Can You Find a Good Bass Guitar Package?

By O Keynan

The first bass guitar package that we will look at is Dean Vendetta Guitar & Amp Pack Metallic Black and the accessories in this include electronic tuner, strap, cord, picks and gig bags. The amp also forms part of the accessories and such a package is considered ideal for beginners. One of the most reputed names in the world of guitars is the Yamaha company and the package that is available for this model are Yamaha GigMaker EG Electric Guitar Pack Black.

A bass guitar kit from a reputed manufacturer assures you that you get world class accessories which will help you keep your precious guitar in prime condition. Some of the popular guitar kits include ESP LTD M10 Electric Guitar kits, Behringer GPK844 Electric Guitar Package, Ibanez IJX40 Jumpstart Electric Guitar Package, Squier Stop Dreaming, Start Playing SE Special Strat Electric Guitar Pack, Epiphone Les Paul Junior Electric Guitar and All Access Amp Pack, Squier Stop Dreaming, Start Playing Affinity Strat Electric Guitar Pack, Squier Stop Dreaming Start Playing Affinity Strat HSS Electric Guitar Package with G-DEC, Fender SE Special Strat with Squier SP-10 Amp Value Pack Black, Fender SE Special Strat with Squier SP-10 Amp Value Pack Arctic White, Fender SE Special Strat with Squier SP-10 Amp Value Pack Brown Sunburst, Fender Affinity Special Strat and Frontman 15G Amp Value Pack Black, Fender Affinity Special Strat and Frontman 15G Amp Value Pack Metallic Blue, Silvertone SS10 Citation Electric Guitar Pack, Fender Affinity Strat HSS and Bullet 150 DSP Amp Value Pack Black.

You have separate bass guitar package based on your individual needs and requirements and you can buy one either from the manufactures directly or online where you will be able to check the various features that are part of the package. You will also be able to compare the various prices and models before you make the final choice. Before you decide to buy the package you must decide what kind of accessories you will require while playing the guitar. If you travel constantly for concerts you will definitely need a good guitar cover that not just protects your guitar from the elements of nature but also from an accidental fall. You will have a lot of foam on the inner side of the bag so that it absorbs any fall and there is minimal damage.

The strap that you choose to wear must also be comfortable as you might be wearing it for a longer period of time. You must pick your bass guitar package with a lot of care and after comparing a number of models.

O.Keynan is professional bass player that plays over 7 years. He owns and maintains Beginner-Bass-Guitar.com, a great recourse that giving you all the information you need about bass guitar package and bass guitar in general

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The Martin Bass Guitar Pros and Cons

By Or Kynan

The Martin bass guitar is famous for its steel string guitars and have made several models of electric guitars. The company has withstood all the competition with constant innovation and reinventing all there models over the years. The management of the company has remained with the family and it is their sheer dedication to the craft and art of making guitars that has helped the company overcome all difficulties and emerge as a leading manufacturer of world class guitars.

There were some special characteristics of the martin bass guitar and in the earlier days these included an adjustable neck. A screw used to be mounted on the back of the heel of the neck and this was extended right up to the neck block. Due to this the neck could be moved up and down. By inserting a clock key in the heel the neck could be adjusted. This made playing the simple guitar a bit complicated and slowly this design was phased out.

One of the major innovations of Martin guitars is the X bracing system that was part of the guitar top design. This design is still in use and most musicians feel that it contributes a big way to the sound and treble of this guitar. Most of the guitars during the early years had a 12 fret neck and it was Martin guitars that introduced the 14 fret neck guitar.

You will be surprised to know that there are more than a hundred different models of the Martin guitar and they have been at the forefront of innovation and design that has revolutionized the guitar industry as a whole. In the year 2004 when they built their millionth guitar they studded it with rubies and diamonds making it one of the most priceless musical instruments to own.

It has been researched that during a concert a guitar endures more than 180 pounds of tension and the X bracing system that the Martin guitars are designed with see to it that it endures enormous amount of tension and does not warp under the force. There are also special models and limited editions that are made periodically to commemorate a special occasion.

