Zibbe Zabba unfortunately there is so fix. Even when my band takes a break, I mute my amp and unplug the bass. If you use the cable loop hack, it makes things easier.
Two things: 1) Explore different strap lengths to find what works best (not what looks coolest). This has a lot to do with fluidity and controlling dynamics. 2) When preparing for a gig, practice as you will play... If playing standing, practice standing. That way, you show up for rehearsal sounding prepared, as you have internalized the muscle memory more precisely. Thanks!
Amen, well said buddy! just sitting down noodling around in my room I play one way, Its a totally different sound and feel when I go to practice, I tend to stand whenever I can, For that exact reason.
Reminds me of an old tip from Billy Sheehan: always keep your bass in the same position, sitting or standing, by setting your strap length and wearing it when you sit as well. I'm sure it has its cons (more time with weight on your shoulder, etc.), but it worked well for him in developing his playing style.
Hmm.. I dunno. I always practice for a gig sitting down. I very rarely gig sitting down though. I don't think that matters much but you're right about internalizing the muscle memory. When you internalize what you have to do before the gig it leaves more room to be creative because your fingers already know what theyre doing. Then you can relax and lock in with the drummer and get your 'feel' engine going. (Nice)
When you get the chance to play with people which are (way) better than you, take it and play with them. You'll be a better musician afterwards, i guarantee it :) Use every chance you get to play live.
indeed. The only way to get better as a player is to "play up" with more experienced, better musicians. Victor Wooten likens it to learning to speak. He says if we only talked to infants when were an infant, we would not get any better. We converse with adults and we grow. Musical conversation is no different
I don't think they should be "way" better, because you wouldn't be able to keep up or even know what they are doing, but I do agree with playing with musicians who are better.
Nate, if they are better then they can and will listen, and will help in creating musicianship, except they are ego trip shitheads, I had experience with both sides
My tip: If you use public transport for work like me, you can use the time to study bass. Take some tab/print music along for the ride &/or listen to the track your learning with headphones whist following along with the print music or just in your head. It's amazing how much we can practice & improve without having a bass in our hands, plus as a bonus it makes me appreciate when I do get to sit down with a bass & make music for real :)
When rehearsing with a band, don't turn the volume knob(s) on your bass all the way up at the start. Guitarists and drummers tend to make themselves louder in the mix than they should be. And they immediately notice if you meddle with the volume on your amp, but often not (quickly) with the controls on your bass. ^_^
Laurens Reumers ... changing the volume on the bass will change the tone as it will drive the preamp harder once turned up. Just something to keep in mind. Cheers
Set your bass amp volume "loud enough", meaning so that you don't have to intuitively try to play harder to get louder. That can destroy your fingers in a matter of one song.
Yep, I typically practice unplugged, but I used to really dig in with my fingers so I could hear the bass when it's not plugged it but then I found playing for 30 minutes or more would wreck my hands because i kept playing so aggressively. Now I play light, whether I'm plugged in or not, with the amp turned up I sound exactly the same and can play forever.
Love ya Scott! My #10 is "don't forget to play a couple in the pocket". It's so easy to pepper songs with notes...play a couple songs a night with absolute minimalist notes and really lock in with the kick drum and let off to give that snare it's own space. It's the essence of what we do!
my personal #1: always have spares: spare cables, spare strings, spare STRAP, spare BASS. I can't stress how many times this has saved a gig. (hack #1b: learn to get your sound from your hands, so you don't need your exact amp, or pedals, to do a gig - sometimes things happen!!)
I usually keep my old but still usable strings in the case for spares. I was working as backstage tech and this girl snapped the low B on her 6-string bass. Everything went way off tune due to neck relief i think. I immediately handed her my 5-string, which was luckily ready and when I found out she didnt have any spare strings, used an old one from mine to fix her bass , and even before the song was over, she was already using her own bass.
Hugely importsnt when you play in a band 'cos god only knows no guitarist is EVER gonna bring spare cables, picks, batteries, strings etc. but instead will stand there looking stupid when something goes wrong. Oh, and it's our job to fix amps, set up the PA and drive the van too.
spare battery too! Obviously so if you have an active bass or use stomp boxes. But even if you don't, maybe a musician in your band or that you share a bill will does. People remember that you got their back.
Best advice? 1st gig. "Smile and tap your foot". Only took me 20 yrs to master. I'm now so good at smiling I Cheshire Grin band mates to remind them they are having a good time :-)
I used that when I first started, both instruments are tuned in E so the chords are the same but they have different sound. It helps to translate from the smaller strings and frets on the guitar to the big heavy strings on the bass.
Learn to wield a soldering iron. This leads to any number of more advanced hacks, like pick-up swaps and doing your own repairs. Saves a heap of money! Also, it's really satisfying to fix your stuff yourself -- especially when it actually works! :D
I was looking to see if anyone else had made this suggestion. Getting friendly with a soldering iron is a great skill to have all around but it can be guitarist/bassist best friend.
My Top Hack: Exploration - Play Sax, horn and especially Vocal Solos on your bass. Try to mimic phrasing and feel. Do the same with classical pieces with tough arpeggios.
Stay in tune hack - after installing strings, tune then pull the string out the entire length, from the Bridge to the Nut , it evens out the tension and you stay in tune longer. Works for guitars as well. Make the crimp first before tuning as Steve said, very important. Thanks Steve great tips! the go to guy for my students. :)
My hack 10: Be a person that people want to rehearse and play with. If you're an amazing musician but a jerk, the band'll find a great musician who isn't a jerk.
Agree although some great musicians who happened to be jerks are not necessarily easy to replace Take for instance one of the greatest drummers of all time Ginger Baker .
#10. Turn down volume on bass (around 7 or 8) and set your volume on amp to good volume. it's always nice to have a bit extra volume on hand when you need it.
Make sure you can play Happy Birthday in every key. There is nothing worse than playing a great gig and then looking like an idiot when you can't play the right Bass Notes for this.
Better yet, rehearse "Birthday" by the Beatles with your band and when some one puts a ten in your jar and asked you to play Happy Birthday, you won't have to play the tired boring party killer traditional birthday that only one person in the room wants to hear but a cool classic rock birthday that EVERYBODY will love. During the drum breakdown you enthusiastically yell in the mic, "We wish ______ a happy birthday and also send this song out to each and every one of you that has a birthday near. Happy birthday!"
Try to play as much as you can with other people, preferably those who are more advanced. My experience with good musicians are that they are not judgmental, and when you play with good musicians, your playing improves quickly.
true... my brother's behind the drum kit and I play bass. we've been learning by ourselves but he has some experienced musicians Friends and they've shown us some cool tricks and a few lessons as well :3
that's exactly what i did and it's like magic. i used to just fool around with my guitar and bass hardly get a full song together. until i finally kicked my butt and joined a local band searching for a bassist on facebook. not only i got really good compared to what i did before in under a half a year, it was also a great setting the anchor in a city i just moved in where i hardly knew anyone. it washed away much of my social anxiety.
+1 for this. I'm primarily a metal/hard rock bass player. But sometime back I found myself jamming with a bunch of jazz players who are at almost virtuoso level. I mean the keyboard and guitar players can listen to a song first time once, and will be able play the exact chords and do adlibs and solos instantly, etc. I knew i have to step up and not be the guy who's just playing single notes trying not to mess up. I knew they were way out of my level and honestly dont know why I was there, but I relished every second, every jam session and forced myself to learn a lot of stuff I wouldnt normally consider learning just playing my usual stuff. Now I think I am able to incorporate more into my bass lines and songs because what I learned jamming with those guys.
spoken like a true bassist, the guitarist and keys and shit thinks that they are the stuff with the punch that ppl remember from the songs, think they are so cool. but everyone knows thats the bassist thats cool, always in the background making sure the groove is right
When tuning by harmonics (whether its the 5th and 7th frets or using the 12th fret to go to drop d etc.), use a heavy fuzz effect if you have it on hand in your amp or as a pedal. The fuzz effect makes the fluctuation of sound between the two pitches much clearer, meaning it is easier to pinpoint exactly where this stops and the notes are the same pitch.
