Description
Beginner Bass Guitar Course
Begin Your Bass Journey Today
Click Here For Full Course Info PDF!
‘Beginner Bass Guitar gave me the confidence to start learning songs and within a few of months i was confident enough to be playing at open jam sessions’ Nick Poulson – UK
‘Beginner Bass Guitar was pitched just right, Mark assumed nothing but got straight into the basics and before I knew it I was playing Bass’ Duncan Winsbury – UK
‘Mark is a very good teacher and his language is simple and clear. I can watch the lessons any time, anywhere. It’s like having a teacher in my pocket!’ Fabrizio Maggi – Italy
‘Beginner Bass Guitar was a revelation and resulted in a quantum leap in my learning curve. You are a gifted teacher, keep up the good work!’ Bill Edmonson – USA
Check out more reviews of the course in the Reviews tab above!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Beginner Bass Guitar Course?
The Beginner’s Course is a progressive, ten lesson, step-by-step guide to getting starting on the bass guitar.
What level of player is the course aimed at?
The Beginner’s Course is aimed at absolute beginners and players who have only been playing a while but possibly need a little more guidance in the fundamental aspects of the instrument.
What Will I Learn?
You will learn all the basic skills required to get started on the road to becoming a well-rounded bass player. You’ll learn how to hold the bass, tune the bass, learn the notes on the fretboard, fingerpicking techniques and you’ll also receive important tips on what and how to practice as you develop your skills.
How Long Are The Lessons?
The lesson length’s vary but the complete course is over two hours long, spread over ten lessons.
How is the course presented? Do I Download Anything?
The course is hosted on the Talkingbass website so there are no video files to download.
Login to your TalkingBass account (sign up if you don’t have one), purchase the course in the shop and the course will then appear in the My Courses page.
There are two downloads within the course:
- The Beginner’s Course Workbook: 34 page lesson-by-lesson work through of all the course material
- Tuning Reference Tones: These are the tones used in the course as a reference when tuning the bass
Can I see the Lesson Index?
Yes, you can. Here are the 10 lessons:
- Lesson #1 – The Basics
- Lesson #2 – The Fretting Hand
- Lesson #3 – Navigating The Fretboard
- Lesson #4 – Rhythm Basics
- Lesson #5 – Notes On The Neck
- Lesson #6 – Muting & Technique
- Lesson #7 – Two Finger Picking
- Lesson #8 – The Major Scale
- Lesson #9 – Five Simple Bass Riffs
- Lesson #10 – The Next Step
Want Even More Value For Money – Check Out The Starter Pack HERE!
Gerry Curran –
As a Bass beginner I have found this course to be excellent. Mark’s music degree combined with his years of professional Bass playing and teaching experience has resulted in a well designed and nicely paced beginners course. I have really enjoyed playing the 5 Riffs in Lesson 9 that are applying the knowledge learned in the previous lessons as they are fun and reinforce how much you have progressed. Thanks Mark!
Siri Andersen (verified owner) –
Bought my first bass guitar at 46. This course was great for getting started, and I am super excited to continue on with the next course. Mark is a competent teacher, I highly recommend his courses!
Anthony Russo Jr –
This is a great starter or refresher course for any bassist. Like I mentioned in my bio, I have been starting and stopping learning the bass for over three years now, and this course is perfect for jumping back in and maybe learning some things that may have fallen through the cracks. I definitely recommend for anyone starting or starting back up!
William MULLER –
Good overall. Better paired with the bassis fundamentals.
Bryan White –
This is the perfect course to begin your bass journey! I played bass in several ensembles in college years ago as a guitar major. I decided I was going to get a bass and start up again but hadn’t touched one for years. This was the perfect course for me to start my journey and I’m sure it would be for anyone. Mark is a gifted instructor, the video sessions feels like a series of one on one private lessons. A+ job!
Scott Palermo –
Hi Mark,
I loved this course. I had never picked dup a bass before. I love learning in bite sized amounts. I work a full time job and this is a hobby. I loke how I can progress at my own speed. I had take guitar lessons years ago and the weekly in person classes was too much for me to keep up with.