Martin guitars have a unique labeling system where an initial letter and the number of zeroes signify the body size and type. The higher the number is the higher will be its design detail. There are many famous models of the Martin bass guitar and these include the 000-1, 000-15, 000-28EC, 000-28ECB, 000-18, D1, D18, D28, HD-28, HD-35, D-45, J-40, OM-28, OM-42PS, 16 series, 15 series, Road series, Little Martin, Backpacker and EB 18 to name just a few.

The vintage Martin bass guitars too fetch a good price as they are admired for their unique sound and bass.

Or Kynan is professional bass player that plays over 7 years. He owns and maintains Beginner-Bass-Guitar.com, a great recourse for company information like martin bass guitar, have a great acoustics guitars. For more information about bass guitar go to http://www.beginner-bass-guitar.com.

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Bass Guitar Lessons - Through a Proven System Here is How You Can Learn to Play This Instrument

By Joshua K. Lincoln

Playing a musical instrument may be something that you have always wanted to do in your life. Well, what is holding you back? Are you the person who likes rock music, especially? An important instrument in any rock band is the bass guitar. Besides the drummer who provides the rhythmic beat for any great rock band, the bass guitar is equally as important in providing the foundation harmonically.

Being able to find someone who can provide bass guitar lessons to you is much easier, now that we are ten years into the 21st century. No longer do you have to go into the yellow pages and try to find a person who could teach the instrument. Going back to the late 1990's, it was no easy thing to do in locating a quality bass guitar instructor. If you lived in a remote, sparsely populated area you might have had to commute 40 miles, roundtrip, where the nearest music studio was located just to take lessons.

Back then, the person working out of the studio might have been some guy who really specialized in lead or acoustic guitar. Sorry, but the technique and style of playing the bass guitar is quite different. If you were taught by some incompetent guy who only worked part-time; and who really was not proficient on this particular instrument, nor could he communicate well in teaching, then guess what? You probably would not have become a really good bass guitar musician. You just would have quit after a few months.

With the advent of the internet, you should seriously consider taking bass guitar lessons online. It is the proven system for learning how to play the instrument. You would need to do some serious research, however before committing any money into the lessons. A solid, interactive internet program should have testimonials listed on their home page from students who have successfully completed the tutorials. You need to make sure that the instructors, themselves, are proficient at playing and teaching the bass guitar. You should be taught something more than the slapping technique. You should be taught how to read the guitar tablature, (where the student actually reads the chords for the instrument) and the playing skills required for you to excel on the bass.

The advantages in taking lessons on the bass guitar online are quite obvious. You would be able to download the tutorials, (or pop the DVD's into your system connected to your television) at a convenient time in your schedule. You have the advantage of repeating each tutorial as often as necessary until you master what is being taught in the lesson. Quality programs which teach the bass are very affordable as well; usually running around $25-30/ month. Taking lessons from a teacher at a music studio would usually cost at least that much, per weekly lesson!

For those people who might not think that the bass guitar is an important member of a band, consider the following musicians: Have you ever heard of Paul McCartney? While McCartney is proficient on the keyboard, drums, and in vocals; he was also the bass guitar player in a little group called The Beatles! Sting is a well-known contemporary rock musician who is also a master on this instrument.

You can never know what taking bass guitar lessons could provide for you. Perhaps you only want to do it recreationally. However, any band needs a great bass guitar player. If you take become serious on the instrument and practice, you'll never know what doors could be open for you in the music industry. There is much more information that I simply could not include in this article. I urge you to please visit this site: http://theplayguitarlessons.info.
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Guild Bass Guitar Secrets

By O Keynan

A testimony to their huge popularity was that many music legends of that time like Johnny Smith, Duane Eddy, Roy Orbison, John Lee Hooker, Merle Travis, Paul Simon, Keith Richards, Dave Davies, George Benson, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Richie Havens, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Miller, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Doc Watson, Ry Cooder, George Strait all preferred using this guitars.

Guild bass guitars had only three models in those initial days and these were F-30 Aragon, F-40 Valencia and F-50 Navarre. These models were introduced in the year 1954 and by 1963 other famous models such as D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee and D-50 Bluegrass Special were launched. The D-55 which is also a very popular model was introduced in the year 1968. The six string and 12 string guild bass guitars were a rage at that point of time and many considered them matchless. The 12 string guitar uses the Jumbo F body which gives it a distinct tone unlike other guitars which also have the 12 strings.

