How to Buy Your First Electric Bass Guitar Online

The stories are varied, sorted, and some, like all good steely yarns are mythical.

"Dude, I walked in to this ol' fisherman's shop and there, hanging on the wall was the bass, the bass that would be the first and last bass of the rest of my life!"

Some are practical.

"ActiveMusician was having a sale, I picked the first one I saw, it was like blue, I like like blue, and hey, like blue for $150 bucks who could like argue?"

OK, OK, so we would all hope that picking out your bass would land somewhere in between these two extremes, somewhat mythical with just a hint of practicality. Either way it would be nice to have a good story but let's face it, you probably have a guitar player friend that wants you to join his band as the bass player. "How hard could it be to buy a bass guitar online?" he says. Well, the truth is, not very hard at all. Let's read on.

How to Buy a Bass Guitar

First, let's decide what it is you would like to do with your bass. Do you want to practice for 18 hours a day? Bring it home and be playing gigs within the week? (bad bass player joke withheld for editorial concerns). Hang it on a wall with a custom guitar hanger and never play it? Well, I would assume it's somewhere in the middle. As a long time bass instructor, I would encourage you to practice 18 hours a day but hey, that’s just me. OK, 4 hours. 4 hours is OK? Then 5 hours - git back in there. I want 5 more hours before supper!

"OK, so my guitar player friend says I'm interested in the bass, how do I start looking? What do I look for? How much is this new interest gonna cost me?"

If you're unsure if your new band is even going to last through next week, there's a good crop of Squier basses for under $200, like the Squier Affinity P Bass, the Squier Affinity J Bass and the Squier MB-4. Very playable, solid sound, and very affordable. If you've already got next month's show booked, then I would recommend a mid-level bass, something in the $500 dollar range. The Fender standard four string is the kind of bass that will give you a professional sound right out of the box. It has professional, quality-made pickups, and for those of you who live in the warm climates of the South or the cold un-forgiving winters of Canada (hey, I'm from Canada), the neck will stay fairly straight and won't bow like a banana at the first sign of extreme weather. Fender has been building basses since the beginning of time and they're always a safe bet for your first instrument.

Buy yourself a tuner! Let's face it, playing the bass isn't rocket science (at least initially) and you'll be plucking out songs in no time and wanting to jam with that guitar player friend of yours. When the jam starts you'll want to be ready to play so a tuner (especially for beginners) is essential in getting you up and playing quickly. It will also help to make sure you're in tune with all those CDs you're gonna want to jam with (during your 18 hour practice day). I've had much success with the Korg DT-3 Guitar and Bass Tuner, which I actually picked up from this very site (thank you very much). It's sturdy, small, easy to use, and has nice large lights on it for old guys like me, and maybe you if this is some sort of mid-life crisis thing.

Next you want to get yourself a practice amp. In this area you want to think small, mighty, and preferably combo, which, for those that don't know, is the speaker and amplifier in one easy to lift package. Most people make the mistake of getting something that isn't loud enough, they truck it over to that same guitar player's house, this time a drummer's shown up (he convinced him too), and your bass parts (and yes, hopefully they're parts) become a distorted mess. Bass is meant to be warm, fuzzy, like a furry animal that you love and feed until it gets really fat and everyone drops by to pinch its cheeks. For this we need something that will comfortably fit in our practice area and still be loud enough for the perennial cheek pinching.

I generally tell people that if you can get a bass amp over 100 watts, you'll be safe. Behringer is making great combo amps these days and you can't beat the price. Check out the Behringer Ultrabass BXL3000A - 300 watts, a large 15" speaker and you won't blow a disc when lifting it into the rehearsal space.

After a while, you'll notice that the bass isn't sounding, well, all that great anymore. What ever could be the problem? That problem is old strings. Now I have my particular favorites and like any of you know who have made it this far in the article I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Basically, I don't understand steel strings at all - people say they last longer but I'm a nickel man and I'll tell ya why. For any of you who have tried steel strings, you'll notice that they feel like they have a sticky, dry kind of feel to them. For me, the fingers of my right hand feel as though they are literally sticking to the stings. For this reason, I recommend something like D'Addario EXP170SL Bass Strings. They are soft on your hands while you do dishes (OK, bad commercial reference for anyone over the age of 35) but really, they are silky smooth and they sound a lot brighter than steel!