Regards,
Scott
byron hooten –
This is a great introduction to the bass. I’ve been playing with the bass off and on for 20 years and just got serious about figuring out what I’m doing and this course was perfect for a for someone who wants to learn how to begin playing the bass rather than playing with it. Thank you for making your knowledge available and accessible, Mark.
Bruce MoBettaBass –
This course is an excellent introduction to playing bass. It’s also a very good course for those who learned to play without formal training because learning by ear produces a musician with uneven skills. One doesn’t always know what skills are undeveloped when you teach yourself something – only a competent teacher or a good course like this one can give you a well rounded introduction. So I recommend this course for both beginners and self taught garage band bassists.
Bruce M.
Wendell Jones –
I’ve returned to bass after a decade-long break and really found this course perfect for my needs. I’m not a complete beginner but I wanted to start from scratch and learn everything I possibly could. This course provided me with exactly that. I enjoyed the detailed approach to all aspects of playing and it filled many gaps in my knowledge that I felt silly for not knowing. I found a tonne of useful information and had a blast learning. Mark has a great personality and I’m sure he could fill the course with amusing anecdotes from his life and spend each lesson showing off his mad skills on the instrument but Mark doesn’t waste a second. He takes a leisurely pace, a methodical approach, and most importantly, makes me feel like being a decent bassist someday is 100% achievable. Excellent instructor, awesome course. Fully recommended!
Marc Brown –
I picked up the bass for the first time about 7 years ago but did almost nothing with it for lack of teaching. Having just finished this course, I feel like I’ve got a good foundation to truly learn to play. This one has me looking forward to the next course, after I nail down the basics I’ve learned here!
Barney Kister –
Not being a beginner, but having been mostly self taught, I was going to pass on this course and move ahead. I decided I want to do it right from the start so I pushed thru this. Much I knew but more than enough to be be of value was gleamed. I really respond to Mark’s teaching style and have acquired nearly every course he offers. Been working on sight reading and chords. It will take many months to get thru all of this content, so many more reviews to come. I had purchased from two other sites with many instructors on both, but did not find anyone I connected with on learning/teaching style. While the repetition sometimes seams a bit much it goes a long way to creating muscle memory. Mark does use memory tools that really help with retention.
Thanks
Don Franklin –
Already knew some of the material but it was a great refresher to get back into!
Barney Willis –
I almost didn’t take this, as I’d completed a beginner course elsewhere. But I was glad I did. There were a couple of little gems hidden away in there that I’m glad i didn’t skip past.
David –
Excellent value course for beginners, lots of informative videos and documentation to support the theory. Already purchased more courses. The best bass teacher I can find.
David Allanson –
Talking Bass Beginner Bass Guitar course is just a great way to learn to play the bass. After starting the course with no prior musical experience, I’m now at lesson 9 and learning simple riffs. The teaching and delivery of the lessons is first class, everything is well explained and Marks style and delivery of the material is spot on for the expected level of the participants. I’m really enjoying it and look forward to my daily bass sessions. I signed up for the Talking Bass Starter Pack, so have Bassic Fundamentals to start after completing the Beginner Bass and I’m really looking forward to the next 48 lessons. Thank you Mark .
bryan youmans –
Great beginner course.
Steve James –
I almost skipped the beginner course, having a completed a beginner course elsewhere. I’m glad I didn’t! Mark is clear and methodical in his lessons and I’d recommend this course even if you’ve done a beginner course elsewhere or even if you don’t consider yourself a beginner. It’s always good to get a different perspective.
Michael Oliver –
I feel like this course was a great value for the price. The free courses are really nice and the different things you can learn on YouTube are helpful but I really liked the way the lessons were organized in this course. It made it simple and easy to know what to do next and I felt like each lesson added on the previous. I would recommend printing off the lesson manual and having it handy as you watch the lessons. I found this helpful for note taking and also for practice. I look forward to doing the fundamentals course now!