Play music from varying genres, different eras, etc. Even if you dont massively enjoy the music, learning a variety of styles allows you to practise loads of techniques and makes you a far more rounded player!
My #10 hack is to learn parts and Bass lines in multiple keys. or better yet learn them as numbers like the Nashville numbering system but for notes. That way when you get to a gig and a vocalist or guitar player wants to change a key you are ready. Guitars and Vocalists can capo or just change, Bass players and Keyboards can't. So practice multiple keys.
Grolsch beer bottle tops also make great strap locks. haven't drank in years but i still have them on all my basses. my hack is to tune the string like you're playing it. too many people give a light pluck then slap the absolute shit out of it and wonder why they sound out of tune! slap the string while you tune it if that's what you will be doing!
Great tip Wilson! And the Grolsch thing... yeah, well the whole idea was to show peeps in this video how to do the Grolsch thing, so I went out searching in the car around all the shops that sell it and couldn't find one bottle! I think they must have stopped doing them with the original tops - or at least they have where I live. End of an era! ;)
Wilson hybrid Yes!! That is what i wanted to say! Also, don't pluck your string and tune it as it rings out.. Make sure, that the moment you pluck it, it goes right in tune and as it rings out it will naturally go a little flat. Otherwise your notes will always be slightly sharp as you play. Much love from germany!
Another on tuning. Try to tune up rather than down. Because of friction with the nut and bridge, particularly with roundwounds, strings take up tension well, but sometimes don't like letting go. As a result you tune perfectly, then the string flattens as you play when the tension releases with the string slipping slightly. As for tuning on harmonics, tuners track higher notes better than low notes.
#10 Check your timing on the beats. One way to really see this graphically, is to record two tracks on a computer (with a DAW); your bass notes on one track and a metronome/click/drum on the second. And then zoom in the wave tops and compare the vertical timing of your own "hits" with the drums or metronome. As a beginner you are usually a bit too early on each beat. If you can get your timing more aligned to the drum beat (or even a liiiittle tiny bit after), it sounds much better.
The surprise that I found from listening to recordings was that I was actually better than I thought I was!? In my early days I was extremely self conscious and overly critical of my playing. Then upon playback and hearing it in context with the rest of the band, I heard some pretty good stuff. I would have never known that had I not recorded our stuff during practice.
True, I often think I'm not doing enough, but when I go back and listen I can definitely tell when I've tried 'too hard' to contribute. Sometimes less is more.
My hack can be added to your hack of boarding a plane. As well as putting your bass upside down on your back, as you mentioned. When you are about to board the plane at the gate, wait until you are the last person to board. By doing this, it will be very unlikely that they will tell you to check your bass in to cargo. As you will hold the whole plane up, and they want to avoid that, at all costs.
another tip can be the classic DISTRACTION. ex: if you are traveling with a friend, have them go before you and ask the airline staff questions, or simply POINT at anything while you slip by. The staff will naturally just look where your friend is pointing.
Here's a tip, turn your amp up really loud and play softer, you won't have to put as mouch energy and movement into your plucking technique and it'll stop you from tiring and straining yourself.
I wouldn't say *really* loud, but I was getting annoyed with clanking during louder parts so I compensated by nudging off the volume and easing up on my right hand attack. But you want to leave enough room to hit it hard if you need to. Cranking it will just make your bandmates mad.
My best bass guitar hack is "less is more" I play bass to fill the space of the music and often, the more notes I play the less space I fill which can make a song feel empty. Love on them whole notes!
My top tip, as I have a few basses (Partly greed and partly due to different voices for different styles) for consistency of comfort I sit with the bass and set the strap to feel snug in that position therefore when I stand to play all the basses have the same comfortable feel.
Agreed. Strap length is something that flies over alot of people's heads. If it's at a different length to when you're sitting down, it's gonna reach a point where you can only play comfortably whilst standing or vice versa.
David Milne I do the exact same thing. I saw an interview a really long time ago with Billy Sheehan where he mentioned the importance of having your bass in the same place when sitting or standing. It makes such a huge difference!!
It was a VHS tape called "Billy Sheehan on Bass", so that will tell you how long ago it was. I know that I've seen different parts of the video on UA-cam, someone must have edited it into smaller sections & posted each one. There was also a video called "Billy Sheehan Bass Secrets". I wore both of them out in the 90's when they were released & repurchased both tapes on ebay. I haven't been able to find them on DVD or blu-ray.
Really open you ears to what your bandmates are doing. When I first started with a group I was terrible at this because I was so nervous about what I was playing. Now I can think less about my hands and more about my ears. It really helps the song, which is what it's all about.
Keep your strap at the same height while sitting down playing as when standing up and playing. By doing this, your hands and wrists are not changing positions, and you won't be struggling to play. For example, if you're sitting down practicing a groove or a complicated bass line and then wear your bass down on your knees, all of your positions have changed, and the groove and bass lines become much harder to play. Your muscle memory is lost, and you're now unable to play that groove or bass line as easily as you could while sitting down.
my fav trick is for when a screw, in my case one that held a strap button, gets stripped, and will not stay on. just get a toothpick or two and jam it in the whole, maybe little glue is so let it dry before screwing in the part. the toothpick gives the screw something to dig into and stay in place. and compression makes it a tight fit. so the part stays on no slipping off.
Here's mine: if you want to eliminate pick noise but you don't want to use your bare fingers, get a rubber pick. It will at first have some pick noise, but it will wear down a bit from playing and the pick noise should eventually go away. Sometimes, however, this won't necessarily always work, like if you are using a Fender J-Bass, so you will need to adjust your parameters on the bass or on the amp to make it sound more like a fingered bass.
After playing way too many different Basses I find it best to tune to the 12th fret and then check the open string. If the open is off then get the bad bass to a Luthier FAST. I have found many basses with such bad necks that they can not be fixed, "CHEAP BASSES." Also, learn to hear if you are out of tune even before tuning your bass. A good ear goes a long way when you are tuning up and have found that your band mates tuners are all different. CHEAP TUNERS are not worth the trash bin. Get a reference tuner and then check the others tuners. I have found many clip on tuners off by a 1/8 to 1/4 tone as the batteries fail. My reference tuner is a Strobe unit. Works wonderful and is very easy to verify accuracy. Keep the beat!!! Not all Drummers can be trusted to know the time. God Bless Bass Players.
Robert Quance if 0 and 12 are different you need to adjust the intonation. i mean, yes it might be the neck, but why bringing it immediately to the luthier?
Agreed, Thats a quick and easy fix, Im a firm believer in being about to work on your instrument, What would happen if something broke or stopped working at a gig? You gotta fix it! and fix it good! Fix it up! Into shape! (Devo Reference)
If you wanna be heard in a mix, don't focus on the bass end of the EQ when tweaking your sound. Find the right lower-midrange freq that suits your amp and bass and boost that. You might even cut the bass side of the EQ. Plus: make sure that the guitarists don't dominate the bass frequencies in the mix, that's your turf! This makes a HUGE difference. Cheers!
agree! Same applies to Keyboard. If possible cut the bass frerquencies of other instruments with a shelfing filter / EQ. Also cut bass frequencies of vocal mics.
I think everyone likes their sound scooped when they are alone, but spend a little time in bands and you soon realize that your instrument's midrange is your friend. Certainly true with guitar. And lows will bury you.
My hack would be: be open to being open. Whether during performances, rehearsals, individual practice time, or making sense of concepts. Nothing can hinder your growth as a musician or as a person more than refusing to change or adjust due to preconceived notions that you feel you must adhere to. Take a step into the unknown and surprise yourself, and maybe something great will happen. At the very least you'll learn something. Thank you Scott for being open!!
if you want to get your inner timing to the sharpest possible level, get your drum computer going (at the tempo you want to), get a remote mute possibilty for the computer, and practise your tempo by muting from time to time a couple of beats or bars (even up to half a minute or more) while playing and check whether you're still in sync by unmuting the drummachine. And bring old strings back to life by boiling them in water.
