How to Learn to Play the Bass
The bass guitar is a vital instrument in most modern bands. In conjunction with the drummer, the bassist provides the rhythm section for the melody of the song, which is usually provided by the vocalist and guitarist. Learning to play bass at a level that would allow playing with a band can be completed relatively quickly with the right focus. A bassist prioritizing the correct techniques and knowledge will greatly speed the rate of progress they make.
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Instructions
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Practice two finger plucking or picking the strings of the bass until the motion is comfortable. Advancing any further in bass playing is difficult without getting the basic plucking motion under control. Two finger plucking alternates between using the index and middle finger to pull up on the bass string.
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Practice playing straight rhythms with a metronome. A straight rhythm is playing every note of a given duration. Focus on quarter, eighth, triplet and sixteenth notes.
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Practice more complex rhythms that combine multiple note types. This can be done by alternately playing different note rhythms and by focusing on common patterns, like gallops and reverse gallops.
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Learn to read bass tab. The most important things are note durations and being able to associate each line with the correct string.
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Learn to play the major and minor scale and the bass chord for each. The bass chord is made up of the root, third and fifth of each scale.
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Practice playing the bass chords for the major and minor scale in rhythm. Be sure to practice the straight and complex rhythms.
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Practice following chord progressions with playing both root note chords and using the bass chords. This simply involves following the root note of the chord and either playing just that or using the chord centered around that note.
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Tips & Warnings
Some songs will eliminate the third from the bass chord and simply use the root and fifth note. This is very common if the song is using power chords. The bass provides rhythm for the song. Straight root notes are sometimes more useful than a more complicated bass line, depending on the song.
Bass guitar strings are under a large amount of tension. It is possible to injure your hands if you don't take the time to properly warm up before practicing or playing.
References
- Photo Credit Feliciano Guimarães, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsome1/
