Bass Guitar Place

Great Bass Guitar comic!

2009-01-10T01:59:00.001-08:00

Here's the best Bass Guitar Comic I've found. At least it is for me....

FUN STUFF: Desktop Wallpapers

2008-12-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

CUTE ONES...click on the image for larger preview...

FUN STUFF: Desktop Wallpapers

2008-11-16T06:58:00.000-08:00

IT'S ALL ABOUT BASS... click on the image for larger preview...

I WANNA...

METRONOM...

Bass Guitar Minor Scale Video

2008-11-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

Rudy Sarzo explains how to play minor scales on Bass Guitar. You can read a bit more on Scale theory here....

Rudy Sarzo is a bass guitarist born Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont in Havana, Cuba on November 18, 1950. He emigrated to the United States in 1961. Sarzo has played with many bands including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.

Demos for playing bass

Enjoy....

Weird Bass Guitars - Part 3

2008-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Weird Bass Guitars - Part 2

2008-11-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

There's more.....

Weird Bass Guitars - Part 1

2008-11-02T08:07:00.001-08:00

More coming soon.....

Bass Guitar Video Spot

2008-10-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video spot promoting Bass guitar...or not?

FUN STUFF: Desktop Wallpapers

2008-10-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

WHERE IS IT?! ...click on the image for larger preview...

FUN STUFF: Desktop Wallpapers

2008-10-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

BASS POWER! ...click on the image for larger preview...

Some more crazy Bass things

2008-10-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is maybe a little too much.....or not.

Cool keychain...

Cookie - cutter....for Christ's sake!

Good day to all!

BASS GUITAR LESSONS

2008-10-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Number of strings for Bass Guitar

2008-10-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a tricky one. Now, if you don't know the difference between 4,5 or 6, 8, 10, 12 (I hope they'll stop here) stringed Bass, read on....and if you do, also, read on.

I think that majority of players are 4-stringers. Wrong? So, why is that a case? Is it because it's kind of standard, or mainstream, or something darker......

Fact:
Bass Guitar (a modern one, like yours) is designed based on double bass. This instrument has a very thick strings, therefore a rather wide neck. The average human hand has a certain range (catch, span), and because of that, the number of strings on double bass was restricted to four.

4-STRINGS
So, basically, the tuning is the same with those two. It's (from low to high) E - A - D - G (the highest open string-G, is an eleventh, an octave and a fourth, below middle C). This is also a tuning of a 'regular' 6 stringed guitar, only Bass is one octave lower.
Keep in mind that there are also different tunings for 4-strings, that give totally different workplace for you.

If words like - octave, fourth, eleventh and some others - if they sound strange, if you don't know the meaning, don't worry. You can learn that on a hop! I'll write about the same, if there is some interest. You can use comments. Or mail. (people that know this - don't laugh)

5-STRINGS
They provide a greater lower or upper range than the 4-string Bass, and has better hand position for notes. Tunings are:
B-E-A-D-G (usual one, rock, metal music), sometimes A-D-G-C-F
E-A-D-G-C (Tenor tuning, in jazz music)
C-E-A-D-G (not so usual)

6-STRING
This is a 4-string bass + low "B" string and a high "C" string. Not so common, but some of the artist use them for studio recordings. Tunings:
B-E-A-D-G-C (usual)
B-E-A-D-G-B (you notice the first 5 strings? like on the guitar)
E-A-D-G-B-E (completely like guitar)
E-A-D-G-C-F and F#-B-E-A-D-G (rare ones)

100-STRING
The 8, 10, 12 and 15-string basses, are basically built on the same principle as the 12-string guitar (regular one). The point is to group strings, so that they make unison or octaves. They are played simultaneously. There's no super human after all.....

8 String

10 String
12 String
15 String

Enjoy the day...

FUN STUFF: Desktop Wallpapers

2008-10-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

THE HORROR!! ...click on the image for larger preview...

BASS GUITAR FUN / HUMOR

2008-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Bass Guitar Desktop Wallpapers:
> Spider
> Statue of Liberty, Earth
> Horror
> Kill Bill Theme
> Cool ones
> Alien
> Vintage
> Misc
> Frankenstein, Dracula
> Statues

Video:
> Bass Guitar Commercial
> Harpejji - a weird instrument
> Bass Guitar made from balloons!

