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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 1, General Introduction

Bass Technique

Table of Contents

GENERAL INTRODUCTION ........................................................................4

ANATOMY OF THE BASS ........................................................................................................................... 4TONAL RANGE............................................................................................................................................ 5THE TUNING PEGS..................................................................................................................................... 5THE CHAIR .................................................................................................................................................. 6THE NECK ................................................................................................................................................... 6THUMB SUPPORT ...................................................................................................................................... 7

TUNING........................................................................................................ 8

TUNING WITH THE DIGITAL TUNER ........................................................................................................ 8TRADITIONAL TUNING............................................................................................................................... 8STANDARD TUNING IN FOURTH INTERVALS*)....................................................................................... 9

ADVANCED TUNING WITH NATURAL HARMONICS*)............................................................................. 9WHERE ARE THE NOTES ON A FRETLESS BASS?.............................................................................. 10

THE HUMAN INSTRUMENT ...................................................................... 11

POSITION OF THE BODY......................................................................................................................... 11PSYCHOLOGY........................................................................................................................................... 11

LEFT HAND TECHNIQUE.......................................................................... 13

FINGER NUMBERS................................................................................................................................... 13GENERAL ADVICE, LEFT HAND.............................................................................................................. 13STANDARD HANDS .................................................................................................................................. 14OCTAVE SHIFT ......................................................................................................................................... 15OPEN STRINGS ........................................................................................................................................ 16DOUBLE GRIP ........................................................................................................................................... 17DOUBLE GRIP POSITIONS ...................................................................................................................... 17

RIGHT HAND TECHNIQUE........................................................................19

TIMBRE ...................................................................................................................................................... 19PLAYING WITH THE RIGHT-HAND FINGERS......................................................................................... 20PLAYING WITH A PLECTRUM ................................................................................................................. 21PICK PATTERNS ....................................................................................................................................... 22FUNK BASS ............................................................................................................................................... 23HARMONICS.............................................................................................................................................. 24OTHER TECHNIQUES .............................................................................................................................. 30ERGONOMIC THINKING........................................................................................................................... 32SPEED........................................................................................................................................................ 32

ARTICULATION......................................................................................... 34

GLISSANDO............................................................................................................................................... 34VIBRATO.................................................................................................................................................... 34

BLUES NOTES .......................................................................................................................................... 35

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TREMOLO.................................................................................................................................................. 35DURATION................................................................................................................................................. 36COL ARCO (BOW)..................................................................................................................................... 36VOCAL AND BASS .................................................................................................................................... 36

SCORDATURA / ALTERNATIVE TUNINGS ............................................................................................. 37SORDIN (DAMPER)................................................................................................................................... 37HAMMER ON / PULL-OFF (APPOGGIATURA) ........................................................................................ 38BENDS ....................................................................................................................................................... 38ORNAMENTATION.................................................................................................................................... 38DYNAMICS................................................................................................................................................. 38

VOLUME AND SOUND.............................................................................. 39

VOLUME .................................................................................................................................................... 39SOUND....................................................................................................................................................... 40

INDEX BASS TECHNIQUE ........................................................................ 42

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All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ

Volume 2 The Electric Bass

Bass Technique2 of 7 DocumentsISBN 87-88619-70-2

2nd

Edition, 1st

IssueSummer 2001 Produced in Denmark

Digital Books is a trademark ofNORDISC Music & Text, DK-2700 Broenshoej, Denmark

WEB http://www.nordisc-music.com/

Email [email protected]

Text, notes and musical examples: Copyright H.W. Gade 2001

Illustrations, layout and concept, original text Copyright H.W. Gade 1984-85/2001

All rights reserved. Copying or reproduction in full/in extension not allowed. No public hire of the materialallowed without the written permission of the publishing house.
http://www.nordisc-music.com/http://www.nordisc-music.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.nordisc-music.com/

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General IntroductionIn this book, I use a standard 4-string fretted bass guitar. Most of the techniques in

this chapter, however, can be used on a 5- or 6-string bass.

ANATOMY OF THE BASS

1 Head

2 Tuning pegs

3 Neck

4 Frets

5 Position marks

6 Knob for strap (the other knob is placed atthe bottom of the bass)

7 Thumb support

8 Pickup

9 Controls for volume etc.

10 Chair with fastening clamps for strings andfine-tuning screws

11 Outlet for cord to amplifier

12 Bridge

Fig. 1 The Anatomy of the Bass

Fig. 2 The Position Marks

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TONAL RANGE

Fig. 3 All Notes on the Bass Fretboard

THE TUNING PEGS

The tuning pegs are normally placed in pairs, 2+3 or in one row (Fender and copies of Fender).

Fig. 4 Tuning Pegs

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THE CHAIR

Bass chairs can be found in many variants. Some chairs have both forwards, backward and

sideward adjustment of each individual string, others have fewer or no means of adjustment.The bass guitar needs to be adjusted yearly to assure that the open string and the octave (12th

fret) are in tune with each other.

Fig. 5Adjustment Screws on the Chair

Fender

Chair

Rickenbacker

Chair

1Sideward

2Forward / backward

3Damper (sordin)

THE NECK

Fender basses are equipped with an adjustable steel rod in the neck. Adjusting the neck is job

for experts only. Do nottry to adjust it yourself.

