Questions tagged [bass-guitar]
For questions about the bass guitar, whether acoustic or electric.
241
questions
8
votes
5answers
3k views
Calluses - are they really a necessity for guitarists?
Quite a few times I read on this site about calluses. How they are an important part of being a guitarist. How they help one's playing, how they really can't be avoided.
Fair enough, when I started ...
11
votes
6answers
2k views
Low Eb on electric bass
I'm arranging a piece where the electric bass plays a low Eb on the recording. I think it's probably unfair to expect a bass player to perform in an alternate tuning just to appease this demand. ...
3
votes
1answer
127 views
Is there a name for music where only the bass instruments are used
I just love the bass, there are youtube channels with bass players that just do bass solo. Is there a name for this.
I can't find anything on spotify that resembles for example this:
2
votes
1answer
131 views
Is Iron Maiden's “The Trooper” bassline hard to learn, or is it very hard to learn?
A little history - I started playing the bass in high school, but when I moved out of my parent's house for my studies I couldn't keep up practice. During the first bout of quarantine, I was itching ...
4
votes
1answer
465 views
My B string on my bass keeps hitting the pickup
I went to record bass for my band a while ago and in some fills or moments I use the B string on my 5 string Sire Bass. Sometimes though, the Low B accidentally hits the pickup which makes a loud ...
2
votes
2answers
60 views
Bass guitar strings
I am playing my bass for the first time in two years. I got it out yesterday to prepare and the g-string was loose. Should I change the strings? It has been stored in its hard case and indoors. Please ...
4
votes
4answers
164 views
Determine Bass Fingerboard Position without Tab
If you are sight reading a piece of music from standard notation, without the tab, how is it possible to work out the position? I'm wondering if there is a trick, as I want to be really good at sight ...
3
votes
0answers
117 views
Why do the bass lines of some songs sound sharp to me? [closed]
I'm listening to the radio. Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" came on and I was reminded that every time I hear this song the bass guitar, on the lowest note of the backing lick (or whatever ...
2
votes
3answers
103 views
Bass - Is it broken!
I’ve just bought a second hand Squier bass. When it arrived I immediately restringed it and that was when I noticed that the action was extremely high - Almost half an inch!
I adjusted the saddles to ...
2
votes
1answer
209 views
A flat question [bass guitar]
What note is the note under FNG: 4? It’s A flat, how do you play A flat on the A string?
1
vote
5answers
205 views
How would you properly fret G and C on fret 3 of a bass guitar?
Looking at:
1
I have an exercise which requires me to play fret 3 G followed by fret 3 C at a tempo of 130. My natural inclination is to use finger 1 on G and then, without moving finger 1 (leave the ...
1
vote
2answers
78 views
I’m a guitarist and i want to learn how to play bass [closed]
I am a guitarist
and until now I’ve played on a 6 string guitar and recently I decided that I was going to buy a 7 string guitar,
But
I also thought abut playing bass. Not any bass though... a 6 ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Unintended chorus like effect when recording Fender P bass through Behringer Xenyx Q502USB
I'm relatively new to the home studio game. I have started recording demos using my Behringer Xenyx Q502USB as an audio interface.
It mostly works fine - but when I record bass through it the sound is,...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
Mixing question about sidechain compression in the low range with the bass and the kick frequency
I have a mixing question. So I have a kick that's got a pretty good sub frequency, but I also have a bass line that does too. I'm struggling to have both parts hit the way i want. I've been ...
5
votes
5answers
2k views
Am I going to be handicapped for attempting to study theory with a monophonic instrument?
The instrument that I intend to learn is the bass. The bass is what gets me excited to study theory in the first place. I've done a bit of reading on theory and I find it's fun to practice it on the ...
0
votes
2answers
140 views
Is the quickest way to learn a song to access the bass tab, rather than improvising?
I’ve been playing bass for nearly 2 years. I have an understanding of thirds and fifths. My music theory knowledge is very basic. I rely on bass tab to learn new songs. Is this acceptable or should I ...
2
votes
2answers
853 views
Wiring two pickups to a single volume pot on a bass guitar
If I wire two pickups to a single volume pot:
Will they both work?
