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Professional guitar teacher Ian Visser has compiled the following
Play Bass guitar tips for aspiring musicians. Ian has been playing
guitar for 21 years and has been a teacher for more than 10 years.
Tip #1 On how long it takes to learn how to play...
Bass guitar is a lot easier to play than guitar as you're only
playing single notes as opposed to chords. This means the player uses
one finger at a time, instead of 4 fingers as on guitar. The speed
of progress is directly related to the amount of time you have available
to practice and also what you
are playing. Always spend a sizable part of your practice time on
new exercises or those you have not mastered yet. Those that have
played another instrument will find it quite quick to adapt to
the bass guitar. Many of the students that I have taught and that
had never played an instrument before, managed to play their first
song within a week.
Tip #2 On additional teachers...
Even though bass is possibly the easiest instrument to play, it
would be best to go for a lesson or two, or consult a freind who plays.
Although the Play Bass CD is an excellent study for absolute beginner
to advanced player it cannot "see" how your fingers are
being placed or "listen" to your technique and tone. A teacher
or freind can help you here and offer constructive comments to help
speed up your learning curve.
Tip #3 Buying new instruments/second hand ones....
If the initial budget is a bit low I'd suggest a 2nd hand bass.
The great thing about a bass guitar is that it has few moving parts
(just the tuning pegs and volume/tone controls), which means what
you see is normally what you get. When trying a second hand (and new)
bass, test each fret on each string and make sure each note plays
without a buzzing sound. If, after a few months, you decide that you
no longer want to play bass you can often resell a second hand instrument
for the same price or even more! For those wanting to become professional
musicians, it is advisable to buy the best you can afford. You need
to look forward to playing your bass, a cheap instrument will not
encourage you as much.
Tip #3 For parents buying guitars...
For parents wanting to purchase a guitar for younger children,
it is good to keep in mind that the most widely used bass is electric,
though there are acoustic ones too. Most basses are quite large and
heavy which could be awkward for a child from the age 6 - 12years.
Consider getting a "short scale' bass, the frets are closer together
and the instrument is often lighter. An acoustic bass is also a wise
choice, although not inexpensive.
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 Purchase
the Play Bass CD now for only $34.50!  |
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