Here’s why now is an excellent time to reboot the process for learning bass
By Jon Liebman
Week of June 22, 2020
As we approach the midpoint of the year, now’s an excellent time to look at the goals you set for yourself back in January and assess how well you’re progressing toward achieving those goals. In this case, of course, I’m talking specifically about your bass-playing goals.
If some of those goals have gone by the wayside, there’s no need to be discouraged. Just reboot. Take a look at where you’d like to be by the end of the year and give those bass-playing objectives a boost.
My interview with Brazilian bass phenom Rubem Farias, published this week, may help provide the inspiration you need.
First, though, commit to what you want to learn and write it down! Research shows that when you write down your goals, you have a significantly greater chance of achieving them.
Are you looking to learn a particular bass technique? Do you want to get better at sight reading? Slapping? Jazz soloing? Playing blues shuffles? Whatever it is, make the commitment right now. And write it down!
Next, determine what steps you need to take in order to get from A to B. “Listen a lot,” Rubem recommends, and “find a good teacher.” You may be able to pick up some things on YouTube, Rubem says, but “you need someone to inspire you,” he continues. “It’s very important.”
The really fun part is, once you get the basics down, the sky’s the limit as far as how you go about becoming a good, well-rounded bass player. “There are many ways to do one thing,” Rubem says. “Try to experiment and find your style, your sound, and your voice.”
In other words, along with the proper guidance, there’s still room for you to be yourself and develop your own personality as a bass player. That’s why I believe in the “teach a man to fish” philosophy, rather than just saying, “Here are a bunch of licks. Learn them.” Students at For Bass Players Only, get a good, solid grounding on the important aspects of being a bass player.
So take stock of your playing and reassess your bass-playing goals now. Decide what you want to achieve and go after it.
Need some help? Join over 125,000 people who have learned bass from me. What would you like to have accomplished by December 31? Let’s work together and nail those goals.
How about you? Have a thought on goal-setting or ways to improve your bass playing? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. In the meantime, check out my interview with Rubem here.