Will they be wired in series or parallel? I suspect parallel but am hoping someone with more knowledge about this will know for ...
0
votes
2answers
271 views
How to create bass tabs based of guitar tabs
I have been learning Drawing Board by George Ezra on my Guitar. My friend plays bass but we can't find any tabs, so I was wondering if there is a way to match guitar chords with bass notes?
Its a ...
2
votes
2answers
380 views
Is there a mistake in the begginning of September's bassline?
I love focusing on the basslines of the songs I like because I used to play the bass.
While listening to September by Earth, Wind & Fire, I noticed that around 0:15 the bass is a bit off.
My ...
1
vote
2answers
130 views
Is there a name for this common bass line?
I've heard this bass line in a number of songs, including Billy Joel's "Piano Man", "One Day More" from Les Miserables, and "Rambling Through the Avenues of Time" by ...
0
votes
2answers
87 views
I want to learn bass guitar
I'm a seventh grader and I want to learn how to play bass, and while I already have a guitar I need to learn how to play. I recently got invited to a friend's band because they need a bass player and ...
1
vote
1answer
272 views
Reliable or Repairable Ampeg amps
I've had an Ampeg SVT-7Pro for a few years and one of the ICE2A165 chips overheated. Apparently this is a common problem with earlier models of the amp. I took the amp to my repair man and he ...
6
votes
1answer
357 views
Does the Thunderbird actually need special strings?
I just got myself a brand-new Epiphone Thunderbird bass. I tried to get some new strings along with it, but was told it needs special (extra-length) strings due to its fairly big headstock.
That seems ...
4
votes
2answers
331 views
Definition: Three ascending half steps as a phrase?
Is there an official definition used to describe a phrase constructed by playing three ascending half steps in quick succession, e.g. for a bass fill? I hear this used by a lot by John Taylor from ...
0
votes
2answers
235 views
Celtic folk music bass technique
Few days ago I joined a Celtic folk music band as a bass player.
I've never play that kind of music, but I found it very different to play compared to rock music, especially with the right hand.
...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Is it common for a 5 string bass to have a high B?
My school jazz band's bass player has a 5 string bass but it is tuned like a guitar with a broken 'E' string, but an octave lower. This means that the highest string is a 'B'. Is this common? I know ...
2
votes
1answer
147 views
Behringer Xenyx302USB (mixer) vs Behringer U-Phoria U2 (audio interface) [closed]
I am a bass player who is considering purchasing one of these. At a first sight, the Xenyx is just like a better U2, with more channels a controls. Is there any reason why it would be better to get ...
1
vote
1answer
813 views
What did I do wrong with the bridge of bass guitar when restringing?
I had my dad's bass guitar lying around (I play with it, but don't play it, if you know what I mean - I'm a drummer myself). I believe that it is a Stagg B300-SB Standard J. It had been lying unused ...
0
votes
1answer
259 views
Why does my bass buzz so much when plugged in
I plug my bass in and it starts buzzing right from the start, it plays, and sounds great, but buzzes...I tried different cords, and even different amps, same results..I plugged another of my basses in,...
1
vote
2answers
190 views
Do I need some amplifier for my VST instruments Ample Metal Eclipse and Ample Metal Rays to get the tone of Metal?
I want to tune these instruments to get the tone of metal especially metalcore tone.
Here is my guitar Ample Metal Eclipse :
and here is my bass :
3
votes
2answers
213 views
Is it OK to just replace the first 4 frets instead of all 24 on an Ibanez SR-300, because the first 4 were the only ones damaged by my negligence?
Ibanez SR-300 4 String bass guitar re-fretIbanez 4-String Bassneck DR-300
2
votes
1answer
112 views
How do I properly support a bass solo as a keyboard player?
As an amateur keyboard player, I am used to comping with (or against) a guitar solo, sometimes staying out of the way, other times harmonizing against it, or even just "responding" to its calls. On ...
3
votes
2answers
191 views
Using 3 fingers to mute particularly intense harmonics — is there a better way?
When playing the bass, I'm noticing a lot of hard-to-mute harmonics at certain points. Most of the time I can stop a note by easing off but still applying pressure with my fretting hand, and muting ...
