by How long does it take you to learn songs on bass? An hour? A day? Maybe even a couple of days?
Of course, it depends on how complicated the song is to begin with, right?
But what if, instead of taking hours to learn a single song, you could learn it in the time it takes to play.
If a song lasts 3 ½ minutes, then that’s how long it takes you to learn it – and even if you don’t have your bass in your hands. Sounds impossible, right?
But it’s not. Not only is it possible, it’s actually a skill that you can learn and master. It’s all about how you learn songs.
How do most people try and learn new songs on bass? By either looking up dodgy tab sites or trying to figure it out themselves – and then trying to remember the notes in the order they get played in.
But there’s a much better way. When you know how to do it, you don’t have to spend hours learning a single song or looking up dodgy tab sites that lead you down the wrong path.
What you need is a system for learning new songs, and that’s exactly what I want to share with you in today’s video. Not only will I show you how it works, but I’ll actually learn a new song right in front of your eyes, in real time.
Check out the lesson:
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Stop Struggling With The Modes On bass
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- Learn how to use the modes, and where you can use each of them
- Download the free PDF guide plus 24 practice tracks that will have you using the modes TODAY
The system from the video isn’t immediately obvious, but when you know it, you’ll find yourself seeing all the patterns and ‘hearing’ in terms of the numbers. Then, instead of music being this astronomical mystery, it reduces to something that’s really quite manageable.
Suddenly, having to learn songs on bass isn’t so intimidating!
This system only works if you know how it’s structured. If it wasn’t 100% clear to you, it’s totally normal. There’s a ton of ‘jargon’ and mystery around this particular subject.
That’s exactly why I created the Ultimate Guide To The Modes For Bass. If you’re looking for a simple, jargon-free way of learning the number system I talk about in the lesson, this is a great place to start. It’s 100% free and unbelievably useful, so check it out and start mastering the number system today.
Let me know if you have any questions about the video by dropping a comment down below. I’m always here to help.
Good luck with the lesson and happy playing!
Cheers,
*This*. This is what I was hoping for! The practical bit where you go through an actual song, where you apply the theory live, this is fantastic. Keep this style of video coming – extremely helpful. Theory is nice, but practical is awesome.
Hey Luke,Najib here.
Its simply awesome how you have managed to motivate and educate budding bassists like me.
You have invested a great deal of time and effort and money in simplifying a complex subject like bass for the benefit of bassists all over the world. And you are doing all this for FREE-thats AWESOME Luke.
Regarding your video on- How to learn new songs fast on bass-I think I am able to understand the numbering sequence you mentioned namely 1-4 for verse and 6-4-1-5 for chorus.I am trying to reconcile this with other songs on my playlist and wonder if this system could be applicable to all genre of music.
I am working on that right now.Thanks again Luke.Keep up the good work Sir.
NAJIB
Thanks for the comment Najib. And yes – this system is applicable to any song in any genre, although it works best if it’s a song in a single key. Once you get into ‘modal’ harmony, or start going through multiple keys, it gets a bit trickier, but you can still make it work.
Awesome Floyd! I’m glad to hear you liked that part. I’ll be doing more of that kind of thing in the future.
Great lesson. Thanks a lot. It is all about recognizing the intervalls by just listening to a song. Do you have a tip how I can develop this ability in an easy way?
Good question Thomas. I’m not sure there’s an ‘easy’ way, but the way I tell all my students to start ear training is by trying to sing intervals and recognize them. It’s the first step to developing your ear in a meaningful way.
Great Stuff, Luke. One of my band leaders asked everyone to chart out their parts (in case we can’t make a gig). Although I know the number system & occasionally use it, your explanation of its simplicity convinced me it’s the best approach to this request. It’s faster than trying to notate, too! Also, it was good to see you using Transcribe!, which I just picked up a couple of months ago. Thanks for the great info!
No worries William. I’m glad you see how good the number system is. It makes pretty much everything so much easier!
Cool! What was the John Mayall song?
It was John Mayer’s Perfectly Lonely in this video Rog.
Thanks so much Luke. I really liked the video and the training about the nashville numbering system is awesome. Another bass player told me just the other day that he never got good until he learned that system. You are one of the best at giving out useful information. Thank you so much.