Bass guitar lessons. Bass guitar lessons

The bass guitar is used in various modern styles music. It creates a rhythmic foundation in the composition, as well as a feeling of “fullness”. It is very important to know certain basics about this tool in order to make the right choice when purchasing.

In this post we will talk about how to choose a bass guitar. You will learn about bass guitar design, electronics, body types, pickups and much more.

Goals and budget

Bass guitars vary widely in variables such as price and quality. So before you start buying anything, ask yourself: “How much money am I willing to spend on this?”.

For beginning bass players who are unsure of their talent or dedication to learning, there are many good, affordable beginner bass guitars. These instruments are aimed at satisfying all the needs of a beginning bass player, although they have certain disadvantages. For example, in order to save on production, a manufacturer may equip a guitar with low-quality electronics or save on wood when making the body of the instrument. Money is the cornerstone on which the quality of the instrument directly depends.

However, if you are a more experienced or dedicated guitarist, then you may want to invest in a guitar that has higher quality wood, better electronics, and a more attractive design. More expensive instruments will sound better, be more comfortable to play, and last much longer.

What you choose is up to you.

Bass Guitar Construction and Design

Before buying a bass guitar, it is very important to have some idea and understanding of how it is constructed, what the individual parts of the instrument are called, etc. All this will help you ask the right questions to the seller and make informed decisions.

Vulture

The neck of a bass guitar includes the headstock, pickguard, and internal truss rod that connects to the body of the bass guitar.

Headstock

The headstock is attached directly to the neck of the guitar. So-called pegs (rotating, clamping mechanisms) are installed on it, which hold the strings in proper tension. Also, with the help of pegs, the instrument is tuned. The headstock has a nut that separates the headstock from the fingerboard.

Fretboard

The fingerboard is usually made of rosewood, maple or ebony. The highest quality linings are made based on their smoothness, hardness and rigidity. The higher the wood processing, the higher the level of these variables, and accordingly, the higher its cost. Metal frets are glued into the fretboard, which form the notes we all know.

There are also bass guitars that do not have frets. They allow you to create a smoother “glide” when playing, but at the same time they require certain skills from the guitarist.

anchor bolt

It is located inside the neck of the guitar and prevents the neck from curling due to changes in temperature and humidity. In addition, the strings of a bass guitar are much thicker (compared to the strings of an electric or acoustic guitar), as a result, they place much more stress on the neck of the instrument, which can also lead to twisting and bending of the neck. The anchor helps the wood not bend under tension, and also allows you to adjust the height of the strings relative to the neck.

Bass Guitar Neck Types

There are three types of bass guitar neck:

• screwed on
• Pasted
• Through

Each name represents the method by which the neck is attached to the body.

Screw-on neck involves connecting the neck to the body using bolts. This type of connection is budget-friendly, so it is less expensive to implement. Pros this method, is a simple replacement of the neck in case of repair. The downside is lower sustain compared to a glued and solid neck.

Glued neck - involves gluing the neck into the body of the guitar using epoxy resin. This mount conveys the acoustic properties of wood much better than a bolted mount, which gives the instrument a warmer sound and good sustain.

Through neck is the richest in sound due to the fact that the neck occupies 1/3 of the body. The neck is placed along the entire length of the body, after which it is glued into it. This mount conveys the greatest essence compared to the previous two and is an indicator of the high cost of the instrument.

Scale length

Scale length- this is the distance between the nut and the bridge. The most common scale length is considered to be 34″. This size is considered standard for most guitars.

Instruments such as the Fender Mustang, Hofner Violin Bass and Gibson EBO have a scale length of about 30″. They are great for young guitarists with small hands who have trouble with standard sized models.

There are also 35″ instruments that have big amount frets Typically, this scale length can be found on 5-6 string bass guitars. They are large in size, but also have great sound capabilities.

Housing types

Bass guitars, the body of which is made from a single piece of wood, are considered the most common. In more expensive instruments, the body is usually made of alder, maple, swamp ash, mahogany, or some other type of wood that is excellent at transmitting the vibrations generated by the strings. For instruments in the low price category, the body is usually made of sheet or pressed wood, which negatively affects the sound.