Wanna know how to spot a Beginner? They're the ones without the gig bag. That's right, you know who you are. You've bought a bass and hey, the case is included! I say that's fine for protecting your bass when you move cross-country, but for everyday use, get yourself a gig bag. You'll look cooler and one arm won't become suddenly longer than the other on the repeated trips over to said guitar players house. The Fender Deluxe Gig Bag is the obvious fit for your new Fender bass. Wear your bass in style! People will stare, point, and say, "hey, now there goes a real musician!"

OK, hopefully that helped a little. Now go and buy that bass, and tell them Chris Tarry sent ya! I'll wait..... Got it? Good, now get in that practice room!

Guitar Lesson: Do You Know These Easy Chords?

With a guitar you have many easy nice sounding chords at your disposal. Let's play a few open guitar chords in the key of A.

Guitar tab

Guitar tab notation is a way of showing how to play melodies and chords on the guitar. It usually consists of six lines representing the six strings on the guitar and numbers that indicate the frets to play.

In this guitar lesson we will use a form of guitar tablature that uses numbers instead of a tablature staff. I have found that ordinary guitar tab staff notation sometimes will be displayed uncorrectly on article sites.

How to read this notation

I will use two numbers to show how to play the notes. The first number indicate the fret and the second the string to play. An example:

3/2

This tab notation tells you to play the third fret on the second string. It is the note D on your guitar. For clarification: The first string is the string with the highest pitch.

A turnaround in the key of A

What is a turnaround? It is a set of chords that can be played over and over again on your guitar as an intro to a song or between verses and so on.

We will start with an ordinary A major chord that with the guitar tab notation previously explained will look like this:

0/5 2/4 2/3 2/2 0/1

We will omit the sixth string to get a cleaner sound. Let's add an E chord. We will not use the ordinary E major och E7 chord. Instead we will use an easier chord that is called E major with A as bass note notated E/A.

The guitar chord looks like this:

0/5 2/4 1/3 0/2 0/1

We will finally add an Asus chord. The guitar tab notation looks as follows:

0/5 2/4 2/3 3/2 0/1

You can play the chords in the following manner:

A E/A Asus A

You can strum the chords with two or four downstrokes on each chord. As I mentioned before this chord progression works as a turnaround and can be played over and over again.

A turnaround in the key of A minor

We will start this turnaround with the plain and easy A minor chord. It looks like this with guitar tab:

0/5 2/4 2/3 1/2 0/1

If you release the finger pressure a bit and slide the chord up two frets you will get the following chord:

0/5 4/4 4/3 3/2 0/1

A nice sounding chord that can be named in different ways. We can call it B minor with A as bass note and an added E note. Abbreviated it will be Bm/A add 11.

By sliding the chord up one more fret and changing just one note (by pressing down your little finger) you will get the following guitar chord:

0/5 5/4 5/3 5/2 0/1

This will be an A minor seven chord. The short notation is Am7.

Played in the following order the chords will create a turnaround:

Am Bm/A add 11 Am7 Bm/A add 11

These two turnarounds are easy contributions to your guitar repertoire and can be changed and developed as you like.

Buying Your First Electric Guitar

Buying your first guitar is a big step, and there are a lot of things to consider. Electric, rather than acoustic guitars are the most frequent choice for budding guitarists, as they are generally easier to play and, for many beginners, more fun as well. Knowing which equipment is a necessity and which is overkill, comparing prices and brand names, and sorting through a mountain of technical jargon and specifications can all make the process intimidating. This is particularly true for budding musicians or people trying to find that perfect gift for the musician in their lives.

Bass

But buying a guitar doesn't have to be hard. In fact, many professional musicians look back on buying and learning to play their first guitar as one of the most fun times in their lives. This article will sort out of a few of the most confusing aspects of guitars and accessories, and at the same time make the process of buying your first guitar as personal, easy and fun as possible. After all, you're not really interested in buying a guitar, you're interested in playing it!

By using the menu below, navigate through the rest of this article, including what you'll need to get started, as well as how to select the right guitar and amplifier.

