Five
Minutes to Playing Bass Guitar -
Not!
Keep
the Beat with Your Bass Guitar
Knowledge
Learning to
play any instrument is hard, but
some people have a natural
aptitude towards music and
rhythm. People choose instruments
based on what they like, and it
usually says something about
their personality.
Though most
start out with orchestra type
instruments in school, some go
the way of the rock or country
band. Those drummers are a just a
little bit crazy, and that is why
they love to play the drums.
Sometimes, the most mysterious
member of any group is the bass
guitar player.
The bass
guitar is an essential part of
any band, but most do not take
much notice of it. This is
because the sound does not stick
out like a guitar, the vocals, or
the drums.
You may
never hear a note, but you would
notice a huge difference if the
bass guitar was absent. This
fills in the lows that are needed
to give a band the full sound
that most recognize as the
essentials to a good sound and
good song. There are some that
play solos, but most bassists are
the more inconspicuous members of
any band.
How do
They Become Bass Guitar Players
?
Though some
musicians start out with this low
note instrument, many more play
it after having played another
instruments, most notably the
electric guitar.
In many
of these cases, a bass guitar
player was needed, and instead of
finding someone new, someone who
has already played guitar can be
moved to bass rather easily.
Bassists
Can Excel in Music
Some
acoustic or electric guitar
players might see this as a
demotion, but for many who end up
on bass, they don’t see it
that way at all. They may have
felt that they were just an
average guitar player, and would
rather play bass.
Playing the
bass guitar can actually be quite
fulfilling. I know a few bass
players, and they love what they
do. I have met a few that felt
they were unappreciated and that
wished they had chosen something
else, but those are generally the
rare exception.
More
about Bass Guitars
In my
humble opinion the bass guitar is
one of the most underrated
musical instruments. Although it
is still a crucial part of pretty
much any rock band in the world,
it is often neglected because
there is less glory attached to
it than vocals, lead guitar, or
even drums.
In a lot of
groups I have been in, the
bassist is simply the less
talented guitarist. Because of
this, many otherwise good bands
are plagued by mediocre bass
players who do not really feel
all that passionate about the
instrument.
This is
really a shame because, when
played well, the bass guitar can
really do wonders for the music.
A bass player needs a great
command of dynamics, a flawless
sense of time, and a minimalist
aesthetic that will keep him
playing just what the band needs
to keep the beat going time after
time.
Listen
to the Rhythm of the
Sound
Bass
guitars form the rhythm section
together with the drums, and this
is the bedrock on which the rest
of the music rests. If the bass
guitar builds a really solid
foundation, the music will
benefit a great deal. If the bass
line is sloppy and indifferent,
however, the band will never
really rock out to their full
potential.
Easy to
Learn but Challenging
Nevertheless
Nonetheless,
although it is important, there
are some features of the bass
guitar that make it a great
instrument for musical neophytes.
First of all, it is really fairly
easy to learn how to play. You
usually only have to play one
note at a time, and you can get
by with playing very slow,
simplistic things for most kinds
of music.
The bass
guitarist does not have to be an
innovator. All you really have to
do is to keep everyone else
together. If you can do that, you
can do your job in the
band.
Bass
Lessons
When I
first started playing bass
guitar, I made the mistake of
assuming that I could do it all
myself. I got an inexpensive
starter bass and started playing
songs from the radio. Although I
did learn to play, I learned
sloppy. I did not really develop
the techniques I could have
learned with formal instruction
from a professional.
I had to go
back and take lessons eventually.
If I had to do it all again, I
can definitely say that I would
start out with a few lessons
before I went off on my own. It
would have made it much easier to
jump through those first few
hoops and really get playing like
a pro.
If you have
a genuine love for music, but
don’t think you are a really
great guitarist, you could pick
up the bass guitar rather easily,
and you may find that you like it
even more than the electric or
lead guitar. I know I do.
You may
also find that musical groups
have trouble finding good and
dedicated bass players, so your
opportunities should be many. If
you love music, and you just want
to get out there and play, this
might be the perfect solution.
So, what's your decision? Mine
was bass guitar!
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