There are also bass guitars with a hollow body (like acoustic guitars), which are equipped with the same pickups as solid-body ones. This type of guitar is preferably used by jazz and folk guitarists, as well as in music that requires an acoustic-like sound. For example, the bass guitarist of the legendary The Beatles used Hofner Beatle Bass, which also has a hollow body. The advantage of such guitars is their lightness. The downside is that they are very limited in volume and can cause a response.

Another type of hollow bass guitar is the acoustic-electric guitar. In fact, it is an acoustic instrument with a hollow body that is equipped with a piezo transducer. This type has pronounced acoustic properties compared to all others.

There are also semi-acoustic enclosures, which have a solid body, in which two cavities of certain sizes are cut out at the preparation stage. This adds a certain stability to the guitar's sound and increases sustain.

Bass guitar bridge or tailpiece

The bridge is located on the bottom of the bass guitar body. Strings are threaded through it and secured into special grooves called “saddles.” When a guitarist plays sound with strings, the vibrations generated by the strings are transmitted through the bridge to the body, where they can be picked up by a pickup, amplified, modified, and then output through the speaker on the amp. The highest quality breeches are made from brass and plated with chrome or nickel-plated silver.

Most bass guitar tailpieces fall into one of three types:

• Through the bridge
• Through the body
• Bridge and tailpiece combination

In the first type, "Through the Bridge", the strings are threaded through the back of the bridge and placed into the saddles.

The second type is “Through the body”, the strings are threaded through the back of the body, where they are also secured to the saddles.

The third type is the "Bridge and Tailpiece Combination", where the strings are threaded through a separate tailpiece that is not connected to the saddles.

Pickups: Single-coil or Humbucker?

Pickups are electromagnetic devices that pick up the sounds created by the vibrations of the strings and body of the guitar, and then convert those sounds into an electrical signal. Most bass guitars have two sets of pickups, which provide a larger sonic range. Pickups that are located near the neck of the guitar have a smooth, low-frequency sound, while pickups that are located near the bridge have a sharp, mid-high range sound.

The most common types of pickups are:

• Singles
• Humbuckers

There are also others, but they are variations of these types.

Single-coil pickups were the first and simplest type of pickup. Each pickup has just one coil and one magnet, which creates a bright, focused sound. The only downside to them is the noise they pick up and transform along with the sound of your bass guitar. However, this is exactly what humbuckers were invented for.

Humbuckers were created to get rid of the annoying noise and dirt created by single coils. The idea of ​​humbuckers is that they have two coils wound in series and polarity magnets that are placed opposite each other. It is this design that helps to almost completely get rid of unnecessary interference and noise. Hence its name (humbucker from English noise suppressor). Humbuckers have a fatter sound compared to single-coils and produce virtually no noise when connected to an amplifier.

Split-coil is one of the popular single-coil variations found on the Fender Precision Bass. This type of pickup is a single-coil pickup that functions like a humbucker. This is achieved by the fact that the pickup is divided into two halves, each of which has a different polarity. Thus, they create a sound that closely resembles the sound of a single coil without interference or noise.

Electronics: Passive and Active

The terms "Active" and "Passive" refer to the preamp circuitry of a bass guitar. The preamp boosts the output signal from the pickups and provides control over sound shaping.

Passive preamplifiers operate without an additional power source and have several control levers:

• Volume
• Pickup switch (if there is more than one)

The advantage of passive bass is the fact that it does not depend on a battery, which can die right in the middle of a concert. Another advantage is ease of use. Passive electronics produce a more traditional sound, while active electronics produce a more modern sound.

Active electronics require additional power, which is usually provided by a built-in battery. The advantages of active electronics are that they output a more powerful signal and have greater control over tone shaping. Active bass guitars are often equipped with a built-in equalizer, which is divided into three frequency groups: low, mid and high. They may also have a special switch that instantly changes the EQ profile. On some basses you can find a coil pickup switch that disables one of the humbucker coils, thereby making it sound like a single coil.

How many strings?

Four string bass guitar

Most bass guitars have four strings and in my opinion, beginning bass players should start with a four string instrument. Such bass guitars are quite suitable for most musical styles and, compared to five and six-string instruments, have a smaller neck, which makes them excellent option beginners.

