https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap Becoming Marceline the Vampire Queen, One Strum at a Time en-us 2023-02-07 04:43:18 UTC 2025-09-30 12:54:18 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-uploads.storage.googleapis.com/1956488879/6dd6dc71daa8dbd9d73fa761f712a18e/d55nnu4_ed082069_88c8_405d_839c_ffb6b36c3141.jpg abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2471209678 My first step involved actually CHOOSING a guitar to play. So, I went to forefront authority on the matter. (I completed this quiz on February 1st and did a little more research before actually buying my guitar!)]]> 2023-02-07 05:20:48 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2471209678 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2472552225 I needed to grab some other stuff to make sure I had enough to make sure I could *actually* play the bass, so I got a headphone-friendly speaker! This arrived on February 9th. ]]> 2023-02-07 22:36:42 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2472552225 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2472553055 I also wanted my guitar to feel just a bit more like me, so I found this cool guitar strap too! This also arrived on February 9th. ]]> 2023-02-07 22:37:57 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2472553055 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2472555226 After being matched with a guitar and price comparing across similar guitars, checking Facebook marketplace for cheap alternatives, and reading countless reviews, I actually bought the Affinity Series Precision Bass PJ in Lake Placid Blue on February 2nd!]]> 2023-02-07 22:41:34 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2472555226 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2480151156 As someone who really wants to play this instrument, there's a lot of other, smaller steps I knew I'd have to take. One of those steps was learning how to read bass music. Even though I have my instrument now, I'm learning how to read tabs!]]> 2023-02-13 19:22:41 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2480151156 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2501759366 Now that I'm working on playing through tabs (VERY SLOWLY), I've noticed bass playing places a LOT more emphasis on the strings than other instruments. Fingering chords and strumming is the big thing of ukulele, but playing bass is all about plucking strings on specific fret-based fingering of one finger. It's a huge difference in playing style! ]]> 2023-03-02 21:46:50 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2501759366 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2514877444 While shopping and talking to people about my idea, I was already getting the same responses I've gotten ever since expressing interest in playing bass: "Why wouldn't you just learn actual guitar?" It's frustrating to hear, as always. I've always been interested in bass and I don't know why it's considered some sort of pre-requisite to playing bass by first learning guitar. ]]> 2023-03-13 18:19:22 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2514877444 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535959360 I've found so far that reading bass tabs is honestly so much easier than any other instrument. While playing flute and piccolo, I learned how to read notes on the treble clef and often had to differentiate between multiple listed parts, like this file listed above!]]> 2023-03-29 02:26:05 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535959360 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535964127 When playing piano, I'm reading both bass and treble clef, like this one above that I played as a senior solo in my piano program. There's also multiple notes, and in both flute and piano I'm dealing with keys, key changes, accidental notes (when a note is written different than the key it's in), and a lot of different things. When playing bass, however...]]> 2023-03-29 02:29:27 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535964127 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535968304 It's literally so simple. The note appears on which string I'm meant to play on, with the bottom string being the lowest string (note wise, position-wise it's the top string ironically). Instead of reading notes, a number is included which tells me which fret to play on. When a one appears on the bottom line, I pick the first string and hold the string down on the first fret. It might not necessarily sound simple, but after playing so many instruments it's definitely easier. It's even completely different from playing another string instrument (ukulele) which is another 4-string string instrument. (To clarify, the notes are listed on the top line for those who like to read notes for bass which is an option, and the tablature - the official term for tab sheet music - is on the bottom line). ]]> 2023-03-29 02:32:29 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535968304 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535972213 I've hit my first major struggle in learning how to play bass: my fingers are apparently INSANELY weak. A major part of playing bass properly is keeping the string down flat to the neck of the bass. Not doing so causes the string to make a really ugly, twangy, buzzing sound in my ears which is just super pleasant. I really have to focus on holding down the strings, but I'm finding the strength to be really unequally balanced; I