Important Theories on Electric Bass Guitars

The electric bass guitar is a bass stringed instrument. This instrument is played with the fingers either by plucking, slapping, popping or tapping and sometimes even using a pick. It is quite similar in form and structure with an electric guitar. But comparatively it has a larger body along with a longer neck. Most of these are four stringed.

The electric bass guitars came by an invention and an immediate replacement with the double bass for those in the genre of popular music. It provides a low pitch sound in any genre of music.

Most of them are commonly solid- body electrics, though there exists a few semi hollow body guitars. The latter provides a more rounder and an acoustic sound.

The neck of the electric bass guitar is one of the most crucial part of the instrument. The preferable size of the neck depends on the size of your hand. It is available with various types of neck shapes. The neck can be rounded, oval, flat back, v or even asymmetrical. However, if it is a five or six stringed electric bass guitar then you can expect the neck to be wider.

This can have a varied number of frets. Some electric bass guitars have twenty one while some others may even have twenty four frets.

Also, if you possess such a guitar, you should also posses a tuner. A tuner will help you to keep your instrument fine tuned and at the same time hold pitch. Invest in a tuner, that will be resistant to rust and airborne corrosives for this specialized guitar.

Another important factor that determines the sound of the electric bass guitars is the wood that is used for manufacturing the guitar. Musicians from various walks of life believe that the wood chosen for the top acts as the single most important factor. It is important as the wood dictates the tonal quality of the instrument.

However, you should know wood plays differential characteristics depending on which part of the instrument it is used. Though the sound of the guitar does not completely depend on the wood but it is an important factor to be considered. Uniformly the design and the skill of the maker also make a lot of difference to the sound of a single electric bass guitar.

Another topic for discussion is the continuous debate over a five string and over a four string bass guitar. A five string electric bass guitar consists of a B string as the fifth string. This string is below the traditional low E string. Though most bass players are comfortable with a four string bass. A few players prefer a five string electric bass guitar.

Those who are looking for an additional range of low pitch sound prefer a five string guitar. It also provides the extra effects when competing the synth bass parts. A five string electric bass guitar is also ideal for playing bass solos.

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Start Learning Bass Guitar

What is it about this particular guitar form that has whetted your appetite to start learning bass guitar? Is it that you want to be a little different to most other people playing guitar? Maybe it isn't, but learning bass guitar does set you apart. It is the lead guitar that usually takes the plaudits as the face and voice of a band but behind all that it is the bass guitar that contributes the pulse that gives life to that same band.

Working together with the drummer the bass guitarist makes it his place to set and maintain the rhythm and the pace around which the whole of that band functions. It is quite normal that at most gigs the limelight and the applause goes to the lead guitar and vocalist with the drummer occasionally breaking up that monopoly with a display of his skills playing a periodic fast and furious solo routine.

But behind all this frenetic activity the heartbeat that gives life to the whole body of the band continues to beat on as the bass player coolly goes about his craft. Rarely the star but often the hero the bass player steadfastly keeps his cool as he continues to put out that life giving beat to the music.

The unique quality of the depth and richness of tone brought forth when a bass guitar is properly tuned and played is truly captivating. To be the one playing your own bass guitar and to be able to create such a sound yourself is a greater excitement still.

So if you have now made your decision to become part of that elite club of bass guitar players and want to start learning bass guitar what should be your next step? If you are going to start learning bass guitar you had better get yourself kitted out! Certainly the most exciting step and one you should take your time over and not hurry. Its time to choose your new bass guitar!.

Look up a specialist guitar retailer because that is where you will get to view the biggest selection of guitars and get the best advice in buying the right guitar for you. Ask them to not only show you all the different options, but allow you to hold them and find out which ones are most comfortable for you. A bass guitar has a bigger body and longer neck than other types of guitar and you must be able to hold it and reach the farthest frets comfortably. Your new bass guitar will very likely come to be your best friend as you spend many happy and intimate hours with it in the years to come. So it is vitally important that you get it right. Having identified a couple of bass guitars that you like the look of and that are comfortable for you to hold and play, ask to have each one played through an amplifier so that you can hear and get a feel for how they sound. Only when you have gone through this process diligently will you be sure that you have found the right guitar and ultimately have found a new soul mate for yourself.

