Are You an Intermediate Bassist? (17-point Checklist)
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- Опубліковано 5 бер 2020
- 👉 My full beginner bass course: yeah.bassbuzz.com/intermediate
Are you as good at bass as you think you are? Use this 17-point checklist to test if you’re an intermediate bass player… or not.
If you struggled with anything in the video, here are some helpful resources:
Learn to Tune - • How To Tune Your Bass ...
Start Learning Your Fretboard - • Learn Your Bass Fretbo...
Fretting Technique - • Basic Bass Fretting Te...
Plucking Technique - • Basic Bass Plucking Te...
Muting - • Your Bass Muting Techn...
Get Started With Scales - • How to Learn Bass Scal...
Fix Your Bass Tone - • 6 Bass Tone Fixes (Beg...
How to Play Bass With a Drummer - • How to Play Bass with ...
Ear Training - www.musictheory.net/exercises
12 Bar Blues Basics - • Beginner Blues Bass "S...
Create Bass Lines - • 5 Easy “Shapes” for Ki...
Jam Skills, Learn to Read, Basic Rhythm, Syncopation, Basic Muting + More - www.bassbuzz.com/lessons/begi...
What does being an ‘intermediate bassist’ actually mean? Well, it’s subjective. But based on over a decade of personal teaching experience, plus reviewing a lot of other teachers’ lists, these are 17 things I think anybody should be able to do at the intermediate level.
To make this list more digestible, I broke it up into three chunks -
First, we’ll tackle the basics. (or bassics, if you’re some kind of pun nerd) This includes tuning quickly, learning the fretboard “money notes,” alternating plucking, four finger fretting, keeping good time, playing legato, and basic muting.
The second chunk is about theory, which I kept to a functional minimum. We’ll talk about learning basic scales, common rhythms and time signatures, and having a decent handle on your gear.
Last up is musicianship, which covers a whole range of skills that make you not just a good bassist, but a good musician. I’ll walk you through reading, playing bass with a drummer, jamming, listening, playing the blues, creating bass lines, and playing along with full songs.
Whew! It’s a lot to learn, which is probably why my Beginner to Badass course (which covers all this stuff) is over 30 hours of lessons… check it out: yeah.bassbuzz.com/intermediate
Enjoying these videos? Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next one - yeah.bassbuzz.com/subscribe
#IntermediateBass #NoobJoshApproved
🎸 *If you struggled with anything in the video, here are some helpful resources:*
Learn to Tune - ua-cam.com/video/MjyFJYcr6-o/v-deo.html
Start Learning Your Fretboard - ua-cam.com/video/tcok98Vk6uA/v-deo.html
Fretting Technique - ua-cam.com/video/ux-i7FWOLzs/v-deo.html
Plucking Technique - ua-cam.com/video/CR8yQCZX2HQ/v-deo.html
Get Started With Scales - ua-cam.com/video/2PzUVcDkjX8/v-deo.html
Fix Your Bass Tone - ua-cam.com/video/0KgB7wIyTUw/v-deo.html
How to Play Bass With a Drummer - ua-cam.com/video/PSw5uqkTPzs/v-deo.html
Ear Training - www.musictheory.net/exercises
12 Bar Blues Basics - ua-cam.com/video/tiloGr59WOg/v-deo.html
Create Bass Lines - ua-cam.com/video/lAMRqLNo6yk/v-deo.html
Jam Skills, Learn to Read, Basic Rhythm, Syncopation, Basic Muting + More - www.bassbuzz.com/lessons/beginner
Love that Bela Fleck & the Flecktones shirt.
Yesssssss!!!! I am an intermediate player!!!!!! No joke, I am so happy!
I saw this vid and the drumeo vid and it activated my almonds
According to the handy-dandy checklist, I fall in the intermediate with a slight caveat range. According to Carol Kaye, I quote, "Well, you're a solid beginner. I'll give you that." It was the most terrifying 55 minutes of my bass playing life.
Man you are the best !!!
Me : doesn’t play or own a bass
Also me : let’s see if I’m an intermediate bassist
Me at 3AM.
I've only played bass, guitar, drums and backing vocals. Let's see if in a violin virtuoso
Mo Atkins lmao that’s so relatable. I full well know I can only sing, play tuba, and guitar but I’ll just be like hmmmm.. am I the next piano god?
ROFLAO.... I thought the exact same thing...
baby mercury Start to play an instrument it’s such a joy and will change your life
Skelter Gaming I uh- I play tuba, baritone, drums, guitar, piano and sing my guy. Some of them not as well as others. But I’m not half bad.
I’ve been a beginner for over 50 years
It's never too late to give up being a beginner.
And I still can’t hum 12/8.
