Thanks for all the hard work that goes into your videos and your dedication to keeping them coming. Cheers.
Thank you so much! Glad you're enjoying, I'll keep them coming. :)
I've been playing for more than 50yrs, starting at 7 years old with classical piano/music lessons for almost 8yrs. At 15yrs of age I picked up the guitar and I gravitated to the bass. I have played with friends just Jamming and I've played with working bands for the 70's and 80's. I have also done sound reimbursement from being able roadie to running the board. What a great and wonderful time of my life from CBGB's to the Rat Cellars of Stoney Brook college , I wouldn't trade it for anything. Anyway, I can appreciate your tutorial video ( only saw this one ) but most of it was Your Opinion and not what others might think. To Each Thier Own. That's what makes a variety of different types of music. Keep up the good work.
The first time i touched a bass, which was about six years ago, i was struggling to find my grip and had no knowledge whatsoever about the knobs at all. And after watching this video, I'd say that's the biggest tone fix I picked up. Now I'm in the clear about what the knobs on my bass do. Big thanks!
good stuff mate! it's as hard for non-beginners to explain all this clearly (as it is so "self-evident") as it is for beginners to imagine it (as it is so "secondary"). keep up the good work!
Thanks Lee!
*puts on extreme distortion*
"That sounds awful!
Get some tone!"
... Just one name.
Cliff.
I thought you were gonna say Lemmy.. O_o
Yeah Cliff! Get some tone!
I love cliff more than lemmy
Josh is such a chill, friendly, welcoming teacher and gives amazing tips that have really improved my playing definitely the best place to learn 👍
As much as these fixes are great, here's another great tip: switch where you pick between the bridge and neck to change your tone, or even use a pick. Ultimately use guidelines to get a good start, then throw them out and do what feels natural. Most bassists will say only play with the drummer, specifically the kick drum. I play off of everything as a bassist. Also, if you're switching to bass from guitar, you might find it way easier to get a tone that's uniquely you by using a pick. I liked using Dunlop 1mm nylon picks, so my tone cut more.
Excellent info!
One item I would add related to the tone knob on passive basses and amp settings is to set your volume and tone knobs to 7 on your bass, then setup your amp tone and volume. Now you can make your bass brighter or darker during your live performance instead of just darker, and also increase or decrease volume depending on the song.
No. 7 mute the strings your not playing, it's a basic technique that gets you a better and cleaner sound.
With which hands do you mute with?
@@nicolaskim7779 Both. Personally, I recommend using your left hand to mute the strings higher (pitched) from wherever you're currently playing. You can use your thumb to mute those thicker strings while you're playing the thinner ones. If your hands are big enough, you can also sorta wrap your left hand around and use your thumb to mute the E (or B) string. Look up the floating thumb technique to learn more about muting with your plucking hand's thumb. Or look up videos on muting in general; there's tons of them. :)
@@calciferblack2409 how do I mute the higher strings that I've just played? such the G string
@@alistair5309 Explore different finger positions (which finger you are using and which fret you are playing the note on). For the higher notes,, you can often play the same note in three (or more) positions on the neck. You may be accustomed to using your index finger to fret a given position and by shifting to your middle or ring finger, allow yourself to mute with the index finger after the "pull off." Or, you are using your ring finger. By shifting to index or middle allows you to muffle the string with a quick, light squeeze of the ring finger.
@@alistair5309 Mute the higher strings with the fingers of the LEFT hand, that you're using to fret on a lower string. Instead of "reaching over" the string, you lay your finger(s) ACROSS the higher strings, just enough to stop them from ringing.
Muting the LOWER strings I find more challenging. Methods vary, you _can_ use your left hand thumb to mute the E string, but it's not recommended because, technically, it should be on the back of the neck. You can also mute lower strings with your palm if you play with a pick.
For the most part, though, bassists mute with the non-plucking fingers of their plucking hand, i.e. thumb, ring finger and pinkie. Experiment around and find something comfortable. Just make sure you never, ever, leave a string unmuted and ringing. It will destroy the sound of the whole band. Seriously. It's as important as fretting notes cleanly. Good luck, you will find your own way as long as you stay aware of the potential problem.
I was always taught to change one string at a time by luthiers to avoid totally releasing the neck tension unnecessarily. Still do it to this day.
