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Articles & Books From Bass Guitar
Way more than just the bass-icsWhatever you're playing—funk, soul, rock, blues, country—the bass is the heart of the band. Bassists provide a crucial part of driving force and funky framework that other members of any and work off. From John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, to "The Pixies’' Kim Deal, to James Brown's favored bassist, Jimmy Nolan, bass players have made big names for themselves and commanded respect throughout music history.
Get ready to master the bass guitar faster than you can say “amplifier.” A staple of almost every genre of music out there, the bass guitar is a fundamental (and fun!) instrument that can now be easily learned by musicians of any experience level with Bass Guitar Exercises For Dummies. Complete with a bonus downloadable content, this book gives bassists a variety of tips and drills to help you strike a chord with any performance (even if it’s only for an audience of one).
Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-18-2022
The real fun and challenge of playing a bass guitar is that the patterns of the chords and scales never change, no matter what musical key you’re in. Memorizing the order of your bass’s musical notes can prepare you to tackle those chords and scales.Once you know the notes, you can master basic chords, 7th chords, modes, and solo scales and become a truly versatile bassist.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-12-2021
Playing bass guitar well, much like playing any other musical instrument, requires practice. And how do you practice? You play exercises, often over and over, until you master them. Fun, no? You'll have an easier time mastering bass guitar exercises if you understand how to read music and tablature and have a basic understanding of common bass grooves.
Step by Step / Updated 08-11-2022
The bass guitar, more than any other instrument, is at its best when tightly aligned with the drums. Together, the bassist and drummer develop the powerful grooves that drive the song by constantly listening and reacting to each other. Here are ten classic bass-and-drum combinations (sorted alphabetically by the bass player’s last name) that have enhanced a multitude of songs.
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
Although there are many popular right-hand bass guitar techniques, it is important to learn how to position your right hand for finger-style playing, which is the most flexible and widely used bass guitar technique, used in virtually all styles of music. This technique also allows you to work more efficiently with dynamics (accenting certain notes).
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
If you know how to properly position your right hand for slap-style playing on the bass guitar, you'll be able to produce a wider variety of sounds. The idea behind slap style (or thumb style) bass guitar is to strike a low string with the side of your thumb, giving it a percussive sound (a sharp attack and decay of the note, like a drum), and then to snap (or pop) a high string with your index finger.
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
When you're going to play your bass guitar with a band or another instrument, you need to be sure that you're all tuned to the same reference pitch. Using an electronic tuner is by far the easiest way to tune your bass. Modern tuners have a display that lets you see exactly where your string is (pitchwise), whether it’s sharp (too high) or flat (too low), and what note you’re closest to.
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
After you've removed the old strings and cleaned the fingerboard, it's time to restring your bass guitar with brand-new strings. New strings are usually coiled in envelopes. The envelopes are numbered according to string size (the thickest string has the highest number). With most electric basses, the new string has to be pulled through a hole in the bridge.
Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
The name finger-style refers to your striking the strings on your bass guitar with the index and middle fingers of your right hand. You can hear this style in country, rock, jazz, and funk — and just about any other type of music. Jaco Pastorius, James Jamerson, and Francis Rocco Prestia are only three of the multitude of bassists who use this technique.