Other:
> Things people will do...
> Weird Bass Guitars from whole world...Part 1

BASS GUITAR EFFECTS

2008-10-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

> Tascam CD-BT2 - Portable CD Bass Trainer <

> DigiTech Bas Synth Wah <

BASS GUITAR AMPS

2008-10-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

> Ampeg Bass Combo Amplifier (600 W, 2x10 in) <

> Hartke VX3500 Bass Combo Amplifier <

> SWR WorkingPro 12 (200 W) <

> Fender Combo Amp (15 W) <

ADVICES AND TIPS

2008-10-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

> Notation reading for Bass Guitar - Bass Clef <

> Workshop Live - Learn Bass Guitar Online <

> How to set up your Bass Guitar <

> Ear Training for Bass Guitar <

> Adjusting Neck Relief for Bass Guitar <

> How to Clean your Bass Guitar <

> What is Bass Guitar Intonation <

> Setting Intonation on Bass Guitar <

> Basic Rhythms for Bass Guitar <

> Solid State ot Tube Amp? What to choose? <

> Chord Finder for Bass Guitar <

> Pickup Height for Bass Guitar <

> String Height for Bass Guitar <

> Straightness of Bass Guitar Neck <

Difference between Double Bass and Bass Guitar

2008-10-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

I think all of you Bass-people want do both. Or at least you wanted. Or you'll want.
Bass Guitar is more practical, and more common. It's mainstream in Bass World. Double Bass is little bit more exotic, right?
I mean, if you ever tried it, probably you fell in love. Like I did.
But at that time, I was all about the looks, and that big, silly thing was just - too much. Now, I'm kind of sorry...

Ok. The difference.

Bass Guitar - it's guitar shaped (don't say!), it's stringed (4,5,6,7...strings), we play it with our little fingers or a pick and we're using bunch of techniques for that (strumming, plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping).
Bass Guitar has a longer scale neck and is tuned an octave lower in pitch than a guitar.
Of course, there's electric and acoustic Bass Guitar. Can be fretted (more common) or fretless (tone similar to a double bass).
Ok, this was easy.

Double Bass - or Upright Bass, or Rockabilly Bass. Sometimes Contra bass. Maybe the rockabilly is not correct expression (couse it's a music style). We could also call it jazz bass, or classical bass. But, it's very common in rockabilly that it deserves the name.
This is the biggest bowed instrument (played with bow) and has the lowest pitch (the lowest note of a double bass is an E1). It's considered to be a member of the violin family. Heh.

The fingerboard of the double bass is fretless.
The Double bass is played either with a bow (arco) or by plucking the strings.
It is used in classical music, jazz, 1950s-style blues and rock and roll, rockabilly/psychobilly, bluegrass, and tango.

Modern double basses are usually tuned (low to high) E-A-D-G such that the open highest string, G, is a perfect eleventh (a perfect octave and a perfect fourth) below middle C.

There are two major shapes of the double bass - the violin form, and the viola da gamba form.
Two kinds of bows - "French" or "overhand" (similar to other orchestral string instruments) and "German" or "Butler" bow (shorter, and is held in a "hand shake" position).

Octobass - yes, there's one more....this is an extremely large (3.48 meters) bowed string instrument (so large that it took two musicians to play: one to bow and the other to control the fingering!).
It has three strings, and is a larger version of double bass.
It was never so popular among composers, but there are exceptions. Like Hector Berlioz.

Harpejji - what a weird instrument!

2008-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

This one left me left me sitting with open mouths for half an hour! It's very catchy (I don't like the looks though). It's the baby of Marcodi Musical Products.
This is a keyboard-inspired instrument with the timeless sound of real strings, and with the power of ten-finger compositions plus the ability to authentically sing. (says the author).

Check it out, they have a web page, so I won't play a messenger this time.

www.marcodi.com

Notation reading - Bass Clef

2008-09-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ups!
I don't know how does it work for you, but when I started to learn reading music, this was my biggest problem. I really wanted to became literate. Music literate. ASAP. But damn Bass key drove me crazy.