The folk music craze was at its peak at that point of time and the guild bass guitars were a hot favorite property. It was the days of the Woodstock festival of music and Richie Havens who many consider as one of the biggest legends of music who mesmerized audiences all over the world used the guild bass guitar. After years of popularity the company did encounter some problems along the way but like a phoenix rising out of the ashes restructured itself and came back to occupy a position as one of the leading manufacturers of guitars. The company did move to a larger place to accommodate the ever increasing demand for its model of guitars.

In the year 1995 Guild was acquired by Fender Musical Corporation and this added a new chapter in the company's growth. There has been constant innovation and experimentation with the designs and this has resulted in their models been loved the world over. There have also been numerous variations to the existing models to make them look and sound better. The models can be classified as DV series, GAD series and Traditional series and each one of these series has many models. We have tried to, list some of the more famous models. The various models of the guild bass guitars are F-50, F-50 with D-Tar pick up system, F-50R, F-50R with D-Tar pick up system, F-30 Aragon, F-30 Aragon with D-Tar pick up system, F-40 Valencia, F-40 Valencia with D-Tar pick up system, F-47M, F-47M with D-Tar pick up system, F-47R, F-47R with D-Tar pick up system, F-412, F-412 with D-Tar pick up system, F-512 and F-512 with D-Tar pick up system. Each one of these models has a unique feature and this makes the sound totally distinct.

The quality and durability of this guitar is very good and has helped it retain its favorite position among all music lovers. If you start looking at the musicians who have used the guild bass guitar over the years it would like a who's who of the music world. Prepared to get surprised when you read the list of great artists all over the world who have used this wonderful guitar and this list includes greats like Bryan Adams, John Baez, Richard Barone, Brendan Benson, George Benson, Steven Page, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Brian May, Paul Simon, Buddy Guy, Johnny Cash, Phil Lesh, Peter Tork, Bruce Springsteen, Leslie Feist, John Denver, Nick Drake, Barry Gibb, Johnny Smith, Mississippi John Hurt Scott Mathews, Tommy Smothers and many others. The guild bass guitars have held their own all these years through fine craftsmanship and excellent sound quality.

Or Keynan is professional bass player that plays over 7 years. He owns and maintains Beginner-Bass-Guitar.com, a great recourse for knowledge on all kind of bass guitars. Guild Bass Guitar, Yamaha bass guitar, Gibson bass guitar, and much, much more.

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Exercise For Short Scale Bass Guitar

By O Keynan

Let us look at the how to create exercise for short scale bass guitar. When you start creating the exercise you must keep a note as a reference point and this will help you go back and play different patterns. How does the bass guitar scales affect the music we play and what are the options for an individual with longer arms and shorter arms. Bass guitar scales that are extra long are usually up to 36" and these have a higher string tension due to which a more defined tone is available on the lowest string. There have been a number of changes to the brief scale bass guitar and you also have the 28" neck which is ideal for individuals who have shorter arms or for children. It is not just people with short arms who prefer the short scale bass guitar but other players who find it very comfortable to use as it is quite light compared to the others. You can also play the guitar much faster in the short scale.

The fret placements that are on the guitar are determined depending on the length of the neck. If it is a long scale neck then the fret placement which are a ratio that is calculated based on the scale length the distance between the frets are longer and if it is a brief scale then the distance between frets is shorter. Due to the short distance that the frets are placed in the short scale it makes it much easier to play faster and you can mesmerize your audience by playing very fast.

The tonal quality is another difference that exists between a long scale neck and small scale neck. As the tension of the string at a certain pitch determines the tonal value the longer the neck the better will be the sound. This is particularly true if you are using a five string guitar and due to the longer scale neck you will get an amazing sound from the lowest string.

Bass guitar scales also determine to a large extent the number of strings that should be there on the guitar. A four string guitar will perform very well with a short scale neck where as a five string or a six string guitar is ideal for the long scale neck. The neck is also larger on the six string guitar and if you are blessed with smaller hands you should opt for the short scale neck guitar with four strings.

You can choose the guitar type you want based on your individual needs and requirements and there are musicians who have large hands but prefer playing the short scale neck guitar and vice versa where individuals with shorter hands play the long neck scale guitars. Your knowledge about short scale bass guitar will help you make the right choice. You must use the patterns to find out what chords are there and with practice you will be able to find out how to create any cord using the exercise for short scale bass guitar.