Necessary Equipment

There are a few absolutely essential pieces of equipment that are needed to play the electric guitar. The bare minimum set of equipment includes:

• A Guitar This one should be obvious, but read the section on choosing the right guitar for more information about which features to look for when buying your first guitar.
• An Amplifier (Amp) Some guitar amplifiers come with built in speakers and some don't. Many have particular features which put them ahead of others in their class. Read the section on choosing the right amplifier for more information.
• An Instrument Cable At least 6 ft. long, to connect the guitar and amp.
• A Set of Guitar Strings
• A Guitar Pick

The contents of this list may seem obvious to some, but overlooking any one of these items will require an inconvenient trip to the music store or your favorite music supply website before you can start playing. In addition, there are several other items that are not strictly essential, but many musicians would say they cannot live without:

• Distortion and Effects A key element of a guitar's sound is the effects that are used to modify it. The most common, essential effect for rock music, jazz, blues, and most other forms of modern guitar is distortion. Some amplifiers come with built in distortion, some don't. Read the section on amplifiers for more information.
• Guitar Carrying Case It's pretty hard to move your guitar around without damaging or detuning it, so a hard guitar case or soft "gig-bag" are an important piece of equipment.
• Instruction Book If you're just starting out playing guitar, having an instruction book to guide you will definitely help. It's no substitute for taking professional lessons, but it's a start.

Since there are many pieces of equipment needed to play electric guitar, one attractive option is to purchase a single "kit" containing all the neccessary items and accessories.

Now that you know which equipment you'll need to start playing, read the sections below for more information about selecting the right equipment to meet your needs.

Choosing the Right Guitar

The most important and possibly most intimidating part of putting together your first electric guitar "kit" is selecting the guitar itself. Music stores have walls full of guitars with a wide range of quality, features and price tags. So how can a beginner sort through the ocean of terminology, brand names, and jargon without getting lost? The choice really comes down to three essential elements: body construction, electronics, and budget.

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Body Construction

Although electric guitars derive a lot of their sound quality from their electronics, the construction of the guitar's body is even more important. The way sound resonates through the body of the guitar will determine whether it produces a warm, solid tone or a hollow one. As common sense might dictate, a solid-body electric guitar will produce a stronger more solid tone than a hollow-body guitar. Although some people do like the thinner sound that comes from a hollow body guitar, a solid body will be the most versatile, and most appropriate for beginners and veteran guitarists alike. In addition, a well constructed guitar should have the entire body, neck and fretboard made of wood, not of laminate or plastic materials.

A second consideration is the guitar's size. A "standard" electric guitar has 22 frets, meaning each string is capable of producing 22 different notes. However, many electric guitars, particularly those marketed to beginners are smaller in size. Except for small children who lack the wingspan to reach a full sized guitar, this is undesirable, as it limits the range of notes the guitar is capable of producing. Therefore, teenagers and adults looking to purchase their first guitar (and 10th guitar, for that matter) should look for full-sized, 22 fret guitars.

Finally, the last important feature of an electric guitar's construction is the bridge. The bridge is the part of the guitar where the strings attach to the guitar body. There are two types of bridges: fixed bridge and floating (vibrato) bridge. For most aspiring guitarists, the vibrato bridge will be the best choice. This allows the guitarist to "bend" notes as they are being played using the included "wammy-bar". This is a common technique in rock, blues and jazz music. Although the bridge won't have a large effect on other aspects of the guitar's sound like those listed above, a floating or vibrato bridge really makes guitar playing more fun and expressive.

Electronics

Another essential element of a guitar's sound is the system of electronics it contains. The most important element of an electric guitar's electronics is its pickup (or pickups). Pickups are like small microphones that sit just beneath the strings. The position and quality of the pickup(s) in the guitar will have a large impact on the guitar's sound. Pickups placed near the bridge produce a sharp "twangy" tone, while those placed near the fretboard produce a deeper more melodic tone.

The best option for a beginner (and many more advanced guitarists) is a guitar with multiple pickups. This allows the guitarist to choose the appropriate sound for the type of song being played, and greatly increases the guitar's versatility. A common setup is a guitar with three pickups and a switch that allows the guitarist to select which pickup(s) are being used. In this case, a 5-way switch allows for any pickup to be used, as well as combining multiple pickups to produce a unique sound.

Budget

Just as with any product, budget is an important factor to consider when buying an electric guitar. Guitars can range in price from about forty dollars to several thousand. And just like with most products, the top of the price range spectrum is occupied by "designer" guitars with celebrity endorsements that don't offer much more in the way of quality than those in the middle of the price range. In short, they are the equivalent of a designer handbag: inflated price without much real functional benefit.

The truth is that most of the name brand guitar manufacturers (Fender, Ibanez, Behringer, Jackson) produce an affordable beginner model, and most of these models are of perfectly good quality for a new musician, and will last for years. As long as you stick to the guidelines in this article for body design, electronics, amplifier design, etc., you can't go too wrong.

The next important task is selecting the right amplifier to go with your new guitar!

