Why MOST bass players SUCK (the unfortunate truth)

Now, sorry to break this to you, but you are not the best bassist in the world. You may not even be the best bassist on your street. But it’s not your fault! The good news is, the difference between reaching Jedi-levels of bass playing and failing to do so is quite small. In fact, it’s so small and simple that it will blow you away.

As always, see you in the shed…

Scott :)

=====================================================================

GET MORE BASS TIPS 👇
_________________________________________________________________

ABOUT SCOTT’S BASS LESSONS (SBL)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the largest online bass education platform in the world, with an ever-expanding course library and 40,000+ active members, Scott’s Bass Lessons (SBL) has everything you need to master the bass, all in one place.

Featuring beginner level bass lessons, engaging courses from expert instructors, step-by-step development curricula, direct feedback on your playing, real-time mentorship from A-list bassists and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, SBL is the perfect platform to uplevel your bass playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level bassist.

RECOMMENDED BASS PLAYLIST
-------------------------------------------------------------
Catch up with SBL Content you’ve missed:
#bassguitarlessons #bassforbeginners #easybasslines

LINKS
--------------
Tune in to our Weekly Podcast:
Explore our FREE courses:
Try our FREE GrooveTrainer App:

[scottibass]

when I was younger, a guitar player told me: hey you bass players are cool: you are basically soloing through the whole song while supporting it

[pjritts]

If you play bass in a band, I would argue that the 3 most important skills are to (1) LISTEN carefully to your band mates, (2) COMPLEMENT what they do, and (3) be the BRIDGE to the percussion (drums) with the rest of the band. This philosophy has served me well over the years. There’s nothing worse than listening to a group of musical virtuosos who don’t complement each other musically.

[pauljacques]

I've played for over 30 years without paying much attention to the songs chords and structure. I've just replicated the bassline like a lot of us do. Now days I write out the whole chord sequence, work out what position the chord is in the key (e.g. 1, 4, 6, 5) and then play the arpeggios in slow time until I can seen the whole sequence. Transforms your playing and is to be honest the only way. Chords, sequences, arpeggios, intervals (chord tones) and GROOVE/FEEL!!! Wish I used this approach 30 years ago!!

[lordcustard-smythe-smith]

I would say as someone who plays bass, guitar and keyboards professionally
1) Timing and sync with the drummer is absolutely critical. You can tell a professional band from an amateur one instantly by listening to how locked they are.
2) Ability to know when you can play more notes, and when you can't. This also applies to all instruments especially drummers who think they're Neil Peart when what they should be is Ringo Starr !
3) Gaps. Know when to shut up. Know when to staccato. The length of notes, is as important as their attack.
4) NEVER stand still on stage. Do something even if you just nod your head or sway.
5) Play to fit the genre. What you can play is determined by the overall song and how you impact it. You are there to enhance the song, not ruin it. That means sometimes you play something you think is boring, but fits. Other times you can put more in. It doesn't matter how good your technique is, or knowledge of scales or arpeggios - unless what you do fits and enhances the song it won't work.

[janicefrantz]

I played in a power trio back in the 70s, the drummer and I would work out the song without the guitar; working off each other and getting monster tight. THEN we brought in our guitarist. People were blown away at how tight the drummer and I were, we never told anyone our process...

[SimonBrisbane]

All this time, I just needed this video and suddenly I no longer suck. Amazing!

[copperfish]

Great stuff, I can tell you all younger people be thankfull for YouTube, because I started in the late 70’s and I took lessions from a OK bass player. Then he moved and I was looking for a teacher, and took 2 lessions from a fretless player whom lectured me that people that played fretted basses were wimps. So I left him.
I remember listening to a song and trying to learn the bass line, and playing the record or cassette over and over and over trying to get it.It was major frustration. YouTube is such as asset, and the amount of teachers there is amazing.