can hold down the strings super well with my thumb (definitely not an appropriate choose) and my middle, but my pointer and ring fingers are really not cutting it. I'm hopefully going to be able to build up the strengths in those fingers as I continue learning to play. ]]> 2023-03-29 02:35:48 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535972213 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535975652 Because I was encouraged to look into a potential performance angle for this project, I've been listening to songs trying to find a good bass part. One I've been toying with is Pat Benatar's "We Belong" which has a very easy bass line compared to other songs I've seen and listened to (that was the sheet music I posted in a previous addition). I don't know if this will be the song I choose, but it has been a good song to practice as it gives me chances to practice going between strings and frets at a pretty comfortable tempo.]]> 2023-03-29 02:38:34 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535975652 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535981799 Another struggle I have been having is TUNING. Normally tuning is super simple because 1) I play an electric keyboard so it's always in tune, 2) I can tune a flute/piccolo mostly by ear at this point after playing it for so long, and 3) I can tune an ukulele out loud. Because I made the decision to get a headphone amp only to be considerate to my housemates, I have to tune by turning to volume all the way up and pressing my phone over the headphones to try and get my tuning app to hear my strumming. This works fine for my three higher strings, but the top string of the bass is playing such a low note that the phone can't hear it through the headphones and it makes it really difficult to tune. It's also just too low for me to be able to tell if I'm flat or sharp (especially because I'm also very new to listening to these notes), so it's very frustrating. I should probably make the jump for a real amp at some point if I want this issue resolved - also if I am wanting to perform out loud!]]> 2023-03-29 02:42:42 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535981799 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535986806 As I've started playing bass, I've found myself more consciously listening for basslines in songs. I do this one because I'm now more aware of what it sounds like and it's cool to be able to pick it out so well, but also because I'm constantly listening for if I want to attempt to learn how to play a song. It's just an interesting adjustment in my own listening style I've noticed as of late. I listened to this song on my drive home and honestly struggled to place the bass line, even after turning the bass ALL THE WAY UP in my car - it's very subtle. I'm not positive the bassist is playing. ]]> 2023-03-29 02:45:58 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535986806 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535994286 Like I talked about in the beginning of this journey, many people have questioned why I chose bass over standard guitar. My brother, who is also a musician (he claims saxophone, piano, drums, and ukulele though he is working on guitar) argued with me recently over this topic. He says every bass player eventually transitions into a guitar player, which is just blatantly untrue. I brought up several bass players, including Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mikey Way of My Chemical Romance, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, John Deacon of Queen, all of whom are bass players who just play bass. While they might have knowledge of the other instruments, as many musicians have multi-instrumental knowledge, they do not go out and play other instruments as a part of their ensemble. My brother disagreed, somehow. Just another fun element of learning a new instrument, I guess. I might send him this article. ]]> 2023-03-29 02:51:59 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2535994286 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536966766 Today I learned from my dad, who also plays several instruments and knows several people who play bass, that it is actually more than acceptable for me to use my thumb like I've been doing - it's actually common practice for many people with smaller hands who start playing bass. My hand size isn't necessarily the issue, but it'll help me start to work on finger strength nonetheless. ]]> 2023-03-29 16:01:02 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536966766 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536976102 I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to pick the strings correctly. On ukulele, you can strum with all your fingers essentially (minus thumb, but that feels implied) and it becomes a pretty mindless part of playing aside from keeping in rhythm. With bass, I'm picking specific strings and I'm still trying to figure out which finger placement works best. I try my thumb occasionally, but it's difficult to bring my thumb down onto strings besides the top string without affecting the sound. Using my pointer can work, but in faster tempos with more notes I'm using my pointer and middle finger and it's difficult moving dexterously between those two. Hopefully this becomes easier as I continue playing, but we'll see. I'll keep trying out different options, maybe look some things up! ]]> 2023-03-29 16:08:05 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536976102 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536987462 So in doing research on PLUCKING the strings (not picking, my word choice has been wrong for a bit there, whoops!), I came across this video. This video gave me a TON of help in learning more mechanic-based information on the bass, particularly the practice of potentially utilizing all my fingers in plucking but receiving affirmation in the use of only my first two fingers. It also emphasizes not just using my fingerTIP, which I have definitely been doing. While he did not explicitly mention it in the video, I also noticed him resting his thumb against the pickup of the bass, allowing for a more comfortable, relaxed hand position. I will be using a TON of this information to help improve my playing!]]