Fig. 6The Adjustable Steel Rod on a Fender Bass

(seen from the back of the instrument)

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The width and thickness of the neck vary much although the length is now standardized.

Width Thickness

FenderPrecision Bass

Broad Thin

FenderJazz Bass

Narrow Heavy

Gibson Medium Thin

Rickenbacker Medium Thin

Yamaha, 5-string Broad Heavy

Fig. 7Neck Dimensions of Various Bass Brands / Models

THUMB SUPPORT

The bridge or the pickup is where to put your thumb when you play with your fingers. NEVER

use the open E4thstring as a thumb support. You will have to lift the thumb every time youwant to play on your support string, slowing down your tempo and precision. Many far too

many bass players have this bad habit.

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 8, Tuning

TuningTuning the bass used to be a bit of a problem, especially for beginners, but todayeven novices are saved by modern technology.

Fig. 8Bass Strings, 5-string Standard

G 1ststring

D 2nd

string

A 3rdstring

E 4thstring

B*) 5

thstring

*) The Bstring is called Hin Germany and the Scandinavian countries

TUNING WITH THE DIGITAL TUNER

Turn the switch to the deep E. Keep picking the E-string while turning the tuning peg until the

tuning graph / arrow stops moving. Set the switch to the next note Aand repeat the process with

the A, Dand Gstrings. Add Bon 5-string basses.

TRADITIONAL TUNINGDigital tuning is simple, but it does not take the conditions of the neck in account. Even if the

open strings are in tune, the bass could very easily be out of tune on the higher frets. You must

therefore try to learn tuning your bass by ear. Start with digital tuning the first months and

then proceed with the real tuning methods.

Start by tuning the E4thstring to the low E. You can use a piano or keyboard to catch the

pitch of the note.

Fig. 9Tuning the Bass Strings after the Piano

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Tuning ForkYou may alternatively use a tuning fork, but as the tuning fork is tuned in A,

you must start with tuning the A3rdstring instead of the E4thstring. In this case, start tuning

the D2ndstring etc. and finish by tuning the E4thstring.Historical note:Before the arrival of

digital tuners, it was most common to start tuning the A3rd

string.

STANDARD TUNING IN FOURTH INTERVALS*)

E First tune the Estring. NOTETune the Bstring on 5-string basses as the laststring.

A Pick the deep E4thstring with your left-hand finger on the 5th fret (the A note), and pick theopen A 3rd string shortly after. Keep picking both the E 4th string and A 3rd string while

adjusting the E 4th string with its tuning peg until you can hear that the two pitches soundexactly the same.

D Pick the A3rdstring on the 5thfret (the D note) and tune the open D2ndstring with its tuningpeg while picking both the A5thstring and the D4thstring until the two pitches are in tune with

each other.

G Pick the D2ndstring on the 5thfret (the G note) and tune the open G1ststring with its tuningpeg while picking both the D4thstring and the G3rdstring until the two pitches are in tune with

each other.

*) See All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ 1/ Music Theory, chapters Scales and Harmony

ADVANCED TUNING WITH NATURAL HARMONICS*)

E First tune the Estring. NOTETune the Bstring on 5-string basses as the laststring.

A Play a natural harmonic by lightly touching the deep E 4th string with a left-hand fingerprecisely above the 5thfret (without pressing the string!), and do the same on the 7 thfret on the

A3rdstring. Adjust the tuning peg for the E4thstring until you hear the same pitches withoutany waving effect (the note trembles due to interferences between two notes out of tune

When the notes are in tune, the wavering stops and they become one note).

D Repeat the procedure with a natural harmonic on the A 3rd strings 5th fret and a naturalharmonic on the D2ndstrings 7thfret. Adjust the tuning peg for the D2ndstring until the notes

become one without any wavering.

G Repeat the procedure with a natural harmonic on the D 2nd strings 5th fret and a naturalharmonic on the G1ststrings 7thfret. Adjust the tuning peg for the G1ststring until the notes

become one without any wavering.

*) See All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ 1/ Music Theory, chapters Scales and Harmony

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WHERE ARE THE NOTES ON A FRETLESS BASS?

Many bass players moving from the fretted bass to a fretless model are unsure about where to

place the left-hand fingers in order to play in tune.

Place the fingers PRECISELY ABOVE the mark, not before the mark, where you used to place

the fingers on your fretted bass. Rehearse playing by the ears intensely and learn the

relative movements of the fretboard(how far do I move my hand to an E, a C sharp, a

high F sharp etc.)

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 11, The Human Instrument

The Human InstrumentWhen playing the bass, always play relaxed. Be as lazy as you can, avoiding major

jumps from one fret on a string to another one on the same string, if you can use the

next string instead. Being relaxed in your body, and rehearsing the positions of the

fretboard are crucial for your playing and your health. Like with the mouse of the

computer, tensions in your hands and shoulders will get you into trouble.

POSITION OF THE BODY

StandingWhen you play in standing position, which bass players do most of the time, the

muscles of the left-hand arm is somewhat restricted by the bended wrist. Adjust the strap on thebass until you have minimized the bending of the wrist.

Fig. 10Correct Positions with the Bass

SittingBe relaxed but do not lean too much back or forwards. Do not bend your neck whenreading the chords/notes, as this can lead to tensions and pain in the neck and shoulders.