Choosing your new bass guitar is the beginning of your dream. Splendid as it is, you won't be able to play it unless you find a way to hear it!. Every electric guitar has to be played using an amplifier. Again get the retailer to show you a selection that fits within your budget and ask him to plug your new guitar into them so that you can hear the soul of your new bass guitar connecting with you. See it, try it then buy it. That's the rule. Not, see it, buy it then try it or buy it, see it then try it! You are going to be using up a lot of your cash to buy and you are going to be spending a good deal of your time in learning bass guitar. So obviate any problems by getting it right first time.

There are still things you need to buy though before you can start learning bass guitar. You will need a guitar lead to connect the guitar to the amp. Also a comfortable strap to support the guitar on your shoulder as you play it is a wise investment.

Keeping your guitar properly tuned must become a daily routine for you and the easiest way of accomplishing this is with the use of an electronic tuner. They are definitely great value for money and they do make the job quick and easy.

One other thing. Your understanding of timing will be quite an important part of learning bass guitar.

It is fundamental to your development as a guitarist that you can learn a good sense of timing. It will be your sense of timing that you show when you play your new guitar that makes you a success or a failure at any future auditions you try for.

When you start learning new songs for your guitar you will have the most success if you play the number at perhaps half speed until you feel comfortable with playing it and then little by little increase the speed up to the normal pace for the song. So if you will only take one piece of advice away from reading this it should be, get yourself a metronome!

Metronomes are still made as the traditional mechanical device but electronic versions are probably the best value for money now. Be sure you have a chance to listen to those that you see on offer, as lower quality ones can have an aggravating tinny click or bleep rather than a nice satisfying woody tick. Also it is well to obtain one with beat increments of one beat per minute allowing a very measured increase in tempo which will be more suitable for you when learning bass guitar songs.

Don't be tempted at this stage by all the many accessories and add-ons that are put in front of you in magazines and shops. These are best left to another time when you have gained a better feel for which of those things you might really need.

Having made a commitment to start learning bass guitar and having equipped yourself with the guitar of your dreams and your amplifier, how do you actually start the process of learning and mastering the techniques and skills necessary to realise your ambition of playing in a band?

To have private tuition from a good professional guitar teacher on a one to one basis will certainly be the very best option open to you. If you are able to locate such a teacher near to your home and you can run to his fees and can fit his lessons around your lifestyle then this is your way forward.

There are other options available to you though.

For not much more than the cost of a couple of private lessons you can purchase a truly comprehensive multimedia home study course that can deliver fantastic results.

These courses are structured for you to start learning bass guitar at home at your own pace and be studied and practiced at a time to suite you.

As is always the case some are better value than others and some represent a greater investment than others. If it is right for you to take this route and you have invested in the right guitar and the right amplifier then it is only sensible to make sure you make the right investment in your course to start learning bass guitar and you buy into one that has a proper structure and is very professionally produced.

Can I suggest that you take a look at the Learn & Master Guitar course? Here is an in depth award winning multimedia suite of instruction written and hosted by renowned guitarist and teacher Steve Krenz. Learn & Master Guitar comes from the Legacy Learning Systems stable of home instruction courses and is without doubt the best of the best available to you today.

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Learn to Play Bass Guitar

There is a secret you must know if you want to learn to play bass guitar. It is in the name. The guitar is a musical instrument where you learn notes and melodies and chords and all that musical stuff. A bass guitar plays the same notes but in practice it should be approached as more of a percussion instrument which needs to be felt and interpreted mostly by the body rather than the mind and the emotions. Right from the very beginning when you are practicing your bass guitar you need to be aware that you are communicating with your audience in the same way the drummer is.

So how do you begin to learn to play bass guitar? Just the same as if you were learning the regular guitar. Take lessons for a while. Get the callouses on your fingers and learn the notes on the fretboard. As a bass guitar can be played with either a plectrum or with the right hand fingers you could try learning the rest stroke used by classical guitar players.

