The bass guitar is a stringed instrument that is played primarily with the fingers, either by plucking, slapping, popping or tapping. This is the main different to the standard guitar, which is typically played by strumming.
If you want to learn bass, one of the most important things to know is that in order to avoid the excessive use of ledger lines, bass guitar is notated in bass clef an octave higher than the sound it makes.
How to Play
If you want to learn bass, you should know that it is a fair bit more difficult than the standard guitar. To learn bass therefore requires more patience, and a better sound quality. Although most people do not realize it, a talented bass player is crucial to any good band, and whether it is providing the low end notes that help fill out the band's sound or the rhythmic pulse that propels the music forward, the bass is often the glue that holds the music together.
Frets
One of the first things you will need to learn about when you want to learn bass involves the frets. While the strings divide the guitar from left to right, frets are small metal strips that divide the guitar into sections from top to bottom. If you look at your guitar from above you can see that the strings and frets together form a kind of grid that covers the entire neck of the guitar.
When you place your finger on a string in between two of these frets, this is what enables you to play a note.
Practice Lessons
If you want to learn bass, you are going to want to take practice lessons, whether you work with an expert or just do it on your own. Start by playing and identifying the notes on each individual string. Start off with easier songs to perform and then as you progress and get more skilled at playing bass you can obviously take on more difficult songs.
Once you have a clear understanding of where the notes on the fretboard are located, you will be able to put them into patterns known as scales, and this is when you will really start excelling at playing songs.
