Normally, when I start teaching a new student, I strictly tell them to practice with a metronome from day one. A metronome is the best friend of a bassist. Using a metronome will definitely increase your sense of timing. When you practice any exercise, I suggest you start with a slow tempo like 60 and then gradually increase the tempo to 70, 80, 90, and so on up to 120, 130, and even 180. Sometimes, you need to understand beat and tempo perfectly to cover songs. There are many types of beats in music, such as 3/4, 4/4, 4/6, 7/8, etc. To understand beat and tempo, you must have sound knowledge about timing. The metronome helps you to improve your timing sense.
Scales are combinations of notes that produce harmonic sounds for a specific frequency. For example, in the C major natural scale, we play the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. All the notes (except C) are harmonious with note C. There are a lot of scales in the musical world. Bassists must know the scales to create basslines that provide a solid foundation for a song. Scales help bassists to improvise songs. The melody and harmony of a song are hugely dependent on the basslines created by a bassist using scales.
Bass guitars do not need regular maintenance. You need to change the battery if it is damaged in an active bass guitar. Changing strings may be needed if they become rusty, depending on your playing style or the sound you like. If you like a heavy, bassy sound, you do not need to change strings frequently. Sometimes, rusty strings may cause injury to your fingers, so changing strings once or twice a year is okay. But if you have a band and need to perform in gigs, you may prefer to change strings more frequently. The most important part of a bass guitar that needs regular observation is the fretboard. As the fretboard is made of wood, it may change its shape seasonally. Changes in the shape of the fretboard may not provide satisfactory sound. If necessary, you have to align the fretboard twice or thrice a year. Besides this maintenance, cleaning the fretboard with a fretboard cleaner, cleaning other body parts with a cloth or tissue paper, and keeping the guitar in a good quality wooden box will make your guitar more user-friendly.
It is very simple. For cleaning, you may use guitar cleaner which is available at your local music store. The most important part of a bass guitar that needs continuous monitoring is the fretboard. The sound of a bass guitar is vastly dependent on the condition of the fretboard. So, cleaning the fretboard is needed more frequently. Besides, cleaning other parts like the body, knobs, headstock, bridge, and strings is also necessary to keep your guitar in good condition. It is advisable that you store your guitar in a custom-made wooden box and lay it down in the box while not playing. If you do not use a wooden box, keep the guitar in a bag and store it in a standing position. Do not expose your guitar to the environment as it will make your guitar rusty very quickly.
Personally, I do not prefer bass tabs while covering a song. It is suspicious to see bass tabs but not music notation. I feel it is incorrect. So, when you do not find music notation, I would suggest you have faith in your ears and start finding the notes by hearing the song. I guarantee your ears will not betray you. But you need to be patient in this process. Start with this site, which seems to have some good tabs: Songsterr. Also, check out Ultimate Guitar Tabs – 1,100,000 song catalog with free Chords, Guitar Tabs, Bass Tabs, Ukulele Chords, and Guitar Pro Tabs!
Be patient and trust your master. If you are a beginner, you will have to do a lot of finger exercises. Do these exercises properly and follow your teacher’s guidance. Do not hurry up! I repeat, do not hurry up. The structure of your fingers will be developed from the beginning. If you practice with a wrong finger structure, it will be difficult for you to make your fingers independent for more complex basslines. For example, if you are practicing an exercise and there is a note that needs to be played by your pinky finger but you are playing it with your ring finger because you have more strength in your ring finger, do not do it! To play complex basslines, you need to produce the same sound with all of your four fingers. In a nutshell, to play complex basslines, your fingers should be well-developed from the beginning. You cannot do it overnight.
I always tell my students not to think about speed, but about producing a proper output sound from a bass guitar. There are a lot of exercises online and offline; too many to mention here, just google it. But remember, there is no point in playing fast if you are not producing proper sound. My instructions will be: start practicing with a slow tempo using a metronome and increase the speed gradually. Do all the exercises in the same way. Give it some time and you will see the magic!
You will know. Definitely, you will know. If you are attached to an offline teacher, he/she will also guide you. Still, let me give you an idea. After you finish all the theoretical and practical lessons like finger exercises, scales, arpeggios, pedal tones, etc., you are ready to learn advanced techniques like tapping, slapping, and popping, etc. Remember, learning the techniques is not enough; you must understand the theories as well.
It is ideal to start with a 4-string electric bass guitar. If you already have an acoustic bass guitar, do not hesitate, go learn with it. Normally, in an acoustic bass guitar, the strings are aligned much higher than in a 4-string electric bass. As a beginner, it is difficult for you to produce an ideal sound if the strings are higher from the fretboard. Also, the sound of an acoustic bass guitar cannot be controlled without a processor; therefore, you cannot play all types of techniques there. An acoustic bass guitar is ideal for plucking style playing. My suggestion is to learn bass with an electric guitar, and when your fingers are strong enough, then move to an acoustic bass guitar.
Basically, there are three major career opportunities as a bass player – live performances, teaching, and recording. Besides these, you can earn money online by showing your skills, uploading or selling lessons, or talking about bass. Performing with your band in a concert or at club events can provide you with money. Do not deny performing solo with other musicians if playing bass is your profession. You can start teaching bass in a school or privately for ‘bread and butter’ income. For recording, you need to set up a studio, which requires an investment. You can earn by recording your own tracks, creating video lessons for online platforms, or renting out your studio to other musicians. As a professional bass player, I prefer you to grab all the earning possibilities.