As part of your bass guitar training you should learn all about the basic chords and scales as they are played in rock music, and maybe take a look at the way folk singers play the guitar to accompany themselves singing. This will give you a basic understanding of where the bass notes are in regular guitar playing and how they fit in with the rest of the music.

Once you have a basic understanding of guitar playing you need to choose which type of bass guitar interests you most and how you are going to play it. The four string bass is tuned an octave lower than the six string guitar with its four strings tuned to E A D G. The five and six string bass guitars can be tuned in many different ways to give a wide range of how you express yourself through your music. Now is not the time to make the decision about which bass guitar you choose, you will find out as you experiment and gain some experience playing in groups.

When you play your bass guitar you will possibly be using a plectrum. Usually this will be one of the heavier picks but they are available in a range of weights to suit the music and the player. If you choose to play the bass guitar with your fingers you will be learning a range of plucking, slapping and snapping techniques using the fingers of your right hand.

The type of bass guitar you choose to play and the technique you use to play your bass will be the methods you use to turn musical notes into bass guitar music. As the bass player you have the job of giving your group the extra thump it takes to get the dancers dancing and the audience swaying. And the great part is you do not have to be a technical virtuoso to do it. You can have fun inventing your own bass lines and making use of chords and arpeggios, but keep it simple. It is an old joke amongst rock and roll musicians that the bass player has the least technical ability, and sometimes there is an element of truth to this, but the rhythm is best expressed by simplicity.

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Bass Guitar Basics

There are basic bits of equipment that you need to include when you buy your first bass guitar. The guy in the guitar store is going to want to sell you a boatload of accessories but you only need a few basic things to make up your basic bass guitar kit. Buying your very first bass guitar is an occasion you will remember for the rest of your life. You have finally made the decision to but a musical instrument and to practice until you can play it. Maybe you've already had some experience at playing the guitar. If so, you will find the bass a little easier to play from a technical point of view but learning how to be a bass player does include some challenges. The first is to get out of the guitar store with some money left in your wallet.

Your new bass guitar is a valuable piece of equipment and you are going to want to keep it safe. So you will need to purchase a bass guitar case. If you are actually going to be transporting your bass guitar to different places for practice or for gigs it is best not to go for one of the cheaper cases. They're a bit on the thin side. Spend a little more money and get a case that has a hard outer shell and some padding inside.

Bass guitar strings come in several types: roundwound, groundwound and flatwound. The most common are roundwound which have quite a bright sound and can be used in all styles of bass guitar playing. Reggae or jazz bass guitar players usually prefer a fairly mellow sound so they will often choose flatwound bass strings. Groundwound strings are preferred by bass guitarists who do not like the finger noise that you get with the other two kinds of strings, and they don't have the extremely bright or totally mellow sound of flats or rounds. Whichever kind of string you use, buy a spare set or two. If you have not made a final decision yet, buy a set of each kind of string to try them out.

Bass guitar players play standing up, so you will need a guitar strap. They are made from vinyl, polyester or leather. Your guitar will probably have one but you might see something in the store that you prefer. There's not a whole lot of difference between the different types of guitar straps, so just make a personal choice.

There is one bass guitar basic accessory that you can go crazy over, and it's picks. Bass guitar picks are cheap and come in many shapes, sizes and colors, a lot like the girls who will be attracted to you when you start playing bass in a band.

A strict rule that all guitar players should impose on themselves is to keep your instrument in tune all the time. You can do it by installing a free tuner on your computer but if you are going to be travelling to gigs then buy one when you purchase your bass guitar. Just get a cheap one to start with. They come in a wide range of prices but they all do the same job.

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REVIEW - Bass Guitar Secrets Instruction Program

If you have ever thought about learning performance level bass guitar, then you might want to take a serious look at this review of the popular Bass Guitar Secrets instructional program by Alex Sampson.

The Goal of Bass Guitar Secrets: to play performance-level bass in the fastest time possible.

Who Will Benefit Most From This Program?: This bass guitar instructional program is designed for rank beginners to advanced players

What Kind Of Bass Guitar Is Taught?: 4,5 and 6 string electric bass.

