How to Play the Bass
Would you like to be able to play the bass guitar without ever taking a lesson? Well, many of the greatest players never took a lesson in their lives. Here are some details for teaching yourself how to play. Strap in, tune up and let's get this jam started.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Adjust your bass. Make sure your strap fits comfortably on your body. If you want to play effectively, you must be able to reach all the way up and down the neck with finesse and precision.
-
2
Choose your playing style. A lot of people like to play with a pick, while others prefer to play with their fingers. I suggest learning both ways. When you use a pick, you get a crisper, high-end sound; using your fingers produces a rounder, lower tone. It depends on what kind of music you like and how diverse you want your style to be. Obviously, the more ways in which you learn to play, the more versatile you can become.
-
-
3
Learn the open notes. The open strings are E, A, D and G. The E is the top string (closest to your chest) and the G is at the bottom. Practice plucking at them with your fingers or a pick just to familiarize yourself with the activity.
-
4
Now it's time to play some notes. This takes some coordination. If you don't have it, you soon will after you've practiced for a while. If you look at the bass, you will see little box-like shapes all the way down the neck. These are called frets, and they indicate different notes. The farther up the neck you go, the higher the pitch of the notes. To learn each note, first find out what the open string is that you are playing. Let's take the E string for example. The first fret is F. Next come F# (this symbol stands for sharp), G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, then back to E again. Notice there is no sharp between B and C or between E and F. When you get to the next E, the notes simply repeat themselves up the neck toward the pickups. You can then follow this same pattern on each string.
-
5
A good way to develop better hand/eye coordination is by practicing scales. (A progression that travels up a scale is sometimes referred to as a "walk"; they are found in many blues songs.) Here is how to perform a basic scale. Start on the open E. Play G on this string (third fret), then B on the second string, then D on the second string, then E on the third string, G on the third string, then turn around and come back the same way. Play E on the third string, D on the second string, B on the second string, and back to G on the first string. When you play this scale, as you walk up, the tone will go higher; when you walk back, it will go lower. Play the notes smoothly, with about 1-second rests in between. As you get better, you can run through scales more quickly until they become effortless.
-
6
Now that you know what the open strings are, how to find the notes on the fretboard and how to play a scale, you are set for action. When you strap on the bass, practice by popping in your favorite music DVDs and CDs and try to play along with them. Watch the movements of the musicians, and the way they position their fingers. Listen to your favorite recordings over and over and really tune into the bass lines. Cross-reference this information with what you've learned. Keep applying yourself to your instrument and you'll be thrashing in no time.
-
7
Stop, look and practice. Now that you know what the open strings are, you know how to find the notes on the fret board and you know how to play a scale, you are completely set for action. now when you strap on the bass, practice by playing along to the songs you have been listening to and watching over and over. Pop in your DVDs or CDs and play right along to them. If you apply even 15 to 20 minutes a day to your instrument, you will be thrashing in no time.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
On many basses, the 12th fret that has two dots on it. This marks the octave note of the open string. So if you're on the A string, you can slide up to the 12th fret and play a higher version of A.
Utilize mental-skills training. Every spare second you have, envision yourself playing. Pretend the bass is in your hands and "listen" to the songs as you are mentally playing. Engaging in this regular routine can make an average bass player into a champion.
