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Seismic
11-17-2010, 11:29 AM
Hello to all here!

After years of promising myself that I would take up the bass, I jumped in and bought myself a Fender American Standard J Bass and the TMBG program. I am spending about two hours a day, split in 1 hour sets, practicing and studying. I'd do more, but the rest of the time is spent working on another university degree.

My stubby fingers are sore, my left wrist feels the burn of the stretch, and the blisters are on the way; but the fun is there. It is a great distraction from the purely academic.

Thanks to the TMBG staff and Roy for a quality learning product. It is far better than I expected and well thought out.

jthomas353
11-17-2010, 12:15 PM
Hello Seismic,

Welcome to Thunder Row and TMBG. Glad to have you here. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Just be sure not to over do it and injure yourself. Some injuries take a long time to heal which means a long downtime from practicing. I think Roy suggested playing in 15 minute stretches with short breaks in between.

Regards,
John

SilverFlame46
11-17-2010, 12:41 PM
Welcome to Thunder Row and TMBG, Seismic. Glad you joined us and good luck with your lessons!!!

Seismic
11-17-2010, 12:46 PM
Thanks for the caution about injuries. I am stretch before and after each session and going for perfection in technique and not speed.

I'll slow it down and again, thanks.

Elmeaux
11-17-2010, 06:19 PM
Welcome, Seismic. Definitely listen to the advice about slowing down. If your hands hurt, you lose interest. You'd never begin a career in marathon running by going for the longest race first off.

Welcome to TR! Enjoy the lessons and the forum. And post pix of your ax. We love a good picture.

Seismic
11-17-2010, 07:12 PM
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f176/blueiron/DSC_3352.jpg


I know that the 2003 to 2007 S-1 Jazz Bass isn't the most popular, due to the switching circuit, but it had a not often seen color [Chrome Red] and I got a great deal on it.

Elmeaux
11-17-2010, 07:37 PM
Hubba hubba. Is that a matching red skulls strap I see?

Seismic
11-17-2010, 07:53 PM
Not quite skulls, but the Planet Waves Joe Satriani woven strap; "Up in Flames".

SilverFlame46
11-17-2010, 08:09 PM
Very nice, Seismic!!!:cool:

c-note
11-18-2010, 12:39 AM
Welcome to the row seismic enjoy I know I do & the advice is very helpful

TLDTR
11-18-2010, 10:12 AM
Hello, Seismic - Welcome to the Row. We look forward to following your progress. That's good, solid advice about not over-practicing. While I know we can all appreciate your eagerness, and the fact that a couple of hours with TMBG is a welcome respite from the demands of the day, it's important that you don't do yourself a damage. A good alternative might be to mix study time and practice time, in other words, put down the bass, watch a lesson all the way through and read the corresponding material in the book, that will take upwards of an hour and give you an overview of the skills you'll be working on. Then go back and step-by-step through the lesson.
Just a thought,
Any others?
Ed.

Elmeaux
11-18-2010, 11:20 AM
Charts on the wall. Scales/chords diagrams. Copying the sheet music on notation paper for practice on reading.

Colourful hi-tops and vests. :p

Knowing the alphabet from A to G helps too.

(I had to work on that one...) :mad:

line6bassman
11-18-2010, 11:53 AM
I know that the 2003 to 2007 S-1 Jazz Bass isn't the most popular, due to the switching circuit, but it had a not often seen color [Chrome Red] and I got a great deal on it.[/QUOTE]

Nothing Wrong With S-1!! It's like having you 2 basses in 1. I have one but it is in more of a candy apple red. Although I'm not a total fan of the S-1, the young people I let use this bass, seem to need to press it and every other eq button on the amp so it sounds like one of them cars coming down the street and rattle your house windows.
How they can tell what they are playing, I'll never know?? It's just a pounding noise, no tone what so ever. But more power to them!! Now, I get it, It's the POWER!!

line6bassman

TobyBass55
11-18-2010, 12:08 PM
Knowing the alphabet from A to G helps too.

(I had to work on that one...) :mad:

Actually, knowing the alphabet from G back down to A (ie backwards) was what I had to work on! Guess they didn't teach me that in grade school. :)

SilverFlame46
11-18-2010, 01:32 PM
Hello, Seismic - Welcome to the Row. We look forward to following your progress. That's good, solid advice about not over-practicing. While I know we can all appreciate your eagerness, and the fact that a couple of hours with TMBG is a welcome respite from the demands of the day, it's important that you don't do yourself a damage. A good alternative might be to mix study time and practice time, in other words, put down the bass, watch a lesson all the way through and read the corresponding material in the book, that will take upwards of an hour and give you an overview of the skills you'll be working on. Then go back and step-by-step through the lesson.
Just a thought,
Any others?
Ed.

Great, Great advice Ed. This is exactly how I do it and it works for me. However, for someone else it may not be their bag. Each individual has to determine their own method of learning to reach their end goal. But what you just described works!!!

Seismic
11-18-2010, 06:00 PM
Nothing Wrong With S-1!! It's like having you 2 basses in 1. I have one but it is in more of a candy apple red. Although I'm not a total fan of the S-1, the young people I let use this bass, seem to need to press it and every other eq button on the amp so it sounds like one of them cars coming down the street and rattle your house windows.
How they can tell what they are playing, I'll never know?? It's just a pounding noise, no tone what so ever. But more power to them!! Now, I get it, It's the POWER!!

line6bassman

Not a fan of the indistinguishable rattle and hum of the mobile subwoofer clan myself, but I grew up in a different era and am not the prototypical student.

Thanks to all for the advice and I am breaking up the sessions with the book, the videos, and slow methodical practice of the past lessons and then incorporating the new material.

Like first learning to walk, the technique is rather wobbly, but I plan to be "all over the house" soon enough