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ULTRABASS

 

BASS GUITAR PACK

PLAYING TECHNIQUES

Picks

Hold the pick (plectrum) firmly between your thumb and index finger. Your BASS GUITAR PACK contains three picks. Most bass

players start with a thin pick and use thicker ones when they have improved their playing technique.

Playing with a pick

Here you can see the correct way for the pick to strike the strings. Relax and don’t constantly think about what you’re doing. This will

help you to feel comfortable while you play.

 

You can use the pick to strike the strings on your bass in two ways: striking down from above (downstroke) and striking up from

below (upstroke) Simply try striking one string alternately from above and from below (

alternate picking

) at a steady pace. You might

find a metronome very helpful here, so that you can achieve a constant rhythm and evenness of playing. Start off at a very slow

tempo and strike the string in time with the metronome (one stroke to one tick of the metronome). Once you feel confident playing at

this tempo, you can begin to increase your speed gradually.

Playing with your fingers

Many bass players prefer to pick the strings with their fingers. In this case you should use the index and middle fingers of your right

hand and pick the string alternating from one finger to the other.

  

To do this, rest your thumb on the E string (topmost string) and pluck the A string below it with the tip of your index finger in such a

way that your index finger finishes up resting on the E string above it. Now pluck the A string the same way using your middle finger.

As soon as your middle finger comes to rest on the E string, lift your index finger and pick the A string again, and so on. Try to play

all the four strings on your bass this way, again using a metronome, if possible, to achieve a steady rhythm. Just remember that you

have to lift your thumb off the E string when you want to play it. In this case you should rest your thumb on the body of the guitar.

All manuals and user guides at all-guides.com

Содержание Ultrabass

Страница 1: ...All manuals and user guides at all guides com a l l g u i d e s c o m ...

Страница 2: ... PACK High quality electric bass guitar Adjustable bass guitar strap High quality lead approx 3 m 3 plectrums Beginners book for the bass guitar Padded gig bag BASS PACK CONTENTS All manuals and user guides at all guides com ...

Страница 3: ... 11 Dotted notes 11 Rhythm exercise 1 12 Triplets 12 Rhythm exercise 2 13 Rests 13 Rhythm exercise 3 13 Shuffle 14 SCALES 14 Intervals 14 Major and minor 14 The major scale 14 The minor scale 15 The major pentatonic scale 15 The minor pentatonic scale 15 The chromatic scale 15 Positioning the left hand 15 Scale practice 1 16 Scale practice 2 16 D major scale 16 G minor scale 16 Scale practice 3 16...

Страница 4: ...gardless of the type of bass guitar you play the basic component parts are always the same The following illustration shows you what the parts are called Please take the time to familiarize yourself with them All manuals and user guides at all guides com ...

Страница 5: ...ich 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 you re playing standing up it might put too much strain on your left wrist Or it mig...

Страница 6: ...he neighboring string to be tuned We ve summarized this for you as follows 4 string 5th fret open 3rd string 3 string 5th fret open 2nd string 2 string 5th fret open 1st string Simply keep to the following diagram Keyboard instruments You can also tune your bass using a piano or a keyboard The only thing you need to know is which keys on the keyboard correspond to the bass strings To find out look...

Страница 7: ...e with the metronome one stroke to one tick of the metronome Once you feel confident playing at this tempo you can begin to increase your speed gradually Playing with your fingers Many bass players prefer to pick the strings with their fingers In this case you should use the index and middle fingers of your right hand and pick the string alternating from one finger to the other To do this rest you...

Страница 8: ...ear the end of the fingerboard Your other fingers should be curled near the bottom G string You can use your little finger here to rest your hand on the body of the guitar Then pick one of the two bottom strings but not both at the same time with your index or middle finger by slipping your fingertip under the G or D string and plucking it upwards with as little contact as possible and without exe...

Страница 9: ...should actually be played This has to be marked separately In this book we will be using a diagrammatic form of notation known as tablature in the following exercises apart from the rhythm exercises in the chapter titled RHYTHM The tablature for the bass guitar consists of four lines with the bottom line representing the E string and the lines above it representing the A D and G strings As in a fi...

Страница 10: ...as in the previous blues Reduce the tempo if you have any problems with the speed to begin with Shuffle Blues This is a blues with a ternary rhythm For further information about this read the chapter titled RHYTHM Start with a slow tempo here too so that you achieve a steady rhythm and get used to the shuffle playing technique If it doesn t work out straight away just play this piece in eighth not...

Страница 11: ... a measure can be divided If a 4 4 measure contains only one note that covers the entire length of the measure four beats then that note is known as a whole note It is four quarter notes long w q q q q If you play two equally long notes in a 4 4 measure one of them beginning on the 1st quarter beat and the other beginning on the 3rd quarter beat then you are playing two half notes Each of these no...

Страница 12: ...te into two eighth notes but into three the result is what is known as a triplet This is indicated in standard notation or in tablature by the addition of a 3 above or below each group If a whole note is divided not into two but into three half notes the result is what is known as a half triplet A 4 4 measure would therefore contain a half triplet or three separate half notes If a half note is div...

Страница 13: ...s also the whole note rest equal in length to a whole note i w the half note rest equal in length to a half note h the quarter note rest equal in length to a quarter note r q the eighth note rest equal in length to an eighth note ä e and the sixteenth note rest equal in length to a sixteenth note x There are of course even shorter rests just as there are even shorter note values However we don t i...

Страница 14: ...intervals are so that you don t have any difficulties with certain terms in the chapters that follow An interval indicates the difference in pitch between one note and another There are many different intervals as there are also many different notes The following illustration always shows the interval between the individual note and the keynote C tonic Major and minor What is the actual difference...

Страница 15: ...Here it is the sixth note C on which the scale starts again one octave higher The minor pentatonic scale The A minor pentatonic scale also comprises five notes derived from the A minor scale whereby the second and sixth notes B and F have been removed A C D E G A The scale begins again one octave higher on the sixth note A Use the notes in the major and minor pentatonic scales for playing simple b...

Страница 16: ...hat way you can train your right hand to be independent Scale exercise 2 Shift the scales on the fingerboard so that you begin with different notes That way you will learn to play the scales confidently in different positions As soon as you change the position and with it the keynote you change key For example if you shift the C major scale two frets upwards the first note in the scale is at the 1...

Страница 17: ... the scale We ll start with the C as the tonic Now if we look for the third above the tonic among the other notes in the scale we come to the E the 3rd note This is a major third because it involves two whole tone steps Now we have to look for the next third above the E We find it one half and one whole tone a minor third above the E on the G it is the fifth above the tonic C This order of thirds ...

Страница 18: ...e following example you will find seven fingering diagrams showing you one way you can play these chords C major C D minor Dm E minor Em F major F G major G A minor Am B minor diminished Bm 5 All manuals and user guides at all guides com ...

Страница 19: ...on the type and gauging of the strings Rule of thumb If your bass sounds dull it s time to change the strings Technical specifications and appearance subject to change without notice The information contained herein is correct at the time of printing The names of companies institutions or publications pictured or mentioned and their respective logos are registered trademarks of their respective ow...

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