Joshua Tetzlaff –
Getting back into this after a number of years and was hoping to start fresh to workout any bad habits my fingers may remember. This course felt like a solid foundation for anything starting on the bass, without being too wordy or over the top. Excited to keep this journey rolling!
Ian Fishwick (verified owner) –
Only just started the beginner course, I chose your courses over others as I feel your courses are easier to understand and soak up, ( might be a Northern thing), progressing steadily and enjoying it,
Thank you Mark and I will be getting more courses as I progress,
Thanks
Ian
Douglas Parker –
Great course! Easy to follow excellent starting off point for the absolute beginner.
Ian Williams –
I love Mark’s teaching style. He talks enough to thoroughly explain what he’s teaching, but there’s no filler or wasted space. These beginner lessons were a great jumping off point and I’m excited to move on to more of his lessons.
Dave Rennie –
A great introduction to the bass guitar, and a highly recommended fist step to commencing your journey through Mark’s excellent selection of Bass Guitar courses.
Meryle Wooden (verified owner) –
I’ve played bass by ear for my own enjoyment and in a few short-lived bands for several decades, and thought of skipping this course. I’m really glad I didn’t. In addition to teaching me things I didn’t know; Mark corrected some mistakes in areas I thought I did know.
Although I’ve only completed a couple of the courses so far, I’ve researched and bought nearly all of them and am working my way through them. I’m working through slowly with the goal of learning as much as I can and gaining proficiency in each new skill to apply them to my playing before moving on to the next.
I’ve learned more from Mark and his courses in less than two years since discovering the TalkingBass website and Mark’s free videos on YouTube than in the previous 40 years of playing bass!
Mark, I absolutely can’t thank you enough. The courses are all phenomenal!
Respectfully,
Rick Wooden
Dennis Maas (verified owner) –
The internet is filled with tips and tricks, tutorials and guidelines for playing bass. Thank you Mark for bringing it al together in a clear path. Even for an late-starting Dutchman (I’m 48 and never played an instrument before) the lessons are clear, easy to follow and give a perfect foundation for my bass-guitar journey. The lessons made me even more enthousiastic in my instrument of choice and I can’t wait to discover more.
Jeff Delvenne –
Thanks God I’ve found Talkingbass. This is exactly what I was looking for. A very clear step-by-step introduction to playing bass. The perfect start for any beginner.
Vasily Novozhenin –
if you don’t know how to start playing bass – that course is pretty much all you need
jeff Eisele –
Great starting point for your bass journey!
Graham Jones –
An excellent introduction to playing that covers so much, yet relatively quickly and sets you up for future progress.
Paul Dembina –
Excellent starting point for the absolute beginner.
Heinz –
Perfekt für Anfänger.
Leicht verständlich auch mit geringen Englisch Kenntnisse n. Macht Spaß und bringt System ins Üben.
Jason Heath –
After a long layoff from playing I recently went back through this course to see if there was anything I felt I needed to review as I restarted. I found it to a really gentle introduction for those who are brand new to playing an instrument and have decided to play bass guitar. However, even though I already have some experience I still found something that I’m going to spend some time on as I restart my regular practice routine.
Marcel van Maasdam –
Hi Mark,
After playing bass in my university years (25+ years ago) I have recently started to pick up on my old passion again. And decided to do it thouroughly, with proper grounding through proper education. I would like to put a spotlight on you and your courses because you indeed deliver a thourough and proper grounding in the basics of the bass guitar, technique and music theory. Next to that you have the rare ability to make all theory accessesible, demonstrate its practical application and all of that with a very pleasant and enthousiastic personal style and energy. Eventhe beginners course already helped me a lot and equally important, got me even more enthousiastic about playing bass gitar.
So, a big Thank You Mark! I have registered for quite some more of your courses, doing them now and will actually do them all.
