5
ULTRABASS
BASS GUITAR PACK
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the BEHRINGER family! This beginners book for the bass guitar will show you how much fun you can have playing a
musical instrument. First we want to make you acquainted with the important basics about your instrument, various playing
techniques and some other things. Then were going to show you some examples of styles, rhythm exercises and scales that will
make it easy for you to start playing the bass. Dont let all this information put you off, even if it does seem like a lot at first. Take a
relaxed approach and youll soon see that youre making progress. Have fun!
Left hand
The fingers of the left hand are numbered from 1 to 4, beginning with the index finger. Always press down the strings with your
fingertips. Tip: Youll find it a lot easier with short fingernails.
Holding the bass properly
Rest the bass on your right thigh and hold it between your chest and your right arm. But dont forget to relax while you do so! Use
your bodynot your handsto stabilize the position of the bass. The neck of the guitar should be pointing slightly upwards. If you
cross your legs you can hold the neck higher, which makes playing easier.
A few general tips:
*
Check your posture and the position of your arms and legs at regular intervals to avoid tenseness.
*
Experiment with your posture until you feel comfortable.
*
Try to keep your head straight; otherwise you will develop tenseness in your back.
If your bass is hanging too low when youre playing standing up, it might put too much strain on your left wrist. Or it might put too much
strain on your right hand when you strike or pluck the strings. Adjust the strap to give yourself a comfortable posture, enabling your
hands to remain completely relaxed in their playing positions.
SITTING POSTURE STANDING POSTURE
TUNING THE BASS
Tuning the bass means precisely adjusting the tone of each string. There are various methods you can use to tune your bass, but
first you have to know what notes the four bass strings are:
String 1:
G (the thinnest, bottom string)
String 2:
D
String 3:
A
String 4:
E (the thickest, topmost string)
Electronic tuning device
You can buy electronic tuning devices at any music store. They offer you the simplest method for tuning your bass. A tuning device
analyzes the pitch of each string when it is played individually. A display shows you if the note played is too high or too low. You can
find a virtual tuning device on our website (www.behringer.com). Go and get it!
All manuals and user guides at all-guides.com