PSYCHOLOGY

According to Sebastian Kalamajski, author of All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ / 3 The Electric

Guitar, the following exciting new methods can be utilized to become a much better player,

musically and physically:

Some Basic Brain InfoThe brain uses the following main functions: Conscious thinking,

Subconscious storing of information and the Supraconscious mind, which is separated from the

other parts of the brain. The latter is the centre of the intuition, independent of the conscious

thinking process.

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 12, The Human Instrument

By learning to control your Consciousnessyou improve your learning rate drastically both in

music and other aspects of life, for example learning new languages and your general reading

speed. By controlling the Consciousness, you can also get a more efficient use of the

subconscious memory, using readily available information on scales, chords, fingering etc.without having to think consciously about where to place your fingers.

Concentration is the keyword in any learning process. Concentration means focusing andcollecting your mind on one subject only without letting yourself disturb by anything.

Make a sketch of what you are going to practice and follow it! Make a list of what you

want to rehearse and how long each item will take including a 5min rest every 30min.

Focus on your playing.Focusing on a subject will help you use the brain more effectively.

Close the door to the room and tell everybody in the flat/house to leave you alone while you

rehearse, maybe even put a Dont Disturb poster on your door.

Get motivated and inspired. There are several was of getting / being motivated. It could be

the desire to play like your bass hero or because your girlfriend / boyfriend is coming to dinner.

But in my experience, motivation can be produced through simple mechanics: 1) the more you

play the better it feels. 2) If you keep on working - even if your motivation is low - the pleasure

of playing your instrument will return in a short while, simply due to working with the bass.

Motivation comes from working harder in itself rather from being rewarded or dreaming of

being a famous bass player. This may seem slightly controversial but that is how I have been

inspired and motivated over the years: Work is the drug.

Second Nature Playingis the point in the learning process where the conscious mind leaves

the work to the subconscious part of the brain - you play by heart. When you do not have tothink about the position of your fingers, you can concentrate on the interpretation of the music,

expressing yourself.

To achieve this state of automation, you will have to concentrate fully on your fingers. You

may often experience a certain fatigue at the end of the rehearsing session, and your mind starts

wandering. Try to keep the concentration during the learning process and remember: a 5min

break every 30min.

The phenomenon called muscle memory is important in connection with Second Nature

Playing. While you learn to play, the muscles start remembering the movements of your

fingers and hands. When planning your practice, you must be very careful to check all the

technical details and playing problems, because if you and your fingers rehearse a technically

wrongversion of the music, the muscles will remember the wrong version and not the correct

one. I once worked with an extremely talented musical singer. She made a mistake the first time

she sang a certain line of the text, and she never managed to get rid of the mistake, the line got

stuck in her head as second nature. So be careful

INTERESTED IN SEBASTIANS METHODS?You can find much more stuff and useful information in Sebastian Kalamajskis book

All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ / 3 The Electric Guitar, or read his articles on Guitar9.com.
http:///reader/full/http//:www.guitar9.comhttp:///reader/full/http//:www.guitar9.comhttp:///reader/full/http//:www.guitar9.com

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 13, Left Hand Technique

Left Hand Technique

FINGER NUMBERS

The left and right handsare numbered like this:

Fig. 11Numbering of the Fingers

It is on purpose that I do not use any numbered fingers in the exercises in Chapter 5. I am

strongly against forcing the bass players to user one and one only fingering solution to play a

phrase or a bass run. For the same reason, I very seldom use bass tablature, although my taste

should not prevent you from using tablature, which can be a very effective way of writing down

stringed instrument parts (see the WEB site list in Chapter 7, The Music Business).

GENERAL ADVICE, LEFT HAND

1 Place your thumb under the neck and the other left-hand fingers above the neck. Do not presstoo hard with the thumb. Relax all fingers.

2 Press down the string of the first bass note just below the fret with one of the left-hand fingers.Use the necessary force to achieve a full tone, but do not press hard. Keep your hand relaxed.

3 The little finger is normally a problem in the start of your learning period. After using the little

finger for a while though, the finger muscles will grow stronger and the finger will not hurt

anymore. Actually many rock and heavy bassists use the little finger together with finger 3 as

one double finger or simply do not use the little finger.

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STANDARD HANDS

Standard Handsor Shapesare simply a tried and proven ergonomic and fast way to move

your fingers in a given scale within an octave or moving from one octave to the next.

The standard hands can be moved to anywhere on the neck, except for the open string which

have their own Hands. The Octave Shifts are shown in a separate diagram.

Fig. 12Standard Hands (Shapes)

Major Hand

G

D

A

E

B

Natural Minor Hand

G

D

A

E

B

Blues Hand*)

G

D

A

E

B

Harmonic Minor Hand

G

D

A

E

B

Mixolydian HandG

D

A

E

B

Melodic Minor HandG

D

A

E

B

NOTENo open strings used. The square shows the octaves. The Melodic Minor Handhas a position shift, shown with the large blue square.

*) Readers of the original paper version of the Bass tutor from 1985, may have seen my controversial 2-positionversion of the blues hand, where I did not use the 4

th finger. I have changed my mind since then - the standard

version is faster, although many rock bassists actually use the 2-position version.

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OCTAVE SHIFT

You move from one octave to the next by moving the position of the hand after reaching the

first octave. It can be done in several different ways, so the examples only show one solutionout of many. Choose the one that fits your hand and the width of your bass guitar neck.

