Indeed! I just recently found this channel, after getting frustrated with other purported teachers. Many of them suffer the same problem. Teaching is less important than showing you exactly how incredibly good they are. One bald-headed dude comes to mind. Wink-nudge. This gentleman KNOWS he's very good, but doesn't feel the need to humiliate you by constantly showing it. I might actually learn something from THIS fellow.... And; he's entertaining as well!
yellowbreadtrucks omg yes girl. My first year playing, I didn’t pick up a pick until like 8 months in and I’d always scratch my nail polish off on the string because I put my hand at a fucked angle.
I’ve been playing guitar for 25+ years and recently decided to learn some bass, properly. Not just picking single notes in place of corresponding powerchords, but learning the instrument and the vibe. Naturally, us guitarists assume we’re superior to bass players...🤣 Gotta say... we’re not, and it doesn’t take long when a guitarist decides to really learn bass properly that there is some guidance needed, and I’m loving your vids. Keep them coming.
i dont understand what the big deal is :/ i play both guitar and bass yea theyre different, but bass you have a lot more room to make mistakes with finding your strings, i mean each string is like 1 mile apart from each other, compare this to the guitar and it doesnt take long before youre skipping octaves all over the fretboard on opposite strings, you also only have 4 strings, and the strings are huge (Seriously man how could you miss them) also i play bass with my finger pick, its basically an invisible pick i make my fingers like im holding a pick, BUT the difference here is there is no plectrucm/pick on my fingers and i just hit the strings with my nail, and no it doesnt sound like a woman is playing the bass because idont use my index and middle finger with my nail down rubbing against the strings (which sounds like nails on a chalkboard) i use only the index finger part of the nail to rub against the strings which creates a more pleasing growly tone on precision basses and a nice fret buzzy sound on jazz basses, and the same way i play the bass i play my guitars, and if i want to do some fast tripple picking like on the song iron maiden the trooper i just move that invisible pick faster i dont change my style, people at a music store are like "do you need a plectrum" im like "naaa i have my own" *proceeds to take out an invisible plectrum*
This is also the 2nd channel (that I'm aware of at least) that Josh has started/owns. His other channel is under his name Josh Fossgreen and he's been building a following there for quite some time. If you want a real 'Journey', go check it out and 'Don't Stop Believing'
I’ve been playing bass for about four months now, and I’ve probably seen hundreds of tutorial videos. Without a doubt these are the most helpful and well-produced. Keep em coming!
I'm just picking up bass again after a very long hiatus (10years+). All I have to say, is that if I had access to resources like these when I was learning in my teens, I bet I would have stuck to it longer. My only teacher was a washed up guitar player who thought he could teach bass, and had no enthusiasm whatsoever. Thank you for this stuff, it's just what I needed to ease back into practice.
Squiers are great instruments. You don't need an expensive bass but do invest on a tuning pedal and a setup to take care of fret buzz, extremely high action and pickups, and an amp that doesn't buzz at low volume (where most of your practice will happen). If possible try plugging in different outlets around the house as some may have grounding issues. A dirt pedal, even as a beginner, will also improve your sound and make it immensely more fun to play which means you'll practice more. I recommend a Boss SD-1, TC Dark Matter or EHX Flat Iron to start. Without getting too technical, even at low drive setting most dirts will boost your mids and compress your signal, which makes everything sound closer to how most music we listen to is recorded.
I play the Tuba for concert band at school, and from moving to bass, I'm struggling, because I feel like I'm in 5th grade again. I can now appreciate how good I am at playing the Tuba, because I can't play my bass very well XD. I'm starting of with a Glarry Jazz bass and a fender amp, and I really learn a great amount from the videos.
I play bass in band too! Don’t worry you’re probably much better already 👍🏼 but the worst thing about playing bass in band is that we never get recognized! Like the bass clarinets or baritones or something are always like ‘we are never appreciated’, but come on we have it a lot worse😂 it’s probably because not all school bands have basses...
Hello, first of I need to say that from an experienced bassplayers perspective your videos are according to me the best beginner courses I’ve seen on youtube. But I Wish that you would make some more intermediate courses or videos were you talk about more Advanced techniques. Anyways great video and please keep on doing what you’re doing, you’re a hero.
Thanks Robin! I'm focusing on beginners for now, but I have a bunch of older videos on my personal channel that are more advanced. th-cam.com/users/joshfossgreen
my (very small) complaint with the gear thing is: squire instruments are expensive enough to where they aren't even remotely bad instruments. now I definitely agree that cheap gear is fine, my main rig is a 69 dollar jazz bass knock off and a 10-watt Kustom bass amp and it sounds great.
I don’t know how long ago you started this channel but the ridiculous amount of information I’ve learnt in a few videos is really a testament to your teaching quality. You’re going to blow up my bro 🤙
Totally agree with the cheap gear nod. I switched over to bass from acoustic guitar to fill the space at my church. A friend sold me a Squire Jag bass for $50 and I love playing that thing. It just makes me want to be a better player. 😎👍
Consider yourself subscribed to, man! Over Christmas, my girlfriend bought me a Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar and today my Fender Rumble 100w amp came in the mail. I've been binging on beginner tutorials and am extremely pleased that I stumbled across your channel. No ad spam, no useless filler like some of the larger channels I won't mention (I know someone else will...), and just straight to the techniques. Great work, keep it up!