If you loved the Short Scale Bass Guitar article, there is ton more information on our site at http://www.beginner-bass-guitar.com

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Hagstrom Guitars - An Experience in Creative Playing

By David A Robinson

Hagstrom guitars are, not surprisingly, made by Hagstrom, a company that started life in the town of Älvdalen in Sweden. The company name is correctly spelled as Hagström with a dieresis over the "o," but once the Hagstrom guitars hit the English speaking market, the name was changed to include only letters without accents.

Electric solid-body Hagstrom guitars have been produced since 1958. The company had been producing accordions since 1932, so the Hagstrom guitars were a considerable deviation from their usual line. The early Hagstrom Deluxe guitar, however, had a sparkling celluloid finish that had long been used on their accordions.

Hagstrom soon started making hollow-body guitars along with their solid-body guitars. The Viking and the rather strangely name Jimmy (named after Jimmy D'Aquisto of New York) are early examples of successful Hagstrom hollow-bodied products.

Hagstrom guitars expanded from making lead and rhythm instruments to making bass guitars in 1961. The Hagstrom Standard was their first model, but it was the Hagstrom H8 produced in 1965 that caused a stir in the world of music, for it was the world's first 8-string bass guitar.

The sixth Hagstrom H8 to be produced was owned by guitar legend, Jimi Hendrix. He had his bass guitar in 1967. Other well-known bass players who owned one of the famous Hagstrom guitars include Danny McCulloch who played bass for the Animals, and Mike Rutherford, bass player for genesis.

The innovation that is Hagstrom guitars probably reached its peak with the Hagstrom H8. It was based around a normal four stringed bass guitar, but the strings were simply doubled up, a bit like the way a 12-string guitar is.

It did have an interesting sound, however. This was mostly because of lighter gauge strings being arranged above the standard strings and tuned to a whole octave higher. The resultant tone was quite unique.

Hagstrom guitars were not the only thing the company produced. They also made a range of amplifiers and speakers. Swedish super group ABBA used Hagstrom equipment on their first tour of the world. However it is for their guitars that Hagstrom are best remembered.

The company stopped their Swedish side of production in 1983. They did some collaborative work with Japanese companies, but decided not to proceed in that direction. Hagstrom guitars, while much loved all over the world, could no longer compete with the cheap labour markets of Asia.

It took 21 years before Hagstrom guitars once again started in production in 2004. As they couldn't compete with Asia, they decided to go there and their current factory is now in China. There are plans to return production to Sweden, but at the time of writing this has not happened yet.

Hagstrom guitars, especially the early ones, have become highly collectible items. Elvis Presley used a red coloured Hagstrom Viking II on his Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special. In the early 1990s this guitar was sold for $50,000.

Hagstrom guitars have developed a cult following from people all over the world who have fallen in love with the highly distinctive instrument. Since 2006, fans gather every year for the Hagström Festival at Älvdalen in Sweden during the first week of June to exchange guitar stories and play some music - on Hagstrom guitars, of course.

David A Robinson
Advice and help on Hagstrom guitars.

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Bass Guitar Tuning - Is Learning How to Tune a Bass Guitar So Hard?

By Ricky Sharples

If you already play the guitar and know how to tune it, why do you need a special tutorial for learning how to tune a bass guitar? The answer is in the sound of the bass guitar. It is so low it is very difficult for some people to judge whether or not their guitar is in tune. So let us take a look at the bass guitar and some methods of tuning it.

Bass guitarists have proved themselves to be such innovators that there is now an astonishing range of bass guitars with different numbers of strings and a range of tuning options to widen the range of notes produced. For the purposes of this tutorial we will stick with the original four string bass guitar. It is tuned to one octave lower than the standard guitar.

Most guitar players seem to agree that the best way to begin tuning a guitar is to start with the guitar strings tuned lower than you want them to be and then tune them UP to the correct pitch. Actually it is a good idea to start with the strings a lot lower than they need to be so you do not over-tighten them and run the risk of a broken string.

