OT: Getting the Little One Started...

[AnthonyD]

I know there's quite a few folks in this forum who teach Bass Guitar - I'd like to hear your thoughts on when to get my son involved. He's just shy of seven years old and can't wait to play "electric bass guitar" like Daddy!

Two points I'm especially curious on:

1. What's a good age to start?
While all comments/opinions are welcome, I'd really love to hear from our professionals - folks who have some success or failure stories based on their experience with youngsters. His interest is already there, and I plan to school him on the basics in the beginning via available printed instruction materials (Hal Leonard or Mel Bay).

2. What's a recommended 3/4 scale bass to get started on?
Are they even available these days? I recall only seeing one in my entire life. He's sure to play EBMM when he's big enough, but I expect even at 10 or 12 years old a full-size bass might require a bit much of a reach.

Any feedback would be appreciated - thanks!

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

My 14 year old Jarred has just become interested in Bass.

The music teachers asked for expressions of interest to form a school band. They had a concert the other day for parents. Their opening song was "Wild Thing" and thus the band name "GC/DC" ( you know...start on G, then to C, then D and back to C ).

I offered him my J Bass Deluxe (down sized body) but he's snookered my Trans White 'Ray...can't imagine why though

I'd be interested to know as to what instructional material to give to keep him interested. I have various "Intro to Bass" but they look more text books!

 

[midopa]

+1! My youngest brother has expressed interest as well. Though, I don't think EBMM makes any small scale basses. For those interested, I've made a post asking this kind of question over at the DudePit (Basses forum) and got some good answers regarding decent brands and models.

 

[roballanson]

Well I started playing when I was 10 with a 1/2 sized double bass my school owned - using the terminally boring but useful Simandal books.
Then my first bass was a mail order Axe (P-bass copy) which was 3/4 but I dont know if they are still around.
I did see some great tiny basses - a bit like those Daisy basses - which could be of use.
I found that I could progress on to proper sized basses quite quickly, they sort of grew as I did.
There are loads of beginners instruction books out there but I have found with pupils the best thing is to jam - hook em in then started em in on the Mel Bay stuff.

 

[stingrayplayr83]

I started when I was seven, also. It was actually on a 1/4 size upright. My parents enrolled me into violin lessons at school, and there was a picture of a bass in the back of our book. Since then I've been hooked. Your son us very luck if yo let him get that white ray too. My dad wouldn't have let me get his PRS

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

>>>>Your son us very luck if yo let him get that white ray too.

It stays in the family and gives me a good excuse to get another

 

[roballanson]

Yeah I have had dreams about my offspring (when they come along) wandering into the spare room and discovering my purple ray and asking about it...then teaching them the joys of the bass......

I think you guys are lucky hopefully soon I will be as lucky as you guys and pass on the skills

 

[mike not fat]

Hum...my 3,5 days son didn't show any interest for the bass ; must I be worried ?

I'll wait to see if he want's to play music, and will let him choose what instrument he wants (flute, drums... but not TV !). But if he prefers mathematics or poetry, i'll be ok for that.

MNF

 

[AnthonyD]

...For those interested, I've made a post asking this kind of question over at the DudePit (Basses forum) and got some good answers regarding decent brands and models.

Interested!!! I looked, but couldn't find it...

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

>>>>Interested!!! I looked, but couldn't find it...

Same here.

 

[kevins]

any kid who starts on a ray with a good teacher will probobly stick to it, but then again hes going to miss out on all the joys of terrible begginer basses like

1. truss rod adjustment every week or day
2. 5 or 6 string sized neck with only 4 strings
3. a finish that is so thin you just give up on it after a while because it just keeps chipping
4. no tone
5. the pickups dying for apparently no reason whatsoever
6. tuning pegs that lock and can barely be moved
7. extreme ammounts of fret buzz that not even a trussrod forged by jesus christ himself can fix
8. knobs that fall off
9. strap buttons that fall off
10. tuner parts that fall off
11. a bridge that is incaple of intonation for more than 2 hours or simply incaple of intonation or tone
12. the bass spontainiously combusts(known only to happen with rogues)

 

[sandaas]

:d

 

[shaver]

i started at like 9-10ish

 

[roballanson]

any kid who starts on a ray with a good teacher will probobly stick to it, but then again hes going to miss out on all the joys of terrible begginer basses like

1. truss rod adjustment every week or day
2. 5 or 6 string sized neck with only 4 strings
3. a finish that is so thin you just give up on it after a while because it just keeps chipping
4. no tone
5. the pickups dying for apparently no reason whatsoever
6. tuning pegs that lock and can barely be moved
7. extreme ammounts of fret buzz that not even a trussrod forged by jesus christ himself can fix
8. knobs that fall off
9. strap buttons that fall off
10. tuner parts that fall off
11. a bridge that is incaple of intonation for more than 2 hours or simply incaple of intonation or tone
12. the bass spontainiously combusts(known only to happen with rogues)

Oh those happy days!!!

There is also being pinned to the floor by a full sized double bass that you fancied trying as a 10-year-old then really wished you hadn't

 

[kevins]

double sized bass eh?

like a longhorn lol

 

[roballanson]

double sized bass eh?

like a longhorn lol

I mean a full size double bass not the 1/2 sized one I learnt on...

Good joke mind you

 

[phatduckk]

Yeah I have had dreams about my offspring (when they come along) wandering into the spare room and discovering my purple ray and asking about it...then teaching them the joys of the bass......

I think you guys are lucky hopefully soon I will be as lucky as you guys and pass on the skills

+1

i dont have kids but have thought about this ... i would love having kids some day and have them take an interest in dads stash of guitars and basses. but on the flip side i do wonder what id do if my kid busted out with "daddy can we put 20 inch spinny rims on your car?"

as far as playing early goes ... i started decently early (11 i think) but the learning curve wasnt something i could deal with at that age and just quit untill i re-started at 15.

 

[Mahlon]

i started at like 9-10ish

Wow, you were just a little shaver!

 

[AnthonyD]

My older son (age 10) got a guitar for Christmas and I am amazed at the progress he's making, both in his playing and reading ability. My younger one of course can't wait to play an instrument too.

So like I said earlier, the enthusiasm is there for the 7 year-old - just not sure if I'd be doing any harm starting him too early (e.g. him getting frustrated and loosing interest).

Then again, I'd hate to wait until he's 10 or 12 only to hear that I could've started him sooner!

 

[Rhys]

If i had a kid, i actually wouldn't start them on bass, i would start them on Piano.

I know i started playing piano when i was about 8 or 9, and i played that until i was 15. I got bored of the instrument, and learning pure classical. But i then stumbled upon the bass guitar at school, started getting lessons, and then never looked back.

But i found that learning the piano before learning the bass gave me a huge advantage when it came to sight reading, improvisation and general rhythm. And excelling in the bass guitar was actually more motivation for me continuing studying the instrument.

But thats my 2 cents anyways.