Dude, you’re such a good teacher. I’ve been doing acoustic/electric guitar for almost 6 years and decided to pick up bass recently and your channel has been such an amazing help
After many years of playing drums, I’ve recently decided to learn bass and you know what it’s a lot more difficult than I anticipated. Your videos are really helping me improve so thank you
I play guitar and randomly decided I wanna try bass. So I ordered some inexpensive gear and am gonna be getting my stuff in a week. Bass sounds so cool so I look forward to this. I love the sound
3 years into bass, cant say that this video was useful for me now. But if only i saw it 2.5 years earlier, that would skyrocket my skills. Video about how to setup our gear, especially EQ on amp was groundbraking for me when I saw it. Thanks man, so many people would watch you and get inspired to play one of the main instruments in any band.
I just got a bass to learn playing in quarantine and just by following your beginner tips I already sound wayyyy better. You're a great teacher, thank you
you're definitely the best teacher on TH-cam, I'm gonna have my first bass in a few days and your videos are really a great place to know what are the right things to do! thank you!
I've played rock guitar for 15 years, had several teachers, and you have been the most fun, most interesting, finding even quicker results! Can't thank you enough, sir! Picking up bass has rekindled playing, and having a great time doing it! Purchasing the complete training in a few. Cheers, man!
oh my GOD, this was such a huge help. I've never actually been taught how to play bass, I was just given an (acoustic) guitar and bass line and told to go figure out how to pass my music exams with my own intuition. I'm gonna be watching a lot more of your videos
I was trained in classical guitar, and my teacher pretty much taught me everything you said in this video so that's why at the beginning I never had too much trouble learning bass techniques. Great job and great tips for those who are starting from scratch!
Dude! I love your energy! When I'm watching your videos it feels like you're one of my oldest friends. I also learn a lot from you. Thanks a lot for helping people out. Playing a bass is so much fun! Sadly I figured it out way too late to become great at playing it; but, it's okay. I'll never give up.
Thanks ! Your tutorial videos are fun and also very helpful for an absolute beginner like me. I love the way you play and how you explain the essence and basics of playing the bass. Cheers.
I literally love you, you make me believe I can actually play bass, I'm only 15 but I want to learn so bad, and when I'll get my bass I will try my best to improve! You're an awesome teacher
This might not influence you but along my tiny but proud music career I learned that gear in fact does not mean a sht. Our small city lacks of musician amount, so we stuck with what we have. We have a old AF strange guy who plays keys. He has like 70 euro bought from pawn shop keyboard. The way he plays makes everybody think that this is some kind of a shitton expensive nord stage keys. He does not need to change his keys, he does a godlike job with them. Why ever bother? If you play crap instrument, use shit gear and still produce at least decent sound, then you would reach unreachable heights when using expensive gear. This does not translate to poor playing skills. You going to sound little bit less shittier if you use good gear, but you are still shit so who cares? Better to start with average gear for starters. Something cheap but decent too. Nowadays Harley Benton is one of leading cheap gear sellers and IN FACT their gear sometimes is incredible. I have HB bass amp for 80 euros and Ashdown for 350 euros. There is difference but calling it significant would be same as saying dumb stuff. Price on the other hand... The same characteristics Fender Rumble 80 would send me back by approx 300 euros but trust me it would never sound quite like my HB. Cheap quality gear - the bargain of century.
Not sure if I'm taking a break from guitar or want to venture into Bass. I'm renting a Bass from my local shop to try it out and see how I feel about it. Came across your channel and I have to say I love your teaching style. Not only are you hilariously entertaining but you make things very clear how to get better at each technique in bass. I've watched a lot of other TH-cam channels when I was learning guitar and you are the best! Thank you for helping me learn bass and I'm actually having fun again!
exactly what i was looking for man, I hope for all our sake you have a lot of videos. Hard to find fundamentals lessons for new bass players. I know from other instruments that this kind of stuff is so important to get right at the beginning! going to do a deep dive of your videos now :D When I got my (admittedly shitty and cheap, not even a squier level) bass guitar, I was really worried because I'm using DI, no amp and the sounds of the fretting and plucking are SO sensitive I thought it was unusable, you've already got me sounding much better. I think because the pickups are so cheap and it doesn't sound the best, the only way to get any decent sound out of it is to be extremely sensitive with plucking. If I lose concentration for a second and pluck without the exact right angle / energy it clangs out almost sounding like an electric guitar string. Anyway, thanks a lot, hope there is much more to come!
I doubt it's the pickups, the sound (probably) has more to do with your technique, and what you're listening through. Playing through DI/headphones is gonna be brutal as a beginner, amps sound way better and you'll be happier even with a cheap-ish amp, IMO. Glad you're digging the videos!
Really enjoyed this, more importantly it is basically important bass info. And delivered in a light-farted way, so positively. As to the gear aspect: years ago I re-signwrote a Fender logo on my friends old Hondo bass. At his next gig, everyone complimented him on much better his "new" bass guitar sounded. Practice is the discipline that makes the difference, for me at least 15 minutes every day or longer is the key. Not an hour on a Thursday afternoon type of attitude. Just regular stuff. Thanks sincerely Josh!
