No matter what bass guitar you choose, lots of practice and good technique will help make you become a great player. there are lots of techniques and skills that Basses use to create a wide variety of sounds. This blog will just have a quick look at some of the basic ones which are used.

There are many different ways in which a bass guitar can be played. Some bassists choose to play with a plectrum. They are mainly used within the Rock genre but can be also be used in other styles. Plectrums produce a more attacking sound. They can also be used to pluck the string on both the upstroke as well as the downstroke. Felt, Nylon and plastic are some of the materials that are used to make plectrums. They are give a slightly different sound.

Other bassists prefer to use their finger to pluck the string. Normally the index and middle fingers but other fingers can be utilised. You can alter the timbre by plucking the strings close to the bridge or close to the fingerboard.

Another additional method of playing the Bass is by slapping it. This is a technique used a lot in funk. It provides a distinctive and more of a percussive noise. There are two sounds that define this technique. The slap sound which is produced by striking the string with the middle of the thumb and the pop sound which can be heard when the index or middle finger plucks the higher strings hard away from the body.