The Bass Guitar
The most important thing about a bass guitar is how it feels in your hands before you even think of plugging it into an amp.
Mechanical Check List:
- Is the weight too heavy or unbalanced? Use a strap and adjust it to the right length so that your arms and hands feel comfortable whether you stand or sit while you play.
- What is the distance (action) between the strings and the fretboard? If it is too high it is very hard to press the notes down. It can be adjusted on the bridge. If the action is too low you get a "fret buzz". Get your instrument adjusted ("set-up") by a guitar repair man.
- Does the neck sit tightly on the body? Is is straight?
- Do the tuning pegs turn easily?
Electronic Check List:
- Is the bass equipped with one or two pick ups?
- Is it active (i.e. with battery) or passive?
- Passive electronic is probably easier and more reliable than active (electronic) because of the simplicity. Active has the advantage of being more powerful and having more sound variety. Sometimes there are basses where you can switch from active to passive. Active basses use a small 9V battery which has to be put in the body normally by removing a back plate. If the active bass has a distorted sound it could be that the signal is too high, so you have to turn your master volume back on your bass or the battery could be flat.
Class Sessions
1- INTRODUCTION
2- Tuning
3- Symbols and Abbreviations
4- Use and Function of Tape and Metronome
5- Notation
6- The Bass Guitar
7- Fretboard Diagram
8- Strings
9- Open String Notes
10- The Bass Amp System
11- Heavy Metal Bass Technique
12- Sounds and Effects
13- Playing in a Band
14- The Right Hand
15- Anchoring of the Thumb
16- Playing with the Fingers
17- Single Finger Stroke
18- Playing with the Pick
19- Playing with Alternating Fingers
20- The Left Hand
21- Notes on the Second Fret
22- Notes on the Third Fret
23- Dotted Half Notes
24- Eighth Notes
25- New Notes on the G string (B, C)
26- New Notes on the E string (F)
27- The Major Scale
28- The Octave
29- Chromatic Scale, Sharps and Flats
30- Staccato
31- Chords and Arpeggios
32- Arpeggio Patterns
33- Shifting Between Chords
34- Riffs
35- The Dotted Quarter Note
36- The Tie
37- Eighth Note Rest
38- Lead-In
39- Syncopation
40- Eighth Note Triplets
41- Shuffle Rhythm
42- The Quarter Note Triplet
43- Sixteenth Notes
44- The Hammer-on (H)