@@mikesorbassguitar try too aproch it bit more mathematicic like 6/4 or 3/2
I picked up bass at 33 after being coerced into playing a washtub bass at a bluegrass jam. Hard to believe that was 18 years ago. I’m still only an egg when it comes to bass. :-)
i've only played bass 3 years
I started the checklist out of curiosity - now I'm using it as a sort of lesson planner - striving for perfection in all 17 points is definitely something to reach for.
Thanks again for a push in the right direction
you should also really try and learn chord tones, kind of similar to scales but more useful when playing with others
How's it going? 2 years later.
@@kindauncool I’m trying this now after 2 months playing bass. Going to test my beginner progress this Sunday 4/2, my two month anniversary. Wanna check in with me in a year to see if I’m intermediate?
@@LuxuriousMistakeMusichows it going?
@@LuxuriousMistakeMusicman how you be doing?
Me watching this before my bass has arrived
You are lucky, we all should have started like this !
Same 😁👍
Honestly, same. Two days until it gets here! :D
Mine was supposed to arrive yesterday, but FRICK Federal Express.
Beefrankbeefrankbeefrankbeefrankbeefrank
"Can you tune in 15 seconds"
- FUUCK
"....using a tuner"
- Oooohhh
Made me smile, but learning to tune without a tuner is also an important skill. You'll develop it no problem with a bit of work, or just with experience.
@@qdaveq6597 Exactly - A real musician can tune by ear to a single reference note.
Also realising/hearing when you are out of tune seems to be skill that a lot lack
Having good tuners on your bass makes a real difference. Quality tuners makes tuning much easier and quicker.
I think tuning isnt a problem if you are using harmonics to tune, its just about hearing wob wob wob, which i believe can be easily done by anyone, am i wrong?
@@TheAiket Yes it's generally easy with practice, it's just harder if you have (strong) tinnitus or other similar hearing problems. or i guess some people aren't good with pitches but idk. It's hard for people to try to learn smth when the easy solution is right there :p
me: cool looks like I'm intermediate
music theory: I'm gonna stop you right there
TRUTH
Frustrate the shit out of me.
nah that's the easy part, utilizing it is hard
Same here dude😂😂
@@jeanpitre5789 ya true
A lot of other guys on youtube seem to want to make you feel like you are a beginner so you will buy their course or sign up for their academy or whatever. That was an honest approach - loved it!!
Glad you dug it Duane!
me: has been playing bass for a decade
also me: stoked I can actually do everything on the list
I passed the 17.... been playing bass for 2.5 years. I passed 'cos of years on guitar, before deciding that bass is my thing.
Same 😅
Relatable
I've been playing for 8 years and I can only really do like half the stuff on the list :v
Guitar players after 15 years of practice : I have no idea what this is all about, but I do know how to catch single moms at the park with my out of tune guitar.
I aaaaaaam kidding guitar folks ( mostly )😂
I'm very entertained by how well you can convincingly make yourself sound like a beginner player.
It's really hard! I've either gotten really good at it... or I just actually suck now. 😬
@amp...I was thinking the same thing...I thought this must be his twin bro, until I saw his tattoos. 😂
@@MixingGBP I definitely could have played Noob Josh in this video.
yeaaaah how come man hahahaha
I’m an expert at sounding like a beginner
As a bassist who is apparently beyond "intermediate" according to the criteria listed in this video, I feel safe adding one more category that was very important in my development as a bassist: *can you play **_without_** a drummer?* In other words, can you, in a jam situation, be the rhythm section and really lay down the groove all by yourself with no drummer or other percussionist?
That's a good one, I couldn't agree more! 👍
Cheers! Maarten (fulltime bass player & teacher, www.playbass.be)
Oh God, that's so true. Recently I had a gig, where I was supposed to play my bass for a choir. No drummer. Just me, some accordion player and a choir full of really old people, who aren't really musicians. AND BESIDES THAT we didn't have time to have any kind of rehearsal before. In my opinion that's one of the most stressful situations you can find yourself in as a bass players.
I have seen plenty of players drilling complicated paterns, but unable to keep simple eights notes, or country.
I have some problem with fast BPM in regard to this situation. There is a song of my band that beggins with only bass, and most of the time i would start a litlle bit slower than I should.
@@toribiogubert7729 Slow or behind-the-beat isn't bad if it doesn't actually drag. It is common for musicians to rush tempos when playing live, so being able to hold back can actually be beneficial imo.
Me: I think I’m actually becoming half decent!
Josh: no, you’re not
Felt that
In the theory section, I might add understanding the Nashville Number system. It allows you to play in any key without the bother of trying to transpose in your head when the singer decides the song is too high for them that day. (the struggle is real...) Also, when your band mate says 4,1,6,5 in Bb you know exactly what that means. If you know the root note you can play anywhere and start to see the shapes on the fretboard and not just the notes. It was honestly the best thing I ever did for my playing and understanding the instrument.
