Tuning the Bass

Like I said in the previous blog post, the bass guitar makes a different sound compared to the guitar and also only has 4 strings rather than 6. However, the way to tune the bass is the same as the guitar and other stringed instruments. At the end of the neck of the bass and all stringed instruments, there are small pegs that can be twisted. The number of pegs is always the same as the number of strings on the instrument. The bass, with only 4 strings, only has 4 pegs.

 

In the book How to Play the Electric Bass, Kaye writes a section about tuning the bass. The section says, "Usually tuning once a week is adequate except when keys are accidentally bumped." (Kaye 30) This excerpt shows that I don't play my bass that often and need to practice more. I don't even remember the last time I tuned it. Personally, I think it still sounds okay. But if I do plan to start playing regularly again, I'll need to get into the habit of practicing often and tuning often. Kaye also says that the musician should always tune harmonically on the 5th and 7th fret along with relative note tuning (30). These instructions are similar to the lessons that my original teacher taught me when I was starting out. He taught me how to figure out if a string was tuned or not by playing another string on the neck. This is valuable information and makes tuning even quicker. As of right now, I've taught myself a couple of songs that were all in the same key. These include some songs from Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. I haven't learned a song that requires me to tune to that specific key yet. To prevent another string from snapping, I think I'll start tuning my bass more often.

For those who play instruments, how often do you tune them?

Kaye, Carol. How to Play the Electric Bass. Sherman Oaks, CA: Gwyn, 1969. Print.

The Amplifier

The type of bass I have is an electric one, meaning that it requires a connection to an amplifier to be heard by more than just the musician. This is the main difference between electric instruments and acoustic instruments. The amplifier is able to make the sound from the bass louder through the usage of electromagnetic pickup cables that connect the bass and the amp.


This is an example of what the pickup cable looks like. This shape is on both sides of the long cord and goes into both the bass and the amp. Without this cable, I wouldn't be able to efficiently play the bass and the amp would be useless. I like to think of the cable and amp as a Bluetooth speaker before they were even around.

The amp itself is pretty big, old, and heavy. In the center of the amp, you can see a very large speaker. This is where the sound from the bass comes out. On the upper part of the amp, there are many different knobs, buttons, and switches that help to change the sound that comes out of the speaker. On the back of the amplifier is where the power cord for the amp is connected, making it able to operate. Most of the time, the only thing I really change on the amp is the volume because my parents don't like it to be too loud.

In the book How to Play the Electric Bass, there's a section on the amplifier you should choose when playing the bass. In this section, Kaye writes, "There are many amplifiers on the market made for the Electric Bass... Other good amplifiers you would like to try are Fender, Gibson, Vox, Ampeg, and Benson" (Kaye 34). This excerpt from the book describes how there are a plethora of different options to choose from when purchasing a new amplifier. As I said before, I have one made by Fender. The cool thing is that my bass was also made by Fender.

In the same section of the book about amplifiers, Kaye also describes what the amp should sound like, and precautions to take before playing sound on it. She said that when trying out an amp, you should make sure you get an immediate note response, a good bottom end, the highs when needed and it should have little to no distortion (35). What Kaye is talking about is the sound that comes from the bass when you play a note. The immediate note response is imperative because then the playing from the instrument and the sound coming from the amp is synchronized. The bottom ends are the bass notes that the bass creates when strummed and the highs are the higher notes. And of course, the amp shouldn't distort the sound when it plays. 


This amp is the first amplifier I got when I first received my bass and I still use it today. I plan to use it for however long I decide to stay with instruments like the bass or guitar.


Do you play any instruments with an amplifier? What kind is it?

 

 Kaye, Carol. How to Play the Electric Bass. Sherman Oaks, CA: Gwyn, 1969. Print.

Playing the Bass

In my first post, I described how the high E string on my guitar broke while trying to tune it. I haven't been able to find the time to get it restrung, so playing it correctly would be very tough. The book I was reading for the guitar also wasn't very helpful in descriptions of tuning or different ways to play, it merely just had lessons on how to play different songs from different artists. This being the case, I've decided to start writing blog posts about the other instrument I've learned to play. That instrument being the electric bass guitar. I figured that this switch would still keep the topic of music that I've been writing about.

