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Lets see now, if
you're reading this, it becomes more than
obvious that you're interested in learning how
to play the bass guitar. Okay, I totally agree
that the bass guitar ain't as fancy as the
electric guitar or doesn't drive the girls as
wild as the singer does, but it does its
importance in a band and when we say importance,
we mean extremely vital like a super adhesive
holding the band together. So if you want to
pursue playing the bass guitar as a hobby,
you'll be happy to know that there is always a
demand for good bassists the world over.
Practice is the foundation of any art you want
to pursue and the same goes for a bass guitar.
Now that I know
that you are eager to learn this instrument,
lets get on with it shall we? The first thing
that you have to know is well, your instrument
of course. If you're one of those lucky few who
has been handed over a bass guitar but then as
soon as you look at it, you wonder what all the
parts are about, a good way to start is
familiarizing yourself with it. The first thing
that you'd obviously notice is the strings. A
bass guitar commonly has four strings attached
but if your instrument has got more, don't start
wondering as to what the hell are you holding in
the first place. By default itself, your bass
guitar should be tuned in the format of E, A, D
and G, with E being the thickest string and G
being the thinnest. We'd like to refer these
strings, i.e., E, A, D, G as 4, 3, 2 and 1
respectively to avoid any confusions.
Then there are
the frets that kind of divides your guitar
vertically. Using these frets along with the
strings helps you to play certain notes
effortlessly. Another aspect that you have to
know about is about the amplifications. Without
them, you won't be able to hear the sounds as
clearly. Just as in the electric guitar, the
bass guitar too uses the amplifiers so that you
can hear the low pitch sounds quite as clearly.
In fact there are amplifiers that are
specifically made for bass guitars.
Then you have
the body, which is the large base of the guitar,
the neck which is like the long, thin area which
has the strings and the frets on it and of
course the tuning pegs which are prevalent in
all the guitars which allows you to adjust the
pitch of the sound to be produced. So now that
you know what your bass guitar consists of, its
time that you start training. Its always advised
that join some classes and learn to play your
bass guitar from a good bassist. Take note of
what your instructor is teaching you and never
hesitate to ask for help if you think you're
going wrong somewhere. Remember that learning
the bass guitar requires a lot of patience and
if you intend to give it up just half way, then
this hobby sure's not for you. It requires
dedication and a drive to learn more from your
mistakes.
This hobby is
like a hobby for life, because you just can't
get tired of it and hey, its one of those few
habits that are good for your kids (provided
they're keeping their grades up in school).
Practicing is the key to success in this case my
friend, the sooner you'll learn this, the faster
you'll be one with your guitar. You've also got
to have a good ear for music and listen to bands
playing on the radio, live shows or whatever.
Once you get the hang of it, you will soon know
that the bass guitarist and the drummer
basically form the rhythm part of the band.
Well, it is needless to say that the rhythm is
everything in music. I mean c'mon, without the
rhythm if you see your audience tapping their
feet or nodding their head or something, well,
you're just in the wrong show then.
So, if you are a
bit clueless in the rhythm department, I'd
advise you listen to some music ASAP. I tell you
this because it's important for you hear what
exactly the bass guitarist is playing in the
background so that you know how he is
establishing the rhythm in the music. This means
that you have to lend out your ears to the bass
guitar and not just hear the song kind of
passively, like most of us do at all times.
There are certain types of music that would help
you achieve this sense with genres like Funk,
Rock and Soul music. Listening to complex
rhythms is totally not going to help you
especially to music like Salsa, African
Drumming, etc.
Train your body
to follow the rhythm that you are playing. It
could be anything, clapping, tapping your feet,
nodding (not head banging at this stage you
guys). The more you get the connection right,
the better you'll get at bass guitar playing.
And once you get it right, turn off that music
and start off with your practicing. Turn it on
again and judge yourself to see if you've
strayed from the rhythm or whether you've got it
right. When you've got totally got into this
hobby, start playing with your friends. I know,
many would think otherwise that you should
practice more to get to this level but its never
too late. Even if you goof it up, all you have
to do is practice a bit more.
But I do advice
that you start playing with your friends because
it's important that you learn that you aren't
playing solo all the time. It's vital to follow
the rhythmic cues left by other players to judge
how far you've come towards playing the bass
guitar. The session between the drummer and
yourself is really important since as mentioned
before, you are the two vital guys setting the
rhythm in the first place. But then again, if
you get cold feet and aren't as confident, you
can always turn towards the metronome which
perfectly acts as your proxy drummer.
Practice,
practice, and practice even more. This requires
you to set some time apart from your daily
chores and devote some time towards playing this
guitar, that's why its your hobby isn't it?
Practice for about half an hour a day and make
sure that you have no distractions around you.
It is obvious that in the beginning, your arms
and fingers will hurt when you start playing. So
stretch your fingers and remember, the more you
play, the stronger and faster your fingers will
be able to adjust with the strings. Start out
with the easy notes and then move on to the
tough ones. Also, start out with a good body
posture so that you don't develop any back
problems in the future. This is more evident due
to the weight and size of your bass guitar.
The bass guitar
is a superb instrument, and playing bass is a
perfect hobby due to the hours of enjoyment that
it can provide. So once you're all set up for
it, grab that rugged instrument of yours and
enjoy the music as it flows. While you're at it,
check out the following website that could give
you some tips and ideas for playing the bass
guitar.
more |
Learning to play
the bass guitar is not as difficult as many people think. Because of
bass guitar prices falling, it is now much more affordable to get a
great sounding bass guitar. Below are many very low priced
starter packs and even more great free places online where you can learn
beginners and then advanced guitar techniques and other stuff like
Strings, Chords, Amps. Rock on!