1
vote
4answers
126 views
Sore fretting hand muscle
When I play basic major scale from 8th fret, as I go up the tempo my left hand starts ache. The muscle that is tight is the base of the palm, the one that's used by Karate masters to brake bricks :-)
...
3
votes
8answers
3k views
Is the main role of the bass guitar to give a pitch to the kick drum?
I was reading how the drum and bass are related in a band. Especially the kick. I think it's the main drum part the bass is listening to (?).
My understanding is that the bass is giving the kick a ...
2
votes
2answers
760 views
Is it OK to have a missing ground wire in bass guitar output jack?
I was fixing some bad connection in a bass guitar output jack and realized that there seems to be no ground wire. Not sure because it's my first time but a short research seems to indicate that it is ...
12
votes
8answers
2k views
What is the best way to go about re-learning an instrument?
I used to play the electric bass, for about 8 years. I got quite good at it. By the end of my period of playing, I was playing pretty decent stuff, jazz, funk, finger style, slap etc. I had gotten to ...
1
vote
1answer
900 views
Adjusting a double (side by side) truss rod?
There is a lot of advice and plenty of tutorials on the web for adjusting single truss rods. I can't find a lot about adjusting double (side by side) truss rods (not to be confused with a double or ...
1
vote
2answers
120 views
Do all guitars eventually require a neck reset?
String tension contributes to creep in the wood of a guitar neck over time. I have heard that a neck reset is an eventual necessity for acoustic guitars even if they are meticulously cared for.
Is it ...
1
vote
3answers
393 views
Why is my bass eating up 9 volt batteries like candy?
My Ibanez Soundgear SG6 is eating through brand-new 9v batteries in a matter of days... I've been testing it for a couple weeks now. I'll replace the battery (right out of the package,) and after 2 to ...
2
votes
1answer
661 views
DiMarzio Bass Pickups
I was planning on upgrading my bass pickups with a set of DiMarzio DP123, they have however 4 wires per pickup. Could anyone please tell me, which wires need to be connected where in the following ...
5
votes
2answers
140 views
Translate muted bass string from tablature to staff notation
I am arranging a piece for a choir, and as a starting point for the bass I am looking at bass-guitar tabs. I figured out how to translate the tabs to staff notation, except muted strings. I do not ...
6
votes
6answers
464 views
Bass - describe attacking one note in one or more bars
Is there an official musical term for attacking a single note in one or more bars? This is for bass guitar but there might be a more general term used when playing this style with other instruments.
...
1
vote
3answers
278 views
How to Choose the Best Alternate Tuning
This is essentially a generalized version of this question for fingerstyle guitar, and I'm surprised I can't find it on this website: how do I find the most optimal alternate tuning for a guitar/bass(/...
11
votes
5answers
4k views
Why can't I hear fret buzz through the amp?
I could hear the fret buzz when playing bass unplugged. But once plugged through the amp. I could not hear the fret buzz anymore.
Why are pickups not picking up the fret buzz?
Or do I have to crank ...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
What is the technical explanation of the note “A♭” in a F7 chord in the key of C?
I am practicing some blues bass lines and there is a chord progression of
C7 | F7 | C7. The notes played during the F7 chord are (the bass plays one per beat): F A A♭ D, followed by the notes G ...
2
votes
6answers
430 views
Is a bass line the same as a bass progression?
In alot of songs there's a chord progression. Say we have a 4 chord progression. Each chord can correspond to a note the bass plays. So now the bass is playing a 4 note progression. Is that called a ...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
Exercise to stabilize my timing when pulling “fast” quarter-notes in right hand
I'm looking for some kind of exercise I can do to stabilize my timing and groove when playing "fast" quarter notes?
Background:
I'm a self-taught piano player. I also have some experience in playing ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
Hand cramps on bass
There are several questions about getting hand cramps while playing guitar, but I didn't find one on bass. My left hand cramped up midway through the gig last night. I have another gig that's twice ...
4
votes
5answers
366 views
Relative positions on electric to string bass?
This may seem an odd request, but I can't figure any way to find this out with out having both in my possession.
I am a bassist primarily, & have been for 45 years or so. I play electric & ...
