There are a plethora of resources for bass lessons online- you have YouTube, free Udemy lessons, and you may even get a couple of your first online lessons for free. This can be awesome but it’s also very confusing to a beginner just starting out on the bass guitar.
Perhaps, the biggest drawback of free lessons is the fact that you don’t get a structured routine to practice with. If you had signed up for in-person lessons at your local guitar shop, they would have systems in place to ensure that you are progressing, and you are not wasting your time playing the same licks over and over.
You do need to make your own schedule so you can practice effectively- this way, you can not only get lessons for free but you also get to learn at your own pace which is great.
Finding a lesson that’s structured and tracks your progress is one of the greatest things that can happen in your playing, so stick around to the end you may just find the perfect course for your needs! We’ve spent many days just researching the courses, so we hope that this is valuable to you.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary
Our Choice: JamPlay Online Bass Lessons
Multiple camera angles and crisp footage with access to over 500 resources plus live courses
Best Overall: Scott’s Bass Lessons
Challenges are designed into the course with weekly live streams and beginner-friendly lessons. Also super helpful as there is a massive community of players to help at any point.
Interactive Bass Lessons: Yousician Bass Guitar Lessons
Animated lessons where you are taught to master the bass from scratch- technique, theory, tabs, and scales included
Flexible Bass Lessons: TalkingBass Bass Guitar Lessons
Can fit the lessons into your personalized schedule, and you get access to the song library plus get to track your progress with the course.
7 Best Online Bass Lessons- Our Picks
JamPlay
There are a lot of sites that will help you learn bass online, but JamPlay is one of my favorites when it comes to online lessons. If you are trying to learn from the very best, JamPlay’s list of world-famous bassists is certainly a place for you.
At present, there are 21 professional bassists with many years of experience playing with touring bands, and the list continues to grow with time.
The instructors probably need no introduction- you will be happy to know that all of these musicians are highly accomplished in their own rights- and have played with amazing bands like Megadeth, Aristocrats, Steve Vai, Pantera, and some are also the faculty at Berklee School Of Music.
The best thing about JamPlay is- the entire thing is broken down into small sections, so you can learn any way you want. You can choose from blues, rock, jazz, country, metal, and several other genres.
While you’re watching youtube, you may have realized that sometimes, you cannot see what the other hand is doing, and footage from a different angle could come in very handy. JamPlay provides you with 3 – 5 camera angles when you actually need them- so it’s super easy to see what’s happening.
If you would like to learn more from your favorite artist and don’t care about the rest of the songs, you can go to the Artists Series which is where you will find signature techniques and unique things that famous artists do. The breakdown is easy to understand and implement into your own playing which is fantastic.
I also like the approach JamPlay takes to teaching you bass- which is almost a video-game-like concept to tackle concepts and help you master concepts one thing at a time. The first phase entails everything a bass player needs to learn as a beginner, stuff as picking up and handling a bass, playing with proper technique, easy single-note bass lines, and reading tabs.
This is a solid starting point for any complete beginner. Gradually, the lessons get harder- phase two is where beginners can focus more on their favorite genre. If you’ve always wanted to play System Of A Down Basslines, this is where you will be learning the song. Keep in mind that while the system of JamPlay is quite nice, you do need to supplement the material with actual practice.
In fact, the more you practice, the faster you will see results in your playing. YOutube is quite nice but you may have noticed that slowing down a song can make it sound crappier. JamPlay seems to have gotten rid of this problem as their tab playback is super smooth at all tempos.
If you don’t find a song you want to learn, you can also suggest a lesson on that. Instructors will be happy to take song requests- and you will learn a lot in a short period of time. This can also help you compare your own way of playing versus how a seasoned pro would approach the same problems.
The phase two and three are just you trying to learn new songs. If you are determined about improving your skills and don’t mind learning from the best at their craft, JamPlay is certainly one of the best tools i the market to improve your playing.
The content here isn’t really free but it’s one of the best resources you can find online if you would like to master songs quickly.
Youtube
Last but not the least, if you don’t think you will find much value in websites, you can try watching youtube videos of pro bassists.
There are tons of bassists online, and even non-instructional videos can teach you a thing or two about music. While most youtube channels do not provide structured content, you would be lucky to find ones that do- and even if it’s not a bassist you are watching, you may learn many things about theory.