Fig. 13Octave Shift

Major Octave Shift

GD

A

E

B

1

2

Natural Minor Octave Shift

GD

A

E

B

1

2

Blues Octave Shift

GD

A

EB 1

2

Harmonic Minor Octave Shift

G

D

A

E

B1

2

Mixolydian Octave Shift

GD

A

E

B 1

2

Melodic Minor Octave Shift

GD

A

E

B1

2

NOTENo open strings used. The square shows the octaves. The shows a

glide with the finger to the next position. The Melodic Minor has no less than 4 positions!

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OPEN STRINGS

Scales with open strings are limited to a few keys, E and A plus B, if you have a 5-string bass.

Open strings may be used as leading notes in scales but only if you skip the main idea of thehands, that is the flexibility on the fretboard. Keep in mind that all genuine musicians try to

avoid rules, unless the rules suit the music. In other words - every possible fingering is allowed

as long as you make good music!

Fig. 14Hands with Open Strings

E Major with Open Strings

GD

AE

B

E Minor with Open Strings

GD

AE

B

E Blues with Open Strings

GD

A

E

B

NOTEThe square shows the octaves. The E and A blues with open strings is a verycommon and fast way of playing blues in the 60-ies style.

See chapter 4 Scales and Chords for Hands for the more advanced scales in jazz.

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DOUBLE GRIP

A double grip is rightly feared by classical double bass players and violinists. Electric bass

players do not have to fear the technique that much, although some finger stretching exerciseswill be needed in the beginning.

A double grip is a combination of left- and right-hand techniques.

Fig. 15Right-hand Position for Double and Triple Grips

DOUBLE GRIP POSITIONS

Octave

G

D

A

E

B

Diminished Fifth (b5)

GD

A

E

B

Second

G

D

A

E

B

Augmented Fifth (+)

G

D

A

E

B

Minor Third

G

D

A

E

B

Sixth

G

D

A

E

B

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Major Third

G

D

AE

B

Minor Seventh

G

D

AE

B

Fourth

G

D

A

E

B

Major Seventh

G

D

A

E

B

Fifth

G

D

A

E

B

Three note chords and higher do not soundgood on a bass and they should be avoided.The only exception to this rule is the high-pitched Piccolo bass.

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 19, Right Hand Technique

Right Hand Technique

TIMBRE

Timbre is the flavour of the bass sound. It is created by the strings and amplifier, of course,

but an equally important factor is the position of the right hand on the body of the bass.

Fig. 16Timbre: Position of the Right Hand

The Thumb Support was used on older Fender basses until about 1974 to allow for the old-

fashioned thumb playing style or for left-handed players.

Normal positions are 2-4 (I personally prefer position 4, which is faster than position 2-3).

NOTE The unfortunately rather common habit of placing the thumb on the E-string is not

recommendable as it slows down the playing. Every time you need the E-string, you must lift thethumb with the consequent errors and extra noise from the string.

The forceof the picking finger / plectrum should be as follows:

1 Very softAlmost a mere touch SoftLight picking without force

2 NeutralLight, gentle pick with a slight force3 HardPowerful picking, tough and short

4 Very HardNormally for fast two or three finger playing

The higher up the fretboard you play, the harder you will need to pick the string to compensate

for the higher tension of the string.

The position of the right-handcombined with the force of the picking is the basis of each

bass players personal style. Every bassist has her/his way of picking, as individual as a fingerprint.

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PLAYING WITH THE RIGHT-HAND FINGERS

The electric bass can be played either with the right-hand fingers or with a plectrum. In the

early days of the instrument, the plectrum was the most common as most bass players wereconverted guitar players. Nowadays, finger players outnumber the plectrum players. The

fingers used two or three at a time are much faster and more elastic and precise as the plectrum.

The timbre of finger playing has a broader range of sounds from the human touch rather than

the dead plastic of the plectrum.

Fig. 17Correct Finger Positions (the Less tiring anyway)

Damping Technique Let go of the string and damp the note in one fast movement. Becareful that you do not hit one of the other strings, which sounds awful on a bass (on a guitar

too, by the way).

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PLAYING WITH A PLECTRUM

Plectrums are graded into very soft, soft, medium and very hard. The grade depends on the

strength of your hand and the bass strings gauge. Generally, a medium or very hard plectrum isbest suited for a bass. The way you hold you plectrum is very important. The famous guitar

teacher and musician Ivor Mairants (see the bibliography) has written en excellent book with

exercises in plectrum for guitar players. Parts of the exercises are very relevant for the bass

player as well, including the basic positions shown in the book.

Fig. 18Position of the Plectrum

1Basic Position

90 degrees

2Correct Picking

100% vertically

Finger 1 and 5 hold theplectrum while finger 2, 3and 4 are loose, halfwayclutched

The hand must be free of thebody do not touch withfingers 2-4

The arm (elbow to wrist) moves in anarch, causing a vertical pickingmovements

Never use fingers 2-3 as asupport for the hand!

This very common mistake slowsdown the playing and may causeCarpal Syndrome

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PICK PATTERNS

The order of the picking sequences is very important. Finger players use finger 1 and 2 to

achieve an even flow of picks. Plectrum players use the up and down stroke of the plectrum. Inboth cases, we can use some drum theory to decide the best way to obtain a steady pick pattern.

Fig. 19Main Principles for Pick Patterns

1Two-part picking is preferable in most cases

2Playing with one finger, or plectrum down strokes only are used for slow, distinct passages.