The Contents of Blues Guitar Secrets:

2 Illustrated Instructional Manuals - 250 pages total, Over 350 Audio Examples, JamBox: 101 audio full band Jam Tracks, Fretboard Genius Training Software, Groove Station: 107 audio drum tracks, Insiders Guide To Chord Mastery, Bass Guitar Tuning Software, Free Membership to the BGS 1-on-1 personal coaching program, Free Lifetime Lesson Updates.

The Negatives:

Bass Guitar Secrets does not utilize video as a teaching tool. This does not necessarily mean that the content or quality of the lessons suffer but I do believe that some people, based on their learning style, may have to work a little harder to understand some of the lessons.

The Positives:

All Inclusive: This is a turnkey bass guitar lesson program. Everything needed to go from rank beginner to creating interesting bass lines for many different styles of music is included.

Beyond The Basics: This course is jam packed with tons of small but essential tips from learning to buy a bass to tuning it. You are not just told what to do but also given lots of detailed tips for learning to execute each lesson well.

Excellent After Purchase Support: Nothing is as frustrating as stalling out in the course because there is no way ask questions or request clarification. Bass Guitar Secrets has 5 avenues of support, (see the support section below for details).

Fun: Playing along side the very real (though recorded), Jambox band is the most fun and satisfying part of this course. The quality of the production and selection of the music both combine to give as much realism as possible while still remaining in the safe atmosphere of your own bedroom.

Computer Compatibility: Both Macintosh and Window PCs are supported.

The Price:

Option 1: $97 USD (as of this writing ), This version of Bass Guitar Secrets includes a convenient printed version of all the manuals. The software and audio files are provided on CD. The printed manuals come in handy if you wish to have quick access to some of the lessons with out having to boot up your computer. This version is a plus if you do not especially like to read from a computer screen.

Option 2: $59.95 USD This version saves you over $37 by not giving you a printed version of the eBook instruction manuals. All of the items mentioned above ,including the manuals, arrive at your house on CD.

Option 3: $49.95 USD This is the instantly downloadable version. All of the files for the written manuals, software and audio are sent instantly via the internet upon receipt of payment by most major credit cards, eCheck or PayPal. The surprising part about this low cost option is that nothing is left out. Absolutely all of the manuals, the audio files, jam tracks, bass tuner, etc. that are part of the $97 version are included.

The Cost Analysis:

Bass Guitar Secrets vs. a Local Instructor Bass Guitar Secrets by Alex Sampson contains the equivalent of 6 months to one years worth of guitar lessons if you were to space them out as if you were taking lessons from a local guitar instructor. A local instructor typically will charge anywhere from $20 to $50 per weekly lesson. Your minimum cost, (not including materials), at only $20 per lesson for 6 months would be at least $520.

The choice comes down to: Bass Guitar Secrets at $49.95 to $97 or a local instructor at $520 to $1040.

Guarantee: One full year.

Support: A free dedicated internet Support Site, A blog that allows you to interact with experienced bassists, Free Membership to the BGS 1-on-1 personal coaching program, Free Lifetime Updates for the two main instructional manuals, Two Free Video Tutorials for downloading and setting up Bass Guitar Secrets program.

The Bottom Line:

At first I was not expecting to like Bass Guitar Secrets because it does not include video in the lessons but, slowly I was won over. The lesson content and quality are definitely on the mark. Alex Sampson is a serious bassist that also has a flair for teaching and it shows in the details of his course.

The quality of the 400 plus audio examples and play along jam tracks are top notch which lends an essential degree of realism to the learning experience, (not to mention a great deal of fun as well).

I am pleased with the overall reasonable price but, I am especially impressed that even the lowest cost, instant download version ($49.95) of Bass Guitar Secrets includes everything and I mean everything that the more expensive printed version offers.

The bottom line is that Bass Guitar Secrets gets the job done at an excellent price. It has clearly earned my recommendation. The rest is now up to you.

For more details, samples, testimonials or to buy Bass Guitar Secrets please follow this link: http://www.CompareGuitarLessons.com/Review-Bass-Guitar-Secrets.html