Bass Guitar Scales

      Learning bass guitar scales can vastly improve how well you play bass guitar. Scales are the core of music and bass playing, they are like the road map for your music. They tell you which notes work together as well as which chords work well in a chord progression.

      There are also many other benefits to spending some time learning bass guitar scales. These include using them to warm up your hands and finger before playing. Warming up properly before you play is important as it can help to prevent injury as well as preventing your hands from aching after you have been playing for a long period of time.

      First you should learn is the C major bass guitar scale as this is the foundation of music theory. The C major scale has not sharps or flats and contains the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Practise playing the C scale until you know the pattern really well. Once you know it you instantly unlock every other major scale on your bass. Let me explain...

      By taking the C major scale you can move that finger pattern and move it to any other starting note to give you that scale. For example taking the finger pattern and moving it to start on a D note will give you a D major scale, moving it to an E note will give you a E major scale and so on.

      So hopefully you can now see why learning scales is simple once you know how. You just have to learn one of your bass guitar scales and you instantly can play all of them. This same formula works for all bass scales and is easy to learn.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Boyd

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How to Play Bass Guitar - Fun and Easy

      Playing bass guitar isn't always about becoming rich and famous; it can be just as easily learned for fun. The skills involved with learning bass guitar and playing a part in writing songs has enabled millions of people to be happy and this is why bass guitar lessons can be great fun. The more intensely you practice the better you will become but it is possible for all different people to have a great time from learning bass guitar.

      When you consider the bass guitar and the great bass players who have become famous over the years, there are many people to be influenced by. Many people consider Paul McCartney to be a huge influence on their bass guitar playing and his style may be one you use when learning this instrument. Sometimes you just need a starting point so taking influence from someone you admire greatly can be a great way to get your bass playing skills off the ground. Perhaps The Beatles weren't your thing and you may prefer a heavier sound like Metallica or Iron Maiden. It doesn't really matter what type of genre you like to listen to, it is all about what you want to learn and how much fun you can with playing the bass.

How to play bass guitar and have fun?

      If you are new to music and are unaware of what to learn, you should not think that all songs and bass guitar lines can be played in the exact same manner. Many people choose to take up bass guitar lessons in order to learn as many new skills and styles as they can before they decide which style to keep playing the most. This wide reaching approach of learning music can open up people's eyes to genres and style they possibly were unaware of. Learning bass guitar has its difficulties but it becomes simpler once you start to understand the nuances and similarities involved.

      Learning all about playing the bass guitar can be difficult but it should also be fun and this means you should try to find the approach that works best for you. Just because one style or approach doesn't work for you doesn't mean that nothing will. There are many different styles of lessons available for the bass guitar these days and taking time to find your perfect match will help your skills improve quickly. The trick is to try something and if it worked then great but if it doesn't, you can always move on and try to learn in a different style.

Its how to play bass guitar that counts

      The bass guitar is very different from the six string guitar and although there are some similarities it doesn't always follow that a person who can play one can play the other. Everyone has different skills and talents and you may be more suited to playing the bass than any other instrument and if you are, try to develop these skills. Taking bass guitar lessons to build up a better level of skills and techniques should be encouraged in every user and learning bass guitar should be something that never stops.

      The bass guitar may not be for everyone but it is an excellent instrument that can bring many hours of fun and enjoyment to a great number of people who learn how to play it well.

      With so many different types of bass guitar lessons available, it can be hard to choose just what one is right for you. Our website has a full run down of the options available and will be perfect to help you decide the best way to learn how to play bass guitar. Feel free to visit us to find out more about the bass guitar.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luke_Jordan

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Play Bass Guitar With a Pick - Pick Style Bass Playing

      A lot of bass players have talked about the wrong and right way to play the bass guitar, what way should we play? What sounds do we get and is it rite to play bass with a pick or plectrum?

      Different people have many answers to this. Yes there are rite and wrong ways of playing bass, but however there is nothing wrong with playing the bass with a pick, there is nothing wrong playing bass with fingers and also slapping away on your favourite bass grooves.