Five and six string bass guitars

An additional string is added to five-string bass guitars, which is tuned to B (B), thereby giving the instrument a wider range. The neck of a five-string bass is much wider than a four-string bass, and therefore will be more difficult to learn on. Five-string bass guitars are popular in genres such as hard rock, metal, fusion and jazz.

Six-string instruments have a wider range than the previous two, due to the fact that two additional strings are added to their arsenal, which are usually tuned to B (B) and C (C). Six-string basses require an even wider neck, which can be uncomfortable for many guitarists. Although challenging, they are ideal for musicians who play a lot of solo parts and need a wide range for creativity.

Fretless bass guitars

Standard bass guitars are equipped with metal frets that are glued into the fingerboard and divide it into sections. The scales help you easily navigate the guitar neck and see the notes.

Fretless bass guitars have a smooth fretboard that closely resembles a double bass or violin. Hitting the right notes with proper intonation is not an easy task and is not for beginners. Bass players who play these instruments rely on muscle memory and a well-trained ear. They choose this instrument because of its smooth and special glissando effect that is commonly heard in double bassists and violinists.

Wood

The wood that is used to make the body and neck of a bass guitar greatly affects its sound and resonance. Beginners do not necessarily need to pay attention to this fact, as they simply will not notice the difference between expensive varieties or let's say sheet wood. However, if you expect a certain sound from an instrument, then you should not forget about this fact.

Alder

Alder is commonly used to make cabinets. It creates a very balanced, clear and cohesive sound.

Agathis

A very popular tree due to its relative cheapness. Agathis is used in the manufacture of bass guitar bodies. It has a very balanced sound, with minor accents in the lower range, resulting in a very rich sound.

Ash

There are several types of ash that are used to make bass guitar bodies. They all have minor differences, but generally speaking, ash has a bright, solid tone that is very reminiscent of alder in its properties. Swamp Ash is the most popular because of its superior grain.

Linden

Often used on inexpensive instruments since basswood is a “soft” wood. It does not produce enough resonance like other types. Some bass players think that it creates a "flat" sound, while others think that the short sustain is ideal for fast and complex musical passages.

Red tree

Mahogany is a very popular wood because it produces a soft, warm sound that emphasizes the low and mid range of the tone, as well as creating long sustain. Mahogany is very dense and therefore heavy.

Maple

Maple, like mahogany, creates a good body, but at the same time, it produces a bright and clean sound. Many musicians find it ideal for the studio.
Expensive models of bass guitars can be made from exotic woods such as African rosewood, wenge, koa or cocobolo.

Which bass guitar is right for me?

Here are some tips (not rules) to help you with your choice:

• Buy the best bass guitar you can afford. WITH good bass It will be easier for you to learn to play and it will serve you for a long time.
• Don't be fooled by the beauty of the fretless bass; it's not easy to learn, especially if you've never played one. string instruments. Choose bass guitars that are equipped with frets and good markings.
• Give preference to a bass guitar with a shorter scale length (if you are a young guitarist or if you have small hands).
• To make your life easier, choose an instrument that has four strings.
• Choose an instrument with simple controls for volume and tone, so you can focus on the strings rather than being distracted by levers, buttons, and knobs.
• Choose a bass whose color and shape suits all your desires. It may not sound great, but the appearance may motivate you to play more.

Who is this course for?

This course is perfect for both absolute beginners and those who already have some experience playing the guitar (and not necessarily the bass).

You can learn to play the bass guitar, even if you were only interested in this instrument and have never tried playing live. And even if you have never played guitar (classical, acoustic, electric).

The course is combined with our other training videos. Therefore, if you have already studied with us, you will find yourself in an easy, relaxed environment where you will be familiar and easy to master the course program.

What does this course include?

Our course includes detailed exercises, techniques, techniques, tricks and everything you need to master this instrument. All information is provided in detail, in clear language.

