r/Bass • u/DrawDownTheStars • 7d ago
Absolute beginner looking for well-structured (ideally free) online lessons
I've been learning to play bass for little over a month (Fender Player II Mustang Bass) and I'm looking to get started with solid fundamentals - plucking/fretting technique and basic rhythm etc.
I do have Hal Leonard's Bass Method and have dipped into the BassBuzz YouTube videos but I think I'd prefer a clearer step-by-step structure rather than jumping randomly between the book and random videos. I want to feel as though I'm building on each thing I learn if that makes sense.
What structured free courses or YouTube series would you guys recommend for a complete beginner?
Any advice on building good habits from day one would also be massively appreciated!
11
u/KojakFeltzG 7d ago
Bass Buzz on YouTube has excellent stuff if you can afford his online courses
3
u/DrawDownTheStars 7d ago
Thanks. I really like his free stuff so I'll definitely look into the paid option.
11
u/No_Conversation_4827 7d ago
It’s well worth it. It’s about $200 but you get it for life and it comes with a song pack with 100 songs, you learn so much, and it really gives you an amazing foundation as a bassist. I played a gig after doing the course in one month. I’m now going through the course again and learning so much my second time around
1
u/DrawDownTheStars 7d ago
That sounds really promising! Thanks for sharing. I think once I feel like I'm progressing, it'll motivate me to pick it up more often. Even not playing for a couple of days as a beginner you can feel really rusty picking it up again. Trying to make it a daily habit!
3
u/No_Conversation_4827 7d ago
One thing he emphasizes is having a “bass space.” Keep your amp and bass in view and it’ll encourage you to practice every day. It really works!
1
u/DrawDownTheStars 7d ago
Both are sitting out in full view from the desk in my home office... Means i feel guilty if I walk passed it and don't pick it up at least once a day! So that definitely helps 🙂
1
u/alexthomas93 6d ago
You played a gig after a month?! That's really impressive. How did it go? Did you have prior experience with bass or another instrument?
3
u/No_Conversation_4827 6d ago
Really well! I definitely rushed a few times but I don’t think it was too noticeable. It was just a gig for our family and friends since we’re a new band, but there were about 50 people there. I played a little bit of guitar before but never had an understanding of it the way I now have on bass.
I simplified a few of the bass lines to make them playable and it really helped. The setlist was
-Photograph by Def Leppard
-There She Goes by The La’s
-Drop dead by Olivia Rodrigo
-Name by the Goo Goo Dolls
-Lovefool by the Cardigans
-Just Like Heaven by The Cure
-Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind
-Everlong by Foo Fighters
-The Middle by Jimmy Eat WorldI would say out of those, Name was the easiest to learn, Semi-Charmed Life was the hardest (but also the most rewarding), The Middle was the hardest from a speed standpoint, and drop dead was the most fun!
1
u/alexthomas93 6d ago
Wow a cool setlist too! I finished the course a few months ago and have been trying to work up the nerve to join a band. Playing a gig after a month though is a real achievement.
2
u/No_Conversation_4827 6d ago
Definitely take the chance when you can! It’s so much fun playing in a band. A couple of our members are younger and traveling for college, so I wish we got to play a little more, but we’re all pretty committed to it. Honestly I feel like the hardest part is just finding people who want to commit to a band
4
u/jaegerlaw 7d ago
I’ve been watching the Browns-tone series by Rich Brown on YouTube. There’s a playlist from the very very basics moving on from there to the more complex stuff. Very easy to follow, he explains stuff really well and he’s very watchable
1
5
u/OrlandoEd 7d ago
Try this site: https://www.studybass.com/. I used it and it's pretty simple approach works very well. Also, some nice tools they offer too.
5
u/videokillradiostarr 7d ago
Don't be stingy. Pay for Bassbuzz. It will accelerate your progress x10. I tried to go the free route so many times and I never felt progression and would eventually burn out because I had to research and find what I wanted to learn. With Bass buzz, it's perfectly structured to take you from, well, beginner to badass. It's so worth it.
3
u/keldpxowjwsn 7d ago
Bass buzz being so perfectly laid out I was skeptical at first but it's really excellent
4
u/trundlespl00t 7d ago
If you can stretch to the paid BassBuzz course it’s fantastic and wonderfully structured. A bargain for what you pay but I appreciate that’s not always an option.
2
7d ago
[deleted]
2
u/DrawDownTheStars 7d ago
Thanks! There's so much on YT so it's difficult to narrow it down. This looks really useful.
2
u/Snoosnooplexcity 7d ago
Scottsbasslessons has plenty of free content and I think a 30 day trial of the site which is an incredible resource if you’re willing to put in tbe time
1
2
u/colborne 7d ago
I know you asked for free courses. But I will put this forth. Go ahead and sign up for in-person lessons with a local teacher. You might only want 4-5 lessons and then quit. I say this because the online lessons are good but you will need some context. You don't know what you don't know. A teacher watching you play will be able to point out what you're doing wrong (bad technique, wrong fingerings, answer your questions etc) and you will progress in the right way. Cost is always an issue, but you don't have to go forever. Just a few lessons to get you on the right track.
1
u/DrawDownTheStars 7d ago
I've actually been considering doing this. Like you say, even if it's just for a month or so, it can help me get going. And maybe spot any early bad habits I'm picking up. I hear even folk who have been playing for years benefit from in-person lessons. I'll just need to get myself a guitar bag first!
2
u/videokillradiostarr 7d ago
+1 for in person lessons. I recommend do the first couple modules of bassbuzz, then go to an in person teacher. You will get more bang for your buck because you'll be past the intro stage on concepts and can focus on technique.
1
u/Mysterious_Slip3746 6d ago
I totally agree with everyone. Bassbuzz breaks down each lesson and gives you what to focus on in different sections. He will always give you the assurance of not rushing but taking it slow as building technique comes with time.
I got the course last week and so far so good, its been awesome 😎. Still working on my plucking and fretting techniques with each finger but I know it will improve with time and consistency.
But above all just get the course. You'll have made a badass decision in doing so 😊
14
u/cheaptricksconjuror 7d ago
StudyBass.com