Learning to Play Bass Guitar - 4 Guitar Playing Tips

Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

1. Feel the beat

Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

3. Finger placing is important

Hitting the bass guitar fret board with the left-hand fingers is very important since it is a major factor that will determine the wholeness of each note. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.

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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.

http://guitaraccord.com/learning-bass-guitar.php is a website dedicated to the promotion of guitar learning. Looking at a diversity of guitar styles we recommend appropriate methods of learning to play your guitar.