Summary:

1. Bass guitar: history, features, structure
2. Settings
3. Bass guitar sound, pickups, approaches to sound
4. Playing manners, pick vs fingers
5. Playing bass with your fingers. Hand placement, sound production
6. Playing with a pick. Strokes. Attack
7. Bass riffs as the basis of musical themes
8. Minor and major scales
9. Rhythmic game, drawings
10. Blues themes
11. Alternating strings. Brute force game
12. Alternating strings. Playing with octaves
13. Rhythmic drawings part 2
14. Reggae bass playing
15. Bass passages, passages of increased complexity
16. Fast bass playing correct technique, overclocking
17. Slap Basics
18. Chords in playing the bass
19. Tricks and examples of unusual sound production
20. Practice: an example of combining different techniques

What will you learn after completing the course?

After completing all the lessons of the course and completing all the exercises, you will master the bass guitar from scratch and will have the skills to play in a group, you will be able to compose your own bass parts and your own music.

You will master all the techniques and necessary playing techniques. You will master playing with fingers and a pick, you will be able to play rhythmically, cleanly, and you will develop speed. You will learn to interact with drums and be able to decorate your parts based on the accompaniment.

Who is author?

Hello, my name is Yakub Agishev and I am the author of this course. I have been playing electric guitar since 2004. I've been playing in bands for about 7 years. Started teaching in 2008. I'll see you off individual sessions with students (both in person and online).

During my time teaching, I have accumulated quite a lot of experience in terms of learning to play the electric guitar.

How to get the course?

The course is provided in in electronic format(you receive a link to the archive and download it to your computer).

All you have to do is just 3 simple steps:

1. Click on the yellow button below
2. Pay in a convenient way
3. Download the course to your computer

Important! During the checkout process you will be offered our other discounted courses. If you are interested in the topics of our other courses, then you can take advantage of this offer and get the courses with maximum benefit.

Welcome to Bass Guitar School for Beginners.

One of important nuances in staging is the position of the instrument relative to the body. This nuance is to ensure that the position of the bass guitar does not change when practicing while sitting and when playing while standing. This can be achieved by choosing the correct belt length. Thus, a constant position of both hands is formed. If you practice at home while sitting, and at a rehearsal or concert you change the position of the bass, then the position of your hands changes, which can lead to loss of speed, discomfort in playing, and even hand injuries.

Interesting fact: when Leo Fender created the first bass guitar - Fender Precision bass 1951, he thought that he would play it thumb right hand, and there had to be a threshold to rest the remaining fingers.

Fender Precision Bass - 1951

However, the main method of sound production with the right hand has emerged, when the string sounds from plucking the middle and index fingers of the right hand, alternating with each other. Finger designations:

The designations of the fingers of the right hand come from their spanish names(p - pulgar, i - index, m - medium, a - anular, e - extremo.)

The first performers on the bass guitar were musicians playing the double bass or guitar, therefore the technique of playing this instrument was formed similarly to these two instruments and acquired its own characteristic features. So the left hand is identical to the classical guitar setup. And the right hand extracts with the pads of the fingers (not the nail), over time, a callous seal forms on the fingers, this helps to extract a better sound.

And in contrast to the guitar plucking of the fingers of the right hand using the tirando method - this is when the finger moves without support on the adjacent string (i.e., when making sound, the finger does not touch other strings except the one on which the sound is produced), on the bass guitar it is used - apoyando - This is when the finger, while producing sound on the first (for example) string, stops after producing sound on the second string.

The right thumb serves as a support for the hand, always being on the pickup or low string. And when playing on the upper strings, it serves as an additional damper, preventing unwanted overtones from appearing on the lower strings, especially if it is a 5 or 6 string instrument.

The forearm of the right hand is relaxed and lies on the body of the instrument approximately in the middle of its length, so that you can easily reach any string, and at the same time without changing this position much. Index or middle finger Having extracted a sound on one string, it reaches the “lower” string, resting against it, this serves as a support for the other finger and allows you to get a high-quality sound.

This must be taken into account to obtain an accurate active work fingers, basic economy of movements. With the two-finger technique of sound production, the sound is produced by alternating the index (i) and middle (m) fingers upward and inward of the palm. These movements should be well secured to obtain correct articulation: evenness of performance and sound balance of strong and weak beats.

