You need a manual to operate a new appliance. You need to read the rules before you play a new board game. Learning to play the bass guitar is no different. You'll have a manual like no other - the tablature.
Guitar TablatureLearning to play the bass guitar is made easy with guitar tablature. Anybody who has a guitar and is willing to spend some time learning the rudiments can get along fine. If you are new to guitar lessons, do not be confused about tabs and tablature. They mean the exact, same thing in guitar lingo.
Bass guitar tabs or other guitar tablature provide visual interpretation of the guitar's fret board so formal training is not necessary to understand guitar tabs. Bass guitar tabs are also easy to read and interpret; hence, application is faster and easier. Bass guitar tabs are musical notations that look like a written music document. Instead of the usual dots spread on a 5 line stave to show a specific note, the frets are numbered on a six line stave. The line represents a guitar's string. Therefore, the six lines are the six strings of the guitar. Bass guitar tabs are also read from left to right.
If you have a four-stringed bass guitar, the bass guitar tabs will show four horizontal lines representing the four strings. The topmost string is the G string, followed by the D string, the A string, and lastly, the E string. If you see two numbers (one above the other) on one string, it indicates that the string is to be played simultaneously.
Wake up those fingers
If you are reading bass guitar tabs, you will notice that you won't be determining the position of the fret board where you have to play the note. The bass guitar notes can be played in various left hand positions and on diverse strings. Bass guitar tabs are also easy to understand because the notations are clear. Instead of learning how to study the pitch, you are learning where to place your fingers.
Playing the bass guitar is taxing. It requires speed, and with all the slapping and sliding, the fingers should be exercised regularly to perform well. In addition, your fingers should be able to take the impossible chords and switch chords with ease and agility. Practicing the hand is basic in bass guitar playing. You have to achieve speed without losing accuracy with each pluck. You also have to get used to the sensation of holding the guitar without using your left hand. As you go along, you will discover that you won't be depending on your left hand to prop the guitar. Master this, and play all bass guitar tabs with ease.
Apart from the bass guitar tabs and acquiring fingering speed, bass guitarists have to learn the tapping, slapping, and popping techniques. These techniques support the song context, making the notes more appealing and distinctive.
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