Bass Guitar – Learning This Fundamental Instrument

The double bass, a staple of classical music and jazz, eventually gave way to bass guitar

For centuries, the double bass has been a fixture in concert halls and classical music around the world. But by the mid-20th century, bass players had new instruments to play. Designers shrunk and flipped the bass for a more convenient instrument to travel around. This version, also known as electric bass guitar, expanded into new genres like pop, hip-hop, jazz, rock, R & B and even old ones like classical music. While the best bassists don’t always come to mind, they remain the unsung heroes of rhythm.

What is a Bass Guitar?

The most common bass guitar is the four-string electric bass
A four-string electric bass guitar

This string instrument, built in an electric guitar’s style, produces lower frequencies when plucked. You’ll often hear a sound when a metal bass string vibrates with one or more magnetic pickups. The pickup then sends a signal to the amplifier over the instrument cable. The amplifier can hear the bass at a wide range of volumes.

How Many Strings Are There on a Bass Guitar?

Most of these guitars have four strings, but some players prefer the 5, 6, 7, and 8, string models. Traditionally, musicians tune the 4-string bass in quarters (very similar to guitar strings), and the specific tunings are:

Bass Guitar Types

A five-string acoustic bass guitar

Similar to a guitar, you’ll also come across an acoustic bass. There’s a large hollow body and a hole through which vibrating air (sound) comes out. A hole is sometimes called an “f-hole” if it is shaped like an F.

The electric bass is the most commonly played. It has a solid body and typically four strings. To hear it, you need to connect your electric bass to your bass amp. Bass amplifiers function as powered speakers for your instrument to play louder volumes.

This bass is similar to the acoustic and connected to an amp for better hearing in larger venues.

Almost like a violin-shaped guitar, this bass is partially hollow. Hofner’s Beetle Bass is a good example. Paul McCartney often plays semi-acoustic bass.

How Do You Play the Bass Guitar?

If you are already a guitarist, playing bass can come very fast. Both guitar and bass are traditionally grouped into the band’s rhythm section, but the guitar focuses on chord harmony while the bass syncs with the band’s drummer with an emphasis on basic sounds. That doesn’t mean you can’t be creative when playing bass. There are a few things to keep in mind:

The best way to learn this is from a teacher or trainer. Some teachers who offer guitar lessons also offer bass lessons, so it’s worth investigating. The good teachers can educate you on reading music, music theory and composition.

Written By: Anonymous Gooroo Blogger

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Sam Kahn

Sam Kahn

Sam is a content creator and SEO specialist at Gooroo, a tutoring membership and online learning platform that matches students to tutors perfect for them based on their unique learning needs. Gooroo offers Math, English, SAT, Coding, Spanish tutoring, and more.