3Moving from one to double picking depends on the tempo. At about 100 BPM, 1/8s need tobe played with two-part picking.

4Three or four fingers can be used in certain cases to achieve extremely fast playing or specialeffects.

Fig. 20Basic Pick Patterns

Even Meters

1

DownUp

Finger

Uneven

Meters= Paradiddle

Paradiddle

(Alternate

Picking)

In fast tempi, the so-called paradiddle or alternative picking technique is used.The basic idea is to keep the order of the fingers or down/up strokes butchange the accentuation according to the meter and rhythm

Example: 3/4 1 2 1| 2 1 2| 1 2 1

Compound

Meters

5/4 Slow tempo Fast Tempo

7/8 Slow tempo Fast Tempo

Moderate

Tempo or

Fast Tempo

all the time

Upbeats

Always Example:

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FUNK BASS

In the early days of jazz, the bass players used a technique called slap bass, pulling the string

up with finger 5 and 1 and letting it slap the fretboard. This creates an effective percussion

like bass sound. The original Slap bass can be heard on early country records too. In the 1970-ies, the technique was reintroduced and refined by the soul and funk bass players. It is still very

common in funk music.

Fig. 21Slap Bass or Funk Bass

It is possible to use all fingers on the right hand in one fast movement. One of the masters in the

world of bass players, Danish Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, uses the thumb on BOTHHANDS, behind and on top of the neck. This is one of the secrets behind his brilliant playing

and extreme speed. He is really one of the masters. Buy a couple of his CDs NOW.

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Fig. 22Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen 2-Hand Picking

Alternative Note

Symbols

1 Picking with the Nail (theso-called Bartok Pizzicato)

2 Pull with Finger 5 on theLeft Hand

HARMONICS

Strange Harmonics were standard along with the usual bunch of exotic effects in the early

1960-ies modernist classical music. In the 1970-ies, the fusion jazz bassists took these

technically difficult heavenly notes to their hearts. They are tricky to play and hard to hear, so

they must be on top of the list of techniques one must learn.

The harmonics are a fundamental property of the string. See the chapter Harmony in All

Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ 1/Music Theory. Normally all the inherent notes of the tone can be

heard at the same, but when you employ the special Harmonics technique, you isolate one of

the specific high tones of the string.

The positions of the Harmonics on the string seem unnatural compared to the temperated notes

on the piano. But these positions are actually the natural notes! The temperated system was

invented in the 1700th century to make tuning easier when playing in more than one octave.

This artificial tuning is now considered natural, whereas Mother Natures tuning is considered

false! The stringed instruments are not pianos (which you will notice if you try to lift a piano).

So you must think about your strings as a natural (false) scale tamed with the temperated frets

(in tune). When you enter the world of the Harmonics, you move back 400 years ago, when

instruments were supposed to play out of tune.

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The Harmonics are problematic to produce and they vary considerably in strength and deviation

from the temperated tones. There are two ways to produce Harmonics: The Natural Harmonics

and theArtificial Harmonics:

The Natural Harmonics are the basis of the timbre; the closer you play to the chair, the

higher overtones, you will get, and if you play nearer to the neck, you will have deeper

overtones. The standard Harmonics (overtones) in the next table are very easy to produce and

have a strong beautiful sound. I would be a liar, if I told you that the non-standard

examples are easy or in tune. But as you will learn, when you progress in music, the ugly

notes also have a place in beautiful melodies.

Fig. 23Natural Harmonics Left Hand Technique

Touch the string lightly withoutpressing down

Please note that the finger should be placed exactly above the fret,see also the section on playing the fretless bass.

Fig. 24Natural Harmonics on the A-String (excerpt)

Standard

Non-standard

G

D

A

E

B

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Ninth Octave Fifth Sixth Dim.Seventh

Octave Major Third

Ninth

Fifth Octave Fourth Fifth

NB!There are even more harmonicsthan shown in this drawing!

Majorthird

Majorthird

Fourth

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Fig. 25Natural Harmonics (Excerpt) on the Bass String

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Fig. 26Artificial Harmonics, Techniques

Standard When you need 10 Fingers

on the Left Hand

Using Both

the Left and Right HandNew Open string The Thumb used as an extra

finger: New open stringLeft hand marks the newopen string. The Right Handpicks the overtone

Artificial Octave Harmonics

The Left Hand Marks the New Open String. The right handpresses and picks the overtone

TRICK

By vibrating the Left Hand

marking finger, you canmake the ArtificialHarmonics vibrate!

Fig. 27Artificial Harmonics, Standard Intervals

Artificial harmonics Fret number from

the new open

string note

Sounds Notation examples

Artificial Fifth Fret 7 (use Thumb!) Fifth an octave abovethe Base Note

Create a fifth overtoneabove the Base Note

Artificial Fourth Fret 4 2 Octaves above theBase notes

Create an overtonetwo octaves above theBase Note

Artificial Major Third Fret 3 Third two octaves abovethe Base Note

Create a thirdovertone above theBase Note

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The artificial Harmonics are difficult to master, but when you do, it will be a great deal easier to

play any overtone you like in any key.

Fig. 28Artificial Harmonics on the Bass Strings

Artificial Fifth Harmonics

Artificial Fourth Harmonics

Artificial Third Harmonics

NOTEThe bass is already notated 1 octave above the actual pitch.