At some point, at least you are gonna need to measure the neck radius, which means all the strings would have to be removed
I have to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Been a musician for years but just jumped into bass thinking it was like guitar... lol, I was so damn wrong. Your videos def helped me on the right track to better playing and sound . Thank you again
You're welcome! :)
I must say, as a COMPLETE beginner, I’ve watched about three of your videos and I’ve learned so much in them, thank you for that. Subscribed after the second video and I’m glad I did.
Glad I could help! :)
As a guitar player for decades who recently decided to pick up bass I appreciate this vid. I don't need an explanation of bass anatomy, notes on the fretboard or how to hold it.
What I do need is practical tips on the technical differences of fingerstyle bass vs picking guitar strings. Picking up the bass gives me a new respect for better bass players I've jammed with over the years.
I saw a couple of bass youtubers and You, mister, are one of my favourites.
Thanks gargoyle! You're my favorite creepy statue to see on pillars of buildings. 😈
Davie504
I think mids are very important even to beginners. They dictate whether the bassists can get through the mix or not. At live settings, I tend to crank up my mids to full. I have to sacrifice my desired tone just so I don't get drowned by my bandmates.
It should be mentioned that new strings ought to be stretched a lot after installation but before playing. It helps with tuning stability.
Quite right. You're bloody well right.
This is the worst thing I did as a beginner. Try without. You might have to re-tune after a few songs but your strings will sound better for a longer time.
In a way yes, by letting them adjust after restringing the bass for a few hours, then intermittent/interval tuning in between to let them settle. but another thing to note is knocking your guitar (unintentionally) against hard surfaces can cause vibrations that can loosen your tuning, quite subtly, and temperature changes can also cause some minor shifts. nevertheless, tuning your bass regularly before you play it will keep these issues at bay.
@@musenw8834 At a minimum, I tune every time I pick up my bass.
@@samlelowitch Same here.
I like how I used "Sunshine of your love" as one of my beginning practice songs, and it's the first riff you played.
Another hit video from you. You put it all together in a very digestible way. Beginners like myself need the true down to basics. Great job Josh.
Thanks LH!
Thank you! I'm an intermediate guitarist. I just got a bass for my UA-cam cover videos. Loved the tips!
You're welcome Elijah, hope it helps!
I usually do smaller gigs and don't need more than my b100 combo, but one feature it has that's a godsend is the frequency notch, which lets you dial out the "evil room resonance frequency" whatever it happens to be.
When you were explaining about the different types of strings, I think you should have mentioned, that the strings are made of either stainless steel strings or nickel (there are some other types as well, but these are the most commonly used ones). Stainless steel strings will give you a brighter, aggressive sound, while nickels sound warmer and more mellow.
As for the two pick-up configuration, it is worth nothing that running both pick-ups at full volume, will result in a rather dull tone, because they will cancel out some of each others' frequencies (mostly mids). So I would suggest having the neck pick-up at full volume and then dial in the necessary amount of volume from the bridge pick-up, until you reach the desired level of brightness in your tone. The blend knob is certainly easier to use, but it does not allow you two dial the same wide range of sounds as the two individual volume knobs.
Another thing to keep in mind, when setting up the tone of your bass, is how it will sit in the band mix. What sound good soloed, does not necessarily sound good in the mix.
Keep the videos coming !
I was given a set of copper strings once. They sounded glorious - for about a week.
It took me a long time to figure this out: your tone sounds totally different in your basement when you are sitting 3 feet away compared to when you are at a gig when the audience is 30 feet away or more. In fact, while you are playing a gig, if your amp is behind you, it will sound boomy with too much bottom, but if you walk out 20 feet is sounds pretty good and if you walk out 40 feet it sounds even better. Most amps are biased toward more bottom end, I think for this reason. The bottom end dies out rapidly from the amp to about 10 feet and then it sounds much better.
This video was very good and has a lot of great information. I started playing electric bass guitar July 2021 the first time in my life and bought an acoustic bass guitar 2 months ago. I love it. My boyfriend has played guitar, electric bass and banjo for many years. We go to music jams every week. I was on stage with him after I started playing the electric bass 5 weeks prior to that. It was awesome and scary at the same time.
Halfwound strings can sound cool. I swapped the flats off my fretless J-bass with halfwounds and got a little more high end tone which was pleasing.
Halfwounds are awesome! Been using them since the 80's. Allows you to roll up the highs without getting too much string noise so you can get a nice, clear tone when arpeggiating and chording.
that flatwound tone "colour" is great!