HAHA that's an amazing story Stu! Reminds me of a Lee Sklar story about his "producer switch," which he would flip when producers asked him to get a different bass tone. He'd flick the switch, change his right hand position, and they'd love it... but the switch wasn't wired to anything. At all. I've always loved that story. :)
Love what you're doing man, wish this vid had been around last August when I started. I'm a bit past this now, but it never hurts to go back over the basics
3:53 By switching to black and white, it made your playing appear soulful and introspective, which took our minds off the crappy sound. Ok, not really - you proved your point though!
Day two of owning my first bass! I’ve been loving your instructions, and I really think this was the best 55th birthday present ever! I was born to play bass! Who knew?
First year bassist here...and couldn’t agree more about having fun. I have learned more this last 3 months by picking songs I like and, using rocksmith (gasp!) slowing them down and playing them at a speed where I can play RELAXED. Then speeding them up slowly. If I tense up...I slow it down again. I just learned Roxanne by The Police in 3 days this way. Other key is practice every day...even if it’s for 15min. You would be surprised how quickly you learn. Lastly...I disagree with your gear comment to an extent. To me you don’t need a 1,000$ bass...but you need one that feels good. And for gods sakes get it set up right (action and intonation). Even a $200 bass can feel like a nice bass when setup right...and a $1,000 bass can feel like shit. But not all $200 basses are good. My first bass was a Ibanez GSRM20....sounded like crap (but I learned on it), setup sucked and wouldnt hold tune due to cheap hardware, and you really couldn’t hear the difference between the P pickups at the neck and the J pickup at the bridge. So I recently bought a new bass...wow what a difference. And for$550 it made me want to play more...,because I love this bass!
Do it. You'll appreciate tempo and timing structures better for it, which will help you with every instrument. (Looking at you, lead guitarists who cant seem to find the beat that me and the drummer have been methodically laying out for you to play with over and over the whole practice sesh)
So glad I stumbled upon your channel, Josh! It's after midnight and I can't wake up the house, but tomorrow I'm going to be delving into your videos and playing along.
I've never been able to wrap my head around playing an instrument, until i stumbled across this channel. I can't thank you enough for how simple and accessible you make playing bass feel! #BassBossJosh
After I posted my question I started thinking about taking advantage of your "Beginner to Badass" Course. I think this might put me on the right track. Thanks Josh for you enthusiasm and making learning bass something to look forward to.
Hello fom Norway😀 I ordered my first bass guitar to day, an Ibanez gsr 200. I'm 56 years old, so it's maybe crazy to start learning to play an instrument at my age ? But i love music, and have lots of spear time so i give it a try. When being a child, i learned the cello for about four years. But this was at my parents demand, so sadly i ended it due to(at that time) lack of love for the instrument. After finding your channel, i will follow your teaching to try to learn playing my new bass. I like to build valve audio amplifiers, so i will try to build my own bass amp. Looking forward to try following your teaching. Thank you.
Great lesson. Not really a beginner myself but even then, is always helpful to get this reminded because sometimes you start to suck when you relax too much. Subscribed. Also, cool t-shirt
I am a complete newbie to playing bass, yet music is life for me. Being a beginner, ( less than 2 months), I am trying to learn the proper techniques, fretting and finger placement and all the "correct" ways to handle the guitar. I have had times before I started focusing so intently on technique and proper finger placement where I would just follow along to certain melodies online and have fun finding notes that fit the song. I was developing my own style and finger placement, having fun and not worrying about anything. Now, I am getting so hung up on technique that my creativeness is becoming stifled due to being worried about "proper technique" and form. I am not interested in playing professionally, or being in a band, but I just love music and desired a means of expressing myself. I have played percussion since I was born, but found that bass is a better fit for who I am now, and my environmental setting. What is your advice to someone who wants to enjoy playing bass as a means of enjoyment, expression and meditation, but at the same time does not want to fall into the trap of developing bad habits. BTW...You are an amazing bass teacher and your videos are my go-to for how to play bass. Keep up the amazing videos. You have a talent for teaching and one that is not intimidating to a new comer like myself.
I really love these videos. As a long term guitar player trying to combat the boredom of the pandemic induced isolation, I've satisfied a long term desire of mine and bought a Fender Squire Bass. I mean, it's 4 strings, how hard could it be for a seasoned guitar player to learn? Your videos are super helpful. And yes, I won't suck forever :) Thanks, Josh!
That’s either a tattoo of a banana that looks like a shark, or one of a shark that looks like a banana....or quite possibly Warhol is turning in his grave at my comment. Great videos. Just started bass a week or two ago and your teaching style is really great. Deserve a hell of a lot more subs for sure. Thanks for the time and effort.
I love the sound of the bass. I feel like it's one of the most romantic sounds...the low....s e n s u a l noise, I'm actually working on a bass Line to impress a girl
These vids have taught me so much and it’s only been a few days and I can basically play. I’m def gonna buy the online course like r u kidding me? I’m making so much progress! I gotta get the course!
