How to play the Bass Guitar
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Well, it's been suggested that the Guide needed an entry on how to play the bass guitar, so that's what this is. Let it be said that while I consider myself a pretty darn good player, this is not meant to be definitive...please add your own thoughts and opinions.
For starters, I should say that playing the bass guitar has evolved quite a bit over the last 30 years or so. While many other instruments, like say, the violin, have an extensive history and accepted methods of playing, the bass guitar does not. This means that the beginning player can do pretty much anything they want and it wouldn't necessarily be wrong. That said, let's cover some of the more standard methods.
Tuning
The bass guitar usually has 4 strings. These are tuned in 4ths, starting with a low E, going up through A, D, and G. Current trends have many players with 5 strings (add a low B), 6 strings (add a high B or C to that), or 7 strings (add a high E to that). Of course, there are many other tuning options available to expand the possibilities. Experiment and see what you come up with. For the sake of this entry, we'll stick with a 4 string bass in a standard tuning (E,A,D,G) played in a right-handed position.
Left Hand
The left hand is in charge of telling the bass which note to play. This is done through a series of frets (the wire things running across the neck). Your standard bass will usually have about 20 of these (read on for more about the fretless bass). Each fret marks off a 1/2 step. (I'm not even going to attempt to cover music theory here, so we'll pretend you already know all about that.)
Anyway, the left hand will indicate which note the bass should play by pressing down on a string slightly behind the chosen fret.
Right Hand
The right hand handles telling the bass how to play the note the left hand has selected for it. There are many schools of thought on this subject.
1. Picking -- Early bass players favored using a pick to strike the bass strings (much like a guitar player would do.) This is very popular with speed metal players who want to play very fast and even. Picking gives the note a sharper attack and generally allows the bass player to remain more consistent in tone and volume.
2. Plucking -- Probably the most common method of playing the bass is to pluck it with the first 2 or 3 fingers of the right hand. Players who have made the switch to bass guitar from a traditional upright bass viol would probably favor this method. This method allows the player to maintain more control over varying tone and volume.
3. Slap and Pop -- 80's Funk Metal introduced the world at large to Slap and Pop, although fans of funk/R&B were already quite familiar. S&P involves varying combinations of Slapping the string with the ball of the thumb and Popping the string by giving it a sharp pull with the index (or other, I suppose) finger. This method can be very difficult for the beginner, but a practiced hand (pardon the pun) at S&P can be capable of eye-popping bass acrobatics.
4. Strumming -- The bass can also be strummed, much like a guitar. When done higher up on the neck (and the musical register), this can produce some lovely tones. Lower on the neck (and register), strumming can get a little muddy, but is a good way to really fill out a song. This is also popular in the garage/thrash/noise pop arenas, for an aggressively strummed bass is a thing of beauty. (Assuming that you consider gut-wrenching walls of noise to be beautiful.)
5. Tapping -- The last method I'll cover in this entry is Tapping, which involves using both hands to cover each others' jobs. With either hand, the string is tapped forcibly enough to both fret and produce the note. By alternating between several fingers of both hands, tapping allows many, many notes to be played in a short amount of time. Much like Slap & Pop, Tapping requires quite a bit of practice before anything really listenable will come out of the bass.
To hear some examples of what happens when you happen to be born with a lot of talent and then practice the above methods for a long, long time, check out recordings by:
Tony Levin (solo, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and more)
*Geddy Lee (Rush)
*Sara Lee (Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls, and more)
Chris Squire (Yes)
Victor Wooten (solo, the Flecktones, and more)
Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit)
Hiro Yamamoto (early Soundgarden)
Jaco Pastorius (all sorts of jazz recordings)
* no relation
Those of you who are bass players, please add your thoughts on how it should be done, as well as some of the artists that have influenced your playing.
For starters, I should say that playing the bass guitar has evolved quite a bit over the last 30 years or so. While many other instruments, like say, the violin, have an extensive history and accepted methods of playing, the bass guitar does not. This means that the beginning player can do pretty much anything they want and it wouldn't necessarily be wrong. That said, let's cover some of the more standard methods.
Tuning
The bass guitar usually has 4 strings. These are tuned in 4ths, starting with a low E, going up through A, D, and G. Current trends have many players with 5 strings (add a low B), 6 strings (add a high B or C to that), or 7 strings (add a high E to that). Of course, there are many other tuning options available to expand the possibilities. Experiment and see what you come up with. For the sake of this entry, we'll stick with a 4 string bass in a standard tuning (E,A,D,G) played in a right-handed position.
Left Hand
The left hand is in charge of telling the bass which note to play. This is done through a series of frets (the wire things running across the neck). Your standard bass will usually have about 20 of these (read on for more about the fretless bass). Each fret marks off a 1/2 step. (I'm not even going to attempt to cover music theory here, so we'll pretend you already know all about that.)
Anyway, the left hand will indicate which note the bass should play by pressing down on a string slightly behind the chosen fret.
Right Hand
The right hand handles telling the bass how to play the note the left hand has selected for it. There are many schools of thought on this subject.
1. Picking -- Early bass players favored using a pick to strike the bass strings (much like a guitar player would do.) This is very popular with speed metal players who want to play very fast and even. Picking gives the note a sharper attack and generally allows the bass player to remain more consistent in tone and volume.
2. Plucking -- Probably the most common method of playing the bass is to pluck it with the first 2 or 3 fingers of the right hand. Players who have made the switch to bass guitar from a traditional upright bass viol would probably favor this method. This method allows the player to maintain more control over varying tone and volume.
3. Slap and Pop -- 80's Funk Metal introduced the world at large to Slap and Pop, although fans of funk/R&B were already quite familiar. S&P involves varying combinations of Slapping the string with the ball of the thumb and Popping the string by giving it a sharp pull with the index (or other, I suppose) finger. This method can be very difficult for the beginner, but a practiced hand (pardon the pun) at S&P can be capable of eye-popping bass acrobatics.
4. Strumming -- The bass can also be strummed, much like a guitar. When done higher up on the neck (and the musical register), this can produce some lovely tones. Lower on the neck (and register), strumming can get a little muddy, but is a good way to really fill out a song. This is also popular in the garage/thrash/noise pop arenas, for an aggressively strummed bass is a thing of beauty. (Assuming that you consider gut-wrenching walls of noise to be beautiful.)
5. Tapping -- The last method I'll cover in this entry is Tapping, which involves using both hands to cover each others' jobs. With either hand, the string is tapped forcibly enough to both fret and produce the note. By alternating between several fingers of both hands, tapping allows many, many notes to be played in a short amount of time. Much like Slap & Pop, Tapping requires quite a bit of practice before anything really listenable will come out of the bass.
To hear some examples of what happens when you happen to be born with a lot of talent and then practice the above methods for a long, long time, check out recordings by:
Tony Levin (solo, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and more)
*Geddy Lee (Rush)
*Sara Lee (Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls, and more)
Chris Squire (Yes)
Victor Wooten (solo, the Flecktones, and more)
Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit)
Hiro Yamamoto (early Soundgarden)
Jaco Pastorius (all sorts of jazz recordings)
* no relation
Those of you who are bass players, please add your thoughts on how it should be done, as well as some of the artists that have influenced your playing.
