Bass Guitar Buying Tips
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. Anyone learning to play the bass (or planning to) needs to first understand the instrument’s place in a band – IE – what it’s main purpose is, and secondly to understand the different techniques employed for the different genres of music played by the band.
There are a variety of different and interesting techniques which can be used to play the bass guitar. For example, slapping is a technique where you use your thumb to strike the E string (normally) before quickly pulling it away to make a slapping sound. The E string is the largest string, the one that plays the lowest sound. Funk music is one of the genres that uses this technique extensively.
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.
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.
As with any online purchase, particularly if it isn’t cheap, one should take great care to examine the credentials of the seller (if it’s on eBay) or website. Look into their selling history, check their refund policy and look for any other information that will help you to make a safe and satisfying purchase.