Signals Music, for example, is a fantastic way to learn and master scales and modes. Jake also covers rhythmic patterns, so that should be very valuable in your playing.
If you are a complete beginner and would like to get to playing bass, Marty has got a great video that will help you out.
TrueFire
Just like JamPlay, TrueFire also provides quality bass (and guitar) lessons on a monthly subscription that will let you preview all of their courses. If you would instead like to just get a couple of courses, you can just get them and not pay for the monthly subscription.
Getting in-person lessons is a fantastic way to improve your skills on the bass instrument, and though it can be expensive, there’s a lot of value you can get out of an instructor monitoring your progress in real-time. A budget-friendly way to get similar value would be to get online instruction from instructors at TrueFire.
In addition to foundational courses on bass grooves and rhythm, there are plenty of videos that dive deep into techniques and theory- these courses are sure to help level your bass playing.
I understand that not all players want to learn about theory and technique, so if you are somebody who would learn more from playing licks and songs, TrueFire has got you covered too. The video on bass licks will help you learn and master 50 bass licks that will come in handy in your playing.
The instruction is pretty good quality- and if you like to view things being played from multiple angles, you will love the video instructions at TrueFire. Not to mention, there are plenty of free courses, a huge community of learners, tuner, metronome, and amazing lessons that will help players of all skill levels enhance their playing.
Overall, TrueFire is best for learning techniques and essential rhythms, but you may find more value in JamPlay for learning songs.
Talking Bass
I think learning with friends and jamming with other lessons can be great for learning at a faster pace. What I like most about Talking Bass is the fact that these guys have tons of free resources and cost less than $50 which is great.
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The courses are also available on Youtube freely, so you don’t have to pay for most of that.
Whether you’re just a beginner who is trying his hand at learning techniques or want to learn more things about riffs and bass songs, you will find the lessons on Talking Bass very useful.
There are also ebooks that will help you tremendously when learning the bass. Some of my friends have taken the slap bass course at Talking Bass, and pretty much all of them had great things to say about it.
If you don’t mind making up your own schedule and are willing to work your way with this resource, you won’t regret getting a course at TalkingBass.
Scott’s Bass Lessons
When learning online, having an instructor who’s fun and entertaining is one of the factors that will help you succeed way faster.
You also get plenty of tabs and fantastic backing tracks that will come in very handy to improvise over.
Skillshare
Till now, we’ve talked about websites that focus on music lessons- Skillshare is a website that you can use not only for learning to play bass guitar but also to learn to sing, paint, and much more stuff. The lesson by Todd Porter that I’ve suggested here is a fantastic one, and he’s an experienced professional with an ear for music.
The lesson is designed to take you into the basics of music- and you will also be familiar with essential rhythms. The best thing is, you also get lots of discounts- which is great.
Yousician
Yousician is one of the most interactive learning apps that you will love to learn on. The experience is almost like playing a videogame, so you won’t feel bored at all.
You also get clear tabs which is a pro- it’s got everything you would want from a learning platform- but it’s a bit expensive. If you don’t mind the price, it’s a reliable tool that will help you fairly quickly.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways for you to learn the bass guitar- and online lessons are certainly one alternative that you can try. You can learn in the comfort of your home, it’s cheaper- and you can also choose courses and instructors you like.
Still, you should practice regularly and make sure that you aren’t just slacking off. I find that I get more value out of particular courses but if annual subscriptions are your thing, by all means- go for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you learn bass online?
Learning bass online can be a budget-friendly and fun way to master your instrument. You do need to pay attention to whether you’re following a structured practice schedule, but after you’ve got that in place, you’re pretty much guaranteed to learn bass.
How long should I practice bass each day?
while most musicians will say that they live and breathe on their instruments- you really only need about 10 minutes of effective practice in order to see visible improvements in a few months. It does take dedication and the more practice, the faster you will grow.
Is it possible to teach yourself bass guitar?
If you already know how to play guitar, it can be a plus point, but even if you’ve never picked an instrument before, you just need to take some online lessons to get better. Having an experienced instructor would certainly help you correct mistakes in your techniques or playing positions but if you are willing to research well and don’t mind making your own schedule, you can certainly teach yourself to play bass guitar.