At the beginning of training, it is imperative and as often as possible to analyze with which finger we play strong beats, how the fingering changes when performing syncopation or a dotted stroke. Basically, the strong beat is played with the first (index) finger, and the weak beat with the second (middle) finger. Moreover, even pulsations are characterized by the presence of a strong beat on the first finger. And when playing in triplets, the accents alternate (imi-mim-imi-mim.)

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

When moving from the top string down to the next, you should mute the sounded string with your left hand so that unnecessary intervals do not arise.

The choice of location of the right hand is also important: at the bridge, middle pickup and playing at the neck. Sound production in these three positions allows you to achieve a fundamentally different timbre and quality of attack, which is necessary for playing in different styles. Sound production at the neck will allow you to achieve a thicker, denser timbre and longer sustain, which is typical for slow, ballad styles; this is also often used when playing a fretless instrument to achieve a typical, “meowing” sound.

Sound production at the bridge will allow you to achieve a “dry and clear” timbre, characteristic of more mobile bass parts, with a clearly readable pitch. Most often used to perform funk style.

Sound production in the middle will give a correspondingly fairly universal timbre. Therefore, this position is most often used by bassists in their playing.

Of course, each musician develops an individual position of his hands, due to physiological differences, based on the characteristic features of his instrument, the style in which he plays, as well as personal convenience.

Left hand position

Just like the right hand, thumb is a support, it rests on the back of the bar, opposite the first and second fingers, which gives the hand sufficient stability. In this case, all ligaments of the hand (hand, wrist, forearm and shoulder) should be in a relaxed state. And try to control this as often as possible when practicing at home.

The string should be pressed perpendicularly with the tip of your finger on the right side of the fret (closer to the metal strip of the fret), otherwise unwanted overtones and rattling may occur. Left hand The position that should be taught is that each finger is above its fret, ready to pinch it. This placement of the fingers above the frets is called playing in position. To accustom the fingers of your left hand to this, press all your fingers at once and fix the position of your hand in this way for several minutes. Then add your right hand, playing each sound in sequence.

In conclusion, I would like to note that this positioning of the left and right hands is universal, it is used by most professional bassists around the world. Having practiced and consolidated the skills of such performance, you are guaranteed to cope with complex rhythmic variations different styles music and with different tempos and speeds of compositions. But at the same time, there are exceptions to the rules, an example of which is bassist Quintin Berry, who has a rather exotic position of the instrument itself and, accordingly, production, but at the same time the sound quality is not lost, and even acquires its uniqueness. Therefore, do not be afraid to experiment, try new things and look for your own.

Quintin Berry

An example of exotic and “classic” hand placement. Quintin Berry and Victor Wooten

First of all, we will get to know how the bass guitar works. We will consider classic version- four strings, although now there are both five- and six-string bass guitars. But we are not interested in this, but in how it works.

First, let's get acquainted with the bass clef. It's called the key F. This giant comma indicates the location of the note. F. Two dots on either side of the fourth line of the staff further emphasize this fact. We count all other notes from it.

So, four bass strings: G (salt) - first string, D (re) - second, A (la) - third and E (mi) - fourth. We count from thin string to thick one. In a word, these are the same four thick guitar strings(third, fourth, fifth, and sixth), only an octave lower.

I don’t want to seem like a bore, but I will have to tell some things in great detail, for beginners (may the “advanced” forgive me!) And one more thing. Not all of us switched to bass after guitar; I suspect that there are also natural "bassists" (short for "bass guitarists" - approx. author). So I won't always refer to six string guitar, and I’ll explain something, as if for the first time.

To learn how to find notes on the fretboard of a bass guitar, refer to lesson No. 1 of our master class. Everything is the same, but without two thin strings. Are there any special exercises for bass guitar? Certainly! You will find a lot of these exercises from specific performers of your favorite styles. Most often - in video schools. And I, in turn, without claiming originality, propose an old, proven method - this is, excuse the expression, scales. And although many do not like them, they (scales), no matter what, work. I will return to them below.