      Learn pick and finger style, to be a great bass player you should play both! However there is nothing wrong in playing the way you want to play bass, get your sound, and enjoy the style and technique that is for you. Playing with the pick is what I enjoyed and a style I have worked close with.

      My article is focusing on the pick player, the pick style of bass playing! I myself am a pick style bass player, I love playing with a pick, love the sounds I can make and the great part of making people dance and enjoy the music! If you are a player starting out, a player who wants to know more about the pick or a player who never looks to the pick this is looking at the side of the pick style, the players, some history, how to play and things I have learnt in this style of many styles on the bass guitar.... the pick player!

      Not to go on, but some brief history here. When the fender bass first ever came out it was made to be heard, made to be easy to carry not big like the upright bass, made to be electric and one thing made to be easy for guitarists to play so they could double up, get more work playing bass as well.

      The electric bass was played with the thumb to start with; the guitarists came along and started to use their picks on the bass!

      This started to become a technique with the electric bass player in the studios. The attack of the pick could be heard, it didn't get lost and worked well with the studio equipment and sound at that time. It was a very precise sound with a high end and a good cut through sound. Session bassist Carol Kaye picked up the fender bass when a bassist didn't turn up for a session. She put down her guitar and picked away on the fender bass. From then on she made pop music history. Take a listen to hits from the Beach Boys, the Doors and the original mission impossible theme tune.

      Carol developed the flat wrist pick technique and the deep sound with the click. She has taught and published many books on this subject. For me Carol is an influence in the way to play with a pick. For me this was the start of pick playing, there are other players who played with the pick, on big hit records and also helped to shape this style of playing.

      So what sounds can you get? Playing with a pick you can get a range of sounds depending on how you set your amp and bass up and the way you play! If you play with a pick properly and not sloppy you can get some great deep tones, tones with a click or if you wish a trebly sound.

      Also where you play on the bass with the pick comes in to play.

      Play near the neck you get a deeper sound, play near the bridge you get a more treble sound. Work and experiment playing in various parts around the bass's pick ups to get different sounds.

Picks are for punks and heavy metal players with wristbands! I hear this all the time! Not really you can apply a pick to any style of music, any groove, play any song you desire if played and practiced well.

      When I've been out recording or working live I was doing a show in the north of England. After the show someone came up and said " I was amazed to see you played with a pick, the sound out front was so deep and great, but like fingers". When doing a recording session I used the pick, one track I was asked to play very bright with the pick, the other tracks deeper sounding with the pick and a very slow acoustic number with the fingers.... that's part of the job and knowing your chops...

      Working with the pick. Good performance and pick technique is what is required to get the sounds and get the feel. A pick is very percussive where you can keep the rhythm of the wrist going when you are not playing a note, light muting is good for keeping a tight feel and sound! Always keep the wrist flat and keep it on the body of the bass, like you are hugging the bass! Use your wrist and don't move your whole arm....

      Like alternate fingering with fingers it's important to play down - up picking.

      Down-up-down-up-down-up.... This makes your picking clean and constant witch is very important. DOWN the pick goes to the floor, UP the pick comes up to you. I have seen some players who just use down picking, great if your Jason Newstead and you will use down picking on slower more ballad type songs. Practice is the key to keeping your picking strong and feeling good. Mute the left hand on the stings and just play away with the pick different rhythms, up and down stokes. I still do this every day to keep on top of my pick style.

      Holding the pick is important! I have seen many players holding the pick in different ways. The way I hold the pick is between the thumb, first finger and the second finger. Now some bassists play with just the thumb and first finger. I find I have more grip and control using three fingers. Also there is open and closed hand position. Open you can let the fingers hand open and closed you close up the fingers like a fist. I prefer using the close fist and hand holding the pick with three fingers. I get a better attack with the pick and feel. I feel more in control playing this way. (See photo section). Don't tense up the hand, keep it relaxed and in control.

      Two types of picking are scratch picking where you can get a scratchy sound by using the edge of the pick and digging in the string more and flat-picking where you are flat on the string. It depends on what sounds you want to get and what songs you are working on. Practice really digging in the stings to playing with more light and shade from heavy to lighter picking. It all works well learning the different way with the pick and opens up more tones and sounds.