I have been playing bass at the Venice Beach drum circle (with a battery powered amp), and it's the absolute best for making me think/feel rhythmically, like a drummer. I mostly play roots and octaves, and occasionally fifths and minor 3rd's or minor 7th's for flair, but never play melodic riffs... just rhythms, as if each note on my bass was a drum. As long as I play with the spirit of a drummer, it doesn't piss anyone off at the circle, and tons of people have told me how the bass totally makes the experience.
The left hand advantage. When learning from videos I can transfer your movements directly my playing. Right handed folks need to remember your left hand is in fact their right hand. right? right. I think? When watching you play your right hand looks to be your left; right? Yes? Left is right; right? I think I'm going to go and have a lie down. :)
1) Learning style forms (samba, bluegrass, blues, etc) can be a great way to internalize the role of the bass in an ensemble, and a good way to hone rhythmic chops. 2) On the tone/character side, there's a world of variety available by adjusting the volume and tone controls, plucking position, and amount/placement of foam.
*Here's my bass "hacks" (more like tips, but whatever)* 1. For guitarists who want to also play bass, but are having trouble adjusting, try a short scale bass, or a Fender/Squier bass VI. You'll feel more "at home" on either instrument. 2. I don't have a second tip. I am not a very good bass player.
I found the opposite to be true. Use a long scale base and learn to finger like Scott does using the little pinkie. Then do the same on guitar. Scales are so much easier and fluid then.
well, the transition from bass to guitar is much easier than from guitar to bass for that exact reason. (at least when it comes to your left hand being able to stretch, and do spider-fingers stuff).
Sanding down a glossy neck. Especially for the vintage modified Squiers and the likes. Takes about 5 minutes and IMO enhances playability by alot. Great video, thanks for the tips!
Haakon Gran I just did this to my Epi Thunderbird (U neck shape!) and I seriously couldn't be happier. Sweaty hands don't slow me down nearly as much and in general, I can be much faster.
I'm relatively new to bass playing (playing for about two years now). After learning the basic things (like tuning), I started to do two things: - After tuning the open strings, I check them against the 5th fret of the next string. I think that gives a more fine tuning. Sometimes it happens that the tuner shows a tuned string, but one can hear a difference to the 5th fret. You then know, that there's still some tuning necessary. - I experienced that while tuning a string it can be necessary to bend the string a bit, escpecially if you have to tune down, i.e. make the string sloppier(?). It's like pulling a hanging rope before you climb it up. The thicker the string (E or B, especially) the more necessary it is to bend it a bit so that the string is put into its final position. If you don't do this while tuning, it happens on itself while playing, possibley de-tuning the instrument in the process.
#10 have something like an iRig or small headphone amp so you can practice everywhere, including hotel room's where you can't be loud and don't want to drag out a lot of equipment.
Salute from Russia! There's one tip I want to share: sometimes you need to transcribe bass line of a song precisely but it is disguised in the mix and you can't hear some notes and the way they played. Very sad situation but recently I found the solution. All you need to do is tune the track one octave higher with any proper program. And the bass line will become crystal clear and simple to take! Good luck!
I've been playing for about 14 years, and I never knew about using a tea towel to wipe the strings off after a gig. Could've saved me a bloody fortune!
I have a few tips. sweat can be lethal on your bass finish,strings and even your bass case can stink due to humidity. after a sweaty gig, I close my hard case keeping my strap attached to the bass (straplocks) ;-) but out from case until it dries out.
On J and P basses, I reposition the thumbrest from it's stock slanted position to being parallel to the E or low B string, and with the same distance from the strings as the top thumb side of the pickups, though still near the neck. (On J basses, I drill out one of the stock pickguard screw holes and use it as a pilot for one of the two longer thumbrest screws). Unlike the standard slanted thumbrest, it gives me a consistent distance from my thumb tip to each string, at any point along the thumbrest or the side of my pickups. So whether I'm plucking near the bridge or digging in near the neck, or anywhere in between, as soon as my thumb is anchored to that thumbrest or either pickup, my fingertips automatically know exactly where each of the strings are, as well as providing consistent leverage from the thumb, which greatly improves playing consistency, as well as offering very precise dynamic and tonal fingertip control.
If your playing with a drummer (or a guitarist that won't turn down) use hearing protection. And just for Scott. If you want the old school sound but can't find a sponge mute, stick an old glove under your strings at the bridge.
Great hacks Scott. My 10th hack: Place your note playing (not the picking) thumb at the back of the neck/fretboard rather than curling it over the strings; for a much more fluid range of movement both up and down the fret board and also you get much cleaner notes because your note-paying hand is not all cramped up and so forth.
tip, always be recording and listening to yourself, be it an exercise,a bass line or a full performance. I know loads of guitarists and bassists i teach who hardly ever record themselves , when this is a great way to really find out what you need to be working on.
my band records every practice, most of our songs come from a random jam we have, then we pick the good stuff out of it and piece it together. probably one of the best comment on this video.
My favorite technique hack is to always have the ring fingers of both hands ready to play the octave of whatever my index finger is playing when it's on the E or A strings. It's a great way to start a riff, hit an accent harmonic or fatten up the root note by playing both octaves at the same time. It also helps me to keep the fingers of both hands directly over each string, ready to mute or play a note when needed. Less finger movement is required once you get used to this position, resulting in faster speeds and longer play times.
Agree! Don't get caught on stage standing there like a statue staring at your fret hand. The crowd will love your music to the degree that YOU love your music. I'm not a head wagger, but I always try to be "on" and look like I am enjoying myself.
My best advice is use a preamp. I use a sansamp bass driver. Even if you have a great tone from your amp, adding a preamp can give you completely different bass tones. For me it adds alot of clarity to the tone and it's easier to adjust on the go instead of tweaking the actual amp settings
play along with a song and put a bass line diferent of the original, that is gona push you to think how to bass with two basses. Is the effect cello doublebass so comon in the orchestra
I am getting a bass in a week and I have been wacthin as many of your videos as possible and not only are they super helpful so far, i really enjoy them!
Explore different tones for different songs through different soudpoints with your plucking hand. Warmer tones come from the neck area and brighter from the bridge. Your tone is so much more than pickup and amp levels!
it basically keeps the wounds together, so i guess it isn't important if the bend is inside the machine or sticking outside. it might look better if you 'hide' it inside the machine. but don't place it before the machine so it will be put tention on it and straighten out ;) the tention of the string works most on the outer wounds so they can slip off. with that bend you create a hook that grabs on the wounds. hope it helps to understand ^^
Never had a dead string, never heard of it honestly been playing 30 years. I've had Dean Markley cryogenics just pop open and unravel at the tuning key but that's it.
If you have metal tone and volume knobs, wipe them down after you play to dry them, if not then the sweat from your hands can sometimes get on them and then they will start to wear down and rust.
Great hacks Scott! Let me suggest a couple more. 1) When packing or shipping, "ALWAYS" loosely detune the instrument before a flight or air excursion to relieve the tension on the headstock. Flying high altitudes has broken many a headstock in cargo part due to the air pressure and not necessarily the luggage handlers. (Trust me) 2) Make an "emergency" guitar/bass strap from "duct" tape. It's strong and lasts long..
10. After you do most rounds when inserting a new string, leave a bit of room, pinch the string from the headstock and move it towards the bridge "unrolling" the string. The turns you did before this make the string roll on itself, bringing more tension, hence making it break easier. So this "unroll" technique will give your strings a bigger lifetime.
Invest in a wireless system - you can't always trust what you hear onstage, nor will you always have somebody who can help you check your sound/tonal balance out in the room/venue. A wireless system will allow you to walk out and around the venue to check the balance while playing your bass. A good sound coming from the stage that complements (or doesn't interfere with) the FOH will make the sound guy's job much easier, resulting in a tighter sounding band. Oh yes, it also reduces the possibility of a shit job by a shit sound guy trying his best to rectify a shit sound balance with his shitty ear.