FINAL COUNTDOWN! OMG I love your channel! I’m dying over here!
Thanks Nicki!
I'm not a newb, been playing for 35 years, but I love your channel. It is interesting and keeps your attention to the subject at hand.....and I find it entertaining as well. I recommend beginners to your channel as a great place to start. Keep up the good work. Maybe some day I'll be as good as Josh newb!
Thanks Rod!
I’m a newbie to bass guitar, have loved playing the drums for decades. Am learning a huge amount following your lessons! Thanks, Josh in 2020! here in 2025!
The main point here wrt tone is "know what does what." Also take some time to experiment and hear how your instrument's tone controls interact with the amp tone controls. Once you understand that, then you can start to fine tune it. For the beginner playing with a group, probably your best bet is bridge pickup and your tone knob(s) down to minimum. (Rule #1 of playing with a group: Don't try to outshine the lead guitarist. You won't work much.) However, bass tone is a very subjective thing and depends a good deal on what you're playing with. Do you want to feel the bass more than hear it? Then see my remark about tone knobs. That's what you'll hear on a lot of classic rock. Do you want to hear your fingers/pick ala Iron Maiden? Is your bass a major component of the arrangement and needs to be heard on its own ala Rush? Are you simply octave-down weight for the guitar as in the case of a lot of metal music? Gotta answer all that to know what direction to go. Also remember that a bass with active pickups can be a very different animal than one with passive pickups. When in doubt, you can't really go wrong with a P bass. It is perhaps the most preferred bass of recording artists, producers, and engineers everywhere.
Some good advice for beginners what made it for me you showed the amp set up which makes a big difference so many people start beginner bass lessons showing all the parts of the bass and how to pluck or pick it and right through the lessons they never show an amp set up. I love the how to play lessons where they show all the notes to play and never show the amp settings. A beginner has no idea about drive compression gain etc which makes a big difference to what you are playing
@@ynofkhgyu8668 I thought a sentence always began with a capital letter. I bow to your superior grammar.
Thank you for the videos, I've been playing bass for literally a week and I need all the help I can get!
You're welcome! Congrats on starting bass. :)
Pulling across instead of plucking. I have been playing guitar for 40 years and took up the bass a couple weeks ago. I can play stuff right off but I'm newbing it up big time. Your vids are super helpful.
I bought your course and while I'm only on M1 L4, It's been super fun. This video helped me solve one of my problems, my fingernails were catching the strings, but only sometimes and it was driving me crazy that I couldn't get the same sound every time and I was sure I was plucking the same way. Clipped them, and problem solved.
You should immediately tune your instrument every single time you pick it up to play. If you are playing a gig, then you should check your tuning when you initially set up, immediately before you start your set, and in-between songs as often as you possibly can without bogging down the flow of your set.
This channel gives me lot of confidence to play bass :)) now i'm better than my past
I've been wanting to play the bass guitar ever since I started playing it 60 years ago. For me your lessons for beginners are invaluable. Thanks.
Glad I can help!
Lol wtf does this even mean
Great video. When I first started out on bass, I blasted the tone and volume pups in my J bass not knowing any better. Finally figured out that picking, finger plucking, position of volume and tone knobs all made a huge difference.
Just bought a cheapo bass yesterday as haven't touched a bass in years. Had almost forgotten the importance of getting the set up sounding sweet with the tone knobs for bridge and neck pickups
Loved the moment when he throws away the pick
APPROVED
Hey man, love your videos and teaching style. Teachers like you are what this country needs, highly informative and constantly entarnaining!
Thank you!
You're welcome Matthew!
As a beginner bass player, I really thank you for making it simple and understandable. I guess i’ll wait for a tutorial on mid tone for amps. Subbed!
You're welcome Shiro!
I'm so glad you just focused on the treble and bass knobs because my amp doesn't even have a mid knob and everyone else mentioned it like it was super important. Made me feel like Id never be good just because I've got the wrong amp. And thanks for mentioning the two knob one pickup setup, again everyone acts like you *need* two, which sucks when you've only got one.
Recently I've bought an amp for my bass. I had no idea what treble means and how to use middle,treble and bass. Thank you for explaining. Now I get it.
I didn’t know that new strings sounds faster. Thank you a lot
I play electric bass, double bass and nylon string guitar so I need to preserve my nails. Nails will shred on electric bass so I evolved my use of Alaska Picks - one each on middle and index fingers. I have to EQ for the clicking, but they are a great compromise in my world - can't slap and pop with them though.