Yep, good addition Brad! I force all my students to learn that. :)
i don't get it, cant you just do all that by understanding basic scales
@@thebushmaster0544 yes and no. To me the Number System is about how you think of the song using shapes and numbers in a way that you can't just by simply knowing the scales. However, you can only extract the information you need if you have a basic understanding of theory and scales. Most people that I have seen that are still building their skills (below intermediate) would memorize what note they need to play in the song. For instance a song in the key of D and the progression is D, A, B, G. That is all fine and good until your leader says lets run that again, but in a different key. The drummer doesn't care, the acoustic guitar throws on a capo, the keys player hits the transpose button, while you and the lead guitar are panicking about transposing to a new key in your head and on the fly. This is not an easy skill to master. Instead, if we were to think of that same progression as 1,5,6,4 then we don't have to transpose at all. If you know the progression by number, it doesn't matter what key they want to play in. Find the new root note and play 1,5,6,4. Knowing the patterns of where a note is in relation to another makes things much easier and this is where your scale knowledge can come in and allow you to still play the sick fill you came up with in the new key.
I never knew it’s called the Nashville number system lol, did people from Nashville invent scale degrees?
@@nathancheung3601 I guess credit goes to the people that write it down and publish it...
You be flexin with the money notes, im here sitting thinking of the letter in alphabet after E
All that kindergarten alphabet practice really pays off. :P
"All musicians are the same...We all think we are rubbish..." (Pino Palladino)
Truth! Lee Sklar says he still gets nervous before sessions and worries he won't play well.
proof that Gene Simmons isn't a musician lmao
Pino is legit the reason I’m here. Love his playing!
I suspected that I would fail the intermediate test and I was right. But at the same time I realized that everything on your list was achievable and would really help. The abbreviated ,music theory’ section was a revelation. Thank you!!
Hey! You probably wont see this comment but i just want to thank you for your helpful content! Before my parents bought me my bass, i was constatly watching your videos and practicing technique on ukulele. I got my bass two days ago and my dad (which is a musician as well) is amazed with how much unbelievable progress i did in such short time. Thank you so much
Muah hah I have seen this comment! :P Glad I could help!
i guess i'm a better bass player than i thought i was. this video was a bit of a confidence boost, thanks man!
No lie. I learned several of the things he talked about and never knew there was a "thing", a name for it/them. It just felt and sounded "right". It was vindicating.
@@Sithspit_Rogue sounds like you've got a good ear!
While I confess to still being a beginner, I realized, after watching this video, that I’m a lot farther along to intermediate skill than I thought. Your teaching has certainly helped me in that regard. Thank you so much for sharing your gift.
I am very much a beginner, but this video is very helpful for explaining the skill sets beginning bass players should be aiming for as they are developing their technique. I have a lot to learn and this gives me some guidelines for what to practice and how to improve.
Me: has played bass for over ten years on and off, played in a band that has been paid to play gigs, can pick up a bass at any time and jam.
Also me: I really hope I can do the things on this list.
Me: played since a year and am confident.
Me: I hope I end up here 🙏
Me too! Ahah
It’s weird. I feel like I can do this stuff...but, I also feel like I still don’t know what I’m doing.
Neither does this guy 😂😂
That's sounds like a real bassist!
@@Kettupaini what's the bassline he played at 2:47
@@IThinkMottoMottolikesyou hysteria by muse
Imposter complex
I've still got a long way to go. But, I'm starting to get a hold of things. Thanks for being a super big help
You're welcome Gjorde!
I play Bass at my Church, and have been playing root notes, for way to long. Now listening to your U tub viedo's, I have become a better player. Taking notes and doing the teaching that your present on them. I am 70 years young and I believe it's never to late to start. Thanks so much for your engagement to teach us. BE SAFE and BLESSINGS
My first full song practice routine was papa was a rolling stone. It's simple and only a few notes repeated for like the whole song but two things, it's like seven and a half minutes so it's an actual workout... And all the open space in it really makes me focus on listening and being in time. Even a simple line can walk away from the drums after seven minutes if there's nothing to play and you aren't locked in.
That's a great tune!
Dude - never stop. Your content is always structured well, well humored and informative - thanks! Like how this gave me some new areas to explore and develop as well as help me appreciate how much I have learnt.
Thanks Neil!
I’m surprised that I’m considered “Intermediate” even tho I feel like a beginner
Yeah, i guess we dont give ourselves enough credit! I've been told I'm pretty good, but I'm always like " no I suck "
@@AquaDragon-kc9fh same here 🤔
+1
Real intermediates are ones who think they are still beginners
Same here.🙂
I can't believe i nailed it in every category. Even when i always say that i'm a terrible player. Thanks Josh for this lovely self esteem boost.