David –
So I really liked this little course. Yes, it’s short, but it’s priced to match. To me it was a good introduction to the instrument and I learned more in this last month than I thought I would. You can take what you learn in this course and, if you put in the effort to actually internalize what is offered, hang with the guys in the garage and feel like a hero. And honestly, that’s enough for a lot of people. If that’s you, this is the course for you. If you’re not sure, this is the course for you. If you want to keep going forward, well, even then you’re going to get something out of this course before you move onto Fundamentals.
See you there.
Joe Thompson (verified owner) –
Hi Mark, Having started with this Beginners Bass Guitars Course I am stoked at how good these lessons are and how well you deliver them, I will be a better bassist soon I hope and it’s all down to you and your lessons Mark! 🤓
Joe Thompson (verified owner) –
Hi Mark, having joined TalkingBass I am very pleased I did so. This course has helped me to get started with playing my bass and I’m stoked! I was looking for some bass related videos on YouTube and I came across your videos and I was hooked! 🤓 Which then led me to your website and the rest is history. I’ve only scratched the surface in your website and I’m looking forward to learning more and more, as well as doing more of your courses! Thanks again Mark for a great course and website!
Joe 🤓
David Marley –
This course is an excellent introduction and starting point for learning the bass guitar. The lessons are just the right length, very well structured, and contain just enough detail yet don’t go over a beginner’s head. I really like how the lessons build on one another, with riffs and exercises introduced in early lessons returned to and expanded on in later lessons. Mark is a fantastic instructor, explaining things very clearly and directly. Also, Mark has absolutely zero ego and has a very amicable and approachable style, all of which make it easier to not feel intimidated by the material. I have played the drums for most of my live but after downsizing into a townhome I sold my drums and bought a bass guitar. I’ve had a hard time getting “over the hump” of the initial learning curve, and was about ready to give up when I ran across Mark’s programs. I am so glad I did, because I now feel like I have the foundation I need to continue my bass guitar playing journey. I look forward to diving into more of Mark’s courses. Thank you Mark, you’ve prevented at least one sale of a Fender MIM Precision bass on Ebay ;-)
James Walford –
I really enjoy the course work Mark is making available at no cost. It has gotten me motivated to drag out my old bass guitar that I bought over 20 years ago and has been gathering dust ever since. I hope to post my progress some day as I can barely play three notes in a row right now. Keep up the great work Mark.
Jim W.
Frederic Goetry (verified owner) –
Hi Mark.
I’m an absolute beginner and the “Beginner Bass Guitar Course” is very helpful.
Your explanation is very clear and easy to follow. So “top” for me as a beginner.
Keep up the good work Mark!
Greetz from Belgium! ;-)
Scott Palermo –
I almost skipped this course. I was thinking of just starting at the Chord Tones. I would have missed out if I hadn’t started at the beginning.
Glen Wilkin –
This course is a must for new bass players, especially if you have never played an instrument. The lessons ease you into and not overwhelming at all. So glad I did it.
James Bellew (verified owner) –
Mark Smith is an excellent teacher and would thoroughly recommend anybody wanting to learn to play bass, and you are never too late to learn, have a go and doubt you will regret signing up.
Mark Simmons (verified owner) –
Excellent value course for beginners, lots of informative videos and documentation to support the theory. Already purchased more courses. The best bass teacher I can find.
Chris Wrigley –
I found this course to be excellent value and just right for me as a pure beginner, highly recommend to all who are starting out.
Charles Crawford (verified owner) –
I have learned so much from this course. Mark, the teacher explain everything so it is easy to follow. I highly recommend this for anyone who is willing to learn to play the bass.
Diego Vargas –
The best course for begginers. If you need to learn the very basics of playing bass guitar, don´t skip this course
Victor John –
Lessons are clear
emmnuel david –
Thanks very much for your support
Nigel Greenwood –
Brilliant introduction to the Bass. Lessons are clear, well structured and run in a logical order. Can’t wait to get started on the next course.
Lindsay Banks –
Hi Mark.
Someone had to be first so it may as well be me.
I would just like to say that as an absolute beginner
I’m finding the course extremely helpful and easy to follow.
Also it is holding my interest as I progress, so many thanks.
Regards.
Lindsay Banks