How to Pluck Bass Guitar Strings

Select from among a few ways to pluck the strings of a bass guitar when playing the musical instrument. The following steps will show you how to play the bass guitar using your first and second fingers to pluck the strings.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bass guitar

1. Use your right hand if you are right-hand dominant and your left hand if you are left-hand dominant when you pluck the bass guitar strings. Use your other hand to hold the neck of the guitar to finger the strings.

2. Hold your dominant hand over the strings of the bass guitar with your palm facing the body. Make sure to hold your fingers limply over the strings.

3. Rest your thumb on a pick up, the top of a pick guard, a thumb rest or anywhere else on the base of the guitar, depending upon what your guitar has. Make sure your thumb is situated in a position so that it is comfortable plucking the bass guitar strings.

4. Use your first and second fingers to pluck the guitar strings.

5. Alternate between the first and second fingers as you pluck the strings.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use a guitar pick to pluck the bass guitar strings. When you use a guitar pick, it does make a clicking noise that is sometimes a desirable sound.
• You can pluck the strings with your thumb but your first and second fingers are easier to use because you can alternate between the two fingers and that allows you to play faster and reach other strings more quickly.
• Don't pluck the strings too fast so that the notes run together and sound sloppy. Pluck the strings so that the sound is clear and you can distinguish between the notes.