We are usually our own worst critics!
Same. I wouldn't say I "nailed it", but I've considered myself a "beginner" on bass for 30 years. Maybe I'm actually intermediate at this point? Hmmm.
I don’t even have bass, I’m piano and guitar player, but bass have stolen my heart. I will get one for my birthday, I hope
Hell yeah BASS!
For the past eight years I've been the bassist for a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band. After having watched this video I now consider myself advanced intermediate. I can pretty much do everything he does in his checklist, some things a bit better, some things worse. The best advice I could give anyone who has his basics down and wants to progress is to form or join a band. You'll be amazed how fast you'll improve!
Good advice!
Definitely good advice imho. I think that all the practice makes more sense if you know what it's for. E.g. not getting flamed by your drummer 😬
Bass player of one month and the music scene where I live is pretty much dead, but I can say I’ve been improving really fast. I went from playing R U Mine to playing Hysteria. I’ve been trying to get band mates and so far I’ve gotten two beginner guitarist. No luck finding a drummer yet.
me: gets a bass for christmas and learns a few songs by reading tabs and practicing scales without knowing how to jam or write my own basslines or even read sheet music
*also me: yeah i’m pretty much john deacon*
Wow, exact same situation with me. I got a bass for Christmas as well, and have just been plunking around when I have the time. I have perfect pitch, which helps learning bass lines from music a little, but I can't read sheet music, and I have terrible dexterity for now. Good luck to you!
nova dowdell keep at it bro
@@dateddelvings1695 perfect pitch is like, something more than half of musicians who don't have it wish they would.
Like it can be so useful.
@@jery3385 100% of those that dont have it want it
@@cursedcliff7562 yup, learning melodies would be so much easier.
Yeah, I've played a full song. It's called _seven nation army._
Really difficult bass line in that one.
Harder to dial in the tone than to play.
💀
Next stop, One Note Samba
It's a decent place to start to learn dynamics. You play the same riff all the way through but not at the same energy level.
I felt relieved watching this video. Been playing for 20 years, but I studied theory only at the beginning and couldn't stick scales in my head. It's like speaking right without knowing the grammar.
Noob: has a Fender, sucks
Intermediate: has a Squier, rules
Dezső Debreceni I’m a noob with a Fender Squier!🤘🎸
Why not both?
Yup, squier rules 🤘
Oh damn I have a fender
Though I've been playing for over 7 years now, and to get a good reference I know how to play War Pigs and Tico Tico no Fubá. I think they are one of the hardest I've played. But I wouldn't say i'm an advanced player
Me: wanting to be at least intermediate
Also me: Can't even play as good as noob Josh
i'm just getting my first bass at 26 years old, and watching this is very intimidating.
Yep
You can do it Siti! There's always lots to learn, just take it one day at a time. :)
And also you dont have to learn it all at once! You can do all these things quicker than you think, just take your time with it and most importantly, have fun!!! :)
I bought my first bass at 62 years old... We’re all in this together.
I've just gotten into bass during lockdown. Owned it for years but never had the chance to learn it. I've picked up so much via the Rocksmith 2014/Remastered (renamed but is the same) software (and it's required specific "Realtone" USB to guitar jack cable). The software is available on Steam (PC download), PlayStation 3/4 and XBox 360/One.
The latter third of the video was beyond me, but the earlier parts I can either do or wasn't far off. I've reached a point where I'm struggling to progress with Rocksmith alone, but I have discovered this on UA-cam and feel Josh can bridge that gap.
Try Josh, Rocksmith and persistence!
After 8 months of progress, I can finally do all of these things. Joining my school jazz band really helped give me good practice with skills like sight reading and jamming. Best of luck to anyone else out there and dont give up!
same, joining the jazz band really pushed me to learn :)
I'd say I passed the test. Took the full B to B course and have been in a band for two years with a gig this Saturday. I feel pretty intermediate.
Nice John!
More detailed video about 5 basic scales and how to learn them easily would be great! Thanks for your videos anyway! They are really helpful!
Yeah those minor and blues scales tripped me up. 🤨
You're right man, I need to get my shit together. I took way too long of a break 🤦♂️ thanks for the kick in the ass 👍 I'll watch this video whenever I feel unmotivated.
Josh,
These videos are absolutely killer! You're so fun in addition to being a gifted teacher.
If I could ask for one thing, it would be a set of videos aimed at young kids. Your energy and silliness would speak really well to elementary and middle school kids. :)
Thanks for the great content!