My hack is one come from curiosity when watching Scott's videos and it's become a kind of signature thing for my playing. I wear a glove on my left hand which drastically reduces friction from the neck so you can slide up and down the neck like lightening! it also makes the tone a little brassiere due to the slight dampening👌
My number 10 will be: Have your own stuff, play with fingers, with picks, a combination, try slap if it's not your style, learn taps Why, because music is about feeling, and when playing, you're going to be able to give that sensation and sound by knowing how to play in different styles, but with your own thing or personality and personal mark.
I switched to flatwound strings a year or so ago. In a band with lots of effects on keyboard and guitar, and a singer with a midrange-heavy voice, the upper register of the bass was just adding to the mud in the mix. Flatwounds and careful use of EQ helped. Also watch some videos with Carol Kaye where she talks about mutes and the volume knob.
I like to keep four little pieces of firm foam behind the saddle (along the break angle) on my bass. So when i need to get that muted sound i just pull them out and put them under the string in front of the saddle.
Anyone got any drummer jokes? I'll get the ball rolling... What's the difference between a drummer and a drum machine? - You only have to punch the instructions into a drum machine once.
On the tuning tip, which is great advice, in addition to tuning to the 12th fret harmonic, you should watch the tuner when you play the open string and again when you fret the 12th string and verify all three are the same - this is how you can discover if your bass needs to be intonated.
My tip is to avoid wearing big belt buckles or sharp buttons on you pants and shirts to keep your bass from getting scratched. It's true that the end up on the back, but it looks so bad when you see a bunch of scratches on the back of your bass. PS: if by chance you're already at the gig and forgot not to wear a big belt buckle, you can put a napkin or cloth over it to help prevent scratches.
This is something that I don’t even think about. If I buy a bass I buy it for life so resale value isn’t an issue. I also find these marks to be an identification tool if ever it’s stolen god forbid
Cool video! I’ve been utilizing Tip 5 since the 2000s. My #10 is - SING AND PLAY AT THE SANE TIME! I can do it, and I get burned out hearing people say they cannot.
Nice vid! Great tips :) Here's my tips: -Use a a cable with 90 degrees angled plug on your bass, very hard to pull out or damage your input jack by accident. -Also, your picking hand index finger nail can make a great pick, just hold your fingers like you would hold a pick. Downstrokes are easy, upstrokes a bit more tricky. -Palm muting together with pick or nail playing makes a great percussive bass sound. -Clamp a capo, fatfinger or a c-clamp on your headstock to get less resonant sound, this can also help with dead spots. Experiment with different places on the headstock. -Try using flatwounds for G and maybe even D string. It helps to balance their tone and makes them sound more like playing corresponding notes high on the thicker strings. Make the G-string great again.
My personal "note to myself"-You are big boy and you play bass. Yes, your bass is a beast, but beast needs to eat. DONT FORGET "BATTERY STUFF". once I did forget to chek it, and after few minutes of the show bass went dead...
My bass hack is a real hack -- I routed my P-bass-like-object's body to fit two J pickups for a JPJ layout and added a 5-way Strat blade switch with the master volume master tone knobs. That neck J pickup that is close to the neck pocket gets really dark bass tones, 'non-more-dark', lol. The Strat position 2 & 4 'quack' positions add new tones. It's a fun bass.
I saw a bass player catch his finger in a car door, and he wondered how he would play the gig. I told him to use a pick for the night, and he looked at me like l was insane. I have no clue how well he played.
LOL I was waiting for #10 I think a good bass player hack is making sure the patch cord you are about to put in your bass is clean. I find often patch cables get dusty, and they are always seem to be on the ground. I find that just giving it a quick wipe with your shirt tail or if you have a cloth on stage to use can help keep the input jack on your bass clean. I have been caught a couple times on stage with a crackling input jack.
If you have an active bass, do not leave it plugged in, it consumes the battery even if the amp is off
Great tip but do you have a solution to the (shit i forgot to unplug it again) scenario. Maybe a bleeper or something?
Zibbe Zabba Just make a habit of putting your bass in the case, it will also be less dusty or... change it for passive!
Zibbe Zabba unfortunately there is so fix. Even when my band takes a break, I mute my amp and unplug the bass. If you use the cable loop hack, it makes things easier.
never thought about that! nice one!
Thanks man, never knew this, i'll be sure to unplug it now.
Two things: 1) Explore different strap lengths to find what works best (not what looks coolest). This has a lot to do with fluidity and controlling dynamics. 2) When preparing for a gig, practice as you will play... If playing standing, practice standing. That way, you show up for rehearsal sounding prepared, as you have internalized the muscle memory more precisely. Thanks!
LeRoy Spence perfect tips!
Thanks!
Amen, well said buddy! just sitting down noodling around in my room I play one way, Its a totally different sound and feel when I go to practice, I tend to stand whenever I can, For that exact reason.
Reminds me of an old tip from Billy Sheehan: always keep your bass in the same position, sitting or standing, by setting your strap length and wearing it when you sit as well.
I'm sure it has its cons (more time with weight on your shoulder, etc.), but it worked well for him in developing his playing style.
Hmm.. I dunno. I always practice for a gig sitting down. I very rarely gig sitting down though. I don't think that matters much but you're right about internalizing the muscle memory. When you internalize what you have to do before the gig it leaves more room to be creative because your fingers already know what theyre doing. Then you can relax and lock in with the drummer and get your 'feel' engine going. (Nice)
damn, these were super cool!
This comment may have sneaked through under the radar. Haha. Otherwise it would have got much more likes by now. ;)
Arent you a fiddle player
Woah, are you learning bass too??
@@miisuo learning never stops (when done correctly)
*B A S S*
When you get the chance to play with people which are (way) better than you, take it and play with them. You'll be a better musician afterwards, i guarantee it :)
Use every chance you get to play live.
Great tip Rene!
This.
Another take on this tip: I chickened out and I regret it. You will too.
indeed. The only way to get better as a player is to "play up" with more experienced, better musicians. Victor Wooten likens it to learning to speak. He says if we only talked to infants when were an infant, we would not get any better. We converse with adults and we grow. Musical conversation is no different
I don't think they should be "way" better, because you wouldn't be able to keep up or even know what they are doing, but I do agree with playing with musicians who are better.
Nate, if they are better then they can and will listen, and will help in creating musicianship, except they are ego trip shitheads, I had experience with both sides
My tip: If you use public transport for work like me, you can use the time to study bass. Take some tab/print music along for the ride &/or listen to the track your learning with headphones whist following along with the print music or just in your head. It's amazing how much we can practice & improve without having a bass in our hands, plus as a bonus it makes me appreciate when I do get to sit down with a bass & make music for real :)
i also tap my fingers in different patters to practice dexterity, but yes, working on the "boring" stuff as they say ha ha is paramount!!
I usd to practice my right hand slap technique by bouncing my thumb off my phone when it was in my pocket. Used to drive everyone else nuts.
Neiman from Whiplash vibes
When rehearsing with a band, don't turn the volume knob(s) on your bass all the way up at the start. Guitarists and drummers tend to make themselves louder in the mix than they should be. And they immediately notice if you meddle with the volume on your amp, but often not (quickly) with the controls on your bass. ^_^
Laurens Reumers ... changing the volume on the bass will change the tone as it will drive the preamp harder once turned up. Just something to keep in mind. Cheers
Set your bass amp volume "loud enough", meaning so that you don't have to intuitively try to play harder to get louder. That can destroy your fingers in a matter of one song.
Yep, I typically practice unplugged, but I used to really dig in with my fingers so I could hear the bass when it's not plugged it but then I found playing for 30 minutes or more would wreck my hands because i kept playing so aggressively. Now I play light, whether I'm plugged in or not, with the amp turned up I sound exactly the same and can play forever.
