Learning The Neck Of A Bass

Well, I was one of these people a while back. All you need is time, something to write with, and something to write on (lines are important).

01. I started off by drawing the Bass neck and listing all the notes up to the octave (12th fret).

02. Next I drew a table that showed each note from fret 3,5,7, and 9 on each string.

03. Now comes the fun part. You will need to start on the G string and write down A#,C,D,E over and over down the paper, then do another row. Fill up the paper front and back doing this. Say it to yourself as you write it, and try not to look back at what you have already written.

04. Do the same for the other 3 strings:

D:FGAB
A:CDEF#
E:GABC#

05. After you do this enouph, it will stick into your head. Then try going down the neck of your bass to get a hands on feeling of it. Try going down the bass on one string, and go backwards saying the name of the notes on each of the frets. Try the next string after that, ect. Remember, it all stars over on the 15th fret, so all you realy have to do is 2,5,7,9 because the 12th is ovbiously the same as the sting you are playing.

06. Now you just need to know what the whole and half steps are, and you can easily figure out which note is which if you know the frets.

07. Also, if you know 1 string, you know 2 strings. Pick a fret on string G. For example, Ill say D on the 7th fret. Go up 2 strings, over 2 frets and its the same note (A string, 5th fret).

There it is, the easy way of knowing the neck in a few days. Hope I helped.

Comments

[G-Rock]

I play a lot of bass and I'd have to say that wouldn't help much. Just play up and down and say the notes to yourself as you play. Or even scale it when you get better.

[sparky_den]

i dont get it

[amotesharei]

learn all the natural notes and their position, its alot easier and more usefull.

[chinko]

sparky_den:
i dont get it

theres nothing to get, its simple.

[Oswald]

SPANK ME PARROT; AARRRRGHHHH!!!!

[6slip6knot6]

i play bass, and that wasnt much help.

[umair]

hmmmm

[the_beastly_one]

Meh.

[bigrd15132]

that was terrible...

[resz]

pointless. very pointless

[Veno]

why go to all the trouble? Their is a sharp between every note except the B-C and E-F. There you go. E string, you go down to the seventh fret, it's a B. Also make sure to learn your fifths. There you go.

But I jsut do that because I'm more into playing the bass, than saying notes.

The article is rather pointless though as anyone who's ever been through middle school knows memorization tecniches. sorry. good thought, though

[uragooch33]

yea bass is easy......i dont even play it and im better than most of the bassists that have played in my band

[strangled]

it was poorly writen but the idea was good

[Unseen_hero]

works with memorization, there is more than one way to do it, but thats a clever and not too monotonous way to get the notes stuck in your head. not bad.

[fender rocker16]

some of you may not get it because it is so simple. This is a bass noob lesson so try not to flame it too much. Most of us know this stuff but some people may have just started playing and may not have learned it yet.

[r_lightning]

u dont need all this information only for learning the neck of the bass.. but thnx anyway

[Until_it_sleeps]

learning the neck of a bass isn't that hard, I play guitar and when I picked up a bass I could still play it fine. But that might not be the direction you were trying to go with this article.

[eraldal]

i learned the neck of the bass in a similar way a some time ago, it works, well it did for me...

[division wall]

learn how to read music and then it all falls into place

[da_loyde]

this is shit

[five_stars_rock]

Like fender said. This isnt for you advanced bass players. It is a quick and simple way of learning the neck of the bass for all the people that is just starting out.

[TheAxeAbuser]

i have just recently bought a bass. although i have played guitar for 4 years. i can play bass very easy. if u play guitar then go onto bass u will know all the notes anyway. so this article was pretty crap.
(i am trying right hand tapping on the bass, it sounds so funny. give it ago.)!
Peace

[TheAxeAbuser]

:Ps this article is very usefull to begginer bassists.

[im not mental]

i like chicken.

[chet91]

uragooch33:
yea bass is easy......i dont even play it and im better than most of the bassists that have played in my band

someones a little confident, dont be so conceded

[mr_Joe]

yr a bunch of idiots....it's for beginner bassists, not advanced ones

[THE KORNMAN]

oh, poop

[no_name69]

ive been playing bass for awhile now....id say learning scale is the best way possible...

[xanthpipe-punk]

What the...?

[tydhurst]

what was the point of this wierd article, sure you might have tried your best, but this way is so wierd and bum***!

[Nirvana_GodSmak]

yea bass is easy......i dont even play it and im better than most of the bassists that have played in my band

the very basic things on bass are extremely easy for a decent guitarist... but once you get into more complex stuff you'll probably go "i do what... with what?"

[inoy]

Bass is not easy. You can make it has difficult if you want.

[mikey192002]

I play a lot of bass and I'd have to say that wouldn't help much. Just play up and down and say the notes to yourself as you play. Or even scale it when you get better.

i agree

[petegalipeau]

If you are new to playing bass and need to learn the neck this is as good a way as any to do it. Everyone has their personal preferences and different techiniques work better for some than others. The point is; do SOMETHING to make yourself a better musician. If this works for you, then great! You're better today than you were yesterday. BTW...to the people who say that playing bass is easy...you're right! So is playing guitar and drums, I do all 3. If it was hard, that would be like work, and what's the fun in that?

[kissmybass]

bass is pretty easy. i say just learn the basics and get more difficult as you become more familiar with the neck and frets. iv played bass for a while and honestly didnt understand the article though im sure it helped out alot of people i guess.