Choosing the Right Amplifier

Most people (but perhaps not all people) realize that the electric guitar does not produce any sound by itself (except an almost inaudible twang). The sound you here from an electric guitar actually comes from the amplifier, which is connected to the guitar by an instrument cable. Therefore, the quality of the amplifier is as important as the quality of the guitar itself in determining how the guitar will ultimately sound. Much like selecting the guitar itself, the process of selecting an amplifier can be intimidating, but can be boiled down to a few essential features.

Power

When reading about a guitar amplifier, the first thing that is always listed is the power rating. The power of a guitar amplifier is measured in watts (abbreviated W). The higher the wattage, the louder the sound it can produce. However, although this feature of an amplifier is important for stage performers, it is not the most important thing to a beginner guitarist.

Practice amps are available with as little as 5 watts of power, while amplifiers with hundreds or thousands of watts of power are typically used for stage performance. Realistically, a power rating of 10-15 watts is more than enough to wake the neighbors, and you'll rarely if ever max out the power of your practice amp. The more important aspects of an amplifier are its features and effects, as these will affect the sound quality.

Features

One important feature of an amplifier is the type of electronics it employs. There are basically two types of amplifiers: solid state and vacuum tube. While almost all modern electronics, including guitar amplifiers to some extent, have phased out vacuum tubes and replaced them with transistors, it is still widely accepted that vacuum tube amplifiers produce better tone, better distortion, and better all around sound quality. In fact, many if not most professional rock, blues and jazz musicians use vacuum tube amplifiers because of their superior sound quality. Most practice amps in the price range affordable by beginner guitarists do not include vacuum tubes, but there are a few companies that have made this option available. The Behringer AC108 has a vacuum tube that can be turned on or off, allowing for increased versatility and sound quality, while still maintaining an affordable price.

Another desirable feature of guitar amplifiers, particularly for beginners, is a CD input. This allows the guitarist to plug a CD player, cassette or iPod into the back of the amplifier, and play along with his / her favorite tracks. If you've ever tried to learn to play guitar, you probably realize that this is something beginner guitarists do all the time during the learning process, and the convenience of a CD input makes this process much easier.

Effects

The last major element to consider when buying a guitar amplifier is the built in effects it includes. Effects such as distortion, reverb, and equalization (EQ) allow the sound produced by the amplifier to be customized, thereby increasing its versatility. The more effects that are built into the amplifier, the fewer effects you'll need to go out and buy separately to produce that perfect sound you're looking for.

The process of buying an electric guitar can be confusing, but it should be fun, too. Music isn't meant to be about instruction manuals and long spec sheets – it's about fun and inspiration. Hopefully, by providing some basic guidance on what you'll need to start your guitar career, this article will make that process easier and more fun.

What Is The Best Bass Guitar For You?

In this material we shall take a look at some of the things you should look out for when buying a bass guitar. This will help you in better understanding bass guitar descriptions and reviews. We shall talk about different types of body styles, necks, scale lengths, tuning machines, intonation, bolt-on necks, neck-throughs, fingerboards, number of frets, pickups, woods and finishes. We shall explain what each of these features are all about to help you decide what is the best bass guitar for you.

"C" for Chicago

Body Style:

Most electric bass guitars are solid-body electrics. But if you're looking for a rounder and more acoustic sound you should buy a semi-hollowbody bass instead.

Fingerboard:

Another thing to pay attention to when choosing the best bass for you is the fingerboard. If you're looking for a warm, natural sound, you need a bass with an uncoated fingerboard. With a coated fingerboard the sound produced is whining and trebly and it sustains longer.

Neck:

How do you know what neck to choose? It's pretty simple. The type of neck you choose is dependent on the size of your hands. There are different shapes for you to choose from including round, flat back, oval, "vee" and asymmetrical where the neck is thinner either on the treble or bass side. Naturally, four string basses usually come with smaller necks than 4 string or 5 string basses.

Scale Length:

The scale length is the distance between the nut and bridge saddle. It is the vibrating length of the string. The longer the scale the more distance there is between the frets. The scale length chosen is important because it is what influences the tonal quality of the notes and the tension of the string when a note is played.

What scale length is best? Is it a short scale of 30 inches, medium scale of 32 inches, standard scale of 34 inches, 5 string long scale of 35 inches, or an extra long scale of 36 inches? Well it all depends on the instrument you're thinking of getting and the tone you desire. Let's say you're interested in getting a five string bass for example and want a defined low B string sound. In that case the longer the neck, the better. For a four string bass a shorter scale will do and it helps you get the most out of the G string. If you have small hands, a short scale bass is probably the best bass guitar for you.