Because I've selected a new instrument, I also decided to get a digital copy of a book on learning how to play the bass with all types of information on the different styles the bass can be played in. In the book, it says, "Whether you play with fingers, thumb, or pick, you will want to immediately play the current bass lines and be able to invent your own." (Kaye 7) This quote shows how many different ways there are to make music with the bass guitar. The quote also talks about bass lines and creating your own. While I haven't exactly made my own bass line, I have been able to teach myself songs by listening to the notes. I do this because I can't read sheet music at all.

As seen in the image below, a bass guitar only has 4 strings, and a guitar has 6 (5 in my case.)














When I play my bass, I use my hands rather than a pick. I either use my thumb or my index and middle finger to strum. Because it's an electric bass, I mainly stick to rock songs, but I have taught myself some songs from video games and others. Playing the bass can be really fun and it's always interesting to see if I can teach myself a song.



Do you know any famous bassists or bass lines/styles?


Kaye, Carol. How to Play the Electric Bass. Sherman Oaks, CA: Gwyn, 1969. Print.

Holding the Guitar in Different Ways

 Jimi Hendrix is said to be one of the best guitarists that ever lived. He is known for songs like "Purple Haze", "Hey Joe", and many other songs. One thing that was different about Hendrix was that he was left-handed. When learning how to play the guitar, Hendrix was forced to learn playing the guitar "upside down" by having the strings restrung backwards. In the text it says "Hendrix pushed guitar playing to its absolute limits both in terms of tonal quality and melodic experimentation all using his 'left-handed' Stratocasters." (Greig Powlesland 248) This excerpt describes just how Jimi Hendrix was able to change music forever with the usage of his altered guitars. Quotes are around left-handed because he played with right-handed guitars and changed the strings and how he held it to make it fit him.

This image shows the comfortable and go-to way to hold the guitar for me. Being right-handed, I use my left hand to hold down the strings on the neck and my other hand to strum the strings near the soundhole, which is where the sound from the vibrations is amplified and gives the guitar the acoustic name.






 This image shows the way that someone who was left-handed, like Jimi Hendrix or Kurt Cobain might hold it. Everything I said about the right-hand method is mirrored when holding it like this. Although it doesn't look very different compared to the right-handed way, it sure did feel weird. The uncomfortable difference was similar to switching to the non-dominant hand to write.




Learning about how Hendrix and many other musicians cope with the right-handed dominated society was very interesting and made me think about even more different ways that the guitar might be held.



Who is your favorite guitarist? Are they left-handed or right-handed?


Greig, Charlotte, and Nick Powlesland. The Guitar Book: The Ultimate Guide to Playing like the Greats: Blues, Rock, Pop, Folk, Jazz. London: Amber, 2010. Print. 

Strings Break Sometimes

This blog post was originally supposed to be about my love for the guitar and music that it's in. To help show this I was going to pull out my own acoustic guitar from its case after almost 3 years of not using it and use it in this post. The second I strummed it to hear if it needed to be tuned, the second E string came off. This is to be expected, due to the guitar being in a case for so long. This does teach me a valuable lesson about guitars and other stringed instruments. This lesson being that they need to be tuned regularly, and strings grow weak over time. 

 The book I chose for this blog is The Guitar Book by Charlotte Greig and Nick Powlesland. The book is mainly about learning how to play the guitar like the greats. The greats being artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Slash, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and more. In the book, it is repeatedly stated how important the strings are to create quality sound. The book states, "The key to mastering your guitar is to combine good technique with a secure knowledge of individual notes and chords." (Greig Powlesland 8). This excerpt from the book describes the how the notes and chords on a guitar are the tools used to become skillful at the guitar. On a guitar, there are normally six strings reaching across the neck of the guitar. These strings all have a unique, individual sound when they're plucked or strummed. These strings are represented by letters. The first string, sometimes called the bass string, is E. This is the string with the lowest sound. Next is the A string, the D string, the G string, the B string, and then finally the string with the highest sound, the second E string. This is the string that came off on my acoustic guitar. The notes get higher and higher as you strum down on the strings.

Hopefully by my next post I will have my strings fixed and tuned.

What is your favorite instrument and song?

Greig, Charlotte, and Nick Powlesland. The Guitar Book: The Ultimate Guide to Playing like the Greats: Blues, Rock, Pop, Folk, Jazz. London: Amber, 2010. Print.