Buying A Bass Guitar
Bass guitar is very similar to a typical electric guitar, except the standard version has only four strings (instead of six like the guitar) and it also has a wider body and a slightly longer neck. If you are planning on learning to play the bass, then firstly you should educate yourself about the instrument’s ‘role’ in a band, and secondly you might want to understand the varying techniques used which change depending upon the type of music genre that the particular song belongs to.
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 main backbone of a band is made up of the bass guitar working closely with the drummer. This section provides the rhythm, the main melody and the basic harmonic foundation for the rest of the band who play chords over the top of this foundation. Obviously, the bassist therefore needs to have particularly good timing. You will normally find more men than women playing the bass, not least because of how thick the strings are, therefore it needs a reasonable amount of finger strength and toughness to be able to play the instrument for very long periods of time without causing injury. It is more likely to be the case if it is a particularly aggressive, rapid style of bass playing required for that type of music.
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 are most usually played by using the middle finger plus the index finger to alternatively pluck the strings. The thumb is usually used as a support and is most commonly rested just on top of the pick-up. You can also play the bass guitar with a pick (otherwise known as a plectrum) and there are bass pics manufactured specifically for the bass guitar-these are thicker and more sturdy than the typical electric guitar pick.
If you are looking to buy a bass guitar on the internet, some good tips are to check that the sender will be using adequate packaging to protect the item in transit. Also, you should view pictures of the guitar closely if it is second-hand in order to try and find any marks or other giveaway signs that the instrument has been mis-treated or dropped, as any damage could affect the quality of the sound produced by it.
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.
