WHAT TO EXPECT: OUR APPROACH TO BASS LESSONS

A good bass player is a crucial ingredient to any band. The bass provides the low notes that anchor the harmony of the song, and also works with the drummer to drive the rhythm. In a way, the bass is the "backbone" of the band as well as an important solo instrument in some styles, and a good player is always in high demand.

Equipment

Choosing an instrument is the first step. Bass guitars come in many different designs and can be made of many materials, all of which respond differently to a different player's touch. Most people will start out with a standard four-string bass, but if the student is interested in a style that utilizes the bass for a lot of solo playing, the additional range of a five-string bass might be desired. A few important things to keep in mind are making sure the bass has been inspected and adjusted for playability, tuning, and tone production; selecting the appropriate type of neck for the size of the student's hand; and selecting the type of wood and finish the student prefers (finish doesn't affect sound, but it helps to have an instrument you like). It's best to try out several instruments and rely on the sound and experience of playing them more than on price or brand name. An electronic tuner and a metronome are essential accessories with the bass guitar.

Example Lesson Progression

Beginning bass guitar lessons at MTN might start with learning the names of the parts of the bass, how to hold it properly, the names of the open strings and how to tune them, fretting (holding down the string to vary pitch) and plucking (usually done with the index and middle fingers of the right hand), and learning the names and positions of the notes on the instrument. Holding down the large strings of the bass guitar can be difficult, and sometimes causes blisters, so it's important to start slowly. Once individual notes are mastered, the student will move on to scales, including chromatic scales, major scales, and the minor pentatonic (five-note) or blues scale. These form the foundation for learning to understand chords and how a bass player uses chord patterns to provide a harmonic foundation for a band, as well as beginning to understand how different styles of music use their own scales to create a particular overall sound. The student will learn simple bass patterns that correspond to the parts of a chord. Learning rhythm is very important for playing the bass, as the bass guitar also helps to establish the rhythm for a band, and different styles of music vary in their basic rhythmic patterns. The teacher will encourage the student to listen to music with strong and steady rhythmic pulse, like rock, funk or soul, and tapping or clapping to the beat to develop the sense of rhythm. A metronome can also aid in developing an accurate sense of rhythm.

How the Bass Guitar is Unique

Another factor that distinguishes bass guitar from acoustic guitar is plucking hand technique. Instead of strumming chords, a bass guitarist plucks individual notes, as chords or notes sounded together can sound muddy in the low pitch register of the bass guitar. The fingers are numbered 1 through 4 starting with the index finger. A beginner might start by learning to alternate 1 and 2 (the index and middle fingers) evenly. This basic technique will serve for most repertoire. The plucking hand is also used to mute the strings once the desired note has been sounded, so that it does not continue to ring and muddy up the sound when the player moves on to the next notes. This is done by resting one of the fingers or the thumb on the string to stop the sound. The technique of alternating plucking fingers allows one finger to mute a note while the other plucks the next one. Learning to do this in a steady rhythm forms the foundation of bass technique. Later on the student can begin to learn other muting techniques as well as making sounds by popping, thumping, or slapping the strings.

How Students Progress

Learning the bass guitar can be tough at first, but once a few basic techniques are mastered, progress happens fairly quickly. Previous experience with the acoustic or electric guitar can be helpful, but isn't necessary. Within a year or so the average student can reach an intermediate level and has learned enough to play and improvise in several styles. Moving from intermediate to advanced may take longer, and timing depends a lot on which style of music the student is most interested in. The bass guitar is used in many styles of music including rock, metal, pop, ska, punk rock, country, blues, and jazz. In jazz, Latin, funk, and some rock music it is used as a solo instrument. Rock, country, metal and pop music generally have simpler chord and rhythm structures, and a beginning or intermediate student will be able to learn many songs in these styles quickly. As in acoustic guitar, there are also some very simple blues structures that can be learned by beginners. More advanced structures can be learned later. The chord and rhythm structures of jazz are probably the most difficult to master, and Latin has complex rhythm variations that can take longer to learn than other styles. In any style, listening to recordings and live performances and playing with other musicians will be very important parts of a student's development.

Get Started!

Whether you are a beginner wanting to start learning music on a fun instrument, or a guitar player who wants to expand their knowledge and versatility, the bass guitar is a wonderful instrument that can provide you with lifelong enjoyment and endless opportunities to collaborate with other musicians.