Buying A Bass Guitar On The Internet
The bass guitar is very much like a slightly larger version of an electric guitar, but it usually only has four strings and also has a longer neck and a slightly wider body. 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.
Another reason for this, is that many larger men have wider fingers, bigger hands, and longer arms which makes it much more comfortable than easy for them to play the bass, whereas it can be quite difficult for them to cope with the intricacies of the electric guitar. For example, a rhythm guitarist will mainly play chords which are more suitable to smaller fingers and a dextrous hand. Therefore for someone with quite large fingers who is possibly a little more clumsy than someone without, the bass guitar might be a much better choice.
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.
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.