People who expected something more difficult or technical out of "Intermediate" are probably stuck in the old "Beginner -> Intermediate -> Advanced -> Expert" paradigm. In reality, it looks more like this:
-Beginner
-Intermediate
-Hobbyist
-Advanced
-Professional
-Badass
-Expert
-Virtuoso
-Master
-Jaco
bamath87 preach lol
Not all “professionals” are that advanced
hmmm i see you subscribe to the Jaco scale but what about the Wooten scale?
but I'm better than Jaco... he was influenced by me
that last one is a funny way to spell cliff
I used to think that I was able to play rock/heavy properly until I went into jazz, then reality smashed my face seeing jazz players and realized that I sucked; now I'm always seeking to improve everyday and do not care too much about the level that I have but to learn and fully enjoy music
I've been playing bass on and off for twenty eight years. I was in a band that shared the stage with national acts, and we put out a full album and multiple singles. I still have impostor syndrome. The biggest compliment I ever received is when I told a bass player that I looked up to that "I'm alright, I'm no pro," and he handed me his bass to get my opinion of his instrument. I slapped out some junk, and he said, "Uhhhh... you sound like a pro to me." I think I will forever feel like I'm super sloppy. I consider myself an "intermediate" because I don't feel like I will ever live up to Les Claypool or Victor Wooten.
This, exactly. 🙃
Glad to know I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’ve got two degrees in music, play multiple instruments, have taught for 21 years, and still pick up the bass wondering how to do this.
Me too, I’ve been learning songs for 10 years now and I’m proficient in at least 12 or 13 of these points so I’m probably well on the way to intermediate grade, but whenever anyone asks I don’t call myself a beginner, I say I’m a “developing” bass player 😊
Metalhead guitarist/bassist here, I've only ever come across twelve bar blues in books. Wouldn't say it's to essential to be able to play bass on your own stuff. Other than that, I'm an intermediate.
I can definitely see it not being as essential in metal, my band jams 12 bar blues pretty much every practice session. Really just depends on the genre, but I agree it's not super essential outside of more rock/pop influences
Can you...
Change your own strings and set up your own bass since you've probably not got a bass tech at the show and inevitably will have to do this mere minutes before you're supposed to go on stage.
Yes, and my bass is a six-stringer with a double truss rod.
Ha, yep, could do a whole separate "stage skills" video...
Can you troubleshoot a dropped wireless signal fast enough to fix it before the audience realizes the bass disappeared?
Can you accompany the saxophone solo sensitively even though you can barely hear it because the guitarist cranked up their amp after soundcheck?
Can you spot the drunk lady trying to climb on the stage in your peripheral vision without forgetting to go to the chorus? 🍸
@@BassBuzz I once knocked my bass out of tune swatting an abusive drunk off of our stage. Does that count? 😁
I can change my own strings on all my basses and tune them. But I'm not fast at it. Playing is just a hobby for me.🙂
@@BassBuzz The stage skills, video. Yes, please!! There's almost nothing out there for beginners who need to perform on stage
You're a great teacher
Thanks Luke!
Yes he is. Thanks alot for your videos. 🙂
This video is really awesome. I'm just learning (40+) for the first time and your channel is my go-to learning source. I was NoobJosh about a year ago. Now I'm like 11/17 with a bass thanks mainly to your channel. Your teaching style is perfect for people like me as it is practical and real. I need to start learning more scales now.
I watched this video when you published it months ago and it motivated me to improve, since then i've practiced a lot, i even bought a notebook to write the basslines i came up with and write down my overall progression, as a bass player i feel like i can say that my level is intermediate, mostly thanks to you Josh, please never stop what you are doing :)
Josh, I'm a new bass player. I started watching your youTube videos and really enjoy your teaching method. In fact, I liked it so much that I bought your course! Like most people, I am home for at least a month and have decided to do your Hardcore plan. So far your course is outstanding! Thank you so much for making learning the bass a fun activity. For those of you who are on the fence about buying Josh's course, do yourself a favor and buy it! The course is very manageable and Josh makes it a truly enjoyable experience! And this coming from a guy who's been playing drums for 40 years!!!
After almost 2 years I'm still a beginner but I will keep pushing, slow but consistent 💪💪
Yay! A list of non scale related skills to practice!
Thanks, man. I was an intermediate bassist (never a pro!), but after a decade away from the instrument I am definitely coming back as a beginner.
Dude - you are king of the rumble. Thanks so much for the videos, which are an amazing harmony of fun and helpful. You really distilled the essence of playing into clear components. Keep on rocking!
Thanks Martin!
2:52 hysteriaaaaa it's One of the best muse's bass line
Your videos are very educational and extremely useful!
You present every subject to the point, not missing out any useful information. The play-along sections of your lessons sum up the facts of each chapter and teach us the lesson in an educational and easy way! It's also admirable the fact that, with the play-alongs of famous songs, we can easily see that the things you teach us are already existing practices in music.