You can use mixed Natural and Artificial Harmonics in scales. Chords of Natural Harmonics

and mix of ordinary playing on the deep string with Artificial or Natural Harmonics on the

high strings are possible. The1970-ies bassist idols, Stanley Clark and Jaco Pastorius and

several other names have employed these mixed techniques. Especially the Artificial

Harmonics takes quite a while to learn. But if you play all 12 keys in all positions (Fifth, Fourth

and Third) for one hour every day for a month you might get close.

NOTERoundwound strings are the best choice for producing full sounding Harmonics.

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OTHER TECHNIQUES

Although you are not a guitar or double bass player, you can use some of the methods from

these instruments for various effects.

Fig. 29Various Effects on the Bass

Standard Slide

The left hand plays on its own

HOW-TO

Pick the string with the right hand. Let thestring sound and let the left hand finger slideup or down the fretboard

Bottleneck Slide

A special steel tube covers finger 1 on the lefthand, resting on a fret

HOW-TO

Place the bottleneck tube exactly over the fretas with a fretless bass.

Slide up or down the fretboard while pitchingwith the right hand.

Percussion

Beat on the body or on the back of the bass

Beat with the palm on all strings over themicrophone or the fretboard

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Harp HOW-TO

Plug the strings behind the grooves in the

neck on the head leading to the tuningpegs.

Motorcycle HOW-TO

Use a nail along the string (roundwoundof course)

Pete Townsend Circle HOW-TO

Heavy attack on all string with right handraised at maximum position. Great showand great risk of hurting your hand.

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ERGONOMIC THINKING

Playing the bass is physically demanding, although not as sweaty as playing the drums. Your

finger muscles, the arms and your back are exposed to severe working conditions while youplay. You must learn to follow a number of important rules, in order to avoid Carpal Syndrome

and slipped disc in the back, which are some of the occupational risk of being a bass player.

Fig. 30Important Health Care Rules

1. The bass must be 100% balanced to fit your body and the strings must be adjusted to be nearto the fretboard. The mechanics and the electronics must also be in 100% working order

the bass can give you an electroshock. And the bass must of course be in tune.

2. Always use the most relaxed playing technique and take the necessary time to learn to play.

Correct techniques take time to learn but when they become second nature to you, the rest is

like a breeze.

3. Play concentrated and relaxed. It is important to play the bass, and you should not thinkabove the forgotten rent, your friends or your dinner, while you play. You are a professional.

4. Play a maximum of half an hour or 45min without pausing. If your wrist starts hurting, stopthe playing immediately or play very slowly to relax the muscles.

5. Rehearse an even pressure on each finger, patiently, day after day. If you have blisters, donot prick the blister. You risk inflammation or blood poisoning. Rehearse a little less the

next few days, and your blisters will harden. And after a few years you will have the skin ofan old elephant on your fingers!

NOTE Use the correct body and arm position if you play with the plectrum see thesection on plectrum playing earlier in this chapter.

SPEED

There are many young bassists and guitarist dreaming of being the worlds fastest players. What

a misconception. Although eminent bass players like Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen play

wonderful solos, they actually spend most of their time comping the solo players. That is the

most important role for all bass players; being a part of the band the team.

Fig. 31Speed Training

1. Rehearse scales in random keys in 2 and 3 octaves, as many as possible, 1 hour a day.

2. Start in a very slow tempo and be sure the finger position is correct and the hands arerelaxed. Raise the tempo slowly the first weeks. When you feel sure about the slow and

moderate tempi, you may increase the tempo even more.

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3. Rehearse the pick patterns carefully with fingers / plectrum on all 4/5 strings, rirst slowly but

precise, then in an increasing tempo.

4. Do not despair if a finger or position troubles you, Play the figure again and again, slowly.At last, you will come to the point where you understandthe figure. You can hearwhat it

should sound like, and after that tempo and technique is only a formality. It is your

comprehension of musics spirit and nature that determines your ability to play it the right

way.

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 34, Articulation

ArticulationArticulation is the quality of a sound like timbre, which happens to belong to thefamily of sound colours. You have seen a few of these tricks of the trade before,

timbre, harmonics and slide for example, but in the following section, I will go into

details with the most common means of articulation.

GLISSANDO

Glissando(Gliss.) is the most common effect for the rock bassist. You glide from one tone toanother. Naturally, this effect works the best on a fretless bass. On fretted basses, glissando

seldom glides beyond a Major third.

Fig. 32Glissando

VIBRATO

Vibrato(vib) I maybe should have mentioned vibrato right from the start, as all bass playersvibrate with their left hand fingers all the time. But then again, it is a very personal question

how much and how fast. It is up to you.

Fig. 33Vibrato

Standard Vibrato

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(Vibrato)

Heavy Vibrato

Vibrate the tone in a fraction of a tone up and back. Vibrate either slowly or fast.

BLUES NOTES

Blues Notes(no official symbol, often just a natural sign or a b) are the revolutionary notes ofJazz and Rock that reinvented the microtones which had been away from Western Music for

2,000 years. In the blues scale, you pull the string about 70% of a half note on the blues notes,

the blues third, the blues seventh and sometimes on the blues fifth (see Scales in All Aspects of

ROCK & JAZZ 1/Music Theory). You need to rehearse these pulls for a long time, especially

on the heavy bass strings (the thin guitar strings are easier to pull). You must learn to hear the

correct pitch of the blues, which varies among the musicians as with the Arab microtones

among Arab musicians. You have to learn by listening to records, the radio or other musicians.