Funny side-fact about Tip #2: Larry Graham, bassist of Sly and the Family Stone, later of Graham Central Station and the inventor of "Thumbing and Plucking", never used his pinky.
its kinda easier to start learning bass when you know even a little bit how to play guitar. But when you start getting deep you see that its actually different
It's a different totally fine technique. Josh places his finger on the string then plucks it hard to demonstrate how not to do it. That's reasonable. But to get really fast and slap-like attack you need to do it hard and relaxed with one crucial difference - you don't put your finger on the string before making the sound. Instead the relatively relaxed finger starts moving from the air and goes through the string which gives fast attack and demands better hands synchronization too.
Hey it’s Joe from Australia I just bought the fender rumble 25 and loving it it’s loud enough I really don’t need any more I’ve been playing for hours on it and loving it and I got a really good deal on it I bought it from A and B musical Instruments Malop street Geelong
I'm so happy I found your channel!!! My band's bass player is taking a break and I volunteered to sub for him. Im excited to learn from you! You're a wonderful teacher 🤩😎
If you're plucking, putting your thumb on your pickup, and you have multiple pickups do you need to be resting you're thumb on the pickup you are using or will any of the pickups work? Hope this makes sense.
Does it matter much if I play my strings in the space between my fretboard & my pickups, as opposed to directly over my pickups, or in the space between my pickups & the bridge (which I rarely ever do.)? I assume it only affects tone (thick or thin bass sound), but does it also affect volume or give the strings a cleaner (more or less buzzy) sound?
This guy is such a great teacher.
Thank you!
@@BassBuzz I got a bass for Christmas, and I'm really glad I stumbled on your channel. Thanks!!
You're welcome, congrats on your bass!
Indeed! I just recently found this channel, after getting frustrated with other purported teachers. Many of them suffer the same problem. Teaching is less important than showing you exactly how incredibly good they are. One bald-headed dude comes to mind. Wink-nudge. This gentleman KNOWS he's very good, but doesn't feel the need to humiliate you by constantly showing it. I might actually learn something from THIS fellow.... And; he's entertaining as well!
@@BassBuzz you need to capitalise BASS or it's illegal
"just the two of us"
"sound of 110k people nodding"
Why I imagine those 110k people have your profile picture as their head and nods
“we’re actually gonna apply these tips by playing music together, right now”
me, painting my nails: 😦💅
Sounds dangerous. 😛
yellowbreadtrucks omg yes girl. My first year playing, I didn’t pick up a pick until like 8 months in and I’d always scratch my nail polish off on the string because I put my hand at a fucked angle.
@@AC3Conner Just use multiple clear coats, along with bass, I played classical guitar, so picks seemed useless.
*pikachu face*
Your a good teacher APPRECIATE your tips
I’ve been playing guitar for 25+ years and recently decided to learn some bass, properly. Not just picking single notes in place of corresponding powerchords, but learning the instrument and the vibe. Naturally, us guitarists assume we’re superior to bass players...🤣 Gotta say... we’re not, and it doesn’t take long when a guitarist decides to really learn bass properly that there is some guidance needed, and I’m loving your vids. Keep them coming.
Well said Cam! I can tell you're one of the good guitar players from your self awareness. :)
Well said, it’s not as easy as people think. It takes hand strength, I found that out wow. Lots of it
Of course arthritis doesn’t help
i dont understand what the big deal is :/ i play both guitar and bass yea theyre different, but bass you have a lot more room to make mistakes with finding your strings, i mean each string is like 1 mile apart from each other, compare this to the guitar and it doesnt take long before youre skipping octaves all over the fretboard on opposite strings, you also only have 4 strings, and the strings are huge (Seriously man how could you miss them) also i play bass with my finger pick, its basically an invisible pick i make my fingers like im holding a pick, BUT the difference here is there is no plectrucm/pick on my fingers and i just hit the strings with my nail, and no it doesnt sound like a woman is playing the bass because idont use my index and middle finger with my nail down rubbing against the strings (which sounds like nails on a chalkboard) i use only the index finger part of the nail to rub against the strings which creates a more pleasing growly tone on precision basses and a nice fret buzzy sound on jazz basses, and the same way i play the bass i play my guitars, and if i want to do some fast tripple picking like on the song iron maiden the trooper i just move that invisible pick faster i dont change my style, people at a music store are like "do you need a plectrum" im like "naaa i have my own" *proceeds to take out an invisible plectrum*
@@ernestochang1744 "so it doesnt sound like a woman is playing the bass?"
do tell, Shredmaster Vibe
Josh, you are a legitimate teacher. Thank you so much for that.
Thanks T.J., always aiming for "2 legit 2 quit" status.
It's ridiculous you have so few subs, the quality of these videos is ridiculously high
Thanks Non-Potato, I appreciate that! But if you're not a potato, what ARRREEEE you?????👽
This is also the 2nd channel (that I'm aware of at least) that Josh has started/owns. His other channel is under his name Josh Fossgreen and he's been building a following there for quite some time. If you want a real 'Journey', go check it out and 'Don't Stop Believing'
It's only matter of time
@@BassBuzz the banana un your arm
I know. I have gotten more actual quality info from his videos than any other instructor.
( the "Find The Money Notes" one in particular )
I’ve been playing bass for about four months now, and I’ve probably seen hundreds of tutorial videos. Without a doubt these are the most helpful and well-produced. Keep em coming!