"Just the bridge pickup is too thin"
[Jaco Pastorius enters the chat]
Ha. That's why I said "too thin for a lot of bass playing". Obviously Jaco's tone was magnificent and anyone who questions that should be stoned to death. BUT, that is not the right tone for a lot of stuff that working bass players have to play. But yes, if you're covering The Chicken, roll to the bridge, of course.
Also, this video is targeted towards beginners, who might not have the ear to catch their bridge pickup is thin and then compensate on the amp EQ end to make it work. Obviously if you have the ear to make pickup decisions based on the music, then ignore my beginner advice. 😎
**Lemmy entered the chat**
If you can play like Jaco or Lemmy, you probably don't need advice on how to tweak your sound :-). But it probably is true that settings with the Neck-pickup involved probably fit for more songs than single-bridge-pickup-settings. Could You agree with that?
@@caseyryback6932 Hahaha yes lol
@@caseyryback6932 "play like Lemmy" as if he was a some kind of genius of the bass... Surprise, but he wasn't. He was a guitarist who was handed a bass. With his bass EQ turned down and trebles turned up, he played just like guitars. There is no bass in most Motorhead songs. He was just a rock n roll vocalist playing simple lines on his (bass) guitar.
Been playing bass for a year and the brand of strings that I've landed on are Ernie Ball strings and they have that perfect zing to them that are perfect for me,I have also been using these tone fixes for 5 months and they have helped me improve.
Thank you, Bass Buzz!
13:33 "It's kind of like lighting a blanket off the bass."
Beautiful!
It was nice to know that I was already doing all those things. I guess it helped to be a guitar player and recording engineer before taking up bass a year ago.
Yep! Engineers know bass tone better than most bass players.
Thank you so much ! I have been playing for almost a year and this has been so helpful especially with getting the right tome from my amp .👍🏻
Glad to help! 😊
Flatwound strings gave me an eargasm I think.
They're great just make sure your style of music allows it to be that dark. If you're playing in a rock band with 2 electric guitars you might just get absolutely buried. Which actually can be ok if that's what you're going for, just bottom line know the tradeoff for the darker sound. I will agree though, for that particular phrase he played to demonstrate, the flats sounded better.
Yeah, they do have that effect :)
Slap doesn't work on them though.
I use flats on my Hofner violin bass, and love the way it sounds. It's nicefor jazzy type songs, and Beatles songs (of course.) Plus the fact that it is a semi-hollow body just put 'em on and pretend you are a giant playing upright.
Sometimes I like how they sound
i use fingerstyle , i play punk,grunge.metal doom sounds and never had a problem with flats. just gotta know how to use them
I enjoyed the video quite a lot.
I have played guitar now for something like 18 years (wish I was 18 years good, but I'm good enough I suppose).
The point is, I picked up an acoustic (then an electric) bass about a year back.
I've been doing ok; the folks at the local blues jam keep inviting me up to do bass rather than guitar, but that may just be because you can't swing a cat around here without hitting a guitarist.
Anyway, I ran into a tip I wanted to verify with you. A pro musician came up to me (we'd never met) and he says "You played guitar first, didn't you?"
I first thought I'd overdone it on fills and such, even though I try not to do that.
He says he could tell because of the tone of my playing. I tend to cram the strings right up against my fretting fingernails. He says play with the pads of the fingers for a better? more authentic? (shrug) bass tone/experience.
Is that a thing?
Why?
Why not?
Also, how do you achieve that very thick but bright sound that's gotten so popular? Is it powerful lows and highs and ditching mids?
Thanks for the video and any advice given here.
The nail part with wolverine claws got me. Awesome channel.. just picked up the bass after almost 20 years. Never was able to slap properly as a teen, cause YT didint exist and videos like you do werent around! Thanks a lot man!
You're welcome!
