How to Buy Your First Bass Guitar

Have you been considering buying a bass guitar? If so you have made a great choice as far as musical instruments go. Bass guitars have a great deep sound and are very easy to learn how to play. Before you rush right out and buy one, here are some buying tips to give you some peace of mind. Online bass guitar purchases are just fine, but before buying I suggest you visit your local music shop to get a feel for what is out on the market. You want to see how the bass guitar fits you and feels in your hands. Most music shops will let you plug it in and play around with any guitar right in the store. If you know any experienced bassist, see if they do not mind tagging along with you, as most sales associates merely want to sell you any bass. Listen for the tone and quality of the sound that matches your taste.

Make sure you have a budget in mind before making a purchase, as a brand new bass guitar can cost you anywhere from $200 to $5000 depending on the brand, quality, and wood finish. Used basses tend to range from $100 to $1500 and are often just as good, although pricing and selection will vary from one locale to another. Consider buying a used bass. Most used bass guitars drop in price over the years and can offer much better quality and sound as a new bass would.

When you think you might have found a bass you like, do a search for that model on the internet to see if any reviews have been written from people who have already purchased that same model. Bass players are usually pretty straight forward on the bass guitars they have played and purchased.

Some great starter brands include Rogue, Squier and Epiphone. These brands of basses both look good and play great for the price. Fretless , acoustic and five-string basses each have their own type of sounds and pluses, but it is easiest to learn on a four string electric bass. Most beginner tutorials are written with the four-string bass in mind. Other brands of popular basses include: Fender, Gibson, Washburn, Ibanez, Rickenbacker and Yamaha to name a few.

There are great places to buy bass guitars online. eBay and Musicians Friend are great starting points to begin your search for that special first bass and you can usually purchase cheap bass guitars there as well.

Dave Cherry is an avid bass guitar player.

For more bass guitar buying options and bass guitars for sale visit Bass Guitar Depot

Let's Hear 'Em Bass Guitar Chords

You've heard a lot about rhythm and blues, but it's the bass that makes you want to dance. It's the thumpa-thumpa that gets your groove on, your head bobbing up and down and your feet a-tapping. Indeed, it's all about the bass - the lower notes that give guitar music the texture and body. In a band, it's the bass player that closes the gap between tempo and harmony. That's from endless years of practice perfecting the craft, which beginners can learn from bass guitar chords.

Hearing bass?

If you have heard the songs of Metallica (who hasn't?), you've definitely heard the heavy tones that prop up all throughout, giving them that distinctive sound that only Metallica can offer. Finally, bassists have entered the front door, and are no longer asked to pass through the kitchen door. Playing bass guitar chords have given bassists the tickets to the front door.

It is easy to learn to play the bass guitar, but mind you, the bass guitar is very difficult to tame. If you are dreaming to hold a bass guitar onstage, then practice playing a note at a time. You will be surprised to discover that before you can pluck a note, you will have to master some hand exercises to speed up your guitar playing.

What's the big deal about bass guitars and bass guitar chords?

A bass guitar is unlike a regular guitar. It has four strings and is an octave lower than the bass strings of a regular guitar. The bass guitar has a longer neck for longer scales. Most bass guitars have hollow bodies, and the sound that is bounced back has a different resonance and tone. The bass sound provides the low-pitched bus runs and bass-line typical in different music genres - jazz, fusion, rock, and funk. A sturdy guitar can take all the punishment, as well as give the best bass bellow.

Chords refer to the collection of tones when played together simultaneously. This can refer to any type of fretted string instrument. There is no fuss about bass guitar chords, really. They are plainly guitar chords played on the bass.

Bass guitar chords always have 12 keys. It must show the major, minor, diminished, minor 6th, and major 7th. The suspended 4th added 7th must also be learned. Bass guitar chords also have notations - names and locations of the notes on the frets and strings, as well as the enharmonic equivalents and the positions of these notes within the bass clef. As you learn the different music styles from bass guitar chords, you will soon be going into bass runs, low pitched bass lines, and soloing.

Raring to play the bass guitar?

If you think the bass guitar is yours to tame, you have to get a good instrument to practice the bass guitar chords with. Check out the different bass guitars to suit your needs. Some of the most popular ones used by professionals are the ESP B50, Squier Standard Jazz, Yamaha RBX260, Epiphone Accu Bass, and Ibanez GSR200. If you are thinking about a good investment, get a Tobias Growler 5-string electric bass guitar. This is expensive but will withstand all that picking, plucking, and slapping. If you see yourself playing the bass long term, then this is the guitar for you.

One can say that behind the great bass guitar chord playing, is also a great bass guitar, and player. The formula also calls for dedication, determination, and enthusiasm. Without these, neither great bass guitar nor bass guitar chord can be played. Get lessons, a songbook, and download bass guitar chords from several guitar sites online. Now, let's hear some bass.

Yes, bass guitar chords [http://www.aboutplayingguitar.com/2007/09/02/what-are-bass-guitar-chords] can be learned online. You can also visit aboutplayingguitar.com for free guitar sheet music. Check out this site now for free guitar chords [http://www.aboutplayingguitar.com/2007/08/30/where-can-i-find-some-free-guitar-chords], and start playing your guitar.