Thanks Emmett, good to hear that. More to come. :)
I haven’t even bought a bass yet, I’m just mimicking all the fretting and plucking lol
Your air bass skills are powerful, young Jedi.
I'm just picking up bass again after a very long hiatus (10years+). All I have to say, is that if I had access to resources like these when I was learning in my teens, I bet I would have stuck to it longer. My only teacher was a washed up guitar player who thought he could teach bass, and had no enthusiasm whatsoever. Thank you for this stuff, it's just what I needed to ease back into practice.
Squiers are great instruments. You don't need an expensive bass but do invest on a tuning pedal and a setup to take care of fret buzz, extremely high action and pickups, and an amp that doesn't buzz at low volume (where most of your practice will happen). If possible try plugging in different outlets around the house as some may have grounding issues. A dirt pedal, even as a beginner, will also improve your sound and make it immensely more fun to play which means you'll practice more. I recommend a Boss SD-1, TC Dark Matter or EHX Flat Iron to start. Without getting too technical, even at low drive setting most dirts will boost your mids and compress your signal, which makes everything sound closer to how most music we listen to is recorded.
I play the Tuba for concert band at school, and from moving to bass, I'm struggling, because I feel like I'm in 5th grade again. I can now appreciate how good I am at playing the Tuba, because I can't play my bass very well XD. I'm starting of with a Glarry Jazz bass and a fender amp, and I really learn a great amount from the videos.
Tuba is awesome! Very different technique though, blowing into the bass doesn't do much but remove dust. :P
I play bass in band too! Don’t worry you’re probably much better already 👍🏼 but the worst thing about playing bass in band is that we never get recognized! Like the bass clarinets or baritones or something are always like ‘we are never appreciated’, but come on we have it a lot worse😂 it’s probably because not all school bands have basses...
Hello, first of I need to say that from an experienced bassplayers perspective your videos are according to me the best beginner courses I’ve seen on youtube. But I Wish that you would make some more intermediate courses or videos were you talk about more Advanced techniques. Anyways great video and please keep on doing what you’re doing, you’re a hero.
Thanks Robin! I'm focusing on beginners for now, but I have a bunch of older videos on my personal channel that are more advanced. th-cam.com/users/joshfossgreen
BassBuzz Oh I’ve seen your old videos before didn’t realise that you were the same person. I guess I have a whole lot of videos to watch thru.
my (very small) complaint with the gear thing is: squire instruments are expensive enough to where they aren't even remotely bad instruments. now I definitely agree that cheap gear is fine, my main rig is a 69 dollar jazz bass knock off and a 10-watt Kustom bass amp and it sounds great.
Why tf am I here I’m a drummer
because... it's mesmerizingly cool
What do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians?
A drummer.
Thank you and goodnight.
@@marienbad2 lmao
GET OUT
@@marienbad2oth drummers my age that I know play bass, guitar and brass
Usually these kinds of videos are boring as hell but you make learning so fun! You’re a great teacher. Thank youuu
I don’t know how long ago you started this channel but the ridiculous amount of information I’ve learnt in a few videos is really a testament to your teaching quality. You’re going to blow up my bro 🤙
Hey Enzo, thank you so much! I really appreciate that. Glad you're learning something.
you're like the bob ross of bassguitars, you really helped me pick up the bass again thanks a lot man :)
Well put...."Bob Ross of Bass Guitar"....Perfect summation of his online videos and his style.
Big props to this man for showing us that a "cheap" bass will still produce great sound
It's all about how you set up the bass. Even expensive basses can sound horrible if they're not setup right.
Totally agree with the cheap gear nod. I switched over to bass from acoustic guitar to fill the space at my church. A friend sold me a Squire Jag bass for $50 and I love playing that thing. It just makes me want to be a better player. 😎👍
Consider yourself subscribed to, man! Over Christmas, my girlfriend bought me a Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar and today my Fender Rumble 100w amp came in the mail. I've been binging on beginner tutorials and am extremely pleased that I stumbled across your channel. No ad spam, no useless filler like some of the larger channels I won't mention (I know someone else will...), and just straight to the techniques. Great work, keep it up!
Thanks Durchii! And congrats on your new gear.😀
Dude, you’re such a good teacher. I’ve been doing acoustic/electric guitar for almost 6 years and decided to pick up bass recently and your channel has been such an amazing help
Thanks Logan!
3:37 when he said "cheap" three times, i felt that.
After many years of playing drums, I’ve recently decided to learn bass and you know what it’s a lot more difficult than I anticipated. Your videos are really helping me improve so thank you
I play guitar and randomly decided I wanna try bass. So I ordered some inexpensive gear and am gonna be getting my stuff in a week. Bass sounds so cool so I look forward to this. I love the sound
Nice, have fun Shane!
3 years into bass, cant say that this video was useful for me now. But if only i saw it 2.5 years earlier, that would skyrocket my skills.
Video about how to setup our gear, especially EQ on amp was groundbraking for me when I saw it. Thanks man, so many people would watch you and get inspired to play one of the main instruments in any band.
This guy is the only good online video teacher
Thank you! :)
I just got a bass to learn playing in quarantine and just by following your beginner tips I already sound wayyyy better. You're a great teacher, thank you
you're definitely the best teacher on TH-cam, I'm gonna have my first bass in a few days and your videos are really a great place to know what are the right things to do! thank you!