      Another important part of playing with a pick and I learnt this in the early days, stick to the same pick. You want to get a sound of your own, the rite sound! If you use different picks, different gauges and weights of picks or just nick picks of the guitarist that are flimsy or the wrong size before a gig, it wont work.

      I used to change picks all the time. The sound changed, some picks were too heavy, had no grip and I struggled.
I tried out lots of different picks and plectrums, gauges, thickness until I found what worked for me! I have stuck to the same pick, same size, good grip and same gauge. I find a 1mm tortex blue pick works great for me as I am not a heavy pick player, although everyone is different, so find what works for you and feels good. Stick with the same type of pick!

      Well, we have had a brief insight in to playing and performing bass with a pick and looking at the bass pick style.

      I hope it helps if you are playing bass with a pick, wanting to learn pick style as another style along with finger style, wanted more info about playing with a pick or just interested in the bass guitar and the way its played or simply what is bass pick playing.

Andy Till

[http://www.andytill.com] for more info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Til

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Play Bass Guitar For Beginners

      To learn to play bass guitar means you want to be part of the driving force of a band.

      Playing bass guitar can be easy to learn but can be harder to master, it all depends on where you want to go with it. The bass guitar is fairly easy to get started on and most people can pick up the basics and start playing right away but to learn bass guitar can also be very advanced because it is the kind of instrument that starts off easy and can go to almost endless possibilities.

      The first question you ask yourself, "Is playing bass guitar what I want to play?" That is the most important thing because as everyone knows when you want to get started in something it is going to be a small investment. With today's economy nobody wants to waste money on something they are not sure they should do. I did not start out to learn bass guitar, I started on acoustic guitar and played that for quite a few years, then began playing with a few friends and then it got a little serious and we formed a small three piece acoustic band. As the band grew, we then needed a bass guitar player so I put down the acoustic and started playing bass guitar. The point is that I had put out the cash to get set up in two different things, now that is OK if that is your plan to play two different instruments.

      The next thing you should think about is your musical talent and if you are ready to put in the time to learn bass guitar, because when I say it is easy to learn, it is, if you put in the time. Following are my suggestions for all you'll need to do to start playing the bass:

1. Place to practice, where you can play without distractions and practice every day.

2. Purchase a bass. If you want to play an acoustic bass, be sure that is what you want to play because acoustic basses are more expensive than electric basses. It all depends on your own taste and what kind of music and who you are going to play with. Start with a cheaper, but good quality bass.

3. Start playing the guitar, just to get the feel, it doesn't matter if you have never played before, you are just taking the first step to get the feel, because every bass guitar player has his or her own style and with playing bass guitar you will soon develop your own style.

4. Purchase an online lesson program, for the basics to learn bass guitar. Playing the bass with an online program is the best way to learn on your own without costing as much as private lessons, see get started with online bass guitar lessons. Try not to learn from a friend because it can lead you to a style that is not yours, work on creating your own style. That is why I recommend playing bass guitar from a lesson program. 

5. Picks or fingers, If you want to learn with a pick, buy a bass pick because there is a difference between a bass pick and a guitar pick. If you are after that natural sound then use your fingers. The choice is totally up to you and the kind of sound you want to play. Again, this all fits in with your type of style to learn bass guitar.

6. Number of strings, 4, 5 or 6 but being a beginner I would recommend a classic four string bass. The four string is easier to learn from the obvious fact that it has only four strings.

7. The notes, Try to learn all the notes on the neck. This will be an ongoing learning lesson as you get more comfortable with the guitar, and always remember every time your playing bass guitar you will be improving your style. With a bass guitar lesson program you will be able to learn on your own, in your own time.

8. Learn the notes to play, there are two things in most bands, to help with the rhythm and to emphasize the root notes for the punch that the band needs to create the depth.

9. The scales. Your scales are the start of all your bass lines and patterns and you will use them to create new things all the time. When you are trying to learn bass guitar you should always keep experimenting with new things.

 10. The musicians. You need to listen to the band as a whole, not just other bassists. Listen to the drummer who keeps the time and rhythm and play along with him. 

