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Okay, so a lot of you have written in asking about specific techniques and instructions for learning to play bass guitar. Well, while some of the techniques are similar to your standard six-string, there are, of course, some major and important differences. So I thought a series of articles on the topic was in order. So let’s get rolling, shall we…

In this installment, we’ll cover the basics — how to choose a bass, the parts of the instrument, and so on. Once we have this down, we’ll move on to the techniques and specific “drills” you should use to learn how to play like a pro. So, first things first.

How to Play Bass: The Background

The bass guitar is crucial to the stage band. It provides the foundation of the music. If you were to look at each instrument as having color, the bass wouldn’t be a splashy “red” horn that plays ‘here and there’….The bass would be seen more as a constant dark, foundational color. Maybe blue, black or purple. The bass provides constant support throughout the music that makes the music complete. Without it, the music sounds thin and lacking.

If you already know how to play the standard acoustic guitar, learning the bass will be easier than if you’re learning from scratch. But, if you’re completely new to the instrument, the bass is fairly easy to learn and you should be able to play some basic songs within a few weeks of starting.

Choosing the “Right” Bass

For the beginning bass player, you will have to choose the right guitar to learn on. There are a lot of good beginning bass’s out there. I have a couple to suggest based on word of mouth and what I’ve seen. The Ibanez GSR200 is a good one. Click here to check it out here at MusicicansFriend, where you can get one for around $200.

The Yamaha brand also has a low cost guitar for around $180. It is the RBX170. Click here to check out the Yamaha RBX170. Yamaha has a great reputation and puts out nice guitars. You might want to save up for a really nice bass like the Yamaha RBX4 A2 Superlight. These run for about $600, but are a prize to the player who wants a light-weight guitar. If you want to go all out, treat yourself to the $1600 Stingray as a reward.

The Parts of the Bass

Strings

A standard bass has four strings, each tuned to a different note value. The thickest string (the one closest to your chest when holding the guitar to your body) is “E”. The next string (a little bit thinner than an E and second closest to your body) is “A”. The next thinnest and 3rd string away from your body is the “D”, and the thinnest string and closest to the ground is the “G”.

Frets

Frets are the horizontal metal strips that divide your guitar’s neck into sections from top to bottom. The strings and frets form a grid that covers the whole neck of your guitar. When you place your finger on a string in between two of the frets, you are able to play a note. The closer to the neck you get on the frets, the higher the notes sound.

Amplification

Amplification is something all bass players need (unless you’re playing an Acoustic or Upright Bass). If you already have an amplifier, check to make sure it is a bass guitar amplifier and not just an electric guitar amplifier. You can make electric guitar amps work, but they aren’t a good solution for long term use. The sound quality will suffer if you use a regular electric guitar amp and you run the risk of damaging the amp. Bass guitar amps are made specifically for the low-frequency sound waves that bass guitars produce, so you really should get a bass guitar amp.

Okay, that should just about cover the basics of your gear. Next time we’ll start talking about how to actually play the darn thing!

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