You're welcome, enjoy your bass!
I've played rock guitar for 15 years, had several teachers, and you have been the most fun, most interesting, finding even quicker results! Can't thank you enough, sir! Picking up bass has rekindled playing, and having a great time doing it! Purchasing the complete training in a few. Cheers, man!
Thanks, hope you dig the course! :)
oh my GOD, this was such a huge help. I've never actually been taught how to play bass, I was just given an (acoustic) guitar and bass line and told to go figure out how to pass my music exams with my own intuition. I'm gonna be watching a lot more of your videos
Good job. Take it from a long-time teacher, you have the gift. Not only was my music horizon broadened, but you’ve enhanced my stay at home routine.
Thanks David!
I was trained in classical guitar, and my teacher pretty much taught me everything you said in this video so that's why at the beginning I never had too much trouble learning bass techniques. Great job and great tips for those who are starting from scratch!
5:33 for notes
11:58 for fullspeed practice with band
Dont mind me putting these here for practice, thanks for the vid!
Wow you're seriously underrated. The quality in your videos is awesome, you really put a lot of effort
Thank you!
I’m getting my first bass soon, I’m so excited this guy explains so well
Dude! I love your energy! When I'm watching your videos it feels like you're one of my oldest friends. I also learn a lot from you. Thanks a lot for helping people out. Playing a bass is so much fun! Sadly I figured it out way too late to become great at playing it; but, it's okay. I'll never give up.
Thanks !
Your tutorial videos are fun and also very helpful for an absolute beginner like me.
I love the way you play and how you explain the essence and basics of playing the bass.
Cheers.
I literally love you, you make me believe I can actually play bass, I'm only 15 but I want to learn so bad, and when I'll get my bass I will try my best to improve! You're an awesome teacher
Thanks Lawena, hope you get your bass soon! :)
I just wanna say I love his shirt
My shirt says thank you!
jajajaaj my gosh you said "cheap" to all those things is like a two month salary here in argentina. Anyway your point is pretty clear.
jajsjahs todo es como 2 salarios acá
This might not influence you but along my tiny but proud music career I learned that gear in fact does not mean a sht. Our small city lacks of musician amount, so we stuck with what we have. We have a old AF strange guy who plays keys. He has like 70 euro bought from pawn shop keyboard. The way he plays makes everybody think that this is some kind of a shitton expensive nord stage keys. He does not need to change his keys, he does a godlike job with them. Why ever bother?
If you play crap instrument, use shit gear and still produce at least decent sound, then you would reach unreachable heights when using expensive gear. This does not translate to poor playing skills. You going to sound little bit less shittier if you use good gear, but you are still shit so who cares? Better to start with average gear for starters. Something cheap but decent too. Nowadays Harley Benton is one of leading cheap gear sellers and IN FACT their gear sometimes is incredible. I have HB bass amp for 80 euros and Ashdown for 350 euros. There is difference but calling it significant would be same as saying dumb stuff. Price on the other hand... The same characteristics Fender Rumble 80 would send me back by approx 300 euros but trust me it would never sound quite like my HB. Cheap quality gear - the bargain of century.
Not sure if I'm taking a break from guitar or want to venture into Bass. I'm renting a Bass from my local shop to try it out and see how I feel about it. Came across your channel and I have to say I love your teaching style. Not only are you hilariously entertaining but you make things very clear how to get better at each technique in bass. I've watched a lot of other TH-cam channels when I was learning guitar and you are the best! Thank you for helping me learn bass and I'm actually having fun again!
Haven’t gotten my bass guitar just yet but I’m getting sooo excited and ready watching your vids!
exactly what i was looking for man, I hope for all our sake you have a lot of videos. Hard to find fundamentals lessons for new bass players. I know from other instruments that this kind of stuff is so important to get right at the beginning! going to do a deep dive of your videos now :D
When I got my (admittedly shitty and cheap, not even a squier level) bass guitar, I was really worried because I'm using DI, no amp and the sounds of the fretting and plucking are SO sensitive I thought it was unusable, you've already got me sounding much better. I think because the pickups are so cheap and it doesn't sound the best, the only way to get any decent sound out of it is to be extremely sensitive with plucking. If I lose concentration for a second and pluck without the exact right angle / energy it clangs out almost sounding like an electric guitar string.
Anyway, thanks a lot, hope there is much more to come!
I doubt it's the pickups, the sound (probably) has more to do with your technique, and what you're listening through. Playing through DI/headphones is gonna be brutal as a beginner, amps sound way better and you'll be happier even with a cheap-ish amp, IMO.
Glad you're digging the videos!
You are so funny and a great relatable teacher xx Thank you !!
You're welcome!
Well, now I just need a bass.
I love Josh's teaching style. Yes, I'm subscribed.
Thanks Ced!
John deacon is my fav bassist aka my inspiration
I love John Deacon!