[lsw444]

well. it all depends on your learning style. Some go for the write it all down, theoretical learning it systematically stuff, some go for a hands-on, learn it as it comes approach.

Good point is that doing something, anything, about learning the neck is a good thing. But I would say that developing your ear is essential otherwise you'll be thinking consciously too much when you play and it may not all just flow out of you in a groove.

[Psykotik]

This doesn't help.

And I would like to say that those who say that bass is easy are wrong. It's easy if you play something simple, just like guitar. It's as hard as any other instrument.

[*.*]

Thanks. This REALY helped!!!!

[KevinKung]

ur teaching like we're in kindergarten. come on. 80% of us aren't beginners

[bassist90]

ive played bass for about a year, and ive done very little things like that. ive studied a few theories (like the circle of fifths) and ive learned to read sheet music, but the skill just comes with playing everyday. just play and play, and THEN it becomes easy. anything can be easy if you practice. and just the opposite, anything can be hard in the beggining. hell, i learned some basic kick patterns on my friends drums in just a few hours. ive learned to play a lot of stuff on guitar. ANYTHING helps with your talent as a musician. i give the guy props. this is a pretty decent article for beggining bassists. all of you bastards need to stop flaming him for being helpful.

[that1dude]

hey first off whoever wrote this nice try but no...second...to every1 that thinks bass is easy...ur wrong...it is as hard as u make it....watch some primus videos

[Ash_Lawrence]

useless.

[five_stars_rock]

This was ment to be for beginners. I should have put it into the beginner bass lessons I guess.

[BoBzombIE16]

I'm thinking about playing bass.

[bryant77]

this is horse shit!!! IT'S NOT NECESARY TO MEMORIZE EACH NOTE OF EACH FRET! WASTE OF TIME!!

[will_clip]

uragooch33:
yea bass is easy.....i dont even play it and im better than most of the bassists that have played in my band

Listen to Victor Wooten and then tell me bass is easy. What music are YOU listening to?

[Guitarholic]

I think all of you should listen to some Billy Sheehan. That guy'll knock you all over. Let beginners try it. If it works for them, then there was a purpose. You guys are so tuff behind those keyboards!

[will_clip]

^I listened and i was impressed. He is awesome... BUT doesnt top Wooten at all. Not on the solos i heard anyway.

[guitarcaw]

i've been playing double bass for 3 years and with a double bass you cant just look at a fret and know what note it is because there are no frets. thats why its better to memorize the position and fingering then the exact fret. but if i works do it

[guitarcaw]

or you could start at one note and just go up with the whole and half steps. its like the alpha bet. if you're at A and you want to get to G just go up 6 notes and be like A-BC-D-EF-G

[teenagepunk]

this article stunk

[Misfit66]

dude, it was a good idea, but a bit compicated, i just drew up a fretboard. then i filled in the note, then i went over them on the realy fret board, etiing the notes is easy, u only gotta knoe where ya sharps and flats belong, then itz easy.

[AngelGC]

This article was obviously ment for beginners. You shouldn't knock this article unless you are a beginner.

I play guitar, bass guitar, and drums, i am fairly good at all of them, but that has come with practice. with enough practice you can be good at anything.

I played guitar before i played bass. the knowledge i had of the scales on guitar helped me with bass. but bass has helped me on guitar, it has helped to build finger strength. so guitar and bass are mutual aids.

It is necisary to learn the notes on the neck. it will help you to learn music faster. knowing the notes helpes me to learn guitar and bass. if you don't know the notes you sould learn them, it will make a noticable difference in your playing as well as your creative ability.

Practice everyday, learn your scales and notes and you will be good at bass (of any instrument) in due time.

Listen to John Myung of Dream Theater. The way he, Petrucci, and Rudess, play thier harmonized dolos in unison are amazing!!!

[AngelGC]

Practice everyday, learn your scales and notes and you will be good at bass (of any instrument) in due time.

Listen to John Myung of Dream Theater. The way he, Petrucci, and Rudess, play thier harmonized dolos in unison are amazing!!!

Spellng corrections
and you will be good at bass (or any instrument)...

play thier harmonized solos in unison

[*.*]

Great article. I was just starting out and this helped me get used to the notes fairly quick.

For you that are saying this article sucked, it's because you already know the shit so of course it's no good to you.

[amorebelladonna]

bryant77 :
this is horse shit!!! IT'S NOT NECESARY TO MEMORIZE EACH NOTE OF EACH FRET! WASTE OF TIME!!

If you know where everything is you will know what sounds good together, and what doesnt. If you want to actually be a good bassist or whatever you play be it bass or guitar, you have to have some knowledge of the notes, or you will sound like shit.

[Newmeegol]

I cannot understand...

[wreakinhavoc]

man the best way to learn the notes on ur bass is to play them over n over again and say them aloud as u play them. the more u work on it the better u get

[wreakinhavoc]

this complicated method aint good dude

[Ric Bass 4003]

uragooch33 wrote:

yea bass is easy.....i dont even play it and im better than most of the bassists that have played in my band

Um yeah thats shit. The right hand on bass is like 4 hundred times harder if you do funk or popping. You must have some shitty bassists. No guitarist can beat a bassist at bass. Nor a bassist beat a guitarist at guitar. Unless you just flat out suck.

[brush200400]

idk why u say bass. this could apply for guitar too

[J3ss3x2]

Thanks a lot! This actually did help me learn the neck better.