Let us look at the basic tuning method first. Tuning the bass guitar to a piano or keyboard. Find Middle C and go down two octaves. Got that C note? Okay, find the E below that. This is your note to tune the fourth string of your bass guitar. Play the open fourth string and the E on your piano at the same time. If you hear a sound vaguely like the noise a helicopter makes, your guitar is out of tune. Turn the tuning peg on your bass guitar as you play the guitar and the keyboard together, and listen to the "helicopter" sound. It will slow down as your guitar becomes in tune with the keyboard, and will eventually vanish. Repeat this process for your A, D and G strings.

Another tuning method you need to learn is to get the E string as close to tuned as you can and tune the other strings accordingly. Play the note at the fifth fret of the E string together with the open A string. Once these two notes are the same, play the fifth fret of the A string at the same time as the open D string. When the D string sounds the same as the fifth fret of the A string, move onto playing the fifth fret of the D string and tune the open G string to that. Now your bass guitar is in tune.

You can also tune the bass guitar to itself using harmonics. Touch your finger lightly on the fifth fret of the E string without pressing down. You will hear a chiming note. Now play this harmonic again but at the same time playing the harmonic at the seventh fret of the A string. Tune the A string till it matches the harmonic on the E string. Now play the fifth fret harmonic on the A string and match the seventh fret harmonic on the D string to that. Next, match the seventh fret harmonic on the G string with the fifth fret harmonic on the D string.

Lastly, and most easily is the electronic tuning method. Electronic tuners have a visual guide to tell you when your guitar is sounding the right note. For the sake of your maturity as a guitar player you should first practice at tuning the bass guitar using one or all of the other methods, then check it with an electronic tuner. You can buy an electronic tuner at a music store or online. You can even do a search for online bass guitar tuners.

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There are some common elements of guitar playing that I cover such as learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, how to learn guitar scales, how to play guitar fast.

As a learner guitarist you will find guitar lessons, videos, articles and reviews to answer your questions, calm your fears and help you play the guitar the way you want to play it. I have the resources you need to learn how to play the guitar for free.

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Top 10 Bass Guitar Songs

By Or Kynan

Let us try to get a best bass guitar songs list among the hundreds of wonderful songs that we have heard over the years. The list though not inclusive of all the legends is an attempt at listing out a top 10 bass guitar songs. The number ten songs on the list is Break on Through by the Doors and it is quite a wonderful way that bass is used in this song that makes it such a hot favorite. Higher up on the list at number nine is Boris the Spider by The Who.

At number eight we have Whipping Post by Allman Brothers band and at number seven we have Roundabout by Yes. Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin is at number six and at number five we have The Real Me by The Who. Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple is at number four and at three we have Another One Bite the Dust by Queen.

At number two we have My Generation by The Who and the topmost position is occupied by Money by Pink Floyd. There could be a number of people who could be annoyed that the list does not include the legends of bass guitar like Beatles, Eagles, Dire Straits, Black Sabbath, Taylor Swift, Guns N Roses, Eric Clapton, Metallica and many more wonderful, talented and gifted legends who had made the bass guitar a magical instrument.

The list as stated earlier is not a complete list and there are bound to be arguments and counter arguments about the validity of an inclusion. The list is just a starting point where beginners or novices in guitar playing can listen to and learn the wonderful skills from the legends who have strummed the guitars to perfection to bring out the best music that we had all loved and cherished.

Along with the list of top 10 bass guitar songs we must also have a list of top 10 bass players who have immortalized this humble instrument into a great piece of art. This list would again not be a complete list but just an attempt to identify the legends of guitar who have given us such wonderful music. Paul McCartney from the former Beatles was considered a legend that used to play the bass to perfection and most people thought that his fingers were magical when they touched the guitar and some of the most memorable bass guitar songs have come from this great man. Others on the list would include Pino Palladino, Flea, Jaco Pastorius, Mark King, Tony Levin, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Charlie Haden and John Paul Jones.

Here we spoke about great bass guitar songs and great bands. But if you want to learn how to play the bass guitar, If you want to play the bass in 8 days or less... This is the place for you. http://www.beginner-bass-guitar.com

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Best Bass Guitar Pedal Effects

By O Keynan

There are two types of bass guitar pedals and these are multi-effects pedals and dedicated effects pedal. There are distinct advantages in both of these models and let us look at each one of them in an individual manner so that we can make the decision on buying the one that suits our playing style.