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Intonation:

Pay close attention to intonation. This is what determines whether the various notes on your bass play in tune. On some basses, the distance between the frets can be a little off and as a result these basses don't play in tune, usually when you pass the 12th fret. As far as I'm concerned these basses are useless and you shouldn't waste money on one.
Tuning machines:

In choosing the best bass guitar for you, you must pay attention to the type of tuning head your bass guitar has. This is what you use to fine tune your instrument and hold pitch. Ensure that you get the best one available. An enclosed machine heads are better than open tuning machines. They resists rust and airborne corrosives and you therefore don't have to maintain or replace them often.

Number of Frets:

The number of frets you choose is also a matter of personal preference. You can choose between 21, 22, or 24 frets. Personally, I do not worry about this too much since most playing takes place in the lower frets anyway.

Pickups:

When it comes to sound, pickups are perhaps just as important as the strings on your bass. No matter how good the wood of the bass is, if the pickups are lacking, it's pointless. But you need the right pickup for your bass since one pickup may work very well on one bass and not on another. You also need the right combination of strings and pickup. There are many pickup models available and they are either active or passive. If you choose one that is active, keep in mind that you will have to keep replacing batteries.

Bolt-on necks and neck-throughs:

In terms of neck, the best bass for you is all about your personal preference. If you want one that is stronger, has better sustain and note resolution, buy a neck-through bass. But for a punchier sound, nothings beats a bolt-on neck; the only limitation is that they are more prone to having dead spots.

Wood:

When buying the best bass guitar for you, choice of wood is important. The wood you choose will affect the tone and weight of the instrument. If you're gonna be standing up to play it's wise to have one that is lightweight. Swamp ash wood is a lightweight soft wood that produces low mids and a punchy tone. Alder is another lightweight wood except that the tone it produces is more crisp. At the end of the day, although you should pay attention to the weight of the instrument, it's all about whether or not you like the sound.

Finish:

You can choose any finish you like since it doesn't really affect the sound of your electric bass.

All the best in finding the best bass guitar for you. As long as you have a clear understanding of what you need it should be easy to find the right bass guitar.

The History Of The Bass Guitar

In this material we take a look at the history of the electric bass guitar. When talking about bass history the first person that people normally think of is Leo Fender. He is credited with introducing the world to the Precision bass in 1951. The bass was called a Precision bass because of the accuracy of the notes. Players were able to play notes that were perfectly in tune because of the presence of frets on the electric bass guitar. To many people, this was the first real electric bass. This bass was mass-produced and very recognizable when it was created by Fender and up to this day it still is.

But while we give Leo Fender his dues for creating the modern electric bass, it must be said that way before 1951 there were at least five other prototypes that resembled the design of today's electric bass guitar. In talking about the history of the bass guitar we must talk about the double bass. In fact, today's bass is a direct descendant of the double bass, dating way back to the 17th century. Although it was really in the 20th century that one with a more practical design was created.

When talking about bass guitar history mention must be made of Lloyd Loar, known for designing the first electric double bass in the 1920s while working for Gibson. The bass used an electro-static pickup but there was no practical way of hearing it play. Unfortunately, bass amplification still had a long way to go.

The evolution of the bass guitar now takes us to the early 1930s when Paul Tutmarc built a more practical bass in terms of size. The first one came with a pickup and was the size of a cello but was too heavy, so the designed was changed to that of a guitar. This 42 inches long solid body bass was made of black walnut and came with piano strings and a pickup. A few years later, in the mid 1930s, established firms like Lyon & Healy, Rickenbacker and Gibson began selling basses that, although less bulkier than the standard double bass, were still tall, unfretted and upright.

Around 1940 was the first time a large distributor handled the electric bass. The distributor was L.D.Heater Music Co. in Portland Oregon, and the basses were manufactured by Paul Tutmarc. This was a fretted instrument that was no longer to be played upright, but horizontal. It came with a pickup and was much smaller than earlier versions.

It was only then that Leo Fender came up with the modern electric bass. As said at the beginning of our discussion on bass guitar history, it was the year 1951. In the year 1957 the pickguard and headstock were redesigned and the pickup was changed to a split pickup. This took us to the year 1960 when the Jazz bass was designed. Unlike the Precision bass, it came with two separate pickups. The modern bass guitar became very popular.

The first 6 string bass was created in 1959 by Danelecto and the first 5 string in 1964 by Fender. The first fretless was created in 1965 by Ampeg, and in 1968 an 8 string bass by Hagstroem. Carl Thompson is credited with building the first fretless 6 string bass in 1978.

