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Termyn8or -> RE: Calling Bassists! Bass Guitar instruction? (3/29/2010 8:32:33 PM)
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1. The first thing is to make sure the guitar is tuned properly, at least to itself. It tunes like the first four strings of a guitar, but also like a regular guitar needs to be "back checked" on the seventh fret, as well as the twelfth. When you do something good, it sounds good and encourages you.
2. You know where the fifth fret is, use it. There is nothing wrong with playing in A from the E string. It gives you downward range. The only reason to really get to the lower frets on the E is to be an octave lower, which alot of people like, but you can't play everything from there.
3. If you can, once you really get started try to avoid copies and covers, they distract from your creativity. Almost everyone who makes the grade does their own composition. Copying others is great for learning the technique, but your goal (if normal) is to play your own stuff. Don't forget that.
4. Work your fingers, they will need to be strong to play the thing. I mean the stronger the better and strong in a different way. Unlike lifting and toting and other forms of physical labor, this requires that you be able to separate the individual muscles in your hands in a very precise manner. A regular guiitar is hard enough, a bass requires more strength if you want to get good.
5. Chords are possible on a bass and if played high enough can even be strummed. Even if not, guitar chords work just fine but you just pick them out. The frequencies are too low for ceertain chords though, you will learn the limitations, but the point is that it's probably a good idea to learn guitar chords, but you will only be using the first four strings.
I've played bass, and belive it or not impressed a couple of people, but I really am not all that good. I've also played a left handed bass, both left handed and upside down, so to speak. That was a challenge. In that light, if you haven't played guitar or bass in the past, you need to figure out if you are left handed. Now this has nothing to do with which hand you use to write. It is a different story. But if you are truly a beginner you should try it both ways.
HA ! On the lighter side no matter what kind of bondage freak I am, there are five (I think) guitars in this house and not one of them has a strap. Something seems wrong here. But the point to that is that it is easier to learn sitting down. You must get comfortable with your bad ass axe. That is crucial, when you know what you're doing you can take to dancing around and shit while you play. Get the basics down first.
Last but not least, and this takes a bit of skill and comprension, don't listen to the tuning machine, listen to the instrument. Many need a bit of tweaking from perfect to sound better. Keep the thread alive and I can tell you how to find out if it is "scaled" properly, and if not what to do about it. It's probably good, but you need to know. Besides what I can tell you, there are quite a few websites out there with good info. If you plan to play music that means you intend to be a musician. That means whatever you play must be in tune. So many people just use that tuning machine and think they're good to go, but they aren't all the time.
That's all for now.
T
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