Learning the Bass Guitar - Tips for Beginners

There's a huge amount of excitement and a slight nervousness when you buy your first bass guitar, unpack it but you still can't play a thing!

I guess the first consideration is how to tune it ...?

From the lowest (thickest) sounding string the notes are: E(4), A(3), D(2), and G(1).
Each string is also numbered with the highest sounding string being string one.

The next step is to decide if you are going to use a plectrum or pluck the strings with your fingers. If you choose your fingers, you would use an alternate stroke of index and middle fingers.

The other hand, usually the left, is used for pressing the strings down onto the frets. It is good practice to use finger one at fret one, finger two at fret two etc. Spread the fingers out - each over its own fret and use the weaker fingers as often as possible to strengthen them.

Practise playing along to slow songs at first with a simple rhythm. You could play one note on each beat or use the more popular rhythm of dotted crotchet, quaver, crotchet, crotchet.

It is beyond this post to explain more about playing methods, but a good book on learning to play the bass guitar or having a few lessons from a teacher is a good investment.

Bass Guitar Introduction

“I would like to be part of a rock band, or any other band for that matter, but
not have to practise for years before I can join”.
The Bass Guitar is probably the most accessible instrument in the guitar category. However, playing the bass without other instruments to play along with can be a bit boring. That’s why playing with a CD of your favourite band or putting a chord sequence into Band in a Box will help greatly.
Although the cost of a guitar and amplifier will set you back a little, depending
on the quality, a good set-up will last for years.