Drilling arpeggios (the first, third and fifth note of a chord, often also going up to the octave of the root) is a good way to start practicing bass and learn the fundamentals that go into strong, supportive bass lines. Start slow, and gradually up the tempo.
With every note, you want only one string to ring out while you mute the other three. It takes a lot of practice to coordinate your hands properly to mute all the strings you’re not playing. Go slowly and have patience. Expect to get frustrated at first. Just keep at it, and it will eventually click.
Eventually you’ll need to keep tempo without relying on a metronome – especially if you plan to perform live. Train your ear to recognize different tempos. When you’re playing with a drummer, synchronize your playing with theirs.
Pull-offs are generally a little more difficult than hammer-ons. When you’re just starting, you may want to pluck the string lightly as you pull off your finger to make sure the second note rings out. With practice, you can use hammer-ons and pull-offs together to create quicker and more complicated bass lines.
If you don’t know how to read standard music notation, tabs enable you to start playing songs almost immediately. This can increase your confidence as you develop your ability as a bass player. You can find tabs for most popular songs online. Look for beginner tabs, which are more simplified versions.
You can remember the names of the notes on the bass clef’s lines and spaces with a mnemonic (memory aid). The most common mnemonics are “Good Boys Do Fine Always” for the lines (from the lowest line to the highest), and “All Cows Eat Grass” for the spaces (from the lowest space to the highest). Feel free to create your own mnemonic if you can come up with something that’s easier for you to remember. If you only want to learn to play a little bass to entertain your family and friends or jam with pals, learning music notation may not be the best use of your time. However, if you want to play bass for a living, it’s a sound investment.
If you plan to play for several hours, you may want to have a longer warm up. If your forearms and wrists feel sore after playing, try a longer warm-up period next time you play. You can also use the warm-up time to tune your bass or check for any problems.
Your time doesn’t have to be devoted exclusively to playing your bass. You can also spend time reading books about music, as well as watching concert videos or listening to songs that include some of your favorite bassists. When you watch other bassists for the purpose of practice, note their posture and hand positions. Get your bass guitar out and try to mimic them as they play.
For most bass amps, turn up the gain to between 10 o’clock and 1 o’clock. Experiment until you get a sound you like. Gain is similar to volume, but controls the volume of your bass coming into the pre-amp. Adjusting the gain changes the tone of your instrument. Generally, set the EQ between 500-800Hz for the best tone control.
Tuning by ear, using a guide note, will help you become more familiar with the tones. You can get guide notes from a piano or from a website that provides tuning notes. However, especially when you’re first starting, a digital tuner will ensure you’re fine-tuning your bass correctly.
Always use the strap when playing your bass while standing. The wider the strap, the more it distributes the weight of the instrument. Stand with your shoulders level, not hunched over the instrument. Ideally, when standing, your bass should be at about waist height, with the neck angled so the headstock is at about the height of your shoulders. When sitting, avoid resting the upper body or neck of the bass on your leg. Hold the neck up at an angle, and move your leg out of the way. Sit up straight with your shoulders back. If you’re going to play sitting, choose a stool rather than a comfortable chair.
When plucking, keep your hand loose. Trim your nails short so they don’t get caught on the strings as you play. If you want to play the bass with a pick, use a heavy gauge guitar pick. Hold the pick between your thumb and index finger, and strum the pick downward then up to “pluck” the string with the pick. You can also do repeated downstrokes for a heavier, more accented sound.
One good exercise is to hold your arm out in front of you with your elbow straight and your palm facing up. Reach over with your other hand and gently pull your hand down until you feel a stretch. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, then do the same exercise with your other hand. Repeat 3 times with each hand. If you pull down you also want to push back. Hold your arm out in front of you with your elbow straight and your palm facing down. Pull your palm back towards your body with your other hand, until you feel a stretch. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, then do the same exercise with your other hand. Repeat 3 times with each hand. You also want to strengthen the fingers of your fretting hand. You can find single-string permutations online that will help with this. [15] X Research source
Generally, you want a fretted instrument. Fretless basses are more suitable for experienced bass players who can rely on muscle memory and a well-rounded ear to play notes correctly. Basses may have either bolt-on necks, set necks, or thru-body necks. Bolt-on necks are the most common, and are found on less expensive instruments. This is generally the best choice for your first bass. A bass guitar may have 4, 5, or 6 strings. For the sake of simplicity, start with a 4-string bass. After you feel comfortable with a 4-string bass, you can always move on from there to a 5- or 6-string bass.
You might also consider buying a used instrument. However, if you buy a used instrument you’ll typically need to buy your own amp, tools, and other accessories.
Short-scale bass guitars may be harder to find, and you may end up spending a little more to get a quality instrument.
If you buy a bass that you like looking at, it can help motivate you to play more. Check out the shapes and colors of the basses played by your favorite musicians to get some ideas of looks you like. Keep in mind that while shape and color have little to do with how the bass sounds, they can drastically affect the price – particularly for rare or custom designs.
A combo unit is also a good idea if you’re going to be traveling a lot with your bass, because you only have to move one thing. Some manufacturers sell beginner’s bass kits that come with a bass amp combo. These can make your selection process easier, particularly if this is your first electric instrument.
