Buying A Bass Guitar
A bass guitar is pretty similar to a normal electric guitar, except the typical version only has four strings and it has a larger body plus a slightly longer neck. The first lesson in learning bass is to understand the instrument’s role in the band and the second lesson should be to get a grasp on the different ways to play the guitar depending on the different genres of music adopted by the band.
There are some interesting techniques for the bass guitar which also have interesting names. ‘ Slapping’ is a technique where the guitar player strikes the E string (usually) with their thumb before quickly pulling away their thumb. The E string is the ‘ fattest’ string-the one that plays the lowest note. You can hear this technique being used extensively in funk music.
Popping is another bass playing technique. It is done by putting one of the fingers underneath the string, pulling it outwards, and then releasing it so that it pops back. The two techniques, can be used alternately by moving the hand in such a way that first that the thumb is used to slap, the finger then pops, the thumb slaps again etc. Of course, by doing it this way, it can be done a lot faster than if one were to repeatedly repeat the one technique on its own using only the one digit.
The bass guitar is used very closely in combination with the drums to create the ‘backbone’ of a band – they provide the rhythm, or the melodic ‘bottom’ of a melody and the harmonic foundation for other members of the band who are playing chords. Therefore it is important for the bass player to have good timing. There are a disproportionate number of men who play the bass because due to the thickness of the strings, it needs a certain amount of strength and finger toughness to play for long periods of time without causing injury (particularly if the music genre involves an aggressive, rapid style.)
Also many larger built men find that their finger tip size, hand size and limb length make it much more comfortable and productive for them to choose the bass rather than the electric guitar. Specifically, a rhythm guitarist will quite often only play chords, which require hand dexterity and ideally, thin fingers. So for someone with big ‘sausage’ fingers, who also might be a little more ‘clumsy’ than others, the bass is the best solution as they may find normal guitar playing quite frustrating.
Bass guitars can be played using the index and middle finger in alternate ‘plucks’. The thumb is often rested on the top of the pick-up nearest the middle in order to support these two fingers while playing. But the bass can also be played with a pick (or plectrum). There is also a pick that is made specifically for the bass which is larger than a typical guitar pick.
Before purchasing a bass guitar on the internet, it’s a good idea to make sure that the person selling it will be using suitable packaging to make sure that the guitar is not damaged in the post. If you’re looking to buy a second hand one, it is also wise to have a good look at pictures of the item to see if it has any damage, scratches or any other kind of signs of mistreatment or evidence that the guitar has previously been dropped, because in the worst case scenario, this can permanently affect the quality of the sound produced by the instrument.
Of course, as with any purchase on the internet, is a good idea to have a good look at the credentials of the summer (for example if the seller is on eBay) or if it is on a website, it is wise to thoroughly check out the legitimacy of the website, how long it has been selling for online, and any customer reviews who have previously bought from that website. Be sure to check out the refund policy as well as any other terms and conditions.