11. The techniques. Play around with different things as you get better, chords, notes and other patterns when you get comfortable with the basics.

12. Learn the rhythm. Playing bass guitar requires you to have rhythm, so practice with your favorite song or bass player. Playing along with the song is one of the easiest ways to learn the rhythm.

13. Listen to the song. To learn bass guitar, listening to a song can be a great lesson in itself. When you listen, try to pick out all the different parts and instruments and it will help you pick up the rhythm and feel so you can play along.

14. Familiar songs. Start with playing along with songs that you know because it will help you with the timing and rhythm. This is a great way for a beginner to get started.

15. Play with people. Playing bass guitar with other people can also be one of the best learning techniques. Whether you're a beginner or not, playing with a group or just one person is a great way to work on your style and learn to play bass guitar with other instruments.

16. The practice. Don't let it get to you if you do not progress like you wanted, it will come. Sometime you might have to stop and take a break for a little while just to reflect and digest it all. But make sure you come back because this is why you started in the first place. Playing bass guitar can be self taught and with practice you will be playing in no time. Always remember to start with the basics and take as long as you need.

The big question is, "Can I really teach myself?" and the answer is "Yes!" to learn bass guitar from online lessons with a little time and practice, you can teach yourself just about anything. You have to ask yourself, "What direction do I want to go?", "Do I want to just play by myself?", or "Do I want to play in a band or just jam with friends?"

Playing music is fun, but there is a price to pay and that is time and patience. You need to practice. The following guideline below is a good start for a beginner's practice session, but can be anything you want, just don't get burned out.

1. Warm up with anything (5 minutes) helps loosen up your fingers.

2. The scales (5 minutes) helps with memory ( brain to fingers).

3. Pattern exercises (10 minutes) helps with dexterity.

4. The song itself (10 minutes+) this is what everyone wants to get to.

5. Cool down (2 minutes) play anything (could be scales again).

      Most everybody wants to play a song right away, but in order to do so, you need to get the first three steps down first, or at least have a start on them. If playing bass guitar is your goal, you will succeed and with online bass guitar lessons, you will learn all the techniques needed to reach your goal.

      But always remember to learn bass guitar does not have to be complicated. For example, listen to the Beatles or any number of bass players that just play basic bass parts, but what they have is feel and the groove of the song. If you can play with the feel and get the groove and the timing you've reached your goal, for now, advanced stuff will come later. When you practice, play with a metronome (it is a small device that helps you keep time just as the drummer keeps time in a band).

This article was written by Tommy "fatfingers" Combs

Check out this site for a lot more info on playing bass guitar [http://playbasseasy.com/]

my blog http://playbasseasy.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Combs

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Learn to Play Bass Guitar - 4 Guitar Playing Tips

      Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

      Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

1. Feel the beat

      Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

      If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

      The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

      Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

      Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

3. Finger placing is important

      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. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

      Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

      In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.

To learn how to play guitar using the easiest to follow method, please visit http://www.Guitar-Playing-Tips.info/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Lee

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Best Guitar For Beginners – How To Chose The Right One

      Choosing the best guitar for beginners can be a hard task. If you’re on your own you most likely don’t know what to look for, and what will best suit your needs. I’m going to explain some important aspects you should look for when choosing the best guitar for a beginner player, and by the end of this you'll hopefully find out what type of guitar will serve you best.

Types of guitars

      First you need to decide on whether you want electric, acoustic, or classical guitar. Those are the three main types.

Electric Guitars

      Electric guitars are generally easier to play. They feel softer, strings are usually thinner and easier to bend, holding the chords is easier too. You need an amp to play them (which is an extra cost), but you can practice on them unplugged as well. Whether you want to play lead or rhythm, electric guitar is a great choice for any style and music genre because of their versatility. (it's just that you'll rarely see a classical guitar player who plays on an electric guitar)

      If you’re on a tight budget there are some great guitars in the lower price range, like Yamaha Pacifica, or Fender Mexican Stratocaster... Epiphone and Ibanez also make some good budget guitars. I also recommend you to look for a company called Chapman guitars, as they make some awesome guitars.