Many developments have taken place since then. For instance, Ned Steinberger introduced a headless bass in 1979. In 1987, the Guild Guitar Corporation launched the fretless Ashbory bass. This bass used silicone rubber strings and a piezoelectric pickup to achieve a "double bass" sound. The bass was very short, only 18 inches long.

Throughout the years, pickups have also evolved. In addition to single coil pickups, you now have several others such as humbuckers, hybrid pickups, passive and active pickups. These seem to be capable of producing every tone imaginable, from pure signals to the grittiest dirt sounds.

The electric bass seems to have become more popular today than ever before. For instance, when someone refers to a bass it's more common to think of the electric bass than the upright acoustic.

How to Tune a Bass Guitar

This material seeks to answer your question on how to tune a bass guitar. Well since I don't know exactly how many strings are on your bass guitar I shall present you with different options, namely, 4-string, 5 string, 6 string, and 7 string basses.

First of all we shall look at the standard tuning of bass guitars.

The standard tuning of a four string bass guitar from highest (thinnest string) to lowest (fattest string) is G-D-A-E.

On a five string bass the tunings are similar with the addition of a low B string.

On a six string bass guitar, a thinner (higher pitched) string is added, and is tuned to C. In other words on a 6 string bass guitar the settings are B-E-A-D-G-C, where B is the fattest string or lowest note and C the highest and thinnest.

On a 7-string bass a high F-string is added. The settings on a 7-string bass are B-E-A-D-G-C-F where B is the lowest and F the highest.

Tuning your bass is all about matching the pitch of your instrument to that of a bass guitar tuner, pitch pipe, tuning fork or a correctly tuned piano or keyboard. If you do not have a tuner or keyboard instrument, you can find an online tuner by doing a search.

Now all you have to do is match the pitch of the strings to the corresponding notes on your tuner. Hopefully your ears are sufficiently developed (musically), for you to hear this. When the note on your bass is the same as that of your tuner, the vibration patterns will match and you will hear no wah-wah-wah sound when you play the two notes. There will be no clash between the two notes.

So how do you tune your bass?

Loosen the string and tune up to the correct note. In other words your string should be well below the correct pitch and only then do you begin to tighten. That way you avoid breakage by tightening the string too much. Listen carefully to make sure the two pitches match and that there is no wah-wah-wah or clashing sound between the two notes.

As long as the notes are in sync, you will hear no wah-wah-wah sound. But if you pass the in tune point, you will begin to hear that undesired sound again, and it means that you will have to loosen on the string a little until you get back to the in tune point.

Tune all your strings one by one by matching the sound of the strings to the corresponding note on your tuner.

Tuning your bass is not hard. But as with any other instrument it involves practice. And of course, practice makes perfect. After a while you may find that you do not even have to rely on an electronic tuner to tune your bass. Hope you found this guide useful. Good luck.

Bass Guitar Tablatures

A guitar tab is a system of notations, letters, symbols and other visual representations - instead of the traditional musical notation. Guitar tabs give directions to the player as to how to play a musical piece through a diagram of strings of the guitar.

Tablature consists of a diagram of strings of the guitar with finger positions indicated by numbers corresponding to the appropriate frets and sometimes with the numerical representations of the fingers. Guitar tabs are very important for those who are enthusiasts and are keen on learning new tunes and technicalities of guitar and especially those songs which have extensive guitar uses, both plucking and other types of fingering as well as lead parts.

A bass guitar is slightly different in shape from other guitars (rhythm guitar, classical guitar, Hawaiian guitar, etc.) A bass guitar is used for complementing and filling up the sound in an orchestration or a band and it goes in tune and rhythm with the drums and percussion. A bass guitar’s neck or fret board is much longer than the fret boards of any other guitars and it has four strings called the bass strings.

Nowadays tablatures, guitar tabs in particular, have vertical lines which represent the strings of the guitar (no matter what kind of guitar it is) horizontal lines for the frets, and dots signifying the position of the figures. In the case of a bass guitar there will only be four horizontal lines signifying the four strings of the bass guitar. A bass guitar can never be played with a spectrum (an object used to strum the strings of the guitar). Instead, it is played with figures just by plucking. Therefore, a bass guitar tablature is different from those of the rhythm or the classical guitars.

Learn To pLay Bass Guitar

Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

1. Feel the beat

Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

3. Finger placing is important

Hitting the bass guitar fret board with the left-hand fingers is very important since it is a major factor that will determine the wholeness of each note. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.