The way you show the major scale, the triangles, the triads, the blues box, etc., with the white and orange dots on the fretboard, is extremely helpful for the eye and very easy to understand and apply to one's playing. These pictures plus the "moving orange dot" while you play are really like no other!...
I also love the fact that you divide your videos in chapters. It makes learning so easy and practical.
The tabs you give (and for free!) are so useful!
Your videos are inspiring and fun! The idea of characters, such as "Noob Josh", "Science Josh", "French Josh", "Producer Josh", etc. is so smart and funny!
The subtitles you add are very useful and so fun!
You are doing an exceptional job. Better than many books I know, I must say.
I am sending you this message because I respect and love your work very much and to let you know what a great job you 're doing.
You are an admirable person.
Congratulations, Mr. Josh Fossgreen!
Thanks Vasilis!
I found this channel yesterday and so far it has been the MOST helpful bass resource.
This was really astute.
BassBuzz really knows how to list the important stuff and to describe and demonstrate it in a tangible and clear way that holds my attention.
I like "Josh the Noob," as a great character for clearly demonstrating the contrast between successful performance of a technique, and not getting it right, which is important, although typically omitted from most bass lesson videos. I also like how he uses this gentle form of humor to illustrate what not to do.
Thank You--.
Where have you been all my life. Pandemic practice sessions begin and end here.
Thanks homie! I've picked up the bass recently and this is a great checklist to go through for progression. I'm also planning to take your Beginner to Badass course in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks to your video i feel way better about myself and my bass playing. I don't have the opportunity to jam a lot ( especially during the last year ) so i was trapped in my head thinking that i sucked because i don't know all the modes by heart and don't feel comfortable improvising. I'm not good by any means, but it's so easy to find musicians of all kind who makes you feel bad compared to them ( and so hard to appreciate your own work ) that it helps a lot to have people like you reminding how it really is. Thank you again !
You are a beast, Josh. What you do to help people is frigging awesome.
Thanks Billy!
I am digging throu all your vids. Keeps me practicing hard and motivated. Thanks a lot Josh.
You're welcome!
Thank you! This was really useful, I wasn't sure where to start to improve my bass playing - this has highlighted my lack of knowledge and ability around the scales - managed to tick all of the other boxes!
Yay! I'm a solid intermediate. Currently working on learning to read standard notation, but pretty much aced all your other points. Thanks for a great presentation.
Great work. Love the execution and the production!
Thanks Reuben!
"Can you listen to other instruments?"
Violinists "bro what thats stupid pffft"
i used to be a viola player and now i do bass. violinists and guitarists have the same "i'm hot shit" attitude and neither of them could be bothered to listen to the rest of the goddamn instruments
@@aj1807 i swear it's only the 1st violins
@@farret194 keep telling yourself that lol
@@aj1807 Violinists, Guitarists, and *Trumpet* players.
@@B00GiE_MAN AHAHAHA
Ive been binge watching you're videos last few days, they've inspired me to practice a hell of a lot more. 👌✌
I've felt super stuck teaching myself bass but this has helped me figure out what I need to learn sm, thank u!
I don’t even own a bass nor am I planning too and I watched all of this
right now is the time to get one, It really helps a ton with stress and sadness during these times. you won't regret it.
Oh my god, WTF?!
Long story short: I used to play on trombone for 15 years and after that I bought an acoustic bass just for fun and sometimes I play on this - with no seriousness. And now revealed I'm an absolutely intermediate bass player!
My life is a lie! 😵
Máté Vizhányó I get it, I play a few instruments. I found a similar thing, I have needed to practice thou. Do you really do it with no practice? 😟.
My favorite thing about trombone is that it used to be banned by the Christian's as the devils instrument because the Christian's thought the sound of a glissando was a sound from hell. True story.
@@MyDateCoach
It's relative. For me it's not practice.
When I was trombonist I used to practice daily 5-6 hours. And if something didn't success I wouldn't let it go.
Now I pick up the bass and try some things and that's it. Forexample if I can't slap I said: "Okay, maybe tomorrow." And I try again a month later. :D
So for me it's not practicing, just a bad joke.
But... By the way I learnt in my """carreer""" if something is hard I try/practice/do it very safe tempo because if I learn a thing in wrong way then after that I won't be able to learn that thing. Maybe it's help me.
that was a load of good advice. thanks! take note at the end about full songs. its great to be creative and do your own stuff, but it is more important to play as close to the original recordings as you can.
Watched this video when I picked up the bass about a year ago, and I can finally say I am confident in all 17 of these areas. Thanks for the guideline Josh, I would not be as well-rounded in my skills without this video!
