How to Play the Bass Guitar
Learn the parts of the bass guitar., Sit upright with the body comfortably in your lap., Know the names and notes of all four strings., Alternate your index and middle fingers to pluck the strings., Learn what notes each fret represents., Use a few...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn the parts of the bass guitar.
If you want to play the bass guitar, you need to understand how to talk about it.
A bass is a relatively simple instrument, but knowing the vocabulary is essential:
Body:
The big part of the bass that rests on your lap or along your stomach.
It contains the hardware needed to make sound.
Neck:
The long, segmented section that the strings run along.
Head:
The top of the bass, where the strings are locked in.
It holds the tuning pegs, which you turn to tune.
Frets:
The segmented sections on the neck.
Each fret represents the location of a different note.
Bridge:
The area on the body that the strings are locked into.
It is at the opposite end as the head.
Pick-ups:
On electric basses, these are the little rectangular bars in the center of the body.
They transmit the sounds you're playing to an amplifier. -
Step 2: Sit upright with the body comfortably in your lap.
It is easiest to play while sitting, but if you have a strap you should use it to take some of the weight off.Lay the body lightly in your lap with the neck pointing to your non-dominant hand.
So, if you're right-handed, you hold the neck and frets with your left hand.
Feel free to experiment with a comfortable height.
It should be roughly between your collarbones and hips, but you can adjust it within this range.
You want both arms to be loose and relaxed, elbows slightly bent.
If you're right handed, your right forearm can rest on the top of the body.
Just make sure your thumb, middle finger, and index finger can comfortably reach all four strings., Of course, there are basses with five, six, or even more strings, but beginners almost always start on a 4-string bass.
On guitars, the strings count upwards, meaning the first string is the closest to the ground when you're playing.
The thickest string on top is the fourth string.
So, looking at a guitar from the front, the strings would look like: 4th String:
E 3rd String:
A 2nd String:
D 1st String:
G , When you alternate fingers, each only has to do half the work, meaning you can often play twice as quickly.
To play a note, keep a relaxed, straight wrist, with your fingers draping down the strings.
Pluck the strings with your index and middle fingers like you were "walking" them on the strings.
Keep your hand as still as possible.
You don't have to pull hard, just enough to sound out clearly through your amplifier.
Work on smoothly, consistently alternating fingers without any hiccups or dull notes. , Luckily, this doesn't require memorization once you've learned how the notes work.
Remember how musical notes move
-- A, A♯, B, C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A.
Each fret simply moves you one step down the line.
So, on the 4th string, the thickest string, no fret at all is an E.
The first fret is an F, the second fret an F♯, and so on down the neck.
The most important thing to remember is that there is no such thing as E♯ or B♯.
You simply skip right to F and right to C. , To help learn notes, know that any note two frets and two strings down is the same note.
So, the 4th string, 3rd fret and the 2nd string, 5th fret are both Gs, though the second on is a higher pitch called an "octave." Octaves make learning notes much easier.
A note one string down and five frets backward is an identical note.
So, the 4th string, 7th fret is an B, as is the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
They should sound almost identical., If you need to play the 2nd fret, you press the string down in between the 2nd and 3rd frets.
You don't need to play right on top of the fret.
The closer you can get to the fret, however, the better the note will sound, so you want to be right behind the 2nd fret to get the best tone.
As you get started, you'll find it hard to always land right behind the fret.
Practice a finger position that gets you a smooth note without buzzing and the speed will come later. , Feel your fingertips, noticing the hard area right near the edge of your fingernail.
This is the best place to hold the strings, just a bit to the outside of the fleshy fingertip.
Because it is a bit harder of an area, you won't have to press quite so hard on the frets to get a good sound. , This is a good way to get comfortable playing.
Tablature also called "tab" is a simple, web-friendly way of writing out guitar and bass parts.
Almost any song you could ever want to learn is available online by searching "My Song Bass Tab." Furthermore, learning the system is easy: each line represents a string, and the numbers on it tell you what fret to play.
The following example would play the 2nd fret on the 4th string three times, then the 4th fret on the 2nd string three times:
G|-----------------------------| D|----------------4--4--4----| A|-----------------------------| E|----2--2--2----------------| -
Step 3: Know the names and notes of all four strings.
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Step 4: Alternate your index and middle fingers to pluck the strings.