TREMOLO

Tremolo(/) is not the same as vibrato although they are closely related. Like vibrato, tremolois the signature of the individual player. It consists of row of fast strokes with the right hand,

almost like a mandolin but more discreet (Vibrato is carried out with the left hand).

Fig. 34Tremolo

With Plectrum or with 2 fingers on one string (finger 1 and 2)

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DURATION

Legato(-) The actual duration of a note, i.e. 1/4, is normally about 75% of the rhythmic value,

the remaining 25% of the value being a micro pause. This makes the distinction between twonotes more clear to the listeners, especially when repeating notes of the same pitch, where the

notes tend to sound blurred without the micro pause. In some cases though, you might want to

play the note in its full, notated length, i.e. 100%. This is called legato. It makes the music

sound slower and dreamier, an interwoven pattern of sounds.

Staccato () is the opposite of legato, namely shortening the actual duration of the note toabout 50% of the notated length. This makes the stream of notes stand out, more accentuated,

faster. An even shorter duration is called staccatissimo (.), here the music sounds almost

breathless with micro duration about 25% and a long pause.

Fig. 35Duration

COL ARCO (BOW)

On the bass guitar, you always play pizzicato, i.e. with you fingers or a plectrum. On the

double bass and other members of the violin family, this is an exception to the normal use of a

bow and always marked with the symbol Pizz.. When the double bass player starts using the

bow again, it is marked with col arco (with the bow). For experimental playing you can use a

double bass bow on the bass, as for example John Cale did in the 1960-ies.

VOCAL AND BASSIn jazz, there is a long tradition of singing pianists, guitarist and bassists. They have so much

energy in their music that they are forced by their inner power to accompany their instrumental

playing with sporadic singing. You can for example add a parallel bass line sounding an octave

above the instrument. This would add a special 8-string bass like effect, particularly special if

the bass player sings out of tune, which quite a few of the famous singing instrumentalists do!

You can also try to whistle like the Dutch guitarist Toots Thielemann (he actually sings in tune,

a rare example).

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SCORDATURA / ALTERNATIVE TUNINGS

Guitarists sometimes change the tuning of the guitar, for example lowering the deep E-string to

a D. Over the years, bassists and composers have experimented with alternative tunings of thebass. The technique is called scordatura or Alternative Tuning

Fig. 36Scordatura

Changed tuning of the strings is shown with red notes.

1 Standard tuning (5-string bass)

2 Variation of the sound (softer or harder)

3 Expansion of the tonal range (higher and deeper)

4 D tuning for fast runs (tight tuning)

5 G tuning for fast runs (tight tuning)

6 Makes playing in Eb, Ab and Db scales smoother (4-string bass)

7 D tuning (can also be applied on 4-string basses)

SORDIN (DAMPER)

Besides damping the strings with your palm, a mechanical damper a sordin can be mounted

on the chair. Some basses like the Rickenbacker are even born with a built-in rubber sordin in

the chair. The effect is a smooth, soft tone.

Fig. 37Sordin (Damper)

Sordin in Hardened Foam Rubber

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HAMMER ON / PULL-OFF (APPOGGIATURA)

Hammer-on (move up) is a guitar technique, sometimes used on the bass. Place one

finger on the left hand on the base note and the neighbouring finger ready above the destinationnote. Pick the string with your right hand and immediately shift from the base note (finger A) to

the following scale step (finger B). This and the following technique are also known as

appoggiatura.

Pull-off (move down) lowers the note by moving down from a base note to the previousscale step, similar to the Hammer-on technique.

BENDS

Bends are not practical on a heavy bass string, and are normally only applied whenplaying blues notes (microtones), provided you are not playing on cables. You can combine a

bend with vibrato, which is only possible (to hear) on the thinnest strings.

ORNAMENTATION

Trill Fast alternation between two notes, the first note normally shown as a grace note (halfsize note).

Mordent orReverse Mordent is a base note jumping up one scale step (mordent)

or down one scale step (reversed mordent).

Turn is a base note encircled by a higher note and a lower note (a combination of the

mordent and reversed mordent).

DYNAMICS

Playing loud or soft is another obvious articulation method. In classical music, there is a system

of dynamic markers for examplespiano( ) soft andforte( ) strong.

TIPSee chapter 1, Note Writing in All Aspects of ROCK & JAZZ /1 Music Theory for moreinformation about note writing, effects, dynamics, tempi and general musical expressions.

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 39, Volume and Sound

Volume and SoundBefore we proceed with the joys of playing in a band, you must read a couple oftraffic rules concerning sound and volume. We are talking about electrically

amplified instruments, and if you do not play by the rules, you will end up having a

tough time with the band until you learn to be a part of the band, not a troublemaker.

VOLUME

Adjust to the band and your role in the musical styleThe style of the music decidesyour position in the total picture. In soul, you keep the pulse and serve as a kind of soloist, too.

In country, you have to stay in the background keeping the time. Never play louder than the

other band members do. Be conscious about the style and its demands.

Adjust to the room Some rooms have much natural echo. In such rooms, you must turndown the volume and play the notes in staccato (see the description earlier in this chapter).