Love ya Scott! My #10 is "don't forget to play a couple in the pocket". It's so easy to pepper songs with notes...play a couple songs a night with absolute minimalist notes and really lock in with the kick drum and let off to give that snare it's own space. It's the essence of what we do!
my personal #1: always have spares: spare cables, spare strings, spare STRAP, spare BASS. I can't stress how many times this has saved a gig.
(hack #1b: learn to get your sound from your hands, so you don't need your exact amp, or pedals, to do a gig - sometimes things happen!!)
and extra batteries if you have active pick ups!!! soooooo many people over look them
I usually keep my old but still usable strings in the case for spares. I was working as backstage tech and this girl snapped the low B on her 6-string bass. Everything went way off tune due to neck relief i think. I immediately handed her my 5-string, which was luckily ready and when I found out she didnt have any spare strings, used an old one from mine to fix her bass , and even before the song was over, she was already using her own bass.
Hugely importsnt when you play in a band 'cos god only knows no guitarist is EVER gonna bring spare cables, picks, batteries, strings etc. but instead will stand there looking stupid when something goes wrong. Oh, and it's our job to fix amps, set up the PA and drive the van too.
spare battery too! Obviously so if you have an active bass or use stomp boxes. But even if you don't, maybe a musician in your band or that you share a bill will does. People remember that you got their back.
Yes!
I bring two of everything
Best advice? 1st gig. "Smile and tap your foot". Only took me 20 yrs to master. I'm now so good at smiling I Cheshire Grin band mates to remind them they are having a good time :-)
Learned from Erock 339 the smiling metal player
Learn guitar riffs on the bass... It helps increase speed and dexterity...sweeps on the bass always sounds cooler than on the guitar.
That's cause bass IS cooler than guitar ;) ha ha ha
Hey Allen!
I used that when I first started, both instruments are tuned in E so the chords are the same but they have different sound. It helps to translate from the smaller strings and frets on the guitar to the big heavy strings on the bass.
Jimmy Slappa Da Bass a triggered guitar player would say: HAHA NICE JOKE
Allen Brown Was there not enough basslines?
Learn to wield a soldering iron. This leads to any number of more advanced hacks, like pick-up swaps and doing your own repairs. Saves a heap of money! Also, it's really satisfying to fix your stuff yourself -- especially when it actually works! :D
I was looking to see if anyone else had made this suggestion. Getting friendly with a soldering iron is a great skill to have all around but it can be guitarist/bassist best friend.
I have a Richwood bass but I've forgotten which leads from the pickup go to the potentiometers
@@TimpBizkityou can just Google the schematics. :)
keep nail clippers and a nail file in your gig bag.
Personally I like to travel with floss as well
My Top Hack:
Exploration - Play Sax, horn and especially Vocal Solos on your bass. Try to mimic phrasing and feel. Do the same with classical pieces with tough arpeggios.
yes, that helps you a lot as a bassist, who plays bass, yeah
Tomislav Šekerija What about Jaco?
Stay in tune hack - after installing strings, tune then pull the string out the entire length, from the Bridge to the Nut , it evens out the tension and you stay in tune longer. Works for guitars as well. Make the crimp first before tuning as Steve said, very important. Thanks Steve great tips! the go to guy for my students. :)
Steve?
Steve Devine duh
lol thanks for the vindication Steve😑
My hack 10: Be a person that people want to rehearse and play with. If you're an amazing musician but a jerk, the band'll find a great musician who isn't a jerk.
Possibly the most important one here: be nice.
By bands got an awful musician who's relatively nice. (Yeah, I mean me)
Agree although some great musicians who happened to be jerks are not necessarily easy to replace Take for instance one of the greatest drummers of all time Ginger Baker .
He said hack, not commandment.lol
Well said Spencer! Being a reliable musician (on time, open to feedback etc) should fall under that umbrella too
#10. Turn down volume on bass (around 7 or 8) and set your volume on amp to good volume. it's always nice to have a bit extra volume on hand when you need it.
#10: Don't forget to bring your bass.
I got my Hofner b-bass hi series
Aka Beatle bass for all the people who don’t know much about brands
Make sure you can play Happy Birthday in every key. There is nothing worse than playing a great gig and then looking like an idiot when you can't play the right Bass Notes for this.
Better yet, rehearse "Birthday" by the Beatles with your band and when some one puts a ten in your jar and asked you to play Happy Birthday, you won't have to play the tired boring party killer traditional birthday that only one person in the room wants to hear but a cool classic rock birthday that EVERYBODY will love. During the drum breakdown you enthusiastically yell in the mic, "We wish ______ a happy birthday and also send this song out to each and every one of you that has a birthday near. Happy birthday!"
@@amosnews "yeah, bobby and i had a bet that you couldnt play the simple version and now he owes me a tenner"
Try to play as much as you can with other people, preferably those who are more advanced. My experience with good musicians are that they are not judgmental, and when you play with good musicians, your playing improves quickly.
great tip Suzy! :)
true... my brother's behind the drum kit and I play bass. we've been learning by ourselves but he has some experienced musicians Friends and they've shown us some cool tricks and a few lessons as well :3
that's exactly what i did and it's like magic. i used to just fool around with my guitar and bass hardly get a full song together. until i finally kicked my butt and joined a local band searching for a bassist on facebook.
not only i got really good compared to what i did before in under a half a year, it was also a great setting the anchor in a city i just moved in where i hardly knew anyone. it washed away much of my social anxiety.
+1 for this. I'm primarily a metal/hard rock bass player. But sometime back I found myself jamming with a bunch of jazz players who are at almost virtuoso level. I mean the keyboard and guitar players can listen to a song first time once, and will be able play the exact chords and do adlibs and solos instantly, etc. I knew i have to step up and not be the guy who's just playing single notes trying not to mess up. I knew they were way out of my level and honestly dont know why I was there, but I relished every second, every jam session and forced myself to learn a lot of stuff I wouldnt normally consider learning just playing my usual stuff.
Now I think I am able to incorporate more into my bass lines and songs because what I learned jamming with those guys.
go and fuck yourself!
10. Serve the song. If you are going to play with other musicians, please serve the music. Don´t try to steal the show.
Clemen O This is solid gold
Solid Gold, too.
Yes yes yes. That goes for every instrument, but especially for a bass.
spoken like a true bassist, the guitarist and keys and shit thinks that they are the stuff with the punch that ppl remember from the songs, think they are so cool. but everyone knows thats the bassist thats cool, always in the background making sure the groove is right
When tuning by harmonics (whether its the 5th and 7th frets or using the 12th fret to go to drop d etc.), use a heavy fuzz effect if you have it on hand in your amp or as a pedal. The fuzz effect makes the fluctuation of sound between the two pitches much clearer, meaning it is easier to pinpoint exactly where this stops and the notes are the same pitch.
Play music from varying genres, different eras, etc. Even if you dont massively enjoy the music, learning a variety of styles allows you to practise loads of techniques and makes you a far more rounded player!
My #10 hack is to learn parts and Bass lines in multiple keys. or better yet learn them as numbers like the Nashville numbering system but for notes. That way when you get to a gig and a vocalist or guitar player wants to change a key you are ready. Guitars and Vocalists can capo or just change, Bass players and Keyboards can't. So practice multiple keys.
Becoming an SBL member has been hands down the best decision I made since I turned 30!
Ahhhh - AMAZING... thanks for being part of the community man! :)
Its like having a kick ass teacher on demand! and they dont get annoyed with you when you say "wait, can your repeat that??" ha ha
I agree
Did the same but at 60
I think I might treat myself this Xmas. 🤩👍
Sing your part as you play. It really helps me memorize.
Grolsch beer bottle tops also make great strap locks. haven't drank in years but i still have them on all my basses.
my hack is to tune the string like you're playing it. too many people give a light pluck then slap the absolute shit out of it and wonder why they sound out of tune! slap the string while you tune it if that's what you will be doing!