> 2023-03-29 16:16:52 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536987462 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536991263 I used the word pickup in my last post, and I don't think I've actually used a post to explain learning the parts of my bass yet - my bad! I did not do anything fancy here, I just googled parts of a bass and double-checked that all of the labeled parts corresponded with the manual I got with my bass. This is the image I refer to if I forget a term! I did struggle for a moment because my bass has three knobs instead of two, but the manual was very helpful and explained that my third knob was actually a pickup selector. As I had truly zero clue what the meant, I continued reading my manual. It explained that my bass can switch between two different modes of pickup (3-way and 5-way) which just activate some different parts of the guitar for sound purposes. (I'm still trying to understand exactly what it does, honestly). The tone knob also adjusts for sound, with the knob allowing me to set a preference between high frequencies being present and low frequencies being preferred. The volume knob feels self explanatory. ]]> 2023-03-29 16:19:16 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2536991263 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537003303 My brother presented yet another stellar opinion today, which is that no bass player stays on 4-string bass (standard bass). For those who don't know, a bass can come as a 4-string, a 5-string, a 6-string, or even a double neck bass (or multiple necks, it can be more) with any of these options. Obviously, most tend to start on the standard 4-string bass, but my brother is convinced that all bass players eventually transition to a higher string count (he did admit that not everyone goes to the double neck option, which would be insane). I again cited MULTIPLE bassists who do play regularly on 4-string, but my arguments again fell on deaf ears. He's a very weird dude. ]]> 2023-03-29 16:28:14 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537003303 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537004502 I will admit, though, it would be WILD to someday learn how to play a double neck bass guitar. I don't know if my skill will literally ever reach this level, or if I even fundamentally understand how one would go about playing this in any way. ]]> 2023-03-29 16:29:04 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537004502 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537008909 I'm now well into March, and it's weird to think I've been messing around and learning to play this instrument for a month now. ]]> 2023-03-29 16:32:29 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537008909 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537012273 My brother and my dad today both decided to tell me today (March 29th) that they HATE the strap I chose. I've had this strap for nearly two months and they've seen it quite often, but they really just felt the need to let me know very well after the fact that they do not think the strap matches the bass's vibe. They admit that it does match MY vibe, but that doesn't mean it fits the bass. It was a very weird thing to be told so after the fact, I'll admit. I have become very attached to it now, as a result. I'm now very defensive of my bass strap. ]]> 2023-03-29 16:34:59 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2537012273 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546431611 My dad watched me play today for a bit (4/5) which I most often do sitting down because I'm used to sitting down to play (flute is most often sitting for me, as is piano). He noticed, though, that that was causing me to keep my palm flat to the neck of my bass; apparently this is a common mistake even in standard guitar playing as it makes it difficult to move your fingers across frets quickly. He suggested I need to stand up and rely more on the guitar being held by the strap rather than supporting its weight. That way, I won't have to hold the neck the way I have been doing. ]]> 2023-04-06 16:14:44 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546431611 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546435275 So today (4/6) I had some time free in the morning so I thought I'd look at a couple of songs. The Pat Benatar one is pretty easy apart from one section near the bridge, so I wanted to branch out. I also don't want to only be able to play one song on the bass. For the second song I tried to learn, I decided to go to the inspiration of this idea: Marceline the Vampire Queen. In the show "Adventure Time," she plays the song "Fries," which is just a couple of notes on the bass and very short so I thought I'd learn that quickly. However, it seems more difficult for some reason. I'm not finding great-sounding or consistent notes when looking online, and the one that sounds the closest has me going from the third fret to the eighth in one note. I tried three different bass tabs, but not none are sticking out to me. I decided to move onto a different song, one equally inspirational in this project...]]