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All the accessories & performance tips you need to pick up the bass
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Learning how to play the bass guitar is a great way to add a little music and rhythm to your life. While starting a new instrument may seem daunting, teaching yourself the basics can be a fun and rewarding hobby—and maybe a new artistic passion! In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started from choosing your first bass guitar to playing and writing your own bass lines. If you’re ready to groove, read on!
Getting Started on the Bass Guitar
- Choose a beginner-friendly and affordable bass that feels comfortable in your hands and produces the tone quality you’re looking for.
- To play notes, press down on a string over a fret in your left hand and roll your fingertips over the string to pluck it with your right hand.
- Emphasize the roots of chords in a chord progression to create a bass line, then add catchy rhythms and other chord tones to make it unique.
Steps
Section 6 of 11:
How to Play Chords
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Play the root note of chords to get familiar with chord progressions. A chord is a 3- or 4-note set of notes played simultaneously. Chords are labeled by their root, or the lowest “home” note of the chord. Bass players do not play full chords very often (unlike guitarists), so navigating the roots of a chord progression will help you begin learning bass lines. For example:
- Say you have a chord progression of F major, G major, C major, and A minor. The roots of these chords are F, G, C, and A, so these are the notes you would play.
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Play the root and fifth of a chord together. Once you understand roots, try playing the fifth of the chord simultaneously. The fifth is 5 scale tones away from the root of the chord, and playing these 2 notes together supports the more complex harmonies that guitarists or keyboard players have. Finding your fifths is pretty simple: [10] X Research source
- To play the fifth above the root, play the note two frets higher on the next string up.
- To play the fifth below the root, stay on the same fret and move one string lower.
- For example, if you add fifths to the F, G, C, A chord progression, you end up playing F and C, G and D, C and G, and A and E simultaneously.
- A basic chord, or triad, consists of 3 notes: the root, the third (the note 3 scale tones higher), and the fifth.
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Section 8 of 11:
Creating a Bass Line
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Base your bass line around the roots of the song’s chord progression. Say you’re writing a bass line for a song’s chorus and the chord progression is A minor, E minor, F major, G major. The roots of these chords are A, E, F, and G, so these are the notes you’d highlight or prioritize. [12] X Research source
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Write or improvise a catchy rhythm based around the root notes. The bass is as much a part of the rhythm section as it is a melodic instrument, so play around with different rhythms that complement the melody and feel of the song. For a punk or rock song, you might use driving, accented, repeated notes, while for a ballad, longer and more sustained notes might fit better.
- Don’t be afraid of silence, either! Having the bass sit out for a beat or two and then coming in on an off-beat or at an unexpected time can help the melody shine and accentuate the harmonies of the song. [13] X Research source
- Listen to the bass performances in some of your favorite songs to hear the ways that they keep rhythm.
- The most important job of a good bass player is to keep the rhythm of their music. The bass definitely adds great sound to any song, but the vital task is keeping a good beat.
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Add other chord or scale tones to give your line variety. Playing the roots is a good place to start, but the most beloved bass lines use additional notes to sound catchier. For example, if you’re moving from an F chord to a C chord, you could add in the notes G, A, and B in between to “step up” to the C chord in a scalar motion. [14] X Research source
- Similarly, you could use other notes from each chord in the progression besides just the roots. In an A minor chord (A, C, and E), you could punch out some Cs and Es in addition to As to add more variety.
- Stay within your key signature (or the notes of whichever major or minor scale your song is based on) to avoid any unwanted clashes or dissonant notes.
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Try writing your own songs to put your bass lines into action. If you enjoy writing your own material, try fleshing out your bass lines with a drum beat, harmonies in the guitar or keyboard, and a melody (sung or played by an instrument). Or, if you’re unsure what to write, get a group of musical friends together and jam to see what you come up with!
- Some of the biggest hits of all time have multiple writers and composers credited. Music is about connection, so don’t feel the need to write and record everything all by yourself.
- Writing your own music is also a great opportunity to give yourself a bass solo to show off your skills.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I teach myself bass?Nicolas Adams is a 5th generation musician of Serbian Gypsy descent and the lead guitarist of the band Gypsy Tribe. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nicolas specializes in Rumba Flamenco and Gypsy jazz and playing the guitar, Bouzouki, Balalaika, and piano.I'd recommend practicing and learning the regular guitar first. Anything you can do a guitar you can do on a bass, but it's going to be much easier on your hands if you start with a classical guitar first.