It is worth saying a few words about the functional purpose of the bass. I would formulate it this way: a harmonic foundation. Or, if you prefer, the basis of a chord. Let's take triads as an example (here and below, see lesson No. 2). Let's say your song starts, as it often does, with the chord Am. Naturally, first we find the tonic, i.e. note la on any string. This will be the first and main step of this chord. And the next step, popular among bassists, is the fifth. It is better to find it in the same play area, where your tonic is located. Now you can start playing. I am not kidding. Invite a guitarist-accompanist to play with you, playing the so-called “strike” (I prefer “chesov”), and let him play the chords. It’s just better to do this with a metronome or drum machine. And if your song is in 4/4 time signature (that is, without going into too much detail, if it's easily timed to /1-2-3-4/1-2-3-4/ etc.), then you should play on the first and third beats of the measure. To put it more professionally - in half durations. For every first beat of the metronome - the first step of the chord, for every third - the fifth step. The chord changes, therefore your entire bass figure changes. Now you play the tonic of the new chord and, accordingly, the fifth degree of the same chord. The rhythmic part (for now) remains unchanged.

The numbers in a circle indicate the strings, Roman numerals indicate the fret number, and the name of the note and what degree it is relative to the chord, calculate for yourself. You will also have to figure out the fingering (left hand fingering) yourself. The main thing is that the notes correspond in sound to their duration.

After playing this kind of music for a while, you will notice a pattern in the relationship between the locations of the first and fifth steps on the fretboard. This should be remembered. But that's not all.

Until now we have been talking about the left hand, now it’s time to talk about the right hand. It's about about sound production. The bass guitar, like the guitar, is played with both fingers and a pick. It all depends on the style of music, on the specific composition, on your desire to get a sound of a certain color (I willingly admit a number of other reasons). But practice shows that most progressive bass players use finger playing techniques. Let's look up to them. Using this exercise as an example, try playing with a walking movement of the index and middle fingers of your right hand, and after producing the sound, the finger should rest on the next string in the direction of movement. And in the case of the fourth and last string, the finger should seem to rest on the intended string. Let's call this technique the supporting one.

The next stage is adding a third stage. At the beginning of the sound of each chord, it is advisable to take the first degree (tonic) of this chord, but the auxiliary sound, instead of the fifth degree or additionally, can be the third degree of the same chord. It must be taken into account that depending on the inclination of the chord, the third degree will be different. In major chords between the first and third degrees there is an interval of 2 tones (major third), and in minor chords there is one and a half tones (minor third). Details can be found in lesson No. 2.

I intentionally left out the fret and string numbers in hopes that you will find the location of the notes on the fretboard yourself. In all bars of this example except the last bar, I used the first and third degrees of each chord. IN following example Let's try to combine all the chord degrees (1, 3, 5). And at the same time we will diversify the duration.

I don't really like the way this example sounds, but it's just a sample to help you get further. By modifying melodic-rhythmic patterns, you can create something more interesting. Of course, playing the bass guitar is not limited to moving only along chord sounds, but more on that in the next lessons. Here I will allow myself to give a couple of simple stylistic examples in midi files, which are not necessary to play, just listen:

In the Bossa-Nova example, the bass plays only the first and fifth degrees of the chord, while in the Raggey example, all three degrees of the chord. By the way, the simplest and affordable way To understand the features of a particular style is to use so-called auto-arrangers. Computer programs Band-in-a-Box or Jammer - bright that example.

And finally about scales. To develop playing technique musical instruments people haven't come up with anything better yet. So be patient and move forward.

There are different scales. Starting with natural major or minor, passing harmonic and melodic major or minor, then modes folk music(Mixolydian, Dorian, Phrygian, etc.), there are also artificially created modes and a chromatic scale. As you can see, there are a lot of them. For now, we will limit ourselves to the first and last.

The square indicates the tonic sound, that is, the first step, relative to which the fingering model is built major scale. The tonic has changed - we move our hand to the desired note and play the same model. When we play a scale located on four frets, the fingers of the left hand are each located on its own fret, and in the “three notes on one string across the fret” figure, I recommend that you play with the first, second and fourth fingers, respectively. Here it should be said that you need to press the fingers of your left hand to the strings on the frets with a “hammer”, i.e. the finger does not lie flat on the string, but rather “sticks” into it.

This scale is good to use as a musical exercise, playing it up and down on different areas neck, since the width of the frets is different everywhere. In this way, coordination of movements is developed.

