# Should I learn bass guitar?



## MoonlitMadness (Mar 11, 2013)

I bought a bass many months ago.. inspired by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. But then I thought, is there even any point learning how to play? I'd love to be in a band but I would take yearssss to get good at bass, right?

Can I ever be as good as him? I am 24 years old and want to be good at bass before I am too old to look good in a band haha.

How do I learn? I am wary of teaching myself in case I teach myself bad habits.


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## Orbiter (Jul 8, 2015)

You have to be really into it if you want to make a point in learning it.
Take my fascination for space flight for example, if I wasn't such a space freak, I wouldn't even have done any effort in learning about terms like "periapsis" and "apoapsis".
It's all about being into the stuff you want to learn (about).


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

There's a lot of free study material on YouTube now, so this is the best time to do it. 

But to be blunt I really think you need to be doing this because you love music, not because you're seeking fame, or you'll give up because your goals won't be being met. 

At the end of the day though it doesn't matter what you look like if your music is really good. The only people who have to worry about looks are the people with 'meh' ability.

I'm thinking about learning guitar again (not bass though,) when I first started YouTube didn't even exist. It's amazing how useful that website is, I just stumbled on a video explaining time signatures last night.

I want to get a better keyboard too. Mine is really bad, I noticed that when I messed around with my friend's 'electric piano' a few times. It made mine sound like a toy lol.


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## LetMeThinkAboutThat (Aug 24, 2013)

Persephone The Dread said:


> There's a lot of free study material on YouTube now, so this is the best time to do it.
> 
> But to be blunt I really think you need to be doing this because you love music, not because you're seeking fame, or you'll give up because your goals won't be being met.
> 
> At the end of the day though it doesn't matter what you look like if your music is really good. The only people who have to worry about looks are the people with 'meh' ability.


I agree with this. just find one riff and practice it until its recognizable. There is nothing lamer than somebody seeing it and asking you to play something and you can't. Just one riff or get rid of the guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bass+guitar+riff


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## MoonlitMadness (Mar 11, 2013)

Sooo should I do it or not? xD Obviously I know I'm not going to get famous! I am just worried I won't be good at it..


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## SofaKing (May 9, 2014)

MoonlitMadness said:


> Sooo should I do it or not? xD Obviously I know I'm not going to get famous! I am just worried I won't be good at it..


I don't know, this is why I end up either not starting or quitting many of my hobbies. If I don't think I'll be able to participate at a certain level or guarantee my enjoyment, I won't try.

I know this sounds trite, but only you can determine how far you can take this and if you'll be satisfied.


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## Woodoow (Mar 20, 2013)

Be sure to look at several videos/lessons to get the basis right.
Then being GOOD at it is consistent and efficient practice, did I mention consistent ? 
Sorry if I killed the fun, just try it out for a few months, maybe a year ; you'll probably feel if you like it by then.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## JDsays (Oct 20, 2015)

MoonlitMadness said:


> How do I learn? I am wary of teaching myself in case I teach myself bad habits.





Persephone The Dread said:


> There's a lot of free study material on YouTube now, so this is the best time to do it.


As Persephone pointed out, Youtube is a great resource to learn bass (and practically any teachable skill). There's tons of resources online to help you learn bass.

Do you want to be great at bass? Do you have 10,000 hours to spare? To be great at anything you have to put in the time and effort, and 10,000 hours is generally regarded as a rule of thumb to be a master at anything. To use Pete Wentz as an example, he may be great at doing what he does, but how long has he been doing it? How long has he been playing bass even before he got famous with FOB?

The good thing about learning any new skill however is it doesn't take 10,000 hours, it takes only about 20 hours. It takes about 20 hours to learn the basics and to get started in something new and not totally suck at it.

The lack of resources isn't the problem to learning to play bass, it's an emotional problem. What I mean by that is you have to be willing to pick up a guitar and make mistakes. You have to be okay with looking a complete beginner who doesn't know what you're doing. It's with the mistakes that you learn and get better at anything in life. If you want to get started, *do it*. Put in the time, and dedicated practice

Here's a motivational video of a guy that learned to pick up an instrument in 20 hours (it's a TED talk)

The First 20 hours


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## ByStorm (Oct 22, 2013)

I think you should, especially if you plan on being in a band some day since bass players are in high demand. 
I've been using these lately as lessons: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLImrzCNnL5PkSfa1gUpsGzSMELR31yW9h . You can also use StudyBass.com for something a bit more thorough.


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## Rixy (Oct 4, 2009)

No offence to Pete Wentz, but you could achieve that style within a year if you practice hard enough. It's not like he's Geddy Lee or something. But it's a good goal for starting; I say go for it  Just remember to warm up before you play. I used to play for like 3 hours a day and now I have the wrists of an 80 year old.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

MoonlitMadness said:


> Sooo should I do it or not? xD Obviously I know I'm not going to get famous! I am just worried I won't be good at it..


 If you do it, you should post videos. I've got a thing for women with guitars. Even if guitars do look like giant lollipops.


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## McFly (Jul 15, 2014)

JDsays said:


> *The good thing about learning any new skill however is it doesn't take 10,000 hours, it takes only about 20 hours. It takes about 20 hours to learn the basics and to get started in something new and not totally suck at it.*


This is true, if you are really into the hobby then you can pick it up quickly.

I don't know if you have any background in music, but music theory is really a language and it can be quite fun learning the different scales, modes, pitches, keys, etc. Within about six months from start, I was able to to teach myself to read notes, remember all the basics and follow a music book playing guitar or piano without errors at ease. That was with just a couple hours of practice a day.

The best thing you should do is get a cheap bass, buy some music books with tab, and practice a lot and enjoy it. As time goes by your mind and fingers will get better, so you can upgrade your bass guitar and maybe try out other instruments once you get the hang of everything.


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## visualkeirockstar (Aug 5, 2012)

Bass is easy. I like guitar better.


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## Findedeux (Mar 16, 2012)

As someone who's been playing acoustic and electric guitar for a year, 20 hours will get you almost nowhere.

After a year I still pretty much suck. I am much better than before. I can read music, play TAB, and can play some songs and chords. But it will still probably take me another year before anyone really wants to listen to me.

Not trying to discourage you but learning a new instrument is difficult.

Maybe if you are very talented you will be somewhere in 20 hours. But if you are like the rest of us you it will be a while.



JDsays said:


> As Persephone pointed out, Youtube is a great resource to learn bass (and practically any teachable skill). There's tons of resources online to help you learn bass.
> 
> Do you want to be great at bass? Do you have 10,000 hours to spare? To be great at anything you have to put in the time and effort, and 10,000 hours is generally regarded as a rule of thumb to be a master at anything. To use Pete Wentz as an example, he may be great at doing what he does, but how long has he been doing it? How long has he been playing bass even before he got famous with FOB?
> 
> ...


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