Bass Guitars Rock!
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. 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.
Bass playing has some interesting techniques associated with it that also have unusual names. For example, ’slapping’ is achieved by (usually) striking the E string (normally the ‘bottom’ string – IE – the ‘widest’ one that plays the lowest notes but appears to be the ‘uppermost’ string when the guitar is strapped on and the strings are viewed) with the thumb towards the neck of the instrument. The thumb is then pulled away quickly. If you listen to any ‘funk’ music, you will hear this technique being employed quite a lot.
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 electric 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.)
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 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.
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.