I think this information will be enough for the first time. We'll talk about the rest in the next lessons.

12.09.2010

Bas-guitar- a wonderful tool. Being both a rhythmic and melodic instrument, the bass is present in one way or another in any style of music, so a bass player can easily find work. Bass is also remarkable in that although it is not as bright as, for example, a guitar, it forms the basis musical composition and gives her drive. In addition, the bass is relatively simple and quite easy to learn to play. If you've already decided to become a bass player, let's look at the basics of buying your first bass guitar.

Matching style

All bass guitars function the same way, no matter how conventional or radical their style. You want an instrument that has good balance when it hangs on your shoulders, isn't too heavy, and looks good and sounds appropriate for the style of music you play. Concerning appearance bass guitar, then the most important thing about it is how much you like it. The more it suits you and your music, the more you will play it and the more you will enjoy it.

Bass Guitars for Beginners

IN Lately A large number of cheap "beginner" bass guitars became available. Many of them are even playable. Unlike their more expensive counterparts, they are not as carefully tuned and have cheaper pickups and hardware, but they are playable and can get you through the early stages of learning to play the bass quite well. If you're not confident in your talent, or aren't ready to dedicate your entire life to the bass guitar, these cheap instruments will help you at least try and not lose a lot if you fail. If you are ready to seriously study the bass guitar, then perhaps you should take a closer look at the more expensive category of instruments - a mid-level instrument, unlike a “starter” one, will make your learning to play easier and more enjoyable.

How many strings?

Bass guitars come in 4, 5 and even 6 strings. We recommend starting with a 4-string instrument. You can play it enough large repertoire, before you decide on your musical preferences. The advantage of a 5-string bass is the low 5th string, usually tuned to “B”. Modern funk and pop music often uses these low notes. The range of the 6-string bass is expanded in both directions - it has an added high string.

Solid body and hollow body basses

Solid body basses are the most common type of electric bass guitar. In expensive models, the body is made of one piece of wood - ash, maple, mahogany or other species that transmit vibration well. Cheaper models have a body made from spruce, softwood, or pressed wood. There are even plastic cases.

Hollow body basses are similar to acoustic guitars in appearance, that is, they have a hollow body, but at the same time they use the same magnetic pickups as solid-body instruments. These bass guitars are most often used in jazz, folk and other calm music. musical styles, gravitating more towards acoustic sound. The most famous hollow bass, the violin-like Beatles' instrument from Hofner, is an example of how such basses can be used in rock music. The advantage of hollow bass is that it is lighter, but is very limited in volume due to high probability feedback(feedback), that is, such instruments are easier to “start up”. There are varieties of bass guitars with a "semi-hollow" body. These instruments have a conventional hollow body containing a core made from a single piece of wood.

Another type of hollow body bass guitar is the semi-hollow bass guitar. An acoustic bass guitar is a conventional acoustic instrument with a piezo transducer that amplify the signal. Most often, the piezo pickup is installed under the bridge and equipped with a preamplifier, which allows you to control the timbre of the sound when the instrument is connected.

Bass guitar neck material

In most cases, the neck of a bass guitar is made of hard maple or mahogany because these hard woods can easily withstand the stress that the strings create. Usually the neck is made from one piece, but sometimes for greater strength, it is made by gluing together several pieces of wood of different species.

Anchor

Any bar is under heavy load created by with stretched strings. This can cause the neck to bend slightly, causing problems with the frets. Therefore, the neck of a bass guitar is equipped with an anchor bolt (sometimes two), which allows you to adjust the bend of the neck.

Fretboard

Fretboards are typically made from rosewood, maple, or ebony. All of these materials are excellent for their purposes, but may vary in quality. A good rubber should be smooth, hard and dense, then it is more resistant to wear. The fingerboard is usually slightly curved from edge to edge of the neck. The degree of curvature is determined by the radius of the imaginary circle of which the overlay is a part. On some instruments the pad is almost flat, on others the bend radius may be less than 25 centimeters. The smaller the radius, the more pronounced the transverse bending of the lining.

