The Basics of the Bass Guitar

You will need...

1 bass guitar

1 amp

1 strap

2 wires

Having the strap wrapped around will give you a consistent position whether you stand or sit. It will also prevent the bass from falling off of you as you play.

To put the strap around the bass, find the two holes at each end of it and slip them through the knobs on either side of the bass. Make sure they are placed all the way through so that it won't fall off suddenly as you're playing.

The length of it does not matter very much, however, it is recommended to start off at a middle length. As you practice and improve you can experiment around with the height of your bass.

Before you do anything make sure the amp is plugged into an outlet. Afterwards, plug another wire into the bass and the amp. That wire will connect between the two so that you can play with the sound. Turn on the amp and you're ready to play.

To plug the wire into the bass, there is either on the bottom of the bass or the front surface where the strings are.

WARNING:

Make sure you have the wires plugged into the bass and the amp before you turn on the amp. If you turn on the amp THEN connect the wire to one of the objects, then it will make a loud noise hurting your ears and potentially damaging the amp. The same thing applies to when you want to pack up, just the complete opposite. You want to turn off the amp first then plug out everything.

Once everything's plugged in and you have your strap on, grab a chair and set the curved bit of the bass on your right thigh. There are two curved parts on the bass, but you will know which side is correct because the strings need to be facing out. The thinnest string (open G string) will be at the bottom whilst the thickest string (open E string) will be at the top.

Place your right thumb around the pickup. Some basses have a specific area on the pick you can place your thumb on, but some don't so if don't have one, then place your thumb right above the open E string. Rest your right index and middle fingers on the strings ready to play.

To play the strings, you don't want to pluck them up or else it won't make a nice sound compared to playing down. Remember to lift up your fingers after playing a string so that you are not muting it.

For your left hand, make sure your palm is not touching the back of the neck and that your thumb is holding on to the middle part of it. Don't grip it too hard, just let your thumb rest behind it to keep the bass stable. The rest of your fingers need to be on the fingerboard as straight as it can be. Try your best to avoid slanting your hand. The strings nearest the headstock will be more challenging to keep your fingers straight so it is okay to slant a little bit.

Press down on any string with your left hand using any finger nearest on to the right side of the fret to get the perfect sound. It is also okay to play in the middle of the fret, but do not press down towards the left of the fret because it does not make a nice sound. If played on the right side it will make the sound that you want.

When you have to switch from one note to another, you're going to have to be able to move quickly, so you want to be able to spread your fingers out to be ready. To do that place your index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky on three frets. The ring finger and pinky will share the same fret meaning that the ring finger won't need to press down on a string in this position. This is more necessary when you're playing near the headstock since each fret is wider.

When you play, make sure your left fingers do not move too much. Leave them as close as you can to the string without them muting the sound. This will allow you to move quickly and will also look nicer without fingers waving about as you play.