[colonelsanders]

I've been playing for 47 years and NO ONE has ever taught this to me. I went through 6 Mel Bay books in High School (1974) only to come home from the Army and a friend needed a bass player. Top 40 Hard Rock including Rush! However I got stuck in Cover Band Limbo for the next 28 years. Then in 2006 I started playing originals, but the recording were done by the guitarist and he only played the Root notes of the Guitar Chords. I learned his songs on Guitar and Bass. Once the song was memorized I began to experiment with the arpeggios as "Mr. Devine" pointed out. Being Rock music, most of time I would just play the Root Note, but being a 3-piece band, I began experimenting during his guitar solos. Knowing what to play and when to play it is paramount, but also understanding the difference between a D Major and D Minor chord is critical musically for a Bass Player. But while doing all of that the #1 thing to do in a Band is being able to lock in with the Drummer and create that groove that makes everyone (especially the ladies) want to dance. At 64 years old I'm learning everyday and expanding my music theory knowledge. I just love playing Bass!

[linda_guitar]

YES! And you're in very good company, emphasizing the importance of arpeggios! Carol Kaye says the same thing!

[ogourouo]

This is one of the first things my teachers taught me back in the day. "If you want to jam with your mates, you need to know where to find your 3rds, 5ths and 7ths. Ask the guitarist what chords they're playing, start with the root, then see what you can do with the 3rd, 5th and 7th. You'll still be shit technically, but you'll be able to play along any song even if you've never heard it"

[naturecurry]

Most bases have only 4 strings. Only one is played at a time. So how bright does a bass player have to be??? Outline the chord, harmonize the chords, support the melody, keep time, accent in combination with a drummer, make the listener want to dance. All the while creating an interesting line. Most important guy in the section.

[simon_patterson]

Gotta say, congratulations on the million subscribers. Well deserved for consistently terrific content.

[wingsab]

Hey Mr divine. By far the best 9 min of bass lesson I've come across. In that little time you will have changed the way I approach bass playing. Thank you.

[oliversmith]

I used to play piano/keyboard (still do a bit), and learned scales and lots of chords. To be honest, that helped me a ton when I moved to bass, because I could remember the notes on the piano from the chords, and then transcribe them to bass. It is very helpful when u know the scales from another instrument, and this speeds us your bass progress, trust me!

[roscius]

Drums kick you in stomach, guitar slaps you about the face, bass holds your hand

[Pete_Rer]

Great lesson. I wish that I'd been shown this many years ago when I started Bass. It is obvious when you know it but difficult for beginners to work out if you don't. Keep up the good work.

[robb]

Thank you I was self taught and then went to a musical teacher and he never taught me chords and confused the crap out of me. Only when I met a musician in a band I joined 11years later did he make me fully understand the role of the bass it took me another 5 years to unlearn everything I learned before . I cannot thank you enough for this vlog.

[stuartbooth]

the smartest people generally, I find, are those who recognise what they don't know, rather than those who kid themselves about what they do.
this is a really good example on how to figure out where to fill in some of that missing knowledge, explaining what is missing rather than wondering why it isn't there.
P.S. you still owe us a decent Steve Harris video. we have not forgotten!

[dard]

This is the truth and I'm glad that you used the word "suck." I've known so many other bass players and drummers through the years who could hit some really fancy fills and licks but couldn't come back in on time or didn't know what a 3rd was. As bass players, there is a hierarchy of importance in the things that we do. Never ever use anything lower on that hierarchy at the expense of anything higher on the hierarchy.

If it hasn't already been done, I would love for this channel to do a profile of Sade's bassist, Paul Spencer Denman. Everything he plays is perfect and, when you break down his basslines, almost everything he plays is based on the things you learn in the first few months of instruction.

[ciaranocraobhach]

Great tips. It is absolutely essential for bassists as musicians to know the fundamentals of chord formulas. In my personal experience, being a guitarist originally didn't help me because I simply knew the shapes to hold. I never thought about triads or what made a 7th a 7th. So, playing bass has made me a lot less lazy because you have to know your chords, which helps your knowledge of scales and modes enormously.