Great tip Wilson! And the Grolsch thing... yeah, well the whole idea was to show peeps in this video how to do the Grolsch thing, so I went out searching in the car around all the shops that sell it and couldn't find one bottle! I think they must have stopped doing them with the original tops - or at least they have where I live. End of an era! ;)
Wilson hybrid Yes!! That is what i wanted to say! Also, don't pluck your string and tune it as it rings out.. Make sure, that the moment you pluck it, it goes right in tune and as it rings out it will naturally go a little flat. Otherwise your notes will always be slightly sharp as you play.
Much love from germany!
Aldi are doing a beer with the Grolsch lid. Das Frűhlings Festbier. It's not bad either.:)
Another on tuning. Try to tune up rather than down. Because of friction with the nut and bridge, particularly with roundwounds, strings take up tension well, but sometimes don't like letting go. As a result you tune perfectly, then the string flattens as you play when the tension releases with the string slipping slightly. As for tuning on harmonics, tuners track higher notes better than low notes.
Wilson hybrid I
#10 Check your timing on the beats.
One way to really see this graphically, is to record two tracks on a computer (with a DAW); your bass notes on one track and a metronome/click/drum on the second. And then zoom in the wave tops and compare the vertical timing of your own "hits" with the drums or metronome. As a beginner you are usually a bit too early on each beat. If you can get your timing more aligned to the drum beat (or even a liiiittle tiny bit after), it sounds much better.
My tipp: Make recordings of your sessions and rehursels - and be surprised while listening to them, that you've played too many notes :)
tomeric64 Preach it!
The surprise that I found from listening to recordings was that I was actually better than I thought I was!? In my early days I was extremely self conscious and overly critical of my playing. Then upon playback and hearing it in context with the rest of the band, I heard some pretty good stuff. I would have never known that had I not recorded our stuff during practice.
Troy I agree! It was only after hearing myself play that I got some confidence. I didn't even know it was me playing at first.
True, I often think I'm not doing enough, but when I go back and listen I can definitely tell when I've tried 'too hard' to contribute. Sometimes less is more.
I found out I'd actually go see us play! That was pretty cool.
My hack can be added to your hack of boarding a plane.
As well as putting your bass upside down on your back, as you mentioned.
When you are about to board the plane at the gate, wait until you are the last person to board. By doing this, it will be very unlikely that they will tell you to check your bass in to cargo. As you will hold the whole plane up, and they want to avoid that, at all costs.
another tip can be the classic DISTRACTION.
ex: if you are traveling with a friend, have them go before you and ask the airline staff questions, or simply POINT at anything while you slip by. The staff will naturally just look where your friend is pointing.
I just don't bring my guitar at the check-in, give it to a friend, and board with it no problem
Good call !
And if you fly United, find a place to hide a black jack, so you can fend off the flight attendants
But will you miss out on good overhead storage space?
Here's a tip, turn your amp up really loud and play softer, you won't have to put as mouch energy and movement into your plucking technique and it'll stop you from tiring and straining yourself.
But then you will loose the energy in your sound.
I wouldn't say *really* loud, but I was getting annoyed with clanking during louder parts so I compensated by nudging off the volume and easing up on my right hand attack. But you want to leave enough room to hit it hard if you need to. Cranking it will just make your bandmates mad.
Unless you’re slapping
Wait
No glove?
He uses the glove for "health" reasons..
Armando Pontes I know, that's why it looks strange he's not wearing it while playing
In the wash ;)
*I thought you had infinite supply of gloves*
Scott's Bass Lessons great video Scott
Always be willing to go back to basics, we all get out of shape now and again 😉
My best bass guitar hack is "less is more" I play bass to fill the space of the music and often, the more notes I play the less space I fill which can make a song feel empty. Love on them whole notes!
My top tip, as I have a few basses (Partly greed and partly due to different voices for different styles) for consistency of comfort I sit with the bass and set the strap to feel snug in that position therefore when I stand to play all the basses have the same comfortable feel.
Agreed.
Strap length is something that flies over alot of people's heads. If it's at a different length to when you're sitting down, it's gonna reach a point where you can only play comfortably whilst standing or vice versa.
David Milne I do the exact same thing. I saw an interview a really long time ago with Billy Sheehan where he mentioned the importance of having your bass in the same place when sitting or standing. It makes such a huge difference!!
Must try and find that as I never saw it. My bass teacher taught me that 35 odd years ago.
It was a VHS tape called "Billy Sheehan on Bass", so that will tell you how long ago it was. I know that I've seen different parts of the video on UA-cam, someone must have edited it into smaller sections & posted each one. There was also a video called "Billy Sheehan Bass Secrets". I wore both of them out in the 90's when they were released & repurchased both tapes on ebay. I haven't been able to find them on DVD or blu-ray.
och70 there's some videos on UA-cam where he talks about it. Billy Sheehan is always giving great tips and advice and is a phenomenal musician as well
Really open you ears to what your bandmates are doing. When I first started with a group I was terrible at this because I was so nervous about what I was playing. Now I can think less about my hands and more about my ears. It really helps the song, which is what it's all about.
Keep your strap at the same height while sitting down playing as when standing up and playing. By doing this, your hands and wrists are not changing positions, and you won't be struggling to play. For example, if you're sitting down practicing a groove or a complicated bass line and then wear your bass down on your knees, all of your positions have changed, and the groove and bass lines become much harder to play. Your muscle memory is lost, and you're now unable to play that groove or bass line as easily as you could while sitting down.
I've been at it since 1985. I didnt think I could learn anything...I did! Great Video Scott!
my fav trick is for when a screw, in my case one that held a strap button, gets stripped, and will not stay on. just get a toothpick or two and jam it in the whole, maybe little glue is so let it dry before screwing in the part. the toothpick gives the screw something to dig into and stay in place. and compression makes it a tight fit. so the part stays on no slipping off.
Heh. I've got a couple of guitars with toothpicks in em.
Here's mine: if you want to eliminate pick noise but you don't want to use your bare fingers, get a rubber pick. It will at first have some pick noise, but it will wear down a bit from playing and the pick noise should eventually go away. Sometimes, however, this won't necessarily always work, like if you are using a Fender J-Bass, so you will need to adjust your parameters on the bass or on the amp to make it sound more like a fingered bass.
After playing way too many different Basses I find it best to tune to the 12th fret and then check the open string. If the open is off then get the bad bass to a Luthier FAST. I have found many basses with such bad necks that they can not be fixed, "CHEAP BASSES." Also, learn to hear if you are out of tune even before tuning your bass. A good ear goes a long way when you are tuning up and have found that your band mates tuners are all different. CHEAP TUNERS are not worth the trash bin. Get a reference tuner and then check the others tuners. I have found many clip on tuners off by a 1/8 to 1/4 tone as the batteries fail. My reference tuner is a Strobe unit. Works wonderful and is very easy to verify accuracy. Keep the beat!!! Not all Drummers can be trusted to know the time. God Bless Bass Players.
Robert Quance if 0 and 12 are different you need to adjust the intonation. i mean, yes it might be the neck, but why bringing it immediately to the luthier?
Agreed, Thats a quick and easy fix, Im a firm believer in being about to work on your instrument, What would happen if something broke or stopped working at a gig? You gotta fix it! and fix it good! Fix it up! Into shape! (Devo Reference)
Using the 57 harmonics to check if i'm in tune is one of my favorites. And it's really great learn if you want to ditch the tuner.
if you pluck a string on its octave fret, ie. playing a G on the E string and plucking on the 15th fret you can get an "octaver" sound from it
ha - yes! Love doing this. Great tip Juan :)
Juan Felipe Buitrago Vargas yes, quite right - it also checks your bass is in tune with itself according to intonation!
If you wanna be heard in a mix, don't focus on the bass end of the EQ when tweaking your sound. Find the right lower-midrange freq that suits your amp and bass and boost that. You might even cut the bass side of the EQ. Plus: make sure that the guitarists don't dominate the bass frequencies in the mix, that's your turf! This makes a HUGE difference. Cheers!
agree! Same applies to Keyboard. If possible cut the bass frerquencies of other instruments with a shelfing filter / EQ. Also cut bass frequencies of vocal mics.