Well, in 3 years of playtime I'm glad I can consider myself Intermediate. I've been playing guitar for few years before, took bass just out of curiosity and become better bassist than guitarist. Our city lacks bassists, this was a goldmine for me. I wanted to play, I've played everywhere I were asked. All kinds of bands, ansambles, orchestras. This lead to me being invited to play with a local famous band on a cruise ship. I enjoy every second of it.
Nice! Everyone needs a bass player!
That's great congratulations.🙂
"If you have a previous injury" wow thank you for pointing that. It's my case and I compensate as I can with three fingers and I'm so tired of explaining why I don't use my messed up finger!
Why don't you use your messed up finger
You're great Josh! :D Really motivating me to play, but also make me laugh out loud sometimes :)
Thanks a lot for the videos!
Loved this video! Really helpful man, I wasn't really confident in how much I knew about bass and music theory. But this video put my progress in perspective! Thank you Noob Josh!!!
I've had my bass for 10 months now, and have been playing it off and on. But for the past week I've been playing it more and have been noticing some major improvements. After watching this video, I'm so close to considering myself an intermediate player. I now know what I need to work on to improve my skills even further. Thanks man, maybe in a few years I'll have Davie504 fearing me. 😂
how’s it goin
I believe that I actually may have made it to that level after 15 years. I've been playing along with lots of my favorite rock and metal songs for 14 years now. I've learned over 50 songs over the years. I've only ever practiced with a good friend twice in those years. He's a verygood guitarist. He has been playing for 35 years now. Bass playing is just a fun hobby for me. I've never really wanted to play in a group. I've been playing the same songs now which is between 25 to 35 songs for about 12 years now. And have them broken down in set list. so I play them in order. And I play them on separate occasions. I've been having that same routine since I started learning songs. I can't read actual music. I've only was able to ever learn songs thanks to discovering how to learn to play Bass Tabs. Thanks to the computer and the internet.
It's just a fun hobby for me to do. Because I've always loved rock and metal music my whole life. So I wanted to teach myself how to play bass. And after all these years. I only consider myself just an ok bass player. And I don't really practice that much anymore as far as scales and music theory goes Like I did in the very beginning. I just keep practicing my songs on weekends for a hobby. Just because it's fun and something todo. Because I really like playing along with some of my favorite songs. And that's my little bass story.🙂\m/
Same path. For the just the joy of Bass.
Fantastic video as usual! Love your points & jokes, always entertaining & helpful.
I’ve kinda been binge watching your videos and just wanna say thank you! I greatly appreciate your teaching style and humor. You’ve helped me so much already. Just subbed. Keep up the great videos!
I've been playing the keyboards for 30+ years and now I'm studying bass, this is incredibly spot on. Especially #17: everyone should come to rehearsals with all the structures memorized (or written down). If you have to choose what to memorize between the structure and the chords, it should be the structure (provided that you can follow the chords in real time, otherwise memorize both!). If you write down chords, do not just write the different sections once, write the full structure and follow it. Know where changes are. The time needed to set up a song with the band will be 10 times faster and you will have time to concentrate on arrangements and sounds. In other words, rehearsals are not for learning the piece, but to arrange it. Should be obvious, but it's not for most amateur musicians.
“Can you play major, minor, blues, and major and minor pentatonic scales?” Me: *laughs in jazz scales*
this man is living in 3020
Yeah bro jazz bassists are like miles ahead of this entire video
Me: "My music theory is pretty solid, love some hard but funky stuff."
Locke Yeetus: "Cool, I play jazz."
Me: "Yea I definitely have room for improvement theory wise."
Jazz: Humbling players from over genres for over a century.
David Winger 😂 yeah jazz is not an easy task, especially theory wise, but anyone can do it if they put in the time and practice. Don’t be discouraged, be motivated
@@ethanlocke3604 how'd you learn it?
thanks for the boost of confidence...last played in 1980, started playing again in May, was wondering if I am wasting my time making a comeback at 64! got 16 out of 17, don't know all my pentatonic scales yet! Great Video..... been teaching 43 years, I train colleagues in distance learning techniques. Your videos are great because of your enthusiasm!
You covered it pretty thoroughly. I have been playing bass probably longer than you have been alive. I'm self taught, and I play by ear. I've neglected, and not really focused on some things I should have. I've lately been focusing on these neglected things. Some of the things on your list are so familiar to me, that I chuckled when you mentioned them. Other things, not so much. I have played professionally for years, but it's been a while since I've played in a band. I really enjoy hearing other musicians perspectives on playing. It gives me ideas, and opens my mind up to greater possibilities. Thanks for the video. I'm starting to work on these areas I have neglected, and videos like this one helps.
Don’t feel bad. Sir Paul still doesn’t read music.
