Q&A for How to Teach Yourself to Play Bass Guitar

If you can read music, the key signature will be at the beginning of each line. If you can't read music, look for the tonic note. This is the first note of the scale, and will sound right virtually anywhere in the song. Play notes on a keyboard or other instrument as you play or sing the song. Listen and use trial and error until you find one that works. That will tell you the key.

Do exercises to improve your finger strength and dexterity. Check your posture and hand position to make sure you're holding your instrument properly. You might also want to try a short-scale bass.

Just by practice. Set a pattern of different notes and try to hit them one by one, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The more natural it becomes, the more quickly you'll play.

Try resting, as rest is essential for playing bass. And try to get callouses, it will make it easier to play.

There are websites you can find that say the actual note instead of just showing the symbol. I use Ultimate Guitar to help me find tabs. The number on the tab is the fret number, and the letter is the string on the guitar, and you play them in the sequence it shows.

Don't press it like your going to move your finger slightly. You should press hard on the string and not light and that should get rid of the buzzing noise.

Exactly the same as a 4-string. That fifth string is supposed to be a B; it'll be lower than the E string.

Playing without an amp can be useful for learning to move your fingers quickly and specific songs. You do not have to buy an amp to practice as long as you can hear yourself play.

Here is a tab G------------------- D------------------- A------------------- E-0-3-5---------- The lines are the strings of the bass. The numbers are the frets where you press to play a note

Your fretting hand (preferably your left hand) should be anchored by resting your thumb against the back of the neck, just slightly towards the top. You want your fingers relaxed but curved as though you're holding a baseball. The fingers should then be over the strings. Press a string down towards the fretboard firmly just behind the fret. Listen for buzzing. If you hear buzzing, your finger is either too close to the fret or too far from the fret.

In standard tuning, it's B-E-A-D-G, but sometimes you see it tuned to E-A-D-G-C.

No. You can learn bass first or on its own.

The only issue would be the difference in scale. A bass guitar will have heavier strings and a larger neck and more space between frets than a standard guitar.

Yes. Any instrument can be used in jazz, though many more traditional jazz bassists use a stand-up bass.

You can play both, as they are both great instruments.

It will take years of practice to understand how to read tablature and sheet music and to confidently play by ear, but you should be able to play some easy songs within the first month or so.

Try something simple, like Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.

Most bassists don't play chords, however you will occasionally see bassists playing power chords (root, 5th, and sometimes octave up). I've never seen any bassist play actual bass chords, but if you're really interested in learning just Google what chords you want to learn.

Yes! The riff is easy enough. Just make sure the second dial is turned all the way down so that when you slide it doesn't make noise.

Yes. Be careful, though; it can put strain on the strings and they are liable to break.

Yes. But, if it's a complicated song, so start with the roots. Then move to fifths and scales.

Either just keep the tabs close and read them, or just practice the part so much you know it by heart!

There is no definitive 1st key to play, just the scale. Once you know the position of the major scale (the first scale you should learn), you'd simply transpose that scale to any key, up and down the fret board. The key signature is usually identified by the root note of the scale you're playing.

Standard tuning calls for the lowest string to be tuned B and the highest to be tuned C. Leave the middle 4 the standard 4-string tuning [E-A-D-G]. Tunings on the outer two strings also vary depending on songs, genre, and preference.

Get a teacher or go online. Google works well -- just search “G Major Pentatonic Scale Bass Guitar” or something like that.

Go to your local music store and buy a new set of strings. You're going to have to re-string your bass. Ask the clerk to help you pick out a set.

If you play other stringed instruments, like guitar or mandolin, or orchestral instruments, like cello or violin, it will be a lot easier to transfer to bass. Keep in mind, some stringed instruments are tuned differently than the bass guitar.

Yes, though you may need to consider using a smaller guitar if your fingers are short.

Yes! The bass would be a great secondary instrument to the violin.

Understand that your role is to contribute to the rhythm and beat, not the melody. Try working with the drummer or guitarist rather than the singer. Learn more music theory, most guitarists can get away with a lack of music theory, but most bassists can't. Learn the bass finger style. It's a bit different from the guitar finger style. Understand that a complex or hard bassline isn't always a good one. "Under Pressure" and "Another One Bites the Dust" have simple basslines, yet they are among the best and most memorable. Listen to bands with deep or good bassists. Feel free to play a melody with the bass, as long as you treat it like a support and not a lead.