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QuestionWhat's the hardest part about learning the bass?Nicolas Adams is a 5th generation musician of Serbian Gypsy descent and the lead guitarist of the band Gypsy Tribe. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nicolas specializes in Rumba Flamenco and Gypsy jazz and playing the guitar, Bouzouki, Balalaika, and piano.I would say it's learning all the different strings and string sets, like a low B string. It's hard to focus on that without losing your place. Also, the patterns can be kind of tricky. It's not just a few bass drops you'll need to learn; you have to learn different walks, different runs, and different structural patterns on the baselines.
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QuestionWhy does playing the bass hurt my hands so bad?Nicolas Adams is a 5th generation musician of Serbian Gypsy descent and the lead guitarist of the band Gypsy Tribe. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nicolas specializes in Rumba Flamenco and Gypsy jazz and playing the guitar, Bouzouki, Balalaika, and piano.Compared to regular guitar strings, basses use a kind of heavy gauge steel string. These strings are a lot stronger and heavier, so you're going to develop calluses if you don't already have them.
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Tips
- Listen to songs you like and play along. It's great practice and you already know how the song goes!Thanks
- 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. Place your fingers so they’re close to the fret on the right.Thanks
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Warnings
- At some point you will get frustrated. That is no reason to throw in the towel, though!Thanks
- Make sure you hold your instrument correctly. You can get some nasty wrist or hand injuries if you don't. Plus, you have to go back and fix it if you do it wrong.Thanks
- You may get blisters on your fingertips. Just like in contact sports, keep playing, and they will eventually go away.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-technique/holding-the-bass/
- ↑ Nicolas Adams. Professional Musician. Expert Interview. 17 September 2019.
- ↑ https://www.schoolofrock.com/resources/bass-guitar/beginners-guide-to-tuning-a-bass-guitar
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-technique/pick-vs-fingers/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-technique/plucking/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-technique/plucking/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-technique/plucking/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-technique/plucking/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/gear/bass-guitar-buying-guide/bass-fretboard/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/common-bass-patterns/roots-and-fifths/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/common-bass-patterns/roots-and-fifths/
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-bass-line
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-bass-line
- ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-bass-line
- ↑ Nicolas Adams. Professional Musician. Expert Interview. 17 September 2019.
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/lessons/rhythm/metronomes/
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/gear/bass-guitar-buying-guide/bass-scale-length/
- ↑ https://mastertempsbassblog.com/bass-tone-guide/
- ↑ https://hub.yamaha.com/guitars/g-how-to/how-to-choose-the-right-bass-strings/
- ↑ https://www.fender.com/articles/instruments/how-to-buy-a-bass-guitar
- ↑ https://www.studybass.com/gear/bass-amps/bass-amp-basics/
- ↑ https://bassguitarrocks.com/bass-amp-alternatives/
- ↑ https://www.schoolofrock.com/resources/bass-guitar/guide-to-buying-your-first-bass-guitar
- ↑ https://www.schoolofrock.com/resources/bass-guitar/guide-to-buying-your-first-bass-guitar
- ↑ https://www.schoolofrock.com/resources/bass-guitar/guide-to-buying-your-first-bass-guitar
- ↑ https://www.schoolofrock.com/resources/bass-guitar/guide-to-buying-your-first-bass-guitar
About This Article
Article Summary
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To play bass, practice your plucking technique by alternating between your index and middle fingers using a consistent speed and rhythm. You can use a metronome to help you with timing and consistency. To create a warm, flat bass sound, pluck the strings closer to the neck, and for a percussive sound, pluck nearer to the bridge. Remember to mute the strings that aren’t being played by resting a finger on them for the clearest sound. Then, learn to play roots, higher and lower pitched octaves, fifths, and scales. For tips on practicing, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I picked up the bass 5 years ago. I was a 6 string guitar novice for many years prior, but never serious. What helped me most is now seeing what I need to do to get centered, and improve my skills." ..." more
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"I picked up the bass 5 years ago. I was a 6 string guitar novice for many years prior, but never serious. What helped me most is now seeing what I need to do to get centered, and improve my skills."
..."
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"Wow, this is probably the best method of teaching bass. Thanks. "