Otherwise, you will have a blurred, distorted sound. In very dry rooms, you will have to turn the

volume up, holding the notes for longer (legato). By the way, too much echo and dry rooms are

a nuisance.

Do not damage the hearing of yours or the band If you play so loud that the other bandmembers or the audience complain turn down the bass! It is a health risk and the local police

will not allow it (who cares about the police when you are into Rocknroll, uh?)

Do not blow your bass speakersA new pair of speakers will cost you 1-2 monthly pays,just because you wanted to make noise, get the other band members into a state of fury, make

the audience walk out and have the venue stop the concert.

Psychological volumeVolume is not just physical power, WAT etc. Other factorscontribute to the way the listener (and you) perceives the volume of the music.

To the listeners, bass notes sound higher than they actually are, especially from afar. You

cannot hear how loud you are on the stage, so ask the sound technicians.

Many notes appear to sound louder than few notes. Complicated bass figures stand out morethan simple figures. See the sections on rhythm and melodic structure in the All Aspects series

1 / Music Theory.

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SOUND

There are written many books about the sounds of the amplifier and your sound is always a

question of personal style. So here are just a few general recommendations.

Live On the bass:Turn bass, treble and volume up 100%. On the amplifier:Turn bass andtreble up to 50% and volume to 30-40%, depending on the room. During the concert, you can

re-adjust the controls on the bass see the section on the pickups below

In the recording studioTurn all the controls on the bass up to 100%. The technician willtake care of the sound, provided you deliver a clean, neutral bass sound to the mixer console.

Sound decided by the style Some types of rock and blues demands a deep/soft sound,

while other types need a light/hard sound. Normally, you adjust to the style, but watch out for

the band focusing on your bass as too loud or turn down the treble control. Although you

should not play like a madman, you have the right to be heard, too.

Adjust the sound on the amplifierA Fender Jazz bass do not have many middle tones but

a huge range of bass notes. The opposite is the case with a Rickenbacker bass. A Fender

Precision is excellent in the deep range, but not that good in the high tones. The Gibson basses

are good in the treble tones but not so strong in the deep area. You must learn to adjust the

controls on the amplifier so that it compensates for the shortages of your bass guitar. Find the

correct mix between bass, middleand treble, and use that mix as your future sound settings.

Remember to write down the setting!

Presence is important to penetrate the wall of sound. Use 100% presence to lift the

Precision bass, improving the weak high notes, Use 25% Presence for a Jazz bass, which isalready suffering from too many light click sounds.

The pickups on the bass guitarWhen the general sound on the amplifier has been found,you must adjust the controls on the bass according to the song. Each song should have its own

bass sound. You must learn how to mix bass and treble according to the character of the song.

You can choose a very soft sound or a hard and aggressive sound.

It all depends on artistic decisions and taste. Some bassists always play with a neutral sound,

while others prefer a more personal special sound. As long as the sound is clean and not

distorted, anything goes.

Talking about distortion If you want to use a distortion pedal, always remember to turndown the volume and stay away from the loudspeakers unless you want to loose you hearing

and the loud speakers.

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Now you have bought a bass, learned to use your fingers and other technical stuff.

Now it is time to play with the other boys and girls!

Home
http://bass_introduction.htm/http://bass_introduction.htm/http://bass_introduction.htm/

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Chapter 2, BASS TECHNIQUE, Page 42, Index Bass Technique

Index Bass Technique

2

2nd, 8

3

3rd, 8

4

4-string, 4, 374th, 8

5

5-string, 7, 8, 9, 16, 375th, 8, 9

7

7th, 9

A

Anatomy, 4

Articulation, 34

B

Bends, 38Blues, 14, 15, 16, 35Body, 11Bottleneck, 30Brain, 11Bridge, 4

C

Chair, 4, 6Chords, 16, 29Concentration, 12Conscious, 11Consciousness, 12Controls, 4

D

Damping, 20Duration, 36

E

Ergonomic, 32

F

Fender, 5, 6, 7, 19, 40Fifth, 17, 18, 28, 29Fingerplate, 4Focusing, 12Fourth, 18, 28, 29Fretboard, 5

Fretless, 10Frets, 4Funk, 23

G

Gibson, 7, 40Glissando, 34

H

Hammer-on, 38Hand, 19

Hands, 14, 16Harmonics, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28,

29Head, 4

L

Legato, 34, 36loudspeakers, 40

M

Major, 14, 15, 16, 18, 27, 28,

34Minor, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18Mixolydian, 14, 15Mordent, 38Motivation, 12

N

Neck, 4, 6, 7Niels-Henning Orsted

Pedersen, 23, 24, 32

P

Paradiddle, 22Piano, 8Picking, 21, 22, 24Pickup, 4Pizzicato, 24Plectrum, 21, 22, 35Position, 4Pull, 38Pull-off, 38

R

Rehearse, 10, 32, 33Relax, 13Rickenbacker, 6, 7, 37, 40right-hand, 17, 19, 20Rock, 35, 39Roundwound, 29

S

Scales, 9, 16, 35Scordatura, 37

Second, 12Seventh, 18Slide, 30Sordin, 37Speed, 32Staccato, 36

T

Tempo, 22Third, 17, 18, 28, 29Thumb, 4, 7, 19, 28Timbre, 19

Tremolo, 35Trill, 38Tuning, 4, 6, 8, 9Tuning peg, 4

V

Vibrato, 34, 35volume, 4, 39, 40

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