Bolt-on neck fastening (bolted neck)

Most bass guitars have a bolt-on neck. The number and type of bolts can be very different. This type of fastening ensures the stability of the bar and prevents it from moving up or down. It also provides a tight and rigid connection between the neck and body. The overlap between the neck and body should be as large as possible to ensure neck stability and best transmission vibrations.

Glued neck

The necks of some bass guitars are attached to the body using a rectangular tenon (or so-called “dovetail”) and are tightly glued to the body. Such necks hold sustain better and resonate better, but they are more difficult to adjust than bolted necks.

Through neck

This type of neck is often found on long scale bass guitars. It runs all the way through the body of the guitar, and the top and bottom halves of the soundboard are attached directly to it.

In this case, there is no connection between the neck and body, which results in reduced vibration and improves response and sustain.

Neck scale)

Scale is the distance between the nut (the little thing with slots between the frets and the headstock) and the bridge where the strings are attached. The standard scale length for a bass guitar is 34”. There are basses with a short scale length, such as FenderMustang or GibsonEBO-- their scale length is 30". These instruments are good for young players with small hands who may have trouble with full-scale instruments.

The increased scale length (long-scale) for bass guitars is 35”. This scale allows you to add a few extra frets and is used primarily for 5-6 string bass guitars as it optimizes string tension and reduces the vibration amplitude of the thickest string.

Fretless or fretted?

If you are a beginner musician, it is better to postpone the purchase of a fretless bass for now. Playing such an instrument requires very precise finger positioning and keen hearing. For beginners, it is better to delegate the work of accurately picking out notes to the frets. However, as you gain experience, you may want to consider purchasing a fretless bass as a second instrument.

Bridge

The best breeches are made of brass and plated with chrome or nickel. Solid bridges hold the strings better and transfer vibration to the body better. Those little things with slots through which the strings pass are called saddles and must be adjusted both back and forth and up and down. By moving the saddles up and down, you adjust the height of the strings above the fingerboard (and therefore how easily you can press the strings), and by moving the saddles back and forth, you adjust the scale of the instrument (in order to avoid playing wrong notes).

Pickups

There are 2 types of pickups: single-coils and humbuckings, as well as numerous variations of these two types. Singles are simpler and have a crisper, clearer sound that can be heard better in the mix. On the other hand, they are noisier than humbuckers.

A common type of bass pickup is the so-called split-coil (invented for the Fender Precision Bass). This is a single-coil pickup wound so that it acts like a humbucker. The two halves of the pickup are separated and have different polarities. Thus, the sound is close to a single-coil, but the noise level is close to a humbucker.

The humbucker was designed to eliminate the hum and buzz associated with single-coil pickups. They have a fatter sound and may lose intelligibility at high volumes.

Most bass guitars have 2 types of pickups, which expands the sound range. Pickups placed closer to the neck have a softer, rounder sound, while pickups placed closer to the bridge sound sharper with plenty of highs and mids.

Electronics: active and passive

The terms "active" and "passive" refer to the instrument's preamp circuitry. Active basses require a power source, which is usually a battery installed in the guitar. The advantages of active systems include a more powerful output signal and more advanced equalizer control, which can separately adjust the high, mid and low frequencies of the output signal. An active instrument may even have special switches that can instantly switch the EQ profile, dramatically changing the sound on the fly, switches for pickups that change their wiring from series to parallel, and can turn groups of pickups on/off.

Passive systems operate without a power source and have fewer handles controls (usually a volume knob, a tone knob, and a mix knob if multiple pickups are installed). The advantages of passive instruments are their independence from batteries, which can die mid-performance, as well as ease of control and the more traditional lo-wi sound that some players prefer.

• Buy the best tool you can afford. A good instrument is easier to learn and you won’t “grow out of” it longer.
• Choose an instrument with frets until you feel comfortable playing fretless.
• Choose a tool with a standard 34" scale length
• Choose an instrument with a short scale length if you are small or have small hands.
• For simplicity, choose a 4-string bass.
• Choose an instrument with a minimum number of controllers, then you can focus on the strings and will not be distracted by knobs and buttons.
• Choose the color and shape that you like. Color does not affect the sound, and if you look cool, it will give additional motivation to practice.