How Long Does It Take To Learn To Play Bass Guitar?

The bass guitar is one of the essential instruments for getting a well rounded sound out of a band. Most people are keen to learn how to play the guitar, but the bass guitar is an equally rewarding instrument that provides its own unique challenges.

But if you’re new to learning instruments, you may be wondering how long does it take to learn bass guitar?

This is a tricky thing to quantify. There are several factors that will play a part in how quickly it will take you to learn the bass guitar. In order to be a master of the bass guitar, you will need to have been playing it regularly for a number of years.

However, if you just want to be good enough to play in a band with your friends, it should only take a couple of months for you to get to grips with the basics.

You don’t need to invest a lot of money to get started – just grab an inexpensive beginner’s bass guitar and you are ready to rock.

Once you’ve hit a years’ worth of practice, you will be more than capable of playing bass guitar.

It’s important to note that how quickly you are able to learn the bass will depend on several things. If you already know how to play a different instrument, you will already have an advantage over other beginners.

You will already know how to read sheet music or tab music, which will take part of the difficulty out of the learning process. This should also mean you have the music theory basics covered.

You will also need to be practicing your bass regularly. There’s no point in only practicing your bass once a week or a few times a month. You will need to be practicing for at least 15 minutes a day every day to properly learn how to play the bass.

Anything less than this will make your job even harder, as you won’t be able to remember what you learned in the last session.

Another factor to consider is whether you are trying to teach yourself the bass or whether you can afford bass lessons. There are undoubtedly things you can teach yourself.

However, getting feedback from a bass teacher who knows this instrument intimately will be able to help you improve your skills further. They will be able to give you pointers on your technique and tell you how you can improve your playing style.

Is The Bass Guitar Easy To Learn?

The bass guitar is pretty straightforward to learn how to play. It will be much easier to play if you already have some basic knowledge of music theory, as you won’t have to know which note refers to which string or finger placement on your sheet music.

You will need to learn the correct placement of your fingers on the frets in order to get the right sound. 

When compared to a standard guitar, the bass guitar should be moderately easy to play. This is because bassists won’t have to memorize chords. However, you will need to use a different set of skills and knowledge in order to become proficient at the bass. 

You will have to train your hand to reach between all finger positions to get the right notes. It will also be tricky learning which finger placement best suits which strings depending on the piece you are learning to play.

How Long Should I Practice Bass Each Day?

You should practice your bass for at least 15 minutes a day, every day. This should be more than enough time to help you learn the techniques you need to improve your skills as a bassist. 

Anything longer than this, and your brain won’t be able to properly absorb the information you are trying to learn. If you do prefer to practice in longer sessions, make sure to split these up into 10 or 15 minute intervals so that you can properly take in what it is that you’re trying to learn.

Why Do Bass Guitars Have 4 Strings?

Bass guitars have 4 strings because these instruments are based on the upright double bass from a standard orchestra. This is an instrument that only has 4 strings which have been designed to reach the lower octaves.

This is of course so that the bass guitar can give you a more well rounded sound when combined with the other instruments in your band.

There are bass guitars that have even more strings than this. Some models feature 5 and even 6 strings, with additional strings to reach different notes.

However, the fretboard needs to be larger to accommodate these extra strings, so these will be much harder to play. As a beginner, it will be best for you to stick with a 4 string bass until you get to grips with the basics.

What Should I Learn First On Bass Guitar?

When it comes to learning the bass guitar, some of the first things you should learn are basic music theory, technique, and fretboard knowledge before you branch out into learning your favorite songs.

You may be impatient to get playing the songs you love, however, you won’t be able to play these as well if you don’t have the basic knowledge of the bass guitar.

Once you have the basics of technique, fretboard knowledge, and music theory covered, you will be able to better learn your favorite bass riffs without any issues.

In Summary

So there you have it! Knowing how long it will take you to learn the bass guitar will depend on a number of factors. If you already play a different instrument, you will already know the basics of music theory that you need to learn the bass, such as reading sheet music or tab.

You will also need to be practicing your bass for at least 15 minutes a day, every day, in order to improve your skills as a bassist.

Typically, you should have a grip of the basics once you’ve been playing your bass for at least 6 months to a year. Anything more than this time and you should be an excellent player you can play a couple of bass riffs off by heart.

Here is a YouTube video that gives some basics of learning to play bass:

If you are interested in trying an altogether different kind of instrument, consider learning to play the kalimba.