Introduction to bass guitar
The bass guitar comes in four strings, five or six strings. This is a four string bass here. This is string number one, the one furthest away from you. Then the next string up, string two. And then we have string three. And the one closest to you is the string four. The first string is the highest string, that’s a G, G note, highest in pitch. And the next string is string two, it’s a D note. Then the third string is A, and then the lowest string, string four is a low E. The bass can be fretless or fretted. This is a fretted bass. And this is fret number one, fret two, fret three and it can go all the way up to nineteen, twenty frets. And then even some basses go up to twenty-four frets. We’re just going to play within the first three frets today. We’re going to be dealing with three fingers on our left hand. Finger one, the index finger. Finger two, the middle finger and then we have finger three, the ring finger. And how you fret that bass is you’re going to use the tip of your finger and place it right behind the fret. This is fret number one, so we’re going to take that first finger, and place it right on the first string, right behind the first fret. And then we’re going to take a pick and we’re going to hold that between the index finger and the thumb. The thumb, the index finger, and the pointed pick will go in the direction of point of the finger and you will pluck right over the pick guard here in between the neck and within the pick-ups here, right in this area. So first finger on the first fret, right behind that fret, using the tip of your finger, the tip, right behind the fret. And we’re going to take that pick and we’re going to pick with a downward motion. So again, picking with a downward motion, first string here, behind the first fret. Now, we’re going to go to the second fret of that first string, with the second finger, right behind the fret, using the tip and we will pluck that one. Now, we’re going to take the third finger, putting it right behind the third fret, using the tip, and using a downward strum of the pick. On to the second string, first fret, first finger, right behind the fret, picking with a downward stroke. And on to the second fret, second string, second finger. Third fret, third finger, second string, using a downward picking motion. Third string, first fret, first finger. Then to the second fret, second finger, third string. Third fret, third finger, third string. Now, to the closest string, the lowest in sound, we’re going to go to the first fret, first finger. Now to the second fret, second finger. And then to the third fret, fourth string, third finger.