The Basics Of Bass Guitars
Author: ChrisChanning Total views: 22 Word Count: 481
Since the beginning of music and the dawn of musical composition there has always been a demand for low-pitched instruments. In nearly all modern musical arrangements the most desired instrument is a bass guitar.
A bass guitar is very much like a regular guitar, although many differences are apparent. While both bass and normal guitars can be acoustic, electric bass guitars are widely preferred over acoustic versions. Bass guitars are usually limited to only four strings, which are tuned one octave lower than the lowest four strings on a normal guitar. In addition, the frets of a bass guitar may be removed. This has been copied by guitar players over time, but interestingly enough bassists were the first to try it.
One thing that makes the bass guitar so appealing to so many people is that there are many ways to play it. One method, called fingerstyle, involves the player using only their fingers to fret the notes on the neck and pluck the strings. Fingerstyle is a popular method mainly because of the many tones one can create using it.
Like a normal guitar, a bass guitar can also be played with a guitar pick. Any normal guitar pick can work on a bass guitar as well, and it is known to create a more percussive tone which many say is more pronounced and distinct than a bass guitar played fingerstyle.
Bass Guitars in Modern Music
Unlike the guitar, which has great potential for harmonic and melodic uses, the bass guitar is mainly classified as a rhythmic instrument. For example, in modern rock, a genre that electric bass guitars are prevalent in, the drums and bass are often used to set up the heartbeat of the piece and drive it along. Rock bassists often simply play single notes in a uniform rhythm in order to keep the pace and harmony of the song simultaneously. In faster, heavier rock genres such as hard rock or heavy metal, bass players are often heard playing blisteringly fast sixteenth notes and using distortion and feedback just like their lead guitar playing counterparts.
Another genre in which the bass guitar has gained much acclaim is jazz. Using swing rhythms, jazz bass guitarists can create exceptionally creative bass lines that push the music forward. The walking bass line, used by nearly all jazz bass players since the days of the upright bass, is a trademark example of jazz bass playing. By playing chord tones on every beat of every measure and swinging the notes ever so slightly, walking bass lines can really propel jazz pieces in a creative way.
Although bass guitars are sometimes seen as boring instruments when compared to regular guitars, the endless possibilities that a bass guitar presents make it an exciting instrument. When it comes to versatility in terms of playing methods and different musical styles, the bass guitar may very well be unrivaled in the modern musical world.
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