I just got my bass a few days ago (ik I’m a super beginner) and this video was extremely helpful, thanks!! Definitely going to subscribe
That's awesome Abigail Congrats on starting bass. :)
flatwounds all the way for the styles i play - and theyre so much more comfortable :) i also have flats on my guitar lol
The two things that have really improved my tone lately are:
a) sometimes, you need to turn the Bass knob down and turn the volume up.
b) you can almost always boost some mid frequency to be more present. On my Ampeg amp, what I tend to do is engage the Ultra Low (mid cut at 500Hz) but then boost the 200Hz-300Hz range. This results in a tone that is more evened-out than a mid scooped tone but has a little more nuance than if I did nothing.
love this! Great video not only for beginners but for those who have been playing for some time just to revisit the fundamentals. For myself, EQ has been dependent on the room and the ensemble. I've played some venues where there is such a huge natural "boost" in the low end that I've had to turn the bass knob all the way down. Sounded like crap onstage but when I got a recording from the room the balance in the band was perfect. A GOOD sound tech can advise when you are playing in their house.
Thanks Mike! Yeah, tuning the bass sound to a room is an art form for sure. Never a dull moment with live sound. :)
Very informative videos! I’m a deaf bassist and I don’t do it by ear so I tend to keep my amp EQ Settings as follows:
Bass at 60%
Mid at 50%
Treble at 40%
I have flatwounds on my Jazz Bass and I keep the knobs at:
Neck and Bridge pickups at Full volume
Tone at 50%
Haven’t received any complaints about my sound yet.
Sounds like a safe place to set everything!
BassBuzz Thanks! Appreciate the response. I always joke with my music teacher that I want to sign up for ear training class.
@@Defmusicman1 Ha! :P BTW I just looked up "deaf bass player" because I'm fascinated that you're able to do that, and found this video, I think this is you? Sounds great! ua-cam.com/video/mGZfOg65QN0/v-deo.html
BassBuzz Thank you! Yes. That’s me in my first public performance on bass in 2007. I was a nervous wreck but I got through it.
@@Defmusicman1 Nice, you sounded great! Super solid. Rock on. :)
Thank you. Just picked up a 70's lawsuit Castilla bass. I'd like some flat wounds on it at some point and see how it changes the sound.. But the biggest thing I learned was finding the sweet spots on my amp's EQ.. I do think I'd been disturbing my neighbors with all the boom and slap 😅 Fun fun.
I've disregarded all of these and bought myself a pick.
Nothing wrong with a pick in the right context Bram! Most of these fixes still apply.
@@BassBuzz I know, just kidding :)
Just picked up a bass off amazon, found your channel and subbed, now i just need to find that intro course you mentioned.
Boom! www.bassbuzz.com/lessons/beginners-basics
Unfortunately had to figure a few of these out on my own (e.g., slightly pulling up on the strings, and adjusting fingertip angle to avoid nail-strikes). If one chases the sound and tone, they’ll eventually figure out what’s right and wrong (for them), but great to have guidance, so appreciated. 👍
Nail clippers should come with every bass. Nobody talks about how much more you're going to clip if you play bass. This is the first acknowledgement I've heard on YT :)
Ha yes, they need to be added to Squier Starter Packs ASAP.
@@BassBuzz Yes! :)
the nail one sounded a lot better to me than the other one. ia little nail is awesome on the bass
You are the first bass player I have come across who actually recommends using old strings. I find the usual mantra to change your strings regularly a bit dogmatic, too. If you are into heavy slapping stlyes, then yes, there is no replacement for fresh strings once in a while. Otherwise, don't change a running system if it sounds fine.
I know it's a year later but you clearly haven't been talking to many bassists. They are notorious for using strings forever. So much so that it's a meme. I'm one of them. I HATE the sound of my bass with new strings. It takes about a week for them to settle down and sound right again. Unfortunately after about a year the G string goes just completely dead and I have to change them.
Where's my pick bass players at? Good enough for McCartney, Duff, Oliveri, and Novoselic? Works for me 👍
I play with a pick and with my fingers. I'll play some parts of a song near the bridge with a pick for a bright sound and other parts I'll hold the pick in my teeth and play above the 20th fret with my fingers for a darker warmer sound. Palm muting is also easier with a pick than with a thumb and sounds better because the pick gives it more attack.
Kev Snyde don't forget Squire!
Yeah I knew this guy was a dick when he threw the pick away. Fuck this Capt Obvious douche.
Carole Kaye as well, without whom the whole history of bass would be different.
i interchange on pick and finger style
Man as a long time bass player this is inspiring to get to basics and just play
Bought my acoustic bass today and this channel is perfect! Practice, practice practice!