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Step 5: Learn what notes each fret represents.
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Step 6: Use a few tricks
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Step 7: like octaves
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Step 8: to help learn notes across the fretboard.
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Step 9: Press a string right behind the fret to sound out the note.
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Step 10: Fret with the outside edge of your fingertips.
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Step 11: Read tablature to learn almost any song for free off the internet.
Detailed Guide
If you want to play the bass guitar, you need to understand how to talk about it.
A bass is a relatively simple instrument, but knowing the vocabulary is essential:
Body:
The big part of the bass that rests on your lap or along your stomach.
It contains the hardware needed to make sound.
Neck:
The long, segmented section that the strings run along.
Head:
The top of the bass, where the strings are locked in.
It holds the tuning pegs, which you turn to tune.
Frets:
The segmented sections on the neck.
Each fret represents the location of a different note.
Bridge:
The area on the body that the strings are locked into.
It is at the opposite end as the head.
Pick-ups:
On electric basses, these are the little rectangular bars in the center of the body.
They transmit the sounds you're playing to an amplifier.
It is easiest to play while sitting, but if you have a strap you should use it to take some of the weight off.Lay the body lightly in your lap with the neck pointing to your non-dominant hand.
So, if you're right-handed, you hold the neck and frets with your left hand.
Feel free to experiment with a comfortable height.
It should be roughly between your collarbones and hips, but you can adjust it within this range.
You want both arms to be loose and relaxed, elbows slightly bent.
If you're right handed, your right forearm can rest on the top of the body.
Just make sure your thumb, middle finger, and index finger can comfortably reach all four strings., Of course, there are basses with five, six, or even more strings, but beginners almost always start on a 4-string bass.
On guitars, the strings count upwards, meaning the first string is the closest to the ground when you're playing.
The thickest string on top is the fourth string.
So, looking at a guitar from the front, the strings would look like: 4th String:
E 3rd String:
A 2nd String:
D 1st String:
G , When you alternate fingers, each only has to do half the work, meaning you can often play twice as quickly.
To play a note, keep a relaxed, straight wrist, with your fingers draping down the strings.
Pluck the strings with your index and middle fingers like you were "walking" them on the strings.
Keep your hand as still as possible.
You don't have to pull hard, just enough to sound out clearly through your amplifier.
Work on smoothly, consistently alternating fingers without any hiccups or dull notes. , Luckily, this doesn't require memorization once you've learned how the notes work.
Remember how musical notes move
-- A, A♯, B, C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A.
Each fret simply moves you one step down the line.
So, on the 4th string, the thickest string, no fret at all is an E.
The first fret is an F, the second fret an F♯, and so on down the neck.
The most important thing to remember is that there is no such thing as E♯ or B♯.
You simply skip right to F and right to C. , To help learn notes, know that any note two frets and two strings down is the same note.
So, the 4th string, 3rd fret and the 2nd string, 5th fret are both Gs, though the second on is a higher pitch called an "octave." Octaves make learning notes much easier.
A note one string down and five frets backward is an identical note.
So, the 4th string, 7th fret is an B, as is the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
They should sound almost identical., If you need to play the 2nd fret, you press the string down in between the 2nd and 3rd frets.
You don't need to play right on top of the fret.
The closer you can get to the fret, however, the better the note will sound, so you want to be right behind the 2nd fret to get the best tone.
As you get started, you'll find it hard to always land right behind the fret.
Practice a finger position that gets you a smooth note without buzzing and the speed will come later. , Feel your fingertips, noticing the hard area right near the edge of your fingernail.
This is the best place to hold the strings, just a bit to the outside of the fleshy fingertip.
Because it is a bit harder of an area, you won't have to press quite so hard on the frets to get a good sound. , This is a good way to get comfortable playing.
Tablature also called "tab" is a simple, web-friendly way of writing out guitar and bass parts.
Almost any song you could ever want to learn is available online by searching "My Song Bass Tab." Furthermore, learning the system is easy: each line represents a string, and the numbers on it tell you what fret to play.
The following example would play the 2nd fret on the 4th string three times, then the 4th fret on the 2nd string three times:
G|-----------------------------| D|----------------4--4--4----| A|-----------------------------| E|----2--2--2----------------|
About the Author
Teresa Torres
Teresa Torres has dedicated 4 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Teresa focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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