      As for the amp, there are two main types of amps - valve amps and digital amps. Valve amps are more expensive and harder to maintain, but they will always produce better (sometimes barely or not noticeable) sound than digital amps - which try to emulate that sound. Digital amps are a lot cheaper however, and there are some great ones out there. I would always go with the valve's though, even if I'm on a tight budget.

      * Important - An amp will have the biggest impact on your sound, and my advice, if you want to buy an electric guitar, would be to buy the best amp that you can, and avoid the really cheap ones. Some good amps to look for (that are not expensive) would be: Fender Blues Junior (valve), Blackstar amps (valve), Vox Valvetronix (both - hybrid), Roland Cube (digital), Line 6 Spider amps are digital and they can model a lot of sounds, they’re good, but only for bedroom practice.

      You can also practice on electric guitar without an amp. It's a good way to practice sometimes and work on your dynamics.

Acoustic guitars

      Steel string acoustic guitars are harder to play, especially the really cheap ones. Strings are thicker and harder to press down, but that’s about it. What's good is that you can carry them and play them anywhere, and they will always produce that sweet unique sound.

      You can play any style with them, but they’re most suitable for styles that have accent on rhythm playing, solo blues, fingerstyle...

      If you want to go with an acoustic guitar, don’t buy really cheap ones. My advice is don’t go below $200. The acoustics in that price range will often be really hard to play because of the bad setup, high action, fret buzz etc. and they will not sound as good as the more expensive ones.

      With that being said, if you're on a really tight budget and you want to buy an acoustic guitar, there are so many options available today that you can find a really nice instrument in the budget category.

      Some good brands to consider would be Maton – absolutely best in my opinion (mid to high-end price range), Taylor, Martin, Takamine, Ashton, Epiphone, Fender, Yamaha, Aria, Washburn.

Classical guitars

      The only difference between these and steel string acoustic guitars is that these ones have nylon strings, wider neck, and usually smaller bodies. They are used for classical music style, but you can play anything you want on them with fingers or with pick, even metal, it really doesn’t matter.

      Nylon strings are much easier to press down, and they too have quite unique sound when strummed. Sometimes I even prefer to play nylon string guitar than the steel string one, just because of that sound and feel.

      The only guitar that I can recommend here (from my experience) is Yamaha C40M (on the picture), and Takamine Hirade series (which is high-end). Yamaha is a great guitar for beginners and it’s not expensive, it’s quite cheap actually.

How to try out guitars in a music shop

      If you don’t know how to play anything, try to pick each string and get the feel for a guitar. Then press down with your finger on first fret, and play every note on every fret, and make sure you don’t hear any fret buzz. Chances are, if there is one, you’ll have to pay extra for a good setup later (which you're probably end up doing soon anyway, so not a big deal). Also, check out the action. The action is the distance between strings and the neck.

      If the guitar has really high action it will be harder to play. On the other hand, if the action is low it will be easier to play, but setup would have to be really good, otherwise you’ll get fret buzz when you play a note. You can always ask someone in the shop to help you with this.

      Once you get that perfect guitar for you, the first thing that you need to do is learn the basic guitar chords, then practice the right things, play as much as possible, and you can progress really fast. Though keep in mind that you’ll never get far on guitar unless you learn how to overcome obstacles that will come in your way.

      If you're still not sure what guitar is for you, and you're on a tight budget, my advice would be to go for the electric. It doesn't matter really as long as you're satisfied with the guitar you bought.

      Keep in mind that in the end, guitar is just the instrument, the music is in you. ;)
Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/music-instruction/best-guitar-for-beginners-how-to-chose-the-right-one

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Learn to Play Guitar Chords - 3 Simple Steps

      So you have you have decided to learn to play the guitar! You may be sitting there, with a note book and a guitar in hand, wondering how exactly you should go about doing this.

      1. Patience is a virtue! As frustrating as it may be to learn all those chords and chord transitions, you are going to need patience. When you start getting frustrated, put the guitar down for awhile, and continue later in the day or the next day.

      2. Start off by learning basic open chords like C,G,A and D. There is plenty of guides you can find online or at music shops that will help you along. They may take some time to learn, but stick with it, practice every day, and make sure you can play them easily before moving on to chord transitions.

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