Damn he really just busted out hysteria to prove a point
I've been playing bass since I was 13 (33now) off and on, and I'm still learning new things about playing the bass. I'm self taught and I know I have bad habbits I'm still trying to get rid of. I love playing the bass. I still consider myself a beginner.
↑↑ This is the true wisdom here ↑↑↑
Great attitude!
Lol, no offence man but either you don't give your self enough credit, you only play of 2 minutes a day or you're just untalented and you should stop playing. I hope it's the former cause 20 years should put you well in the gold for an easy instrument like bass dude
@@pandadares8905 I have been playing for 30 years in bands, in styles ranging from folk to death metal, sometimes in front of hundreds of people. And yet I still have the same attitude as the gentleman above.
Call it 'being humble', call it 'not resting on one's laurels', or basically realising that we should never stop learning ( or being open to being taught ).
And lol, no offense man, but only someone with a low level of understanding thinks that bass is an 'easy instrument'.
Yes, almost any retard can be taught to go ' DUN, DUN, DUN, DUN ' and there are plenty of bassists in big name bands that do little more than that,
But actually having the ability to 'groove', lead a band with that groove, knowing what to play and what not to play, and hardest of all - fulfilling your fundamental role and somehow also being original and creative....
that, I assure you, is not 'easy' ;)
Here is an example of a true bass master
Bobby Vega, who took over from Larry Graham in Sly&The Family Stone.
Easy?
ua-cam.com/video/MPzwuiJCSbs/v-deo.html
It is so great seeing you with that Squier Jazz Bass. I'm a huge Squier fan and own 6 Squier basses and guitars. Oh, and the beginner to bad ass is a great course! Learned so much from you!
josh, i love your videos. very funny and helps me out allot. the best online videos i've seen so far.
"Nobody's going to want to play with you" - Mom
Brian Cherry sounds like the name of a singer/song writer from the 70s
it's Mom😂heartbreak
Good list. I would have included playing live, even if it's "only" busking, open mic night or a small jam at a party. 😊👍
I tend to underestimate my skills and I was suprised that I have more than half of these 17 points. Excellent video as guidance to further improve my playing. Thank you for this wonderful video!
I just got my first bass ever a week ago, and your channel has been a GOD SEND for someone trying to self teach! I have a piano and viola background, which is why I figured transitioning to electric bass would be easier than guitar (I can *not* wrap my head around *6 strings* - it's a 4 string life for me) and it has been! I can cross off about half of the list in this video, but I wouldn't be advancing so quickly without your channel.
Your videos are interesting, funny, and straight to the point, and the amount of effort put into the play along tabs and visuals don't go unnoticed, I promise you! Sooo so so helpful especially when trying to learn from videos with ADHD. Thank you so much!
Well done. I think you've got it mailed man. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Will!
Hey Josh :) it's a great video all in all, but I think it would also be important if an intermediate bass player was able to know how to adjust the right belt position keeping the bass balanced across their body while playing, and to actually be able to change strings and choose the right strings according to their desired tone. Apologies if this was mentioned anywhere in your previous videos 😁 Keep up the great work 🤘
Good additions!
You've covered a lot in your course. I loved it. I struggled some when I hurt my hand. Thanks. I've gotten better and enjoyed your course. Practice practice.
Glad you're digging the course Jim!
I've been playing bass for two weeks now and I'm already an intermediate player! Thank you years of practice with the guitar 😁
Just don't play with a pick. Davie504 will take your bass playing rights away
Cheater. 😜
I've tried in the beginning to play with a pick. But it didn't feel right for me. Playing with my fingers 2 to 3 fingers just feels more natural to me.🙂
I’m from the John Paul Jones school of bass... fingers for warmth/ pick for the attack. People give me shit all the time about not using fingers 💯% of the time, and I ask, “you ever heard The Beach Boys, or Yes?”
Looks like boys we have pick player... hehe (jokes)
I'm 95 percent self taught. My roommate just stuck a bass in my hand and said try it out so I did. I played a show after 2 weeks. Granted I wasn't good and the bass lines for his songs had to be dumbed down but it gave me confidence to continue. I can do almost all of the things in this list but I have no idea what note is what and sometimes that starts to become a problem in jams. If I lead the jam everything is great but if I was asked I would have no idea about what notes I was playing.
Thanks for pointing this out to me one more time. I cannot continue going on like this and will dedicate all my practice time to learning the fret board. Thanks!
I've been playing guitar for several years (on and off, with other musical instruments and skills) and I've been on the market for a bass. This is a great reference, and I feel a lot more confident after seeing this!
I enjoyed the video. I’m a deaf bassist and I can do most of the stuff in this video except train my ears. Thanks for breaking things down in an easy to understand format.