> 2023-04-06 16:18:35 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546435275 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546438335 So for my third song attempt, I decided to go with a bass-heavy song from the movie "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," which is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's also one where the titular character is a bass player; though Scott is NOT an inspiration to me, the music in this movie is amazing. There's one song where they introduce a new antagonist to the audience and to Scott, and the new antagonist also happens to be a bass player. It's very bass-heavy from the intro and verses, and it's a part you can hear very well. I found bass tabs for this very quickly, and the intro and verses were super simple to pick up - I played them with ease and it was super fun. The chorus, however, becomes much less bass-heavy and focuses on a guitar sound and vocals (which is odd because there's not visibly a guitar playing on stage while this song happens). Once I tried playing the chorus, I started to fall apart. I think learning this song definitely has promise, but I need to listen more for the bass part in the chorus so I know more of what to be playing when I attempt this again. Hopefully, it works out better another time. ]]> 2023-04-06 16:22:35 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546438335 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546439383 I wanted to add here that I did not notice that the post before last post was all about my dad hating my strap choice then the next post was about him telling me to use the strap MORE. I did not notice the irony, and it is hilarious. That's all. ]]> 2023-04-06 16:23:43 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546439383 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546441339 I'm writing this on 4/6, but I just noticed in the previous post I did not mention that I also had to buy headphones WITH a cord, which at this point I had not owned in a while. I had Bluetooth headphones that did have a backup AUX cord, but I had long since lost that AUX cord. The AUX cord would have cost like $10, and the headphones with a cord I found at Walmart were around $14, so I went with the headphones. ]]> 2023-04-06 16:25:54 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546441339 abigailnduffel https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546505389 As I'm playing and practicing today, I'm noticing that my issue with keeping strings pressed hard enough has moved VERY SPECIFICALLY to the A string (the second string from the top down, so my second lowest string). That one is buzzing all over the place every time I'm playing, and it's weird to me that I can keep a thicker string pressed and thinner strings pressed better than that string. ]]> 2023-04-06 17:43:17 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2546505389 https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586513560 Today is May 9th and I am officially selecting my song: Black Sheep by Metric! However, since the last part of my semester has been very stressful with finishing grad school, I am giving myself the somewhat easier task of learning the excerpt performed in the Scott Pilgrim movie. I'm going to put a video of that on the next post. ]]> 2023-05-11 04:13:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586513560 https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586514340 2023-05-11 04:14:10 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586514340 https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586514793 I found some great, easy-to-read tabs. I'm going to spend today rehearsing, then record tomorrow!]]> 2023-05-11 04:14:43 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586514793 https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586519868 Here it is! On May 10th, after a whole semester of learning, choosing songs, rehearsing, and stressing, I recorded my performance of Black Sheep on my very own bass guitar. Thank you for joining me on the awesome journey - this has been one of the coolest assignments EVER!!!]]> 2023-05-11 04:20:23 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586519868 https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586527221 I'm writing this on May 10th, and I have finally found a solution to my problem. I was struggling to figure out HOW I was gonna record it since I had a headphone amp only, but my brother and I kind of configured a way around that by hooking up my headphone up to an aux cord and plugging that into the speaker he normally uses for his band. It is specifically NOT an amp, but a phone friendly speaker he uses to play music really loudly for his band when they are learning a new song. So, now I can actually play out loud as opposed to propping up some headphones next to my computer microphone and turning the volume all the way up (that was plan B, but originally plan A). ]]> 2023-05-11 04:28:07 UTC https://padlet.com/abigailnduffel/myrqsl79dvvlcaap/wish/2586527221