1. What are the different types of bass strings, and how do they affect sound?
There are various types of bass guitar strings available in the market: Roundwound, Flatwound, Halfwound (Groundwound), Tapewound, Coated, and Nylon bass strings. Roundwound strings have a bright sound and are the most commonly used strings in bass guitars because of their all-around performance. Flatwound strings are famous for producing a mellow, vintage sound, mostly used for jazz and western classical rock music. Halfwound or Groundwound strings maintain a middle ground between Roundwound and Flatwound strings. These types of strings start as Roundwound strings but are then ground down to have a smoother surface, allowing them to produce a warmer sound than Roundwound but a brighter sound than Flatwound with less finger noise. Tapewound strings have a nylon tape wrapped around the outer winding, giving them a very smooth surface. They produce a warmer, softer sound, making them popular where a soft sound in the bass is desired. Coated strings have a thin layer of polymer coating over metal strings to protect the strings from corrosion. The coating reduces the brightness of the sound but ensures the longevity of the strings. Nylon strings are mostly used in acoustic bass guitars for fingerstyle playing.
2. How do I change bass guitar strings?
As a beginner, I would suggest you not change bass guitar strings by yourself. You may go to your guitar teacher or a musical shop to change the strings if it is necessary. You can search on YouTube as well for a well-organized video. If you do not have any of these options, follow the instructions below:
a) Gather some tools and materials like new strings, string winder (optional but helpful), wire cutter, and tuner.
b) Turn the tuning peg to loosen each string. Remember which direction you turned, clockwise or anti-clockwise. If necessary, write it down.
c) Once loose, unwind the strings from the tuning peg and remove them from the bridge.
d) Take the opportunity to clean the fretboard, bridge, headstock, and tuning nuts with good quality guitar cleaner. These parts of the guitar are hard to clean when the strings are on.
e) Uncoil a new string and insert it through the bridge or body.
f) Pull the strings tight and insert them through the tuning peg.
g) Turn the tuning peg in the opposite direction from the note you took while unwinding in step (b).
h) Ensure the string wraps neatly around the peg, with each winding below the previous one to lock the string in place.
i) Use a string winder to make this process faster if you have one.
j) Once all strings are installed and wound, use a tuner to bring each string up to pitch.
k) Stretch the strings gently by pulling them away from the fretboard to help them settle in and then retune.
l) Use wire cutters to trim the excess string at the tuning pegs, leaving about a half-inch for stability.
m) Play the bass to ensure the sound is okay.
That’s it! You changed your guitar strings all by yourself!
3. How do I choose the right songs to practice as a beginner?
In my opinion, there is no such thing as “right songs.” It all depends on what type of songs you like and love to play. If you love western classical music, you may start with the vintage bass lines of “Country Road” by John Denver or “Hotel California” by the Eagles (one of my favorites). If you are a rock music fan, the bass line of “The Final Countdown” by Europe would be one of the easiest bass lines for you. Normally, bass lines of Metal, Heavy Metal, or Progressive Rock music are not for beginners. Obviously, you will be able to play them if you practice regularly, but it would be better for you to try to understand the music rather than copy and play. You will find a lot of beginner bass lines on the internet. Try playing them and gradually try to play more difficult songs.
4. Can I play songs I like even if they seem too advanced?
Well, of course, you can! If you have determination and persistence, do not let anything stop you. When you start playing advanced songs, you will get some useful lessons, for sure, whether you are a beginner or a professional. But it is a poor practice to learn techniques when you face difficulties playing songs. You should learn all the techniques before playing advanced songs. For example, there is an advanced exercise that bass learners do called “Arpeggio.” This technique is widely applied in songs around the world. When you try to play the famous bass line of “Hotel California,” you will find it very difficult to understand the notes if you do not know what “Arpeggio” is. So, as a bass instructor, I prefer you to learn the technique first and then go for any advanced songs you like.
5. Can I play bass guitar in a band as a beginner?
Hell yeah – go for it! It would be fun! There are some issues, though, that you have to consider. Do you have a good musical sense of beat and tempo? Are all your members beginners like you? If not, are they tolerant of your mistakes? Are they happy with your progress? Most importantly, are you inspired by the band? At a beginner level, you will learn very fast if you are with a band and satisfied with the musical environment. Certainly, it will help you learn faster.
6. What are some iconic bass players I can learn from?
To learn as a beginner, you must find an online course that is well-structured, or it will be best for you to take lessons from a good teacher offline. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there are no beginner lessons by famous bassists online. You will find many advanced lessons, but there are no well-organized beginner lessons. I would love to learn bass the way John Myung from Dream Theater learned. But unfortunately, I did not find so many lessons from him on YouTube. Here’s a list of 10 iconic bass players: Flea, Jaco Pastorius, Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, Victor Wooten, Bootsy Collins, James Jamerson, Les Claypool, and Marcus Miller.
7. How do I practice effectively without getting frustrated?
Oh! Such a difficult question to answer! Frustration is a mental state of the human mind, and you know the human mind…. very difficult to understand. I do not want to dig deep about frustration. In my opinion, it is the most dangerous state of mind. So, do not let frustration grab you. For effective learning, you must fix your destination and get focused on it. You should trust the process of learning and stick to it. Do not hurry up! Just follow your master or the process. When you start learning something, learn it properly. You may get booed by your bandmates, your friends and family, or even the audience while you are performing; do not let it break you, I repeat, do not let it break you. Most of the successful people in the world were not appreciated by their surroundings. So, do not let anything stop you. Remember, there is no shortcut to success. So, work hard, do not hurry up, and practice slowly – your success will make noise for you!
8. Is it OK to take breaks during practice sessions?
Yes! Definitely! You must take breaks during long practice sessions. It is suggested to take 5-15 minute breaks for each practice session longer than 30 minutes. During the break, drink water, coffee, or tea, go for a short walk, relax your muscles, and then start practicing again. Make sure you stay warmed up during the break. Do not take a long break, like more than 20 minutes; your muscles may get cramped, or your mind may get diverted. So, keep your focus straight, fix your target, and reach your target by any means.
9. Should I start by learning cover songs or focus on creating my own basslines?
Of course, start with cover songs. When you start covering, you will get to know the construction of songs, understand how to use notes, understand how the various genres differ from one another, and the significance of bass lines depending on genres. Covering songs will certainly help you to create bass lines on your own. You will find it interesting, while covering, to see how your exercises are implemented in songs. Covering will generate ideas in your mind and will open up so many opportunities in front of you.
10. Are there any specific techniques for playing slap bass?
Yes. Slap bass is an advanced bass technique that involves striking the string with the thumb to produce a percussive ‘THUMP’ sound and a pluck in a snapping up motion with the index finger to produce a ‘POP’. To play this technique, the output sound of your bass needs to be improvised.