First, here's the definition (the way it is in dictionary):

A clef (from the French for "key") is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Placed on one of the lines at the beginning of the staff, it indicates the name and pitch of the notes on that line. This line serves as a reference point by which the names of the notes on any other line or space of the staff may be determined.

Bass Clef:

''a symbol placed on the fourth line of a staff to indicate that the fourth line of the staff corresponds to the F next below middle C; F clef''

''a symbol indicating that the fourth line from the bottom of a staff represents the pitch of F below middle C. Also called F clef. ''

What can Bass Clef do?
The bass clef lets you write lower notes covering octaves one (1) and two (2).

Please keep in mind (if you already don't know) - don't mix up staff (stave, or the lines for music notes) with tablatures! Tablature diagram represents strings on your bass guitar.
Notation is just a way of organizing music, so the other musicians could also read it.

Ok. It's enough for start. Now, it's your turn. You should be able to to name a note on the staff (stave) in your sleep! After some practice, of course.

Fun way to do it is remembering the sentence ''Good Boys Desevre Fruit Always'' (the lines on the bass clef staff that correspond to the letters G B D F A), and All Cows Eat Grass (the spaces on the bass clef staff correspond to the letters A C E G).

This is allright, but there's a way better (and faster) way to do it. Online of course. There's a little program (think of it as a game) where your mission is to name the random notes shown on the picture (staff). Cool thing is that every time you make a mistake, you get a un-happy face, when you're correct - smiley!
Here's the link. Check it out. Note reading - Bass clef

Learning Bass Guitar - Workshop live

2008-09-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I know there's a lot of resources for learning to play Bass guitar, but among them, this one sticks out a lot. Bad news is that there's a subscription - $29.95 a month you get complete access to all WorkshopLive's lessons on all instruments. A yearly subscription is $4 a week.

This ain't much. And it's worth of money, because it's a site with quality and loads of material (for all instruments).
Everything is covered, from music styles to equipment. I'll stop blabing, here's the link:

www.workshoplive.com

Enjoy!

FUN STUFF: Desktop Wallpapers

2008-09-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

KILL BILL (the movie) THEME...click on the image for larger preview...

Major scale for Bass Guitar

2008-09-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

Ok. Everybody knows what is a scale, right? There's nothing to know really... It's just a bunch of tones in some kind of pattern, and depending on that pattern, we've got a scale with a certain name. Heh. But, they are very important for developing technique, ear, and especially for creating great bass guitar lines.

Let's say something about MAJOR SCALE.
The major scale is always the starting point for music theory. Why? Don't know, but it works.
Major scale has 7 different notes. For example, G major scale G - A - B - C - D - E - F#.
After this, it starts all over again. So after F# you are back to G. Ok.
The root note of G Major scale is, you guess - G. But, it's not a rule that your scale has to start with G, or even end with one. Important thing, when you play in G, is that you hitting the notes that are in G Major pattern (G - A - B - C - D - E - F#).

Here are 5 different positions on the neck:

How to apply thi to other tones? A or B or C major?

Here's the pattern. We know the alphabet. C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - Bb - B - C
Sometimes there are some differences in writing the letters, but you get it.
There's a whole tone (w) and half tone (h). From C - D is whole tone, from C - C# is half. Ok.
The pattern

Major: w w h w w w h
Minor: w h w w h w w

If we apply that to our G major, we get G - A - B - C - D - E - F#- G(startin from G, ofcourse).
If we do the same with C major, we get C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

That's about it....enjoy!

Biography: Kim Gordon

2008-09-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, vocalist, and artist. She sings, plays bass and guitar in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth.
She also plays in the band Free Kitten with Julie Cafritz (of Pussy Galore), and she has collaborated with musicians such as Ikue Mori, Kurt Cobain, DJ Olive, William Winant, Lydia Lunch, Alan Licht, and Chris Corsano.

After graduating, she moved to New York and joined the short-lived band CKM with Christine Hahn and Stanton Miranda. Through Stanton, Gordon met her future Sonic Youth bandmates Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore.

Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981.
In their early career, Sonic Youth were associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American indie underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound.

Here's the link on Kim's MYSPACE

...more about Kim on Wikipedia...