I think everyone likes their sound scooped when they are alone, but spend a little time in bands and you soon realize that your instrument's midrange is your friend. Certainly true with guitar. And lows will bury you.
My tip: check your pick up height! If you need a little more umph higher them a tad and if you want to manipulate string "strength" angle them a bit.
My hack would be: be open to being open. Whether during performances, rehearsals, individual practice time, or making sense of concepts. Nothing can hinder your growth as a musician or as a person more than refusing to change or adjust due to preconceived notions that you feel you must adhere to. Take a step into the unknown and surprise yourself, and maybe something great will happen. At the very least you'll learn something. Thank you Scott for being open!!
if you want to get your inner timing to the sharpest possible level, get your drum computer going (at the tempo you want to), get a remote mute possibilty for the computer, and practise your tempo by muting from time to time a couple of beats or bars (even up to half a minute or more) while playing and check whether you're still in sync by unmuting the drummachine.
And bring old strings back to life by boiling them in water.
The boiling thing is a myth
Not if you add a little washing soda to the water.
Have a set of tools and a multitool that you can fit in a gig bag - just the necessary allen keys, pliers, wire cutters, batteries, vomit bag, etc
Learn to play the vocal melody. It helps a LOT to understand the song.
I have been playing bass at the Venice Beach drum circle (with a battery powered amp), and it's the absolute best for making me think/feel rhythmically, like a drummer. I mostly play roots and octaves, and occasionally fifths and minor 3rd's or minor 7th's for flair, but never play melodic riffs... just rhythms, as if each note on my bass was a drum. As long as I play with the spirit of a drummer, it doesn't piss anyone off at the circle, and tons of people have told me how the bass totally makes the experience.
The left hand advantage. When learning from videos I can transfer your movements directly my playing. Right handed folks need to remember your left hand is in fact their right hand. right? right. I think? When watching you play your right hand looks to be your left; right? Yes? Left is right; right? I think I'm going to go and have a lie down. :)
1) Learning style forms (samba, bluegrass, blues, etc) can be a great way to internalize the role of the bass in an ensemble, and a good way to hone rhythmic chops. 2) On the tone/character side, there's a world of variety available by adjusting the volume and tone controls, plucking position, and amount/placement of foam.
*Here's my bass "hacks" (more like tips, but whatever)*
1. For guitarists who want to also play bass, but are having trouble adjusting, try a short scale bass, or a Fender/Squier bass VI. You'll feel more "at home" on either instrument.
2. I don't have a second tip. I am not a very good bass player.
I found the opposite to be true. Use a long scale base and learn to finger like Scott does using the little pinkie. Then do the same on guitar. Scales are so much easier and fluid then.
well, the transition from bass to guitar is much easier than from guitar to bass for that exact reason. (at least when it comes to your left hand being able to stretch, and do spider-fingers stuff).
Ha ha ha, one thing Ive noticed when guitarist play bass.... They try to play it like a guitar, but its not....bass is a totally different mindset.
That's why a bass VI is a good choice for guitarists, because you play them like a guitar, not a bass. I know exactly what you mean though.
since playing the bass my guitar playing have changed a lot .... it goes both ways...
Sanding down a glossy neck. Especially for the vintage modified Squiers and the likes. Takes about 5 minutes and IMO enhances playability by alot. Great video, thanks for the tips!
Haakon Gran I just did this to my Epi Thunderbird (U neck shape!) and I seriously couldn't be happier. Sweaty hands don't slow me down nearly as much and in general, I can be much faster.
I'm relatively new to bass playing (playing for about two years now). After learning the basic things (like tuning), I started to do two things:
- After tuning the open strings, I check them against the 5th fret of the next string. I think that gives a more fine tuning. Sometimes it happens that the tuner shows a tuned string, but one can hear a difference to the 5th fret. You then know, that there's still some tuning necessary.
- I experienced that while tuning a string it can be necessary to bend the string a bit, escpecially if you have to tune down, i.e. make the string sloppier(?). It's like pulling a hanging rope before you climb it up. The thicker the string (E or B, especially) the more necessary it is to bend it a bit so that the string is put into its final position. If you don't do this while tuning, it happens on itself while playing, possibley de-tuning the instrument in the process.
#10 have something like an iRig or small headphone amp so you can practice everywhere, including hotel room's where you can't be loud and don't want to drag out a lot of equipment.
Salute from Russia!
There's one tip I want to share: sometimes you need to transcribe bass line of a song precisely but it is disguised in the mix and you can't hear some notes and the way they played. Very sad situation but recently I found the solution. All you need to do is tune the track one octave higher with any proper program. And the bass line will become crystal clear and simple to take!
Good luck!
I've been playing for about 14 years, and I never knew about using a tea towel to wipe the strings off after a gig. Could've saved me a bloody fortune!
I have a few tips.
sweat can be lethal on your bass finish,strings and even your bass case can stink due to humidity.
after a sweaty gig, I close my hard case keeping my strap attached to the bass (straplocks) ;-) but out from case until it dries out.
i always have a towel with me too, to wipe the strings off after a show
On J and P basses, I reposition the thumbrest from it's stock slanted position to being parallel to the E or low B string, and with the same distance from the strings as the top thumb side of the pickups, though still near the neck. (On J basses, I drill out one of the stock pickguard screw holes and use it as a pilot for one of the two longer thumbrest screws). Unlike the standard slanted thumbrest, it gives me a consistent distance from my thumb tip to each string, at any point along the thumbrest or the side of my pickups. So whether I'm plucking near the bridge or digging in near the neck, or anywhere in between, as soon as my thumb is anchored to that thumbrest or either pickup, my fingertips automatically know exactly where each of the strings are, as well as providing consistent leverage from the thumb, which greatly improves playing consistency, as well as offering very precise dynamic and tonal fingertip control.
If your playing with a drummer (or a guitarist that won't turn down) use hearing protection.
And just for Scott. If you want the old school sound but can't find a sponge mute, stick an old glove under your strings at the bridge.
Interestingly hearing protection might help you make out bass notes through a loud guitar as they tend to knock more dB off of high frequencies.
Great hacks Scott. My 10th hack: Place your note playing (not the picking) thumb at the back of the neck/fretboard rather than curling it over the strings; for a much more fluid range of movement both up and down the fret board and also you get much cleaner notes because your note-paying hand is not all cramped up and so forth.
tip, always be recording and listening to yourself, be it an exercise,a bass line or a full performance. I know loads of guitarists and bassists i teach who hardly ever record themselves , when this is a great way to really find out what you need to be working on.
my band records every practice, most of our songs come from a random jam we have, then we pick the good stuff out of it and piece it together. probably one of the best comment on this video.
My favorite technique hack is to always have the ring fingers of both hands ready to play the octave of whatever my index finger is playing when it's on the E or A strings. It's a great way to start a riff, hit an accent harmonic or fatten up the root note by playing both octaves at the same time. It also helps me to keep the fingers of both hands directly over each string, ready to mute or play a note when needed. Less finger movement is required once you get used to this position, resulting in faster speeds and longer play times.
Move/dance to your own basslines.
That's how I know I've got it. If I can't stand still, I've found the winner.
Disco Deaky (John deacon)
Agree! Don't get caught on stage standing there like a statue staring at your fret hand. The crowd will love your music to the degree that YOU love your music. I'm not a head wagger, but I always try to be "on" and look like I am enjoying myself.
My best advice is use a preamp. I use a sansamp bass driver. Even if you have a great tone from your amp, adding a preamp can give you completely different bass tones. For me it adds alot of clarity to the tone and it's easier to adjust on the go instead of tweaking the actual amp settings
play along with a song and put a bass line diferent of the original, that is gona push you to think how to bass with two basses. Is the effect cello doublebass so comon in the orchestra
dickersonforever or, get guitar only tracks, and play over it with a new bass line, I find this good for helping you think differently
well that works better just saing something quick
I am getting a bass in a week and I have been wacthin as many of your videos as possible and not only are they super helpful so far, i really enjoy them!