Let us look at the multi effects model first and this is a single unit through which you will be able to achieve different effects. There are some musicians that such equipment works out to be a disadvantage as you will not be able to get the desired result as too many effects are cramped into one single unit.

The quality of the effect also gets affected due to this but it is still a great way to getting introduced to the various effects that are capable from a single unit and you will also learn to manipulate the various effects in a very effective manner.

In the case of a dedicated effects pedal there is only one effect that is created and if you are one that will use a particular effect more often, then you can opt for it. As there is just one effect that is created it comes out pretty well and you will be able to achieve the desired results. You can also use a number of dedicated effects pedal in order to get a wide range of effects and you can also try the modular variety.

You will be able to add an entirely new dimension of playing the guitar when you use the bass guitar pedal and the effect though subtle has a profound addition to your skill of playing the guitar. The pitch and the tone changes when you use the guitar pedal in an effective manner. You will also be able to create an illusion of multiple instruments playing in perfect sync with each other when you use the bass guitar pedal.

Most musicians feel that it helps create the necessary special effects or drama while you are playing the guitar and all this helps in enhancing the overall impact of the music you create. But if you do not use it properly then you can totally spoil a piece of good music and you will have to practice using it before you try it out in a concert or in front of an audience.

O Keynan is professional bass player that plays over 7 years. He owns and maintains Beginner-Bass-Guitar.com, a great recourse that will give you all the information about bass guitar pedal, acoustic bass guitars, bass guitar scales. There is a lot to see.

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What You Need to Know About the Bass Guitar

By Marqus Smith

For the benefit of absolute novices to the guitar, we may begin with a mention of the fact that there are basically three types of guitar - especially where it is the modern 'electric guitar' we are looking at. The first of these is what musicians sometimes refer to as the lead guitar (or the solo guitar, in some circles). The second of these is what musicians sometimes refer to as the rhythm guitar; though its usage is not universal. And the third is what is referred to as the bass guitar, which is our focus here.

The guitar, by convention, has four strings (or wires, depending on your nomenclature) - whereas the other types of guitar have six strings. To be sure, there are some instruments classified as bass guitars that have five or six strings, but the standard is four. As it turns out, these four strings that make the bass guitar represent notes E, A, D and G in the bass cleff.

Many music styles make use of the bass guitar. From rock music to pop music, punk, country, jazz and lot of other styles in between, this is an instrument you will tend to hear in the background if you listen very carefully. In some music styles such as fusion and heavy metal, the bass guitar actually steps from the background, sometimes even acting as the soloing instrument. In some genres of music, the bass guitar plays such a crucial role that a piece of music without its usage would sound incomplete in the ears of keen listeners.

There are many ways of playing the guitar. In most cases, it is played with the fingers - but use of a plectrum in playing it is not completely unheard of either. Where it is played with the fingers, the playing may involve thumping, tapping or simply plucking.

The bass guitar is mainly used in playing what are musically known as 'bass-lines.' With a good and well tuned speaker, it is quite easy to make out those bass-lines in any piece of music where the instrument is used. The bass-lines in turn act as harmonic anchors, seeing that use of a lead guitar and rhythm guitar on their own could leave the music somewhat unanchored, harmonically. This is where a subtle 'feeling of incompleteness' as previously alluded, comes out in pieces of music where the bass guitar is not used. What we mean by saying that the bass guitar serves as a harmonic anchor is that it helps to 'keep it all together.' Therefore although its sound may not be all that clear to the listener from the foreground, it is still playing a crucial role in terms of anchoring the whole musical edifice. It is the same way that the foundation of a house may not be very visible to the people using it - yet where we know that the house would be very weak without that (albeit invisible) foundation.

Normally, the guitar is first connected to an amplifier and the output driven into a speaker, where the instrument is used in a live performance.

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Bass Guitar For Starters - Important Tips

By Stuart Michael M

Bass guitar is my favorite type of guitar. You may think that being a bassist is nothing great because the bass sound is very low and soft, unlike electric guitar. If you have this type of thinking, you are absolutely wrong. Try comparing a song that has this guitar play and the other version of similar song without this instrument. You should agree with me once you have done it.