Really enjoyed this, more importantly it is basically important bass info. And delivered in a light-farted way, so positively. As to the gear aspect: years ago I re-signwrote a Fender logo on my friends old Hondo bass. At his next gig, everyone complimented him on much better his "new" bass guitar sounded. Practice is the discipline that makes the difference, for me at least 15 minutes every day or longer is the key. Not an hour on a Thursday afternoon type of attitude. Just regular stuff. Thanks sincerely Josh!
HAHA that's an amazing story Stu! Reminds me of a Lee Sklar story about his "producer switch," which he would flip when producers asked him to get a different bass tone. He'd flick the switch, change his right hand position, and they'd love it... but the switch wasn't wired to anything. At all. I've always loved that story. :)
Love what you're doing man, wish this vid had been around last August when I started. I'm a bit past this now, but it never hurts to go back over the basics
Thanks Perry, I appreciate that! And yeah, reviewing bassics is always good. :)
I’ve been playing for almost a year, I fixed all but one mistake before this video, and now I can use my pinky! Thank you!
3:53 By switching to black and white, it made your playing appear soulful and introspective, which took our minds off the crappy sound. Ok, not really - you proved your point though!
South Africa approves Josh. You're a great instructor plus in simple terms with funny as well
Thanks Mqondi! Haven't been to South Africa in 10 years, but I remember lots of beautiful nature in Cape Town.
Day two of owning my first bass! I’ve been loving your instructions, and I really think this was the best 55th birthday present ever! I was born to play bass! Who knew?
Congratulations Hannah! That's awesome. Glad you discovered your superhero identity. 👩🎤
BassBuzz Thanks! Your videos are top drawer!
I've just started learning bass, and this helps a LOT! Awesome video! keep it up man
Thanks, glad it helped!
"We're still doing the same fingering, just in different positions..." - BassBuzz
Sorry for this! 🤣
guilty as charged!
First year bassist here...and couldn’t agree more about having fun. I have learned more this last 3 months by picking songs I like and, using rocksmith (gasp!) slowing them down and playing them at a speed where I can play RELAXED. Then speeding them up slowly. If I tense up...I slow it down again. I just learned Roxanne by The Police in 3 days this way.
Other key is practice every day...even if it’s for 15min. You would be surprised how quickly you learn.
Lastly...I disagree with your gear comment to an extent. To me you don’t need a 1,000$ bass...but you need one that feels good. And for gods sakes get it set up right (action and intonation). Even a $200 bass can feel like a nice bass when setup right...and a $1,000 bass can feel like shit. But not all $200 basses are good. My first bass was a Ibanez GSRM20....sounded like crap (but I learned on it), setup sucked and wouldnt hold tune due to cheap hardware, and you really couldn’t hear the difference between the P pickups at the neck and the J pickup at the bridge. So I recently bought a new bass...wow what a difference. And for$550 it made me want to play more...,because I love this bass!
Great point about gear! It's important to have a bass that plays well that makes you want to play a lot.
To complicate is simple, to simplify is difficult. Not complicated, just simple, and not difficult. Thank you!
Thanks Markus!
I'm looking into learning Bass as part of my attempts to be an actual Metal-head. Thanks for the videos
You're welcome! Rock on. 🤘
Do it. You'll appreciate tempo and timing structures better for it, which will help you with every instrument. (Looking at you, lead guitarists who cant seem to find the beat that me and the drummer have been methodically laying out for you to play with over and over the whole practice sesh)
So glad I stumbled upon your channel, Josh!
It's after midnight and I can't wake up the house, but tomorrow I'm going to be delving into your videos and playing along.
Nice! Enjoy. :)
I've never been able to wrap my head around playing an instrument, until i stumbled across this channel. I can't thank you enough for how simple and accessible you make playing bass feel! #BassBossJosh
I LOVE THE QUEEN T SHIRT
Very inspiring brother, thanks a bunch.
After I posted my question I started thinking about taking advantage of your "Beginner to Badass" Course. I think this might put me on the right track. Thanks Josh for you enthusiasm and making learning bass something to look forward to.
You're welcome!
Finally, a video for my current and aspirational level!
Non-suckage is an admirable goal at any level. :)
Best bass teacher on TH-cam. Thanks so much
Hello fom Norway😀 I ordered my first bass guitar to day, an Ibanez gsr 200. I'm 56 years old, so it's maybe crazy to start learning to play an instrument at my age ? But i love music, and have lots of spear time so i give it a try. When being a child, i learned the cello for about four years. But this was at my parents demand, so sadly i ended it due to(at that time) lack of love for the instrument. After finding your channel, i will follow your teaching to try to learn playing my new bass. I like to build valve audio amplifiers, so i will try to build my own bass amp. Looking forward to try following your teaching. Thank you.
How’s it been going
Another video down. Best advice in this one for me was plucking across. Thanks
You're welcome Cole!
1:12
acoustic bass player:how did you do that
Great lesson. Not really a beginner myself but even then, is always helpful to get this reminded because sometimes you start to suck when you relax too much.
Subscribed.