Little expansion on the mids for anyone wondering. When messing with the mids with EQ at home, in practice or in recording find one that you like and sits well within the mix...thats fine and great. Changing Mid levels are more important when it comes to live performance and will change dramatically from gig to gig depending on the environment. If you're in a open space with lots of natural reverb you're going to want to boost the mids to in order to cut through that. Hopefully the tech guys will be good enough to account for this in most situations but if not, its always worth investing in a really long cable, or even a wireless setup so you can stand in the audience area during soundcheck to hear out for any adjustments you need to make.
Learning your pickups also means: find the right height for each side of each pickup to have the same output volume on each string.
@ghost mall I don't mean poles height. I mean pickup height, for which (as usually for the nut) there's no such thing as factory setting.
Hey Josh, well done. I was tone deaf until I saw your video. Now I'm feeling more "equalized" and flat wound, or maybe I'm round wound, or well rounded. Either way , I'm better informed, thanks to you. Kudos! Job well done. I left the multiple "knob" jokes alone, because that's just wrong.
Cheers!!! 👍💗😊
Haha, thank you for your great taste as usual, Agent Smith.
BassBuzz does that make you Mr. Thomas Anderson
That is a WONDERFUL enunciation exercise!
Roundwounds are Wound with Round Wire! Say that 5 times cleanly!
Loved hearing “Pow!”, the song that made me want to play bass, during the Strings section 💪
Awesome video. Been playing guitar for years but I’m trying to switch over to bass and i learned some helpful stuff from this vid👍
Yes, come to the dark side! :) Glad to help.
Nice set of tips. I loved the one of cutting your nails. I learned to play with a pick back in my teens and since picking up the bass again, have been learning to play with my fingers. I keep finding that my middle finger gets a different tone than my pointer. I can play much smoother and get an even tone when I play with just my pointer, like Jamerson. I have difficulty keeping a steady rhythm and consistent tone with two fingers. I keep practicing and know it will improve, but then go back to the pick or just one finger plucking. Is this a common issue?
PS, since I started playing again, there is so many great stuff online. I tried several and came across yours. You are by far, the most engaging and personable. I wish these vids were around when I was a teen just starting out. Keep up the great work.
Hey Thomas, I think it's always a struggle for pick players to adjust to fingers. It seems to take a lot of work (which is why I recommend people start with fingers, whether they also learn pick or not).
Make sure you're not making fingernail contact with the middle finger, and just keep working the rhythm stuff, it'll come.
And thanks for the kind words!
With those flatwounds you really had that James Jamerson sound there.
Thats the best profile picture ever.
As a bass newbie, it’s now official - U r my bassist main man
Ur gr8 m8
Confirms my choice of flat wound strings for jazz styles
But now I know round wound better for others
Thanks Phil!
This channel realy needs more subscribers and for sure it deserves more
Thanks Jonatan!
OMG, you are such a DORK! Totally endearing and I am totally hooked and committed to spend my Corona virus lock down month to learn bass from you!!! I'm committed and really excited. BTW I am a guitar player, and love how you mimic those out of groove guitar show offs!!!
Sounds good Rodney! Glad you enjoy the dorkdom. :)
Great info! 👍🏼 I agree on a lot of it being subjective & depending on what sound you are trying to go for. I think that someone can be an overly picky tone nerd(as with any instrument) that you take the fun out of playing all together. Don’t let someone else’s opinion stop you from playing what you love. As you play more & more- you’ll discover what you like & don’t like on tones. I try to remember that 90% or more of the people listening to you play will not care or remember what you sounded like at all. Have fun & absorb knowledge from other musicians but DO NOT let someone else’s opinion stop you from playing & growing. 🤘🏼
Teach players the importance about being in tune, because all the music is built on top of your bass tone. You are the foundation. If you are out of tune than the entire group will be off. I love the KORG tuner's big display. This is useful for you to check your overall intonation on the bass. Play open string, now play string fretted up one octave. They should match, if not, then take it into a guitar tech, or learn how to set your intonation by watching video.
Grant Koeller *Literally* tip 0
Tried all of this before B2B course. This was a clarification with different names for what I called it. My AMP and Headphones are about where you have suggested, and I use the tone on the Bass to get brighter or more vintage. Too muffled is not good place if your really trying to hear your string mistakes on my gear. I like the ruble so I go the other way on the tone sometimes.
my beautiful nails...got a bass for xmmas and even tho i am 31 i'm learning it's never to late! bought your course! it's extremely helpful. thanks so much!
Glad you're digging the course Amara! 31 is many many decades away from too late. :)