The number of strings in a bass guitar varies. It may consist of 4, 5 or even 6 strings. The most common type of this guitar is the 4-string bass. 5 and 6-string bass are for advanced player. If you are new, start off with 4-string bass. Here are several things you need to know in the process of learning this guitar.

Being a bassist requires some music background. Simple music theory like note A to G must be clear in your head, as a bassist only plays with notes. There are bassists who play chords but it is rather uncommon. You must know the notes of each string and the respective notes at a particular fret. Take some time memorizing the location before start playing. It will provide you smooth play if you know the location of each note clearly.

Other than that, you need learn how to grip on the strings properly. The strings of a bass guitar are very thick and you need press the string with sufficient strength to provide a clean sound. It may be painful at first as you are not used to it. Give it some time practicing and this problem will be eventually solved.

A bassist needs to be good in timing as well. Try to feel the beat of each song and learn the various tempos in different songs. Drummer is like the leader of a song as he or she is the one that determines the beat. Your job is to feel the beat and follow the play of a drummer in order to make the playing synchronize.

Stuart is writing for many websites, he enjoys writing on wide range of topics such as Lefty Electric Guitars and Left Handed Guitars. You may visit for more details.

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Bass Guitar Effects Pedals - 5 Effect Pedals For the Bass Guitarist

By Alan Williamson

Overview

The effects that are described for each Effects Pedal are the same for both electric and Bass Guitars. However, for the Bass Guitar, the effect is often modified to suit the lower frequency range of the instrument.

Bass Wah Wah Pedal

As with the Electric Guitar Wah pedal, the Bass Wah effect is produced by the use of a rocking treadle type foot pedal. However, with this type of unit, the use of custom EQ circuitry is incorporated specifically for Bass frequencies and the result is a full fat bass tone with a smooth response. This is ideal for enhancing your rhythmic playing, from warm and subtle, to punchy.

Octaver Pedal

The use of the Octaver is to produce a note that is one full octave below the original note played - quite a useful pedal for Funk and R&B - and many are able to cope with two or three note chords. Due to its need to create the altered pitch 'live', the pedal needs to have a fast response or tracking capability suitable for use with rapid playing techniques.

Overdrive and Distortion Pedal

If you want gutsy sounds for playing Rock/Metal etc, then the distortion pedal is for you. These pedals enhance the signal to the point where the resulting sounds are anything between rich and warm 'clipped', to something which is a lot more aggressive. Pedals vary in complexity from a few simple controls to more complex versions incorporating control over harmonic content and tone shaping facilities. Often these pedals are criticised for introducing high levels of noise, and are quite difficult to use for studio recording. Considering the way the signal is being boosted and enhanced, it's not surprising.

Bass Chorus Pedal

Again this pedal is specifically designed for the Bass frequency range. These pedals emulate the effect of having multiple bass notes playing in unison where slight variations create the chorus effect. It is possible to emulate up to sixteen voices depending on the make, and voice randomisation produces a thickening of the sound.

Bass Compressor/Limiter Pedal

The Bass Compressor enables the Bassist to play over a wide range of playing styles - from normal rhythmic playing to greater dynamic styles such as 'slap' - while maintaining the same output or volume from the Amplifier. This enables the audience to hear all your playing, while maintaining a balance within the band. The Compressor is probably the most commonly used pedal, but is the most difficult to use. If not set up correctly, the pedal can produce a rather bland performance.

Conclusion

If you want to use a number of Bass effects, you may want to choose using multi-effect units which incorporates all or any of the above. However, many criticise these saying that having all effects in one unit compromises the quality and functionality of each individual effect. Although, with the advent of microprocessor electronics, a large range of control over the parameters and sound shaping facilities are available to the user, so whether these criticisms are valid or not is difficult to confirm. It is probably down to the opinion of the individual which will decide the method to adopt, and there is certainly an appeal to the ease of setting up at a gig - with fewer cables to worry about going wrong at the most inopportune time.

There are a number of these types of pedals on the market today, which can make deciding the type or make of pedal to buy a bit daunting. If you would like more information on what's available on the market today, plus some great YouTube videos on various pedal types, please visit Bass Guitar Effects Pedals for upcoming news, reviews and sales.

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