Also, cool t-shirt
Thanks Yanina! :)
I am a complete newbie to playing bass, yet music is life for me. Being a beginner, ( less than 2 months), I am trying to learn the proper techniques, fretting and finger placement and all the "correct" ways to handle the guitar. I have had times before I started focusing so intently on technique and proper finger placement where I would just follow along to certain melodies online and have fun finding notes that fit the song. I was developing my own style and finger placement, having fun and not worrying about anything. Now, I am getting so hung up on technique that my creativeness is becoming stifled due to being worried about "proper technique" and form. I am not interested in playing professionally, or being in a band, but I just love music and desired a means of expressing myself. I have played percussion since I was born, but found that bass is a better fit for who I am now, and my environmental setting. What is your advice to someone who wants to enjoy playing bass as a means of enjoyment, expression and meditation, but at the same time does not want to fall into the trap of developing bad habits. BTW...You are an amazing bass teacher and your videos are my go-to for how to play bass. Keep up the amazing videos. You have a talent for teaching and one that is not intimidating to a new comer like myself.
You are a very very good and funny teacher, thanks!
Really diggin' that Queen t-shirt
I really love these videos. As a long term guitar player trying to combat the boredom of the pandemic induced isolation, I've satisfied a long term desire of mine and bought a Fender Squire Bass. I mean, it's 4 strings, how hard could it be for a seasoned guitar player to learn? Your videos are super helpful. And yes, I won't suck forever :) Thanks, Josh!
Anyone else notice that he's wearing a Queen t-shirt?
i need that t-shirt
I need that t-shirt
Me too
k
A man of class
That’s either a tattoo of a banana that looks like a shark, or one of a shark that looks like a banana....or quite possibly Warhol is turning in his grave at my comment.
Great videos. Just started bass a week or two ago and your teaching style is really great. Deserve a hell of a lot more subs for sure. Thanks for the time and effort.
Haha thanks Peter, and I won't tell Warhol's ghost (even though we're hanging out later). 👻🎨
I love the sound of the bass. I feel like it's one of the most romantic sounds...the low....s e n s u a l noise, I'm actually working on a bass Line to impress a girl
Nice!
BassBuzz my parents wouldn't let me bring my bass on the bus
😐
@@michaelplaysbass8311 how is it going now?
These vids have taught me so much and it’s only been a few days and I can basically play. I’m def gonna buy the online course like r u kidding me? I’m making so much progress! I gotta get the course!
A great song to play along with if you're just starting out is Down By The River by The Party Band.
Funny side-fact about Tip #2: Larry Graham, bassist of Sly and the Family Stone, later of Graham Central Station and the inventor of "Thumbing and Plucking", never used his pinky.
its kinda easier to start learning bass when you know even a little bit how to play guitar. But when you start getting deep you see that its actually different
Renting a bass for the month to try it out (I know guitar a bit) and these videos are aweseesommemememem. Thank youuuuuuuuuuuu :)
You're welcome! Have fun with Bass Month. :)
man I laughed out loud on the "fart" plucking technique
I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!!!!!!!! Also, this video helped me so much. Thank you!!
You're welcome Drew!
Your lessons are excellent....seriously!
Omg, ur t-shirt i can't-🥺💗
You should have at least 1 billion subs I swear.
Thanks Felix! Gotta learn a few more languages first I think!
🤘👍
Im planning on getting a bass soon, I’ll use this video as a handy tool
Do you have a bass slap tutorial?
Hey Jeffrey, I cover slap basics in my Beginner to Badass course over at BassBuzz.com, but I haven't made any slap lessons for TH-cam yet.
BassBuzz make slapp tutorial NOW i must learn how to please our savior davie504
Davie 504
th-cam.com/video/UfdG9gsAGlI/w-d-xo.html
i have an identicle squire fender bass. Same body and pickgaurd and everyhting. very nice to see
But what if you're shredding like cliff?
You're playing really hard then.
But remember cliff is a god so he does not have to follow ruels
It's a different totally fine technique. Josh places his finger on the string then plucks it hard to demonstrate how not to do it. That's reasonable. But to get really fast and slap-like attack you need to do it hard and relaxed with one crucial difference - you don't put your finger on the string before making the sound. Instead the relatively relaxed finger starts moving from the air and goes through the string which gives fast attack and demands better hands synchronization too.
@dleifteH semaJ mmm, if you want to shred like ellefson dont shred, you welcome 😊
Having low action helps a lot even at the cost of some fret/string buzz.
Appreciate the Mark King bits.
He's the man!
Hey it’s Joe from Australia I just bought the fender rumble 25 and loving it it’s loud enough I really don’t need any more I’ve been playing for hours on it and loving it and I got a really good deal on it I bought it from A and B musical Instruments Malop street Geelong
i love your Queen shirt! great lesson
your channel has been priceless for me, thank you so much and keep it up!
Thanks Zach!
It's the first video of yours that I'm watching, and I already love you ❤️
Thank you! :)
I'm so happy I found your channel!!! My band's bass player is taking a break and I volunteered to sub for him. Im excited to learn from you! You're a wonderful teacher 🤩😎
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing✌
If you're plucking, putting your thumb on your pickup, and you have multiple pickups do you need to be resting you're thumb on the pickup you are using or will any of the pickups work? Hope this makes sense.
Any pickup works!
Does it matter much if I play my strings in the space between my fretboard & my pickups, as opposed to directly over my pickups, or in the space between my pickups & the bridge (which I rarely ever do.)?
I assume it only affects tone (thick or thin bass sound), but does it also affect volume or give the strings a cleaner (more or less buzzy) sound?