When you go out to a concert or club, you sometimes feel the impact of low-frequency notes in your chest—it’s this percussive quality that makes the bass guitar the link between percussion and the other instruments in a band. It’s an instrument that’s felt as much as it’s heard.
What Is a Bass Guitar?
The bass guitar is an electrically amplified stringed instrument that’s played in much the same way as an electric guitar. It was adapted from the stand-up bass (also known as a double bass), which was originally an orchestral instrument. The original bass guitar design has four strings that play the same notes as the lowest four strings of a standard guitar but tuned two octaves lower. It is played by plucking or slapping the strings with your fingers or with a pick.
History of the Bass Guitar
The bass guitar became enormously popular in 1951, when American guitar designer Leo Fender became the first to mass-produce the instrument. His Precision® (or “P-bass”) is still made today and played by Flea (The Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Sting (The Police), among countless others.
After Fender’s success, other manufacturers followed suit with their own versions of the electric bass. Gibson, for example, produced the EB-1 bass, with a solid body and a violin shape. Later, another manufacturer, Hofner, released its own “violin bass.” Both are still made today, and Paul McCartney still plays the Hofner.
Types of Bass Guitars
The bass has evolved quite a bit since its inception, and there are now many varieties. However, the solid-body, four-string bass remains the most commonly played. Different types of basses include the following:
Solid-Body
A solid-body bass is made from a single piece of wood that has been carved to resemble a larger version of an electric guitar. Since there is no open chamber for sound to resonate through, the pickups (magnetic sensors under the strings) create the sound. However, the quality of the wood contributes to the resonance that is amplified through the pickups. A solid-body bass has a flexible tone that’s used in all kinds of music and has been played by such seminal bass players such as Jack Bruce (Cream), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), and Krist Novoselic (Nirvana).
Hollow-Body
Like a violin, the hollow-body bass has a chamber in which sound resonates (in fact, many hollow-body basses have ƒ-shaped sound holes as violins do). The sound of a hollow-body bass recalls that of an orchestral double bass: dark and full, without much treble. One downside of the hollow-body bass is that it feeds back at higher volumes. (Feedback is an unpleasant howling sound that arises when the pickups regenerate the amplified sound from the strings.) Paul McCartney made the hollow-body bass famous by playing it in the Beatles.
Acoustic
The design of this hollow-body acoustic bass is based on the acoustic guitar. Some manufacturers of acoustic guitars, such as Martin & Co., also make acoustic basses. This type of bass is sometimes called a flat-top because it doesn’t have a carved top, like the violin bass. It is said to be a relative of the Mexican guitarrón, a six-string acoustic bass used in mariachi music. The acoustic bass is often used in acoustic genres such as bluegrass. It can be heard without an amplifier (though not very loudly) and usually has pickups.
Semi-Hollow
The semi-hollow bass has a solid center and hollow sides, which helps somewhat with the feedback problem associated with the hollow-body bass. Like the hollow body, the semi-hollow bass has low tones that are perfect for classic R&B sounds. It generally doesn’t produce a sound bright enough for funk music. Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) plays a semi-hollow bass.
Short-Scale
The “scale” of a short-scale bass refers to the length of its neck. A short-scale neck measures 30″, whereas a standard bass has a 34″ neck. The tension of the strings is lower on a short-scale neck, which makes it easier to play. There is a tradeoff, though: lower tension on the strings creates less resonance in the body, meaning that the short-scale bass can’t deliver as full a tone as a normal bass.
Neck-Through
Most basses have a neck that’s bolted to the back of the body or glued in place. In the 1970s, though, companies such as Alembic created basses out of large, solid pieces of wood, the theory being that they created greater resonance. The result, the neck-through bass, is an excellent bass with a full tonal range. Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever) is known to use a neck-through bass.
Fretless
Leo Fender named his bass the Precision because it had frets (see Parts of the Bass) that a player could use to play a pitch precisely. During the 1960s or 1970s, Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report) removed the frets from his bass because he wanted to play the notes in between the frets, as one can on an orchestral double bass. Though it creates an exceptionally fluid sound, the fretless bass is very difficult to play and not recommended for beginners.
Five-String and Six-String
Standard bass guitars include four strings, which are tuned to the same four notes as the bottom strings of a regular guitar (E, A, D, and G, respectively). A five-string bass includes an extra string that plays a lower note (a low B); a six-string bass includes both the low B and a higher note at the top (a high C). Five-string basses are common and are played almost as frequently as four-string basses. Six-string basses are less common, though bassists such as Les Claypool (Primus) and Will Lee (the CBS Orchestra, the house band on The Late Show with David Letterman) are known to use them.
The Strings on the Bass
The bass strings are the same as the lowest four strings of the guitar (E-A-D-G) but tuned two octaves lower. The following diagram shows the first five frets of the bass as well as its corresponding open strings. The vertical lines represent the strings of the bass, lowest to highest, left to right. The horizontal lines represent the frets. The letters inside the circles represent the pitch of the string directly under it.
Common Bass Guitar Techniques and Their Benefits
| Technique | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Finger Placement | Positioning your fingers correctly on the fretboard to play clean notes. | Improves accuracy and clarity of notes, reduces buzzing sounds. |
| Plucking with Fingers | Using your fingers to pluck the strings, typically with the index and middle fingers. | Enhances dynamic control and tone variation. |
| Plucking with a Pick | Using a pick to strike the strings for a different tonal quality. | Provides a sharper, more defined sound, useful in various genres. |
| Slapping and Popping | Striking the strings with your thumb (slap) and pulling them away from the fretboard (pop). | Creates a percussive and funky sound, commonly used in funk and jazz. |
| Hammer-ons and Pull-offs | Playing notes by hammering on or pulling off your fingers without re-striking the string. | Allows for smoother transitions and faster playing. |
FAQs
Wrapping Up
Learning the first things you should learn on bass guitar is essential for building a strong foundation. Start by getting familiar with your instrument, mastering basic techniques, and understanding fundamental music theory. Consistent practice and playing with others will further enhance your skills. Keep in mind that each step you take, from learning finger placement to practicing scales, contributes to your overall growth as a bassist. Keep exploring, practicing, and enjoying your musical journey on the bass guitar.