Practice like you're the worst, perform like you're the best.
Explore different tones for different songs through different soudpoints with your plucking hand. Warmer tones come from the neck area and brighter from the bridge. Your tone is so much more than pickup and amp levels!
About #9 - you should bend string first and only after that cut the excess.
Yes, great point!
it basically keeps the wounds together, so i guess it isn't important if the bend is inside the machine or sticking outside. it might look better if you 'hide' it inside the machine. but don't place it before the machine so it will be put tention on it and straighten out ;)
the tention of the string works most on the outer wounds so they can slip off. with that bend you create a hook that grabs on the wounds.
hope it helps to understand ^^
Never had a dead string, never heard of it honestly been playing 30 years. I've had Dean Markley cryogenics just pop open and unravel at the tuning key but that's it.
Yes. I do the same with the ball end as well- bend a 90 where it comes through the body
Feed the string, tighten it, then bend a 90 and cut off excess
If you have metal tone and volume knobs, wipe them down after you play to dry them, if not then the sweat from your hands can sometimes get on them and then they will start to wear down and rust.
Great hacks Scott! Let me suggest a couple more.
1) When packing or shipping, "ALWAYS" loosely detune the instrument before a flight or air excursion to relieve the tension on the headstock. Flying high altitudes has broken many a headstock in cargo part due to the air pressure and not necessarily the luggage handlers. (Trust me)
2) Make an "emergency" guitar/bass strap from "duct" tape. It's strong and lasts long..
10. After you do most rounds when inserting a new string, leave a bit of room, pinch the string from the headstock and move it towards the bridge "unrolling" the string. The turns you did before this make the string roll on itself, bringing more tension, hence making it break easier. So this "unroll" technique will give your strings a bigger lifetime.
Invest in a wireless system - you can't always trust what you hear onstage, nor will you always have somebody who can help you check your sound/tonal balance out in the room/venue. A wireless system will allow you to walk out and around the venue to check the balance while playing your bass.
A good sound coming from the stage that complements (or doesn't interfere with) the FOH will make the sound guy's job much easier, resulting in a tighter sounding band. Oh yes, it also reduces the possibility of a shit job by a shit sound guy trying his best to rectify a shit sound balance with his shitty ear.
My hack is one come from curiosity when watching Scott's videos and it's become a kind of signature thing for my playing. I wear a glove on my left hand which drastically reduces friction from the neck so you can slide up and down the neck like lightening! it also makes the tone a little brassiere due to the slight dampening👌
Brassiere! I love it!!!
Tip #10... Never get drunk before the show... XD
Not even a little? Damn.
If you're a student a bass or guitar case is really useful for keeping notes flat if you put them pushed against the back of the bass inside
Open your bottle of beer using the latch on a road case
My number 10 will be:
Have your own stuff, play with fingers, with picks, a combination, try slap if it's not your style, learn taps
Why, because music is about feeling, and when playing, you're going to be able to give that sensation and sound by knowing how to play in different styles, but with your own thing or personality and personal mark.
Learn to play drums. You're gonna be locking in with the drummer nearly every time, you should know your way around a kit.
I started with drums and moved on to bass, it helped A LOT
I switched to flatwound strings a year or so ago. In a band with lots of effects on keyboard and guitar, and a singer with a midrange-heavy voice, the upper register of the bass was just adding to the mud in the mix. Flatwounds and careful use of EQ helped. Also watch some videos with Carol Kaye where she talks about mutes and the volume knob.
nail clippers!
I like using the Gruv Gear Gigblade for plane travel for that exact reason - it naturally keeps the bass below head level :)
I like to keep four little pieces of firm foam behind the saddle (along the break angle) on my bass. So when i need to get that muted sound i just pull them out and put them under the string in front of the saddle.
The James Jamerson classic.
You rock!! Your UA-cam channel is the only one I actually watch all the way through. Thanks for all your help!
My Tip: Listen to your drummer, and try to think like a drummer.
Tip: Listen to your bass player, and try to think like a bassist.
thinking drummers..wonders never cease..lol
but drummers dont think
Well you're in the very few. Most drummers speed up, buy this guy a metronome for his birthday!
Anyone got any drummer jokes? I'll get the ball rolling... What's the difference between a drummer and a drum machine? - You only have to punch the instructions into a drum machine once.
On the tuning tip, which is great advice, in addition to tuning to the 12th fret harmonic, you should watch the tuner when you play the open string and again when you fret the 12th string and verify all three are the same - this is how you can discover if your bass needs to be intonated.
My tip is to avoid wearing big belt buckles or sharp buttons on you pants and shirts to keep your bass from getting scratched. It's true that the end up on the back, but it looks so bad when you see a bunch of scratches on the back of your bass. PS: if by chance you're already at the gig and forgot not to wear a big belt buckle, you can put a napkin or cloth over it to help prevent scratches.
Evan Campfield check out my belt buckle hack I just posted
Not a fan of that "relic" look, then? :-)
This is something that I don’t even think about. If I buy a bass I buy it for life so resale value isn’t an issue. I also find these marks to be an identification tool if ever it’s stolen god forbid
Just take your belt off and restring it with the buckle on your hip.
just untuck your shirt
Cool video!
I’ve been utilizing Tip 5 since the 2000s.
My #10 is - SING AND PLAY AT THE SANE TIME! I can do it, and I get burned out hearing people say they cannot.
Scott, it might make a good video to film what the comment's see as their number one or top ten bass hacks.
The intro was sick man, love the tone
Scotts has been reading Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy I feel. Don't forget your towel and Don't panic
42... that’s the only answer you’ll need in life
Nice vid! Great tips :) Here's my tips: -Use a a cable with 90 degrees angled plug on your bass, very hard to pull out or damage your input jack by accident. -Also, your picking hand index finger nail can make a great pick, just hold your fingers like you would hold a pick. Downstrokes are easy, upstrokes a bit more tricky. -Palm muting together with pick or nail playing makes a great percussive bass sound. -Clamp a capo, fatfinger or a c-clamp on your headstock to get less resonant sound, this can also help with dead spots. Experiment with different places on the headstock. -Try using flatwounds for G and maybe even D string. It helps to balance their tone and makes them sound more like playing corresponding notes high on the thicker strings. Make the G-string great again.
My personal "note to myself"-You are big boy and you play bass. Yes, your bass is a beast, but beast needs to eat. DONT FORGET "BATTERY STUFF". once I did forget to chek it, and after few minutes of the show bass went dead...
Make your own Bass to learn the inner workings of them. Gave me an all new appreciation for my guitar.
insert pick under pickguard :)
My bass hack is a real hack -- I routed my P-bass-like-object's body to fit two J pickups for a JPJ layout and added a 5-way Strat blade switch with the master volume master tone knobs. That neck J pickup that is close to the neck pocket gets really dark bass tones, 'non-more-dark', lol. The Strat position 2 & 4 'quack' positions add new tones. It's a fun bass.
ALWAYS LEARN TO PLAY BOTH WITH YOUR FINGERS AND A PICK.
You should almost never focus on only one or the other.
I dont use a pick, cause Claypool is my idol ;) (ha ha HEAVY sarcasm there) never limit what you can learn
I saw a bass player catch his finger in a car door, and he wondered how he would play the gig. I told him to use a pick for the night, and he looked at me like l was insane. I have no clue how well he played.
LOL I was waiting for #10
I think a good bass player hack is making sure the patch cord you are about to put in your bass is clean. I find often patch cables get dusty, and they are always seem to be on the ground. I find that just giving it a quick wipe with your shirt tail or if you have a cloth on stage to use can help keep the input jack on your bass clean. I have been caught a couple times on stage with a crackling input jack.