Instant Strategies to Learn to Play Electric Bass

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn an instrument but never had the chance.  Perhaps you don’t have time for lessons or don’t want to learn music theory.  Regardless, you can’t give up your dreams of playing in a rock band.  If you have a sense of rhythm and aren’t severely musically challenged, learn to play electric bass!  Electric bass is easier to learn than guitar and many people learn it on their own. 

If the thought of diving into it without any instruction whatsoever frightens you, invest in a DVD or browse the web for information on the basics of playing electric bass.  If you already know how to play the electric guitar, it will be a breeze for you to learn to play the electric bass.  The following are some strategies that will help you get started and progress quickly. 

Get Comfortable with the Basics

To get started, decide whether you want to use a pick or not. Using a pick is easier to start off with but if you decide not to use one, make sure you get comfortable playing that way before switching to using a pick.  Don’t make the mistake of using a guitar amp with your electric bass.  You need to get an amp made specifically for the electric bass or otherwise you could damage your bass guitar. 
If you want to learn to play electric bass, it is important to learn how to tune it first and foremost.  For those of you who know how to play guitar or have had a few lessons in beginner guitar, the bottom 4 strings of the guitar have the same notes as the strings on the bass.
Start practicing by playing one note over and over and don’t try to switch to other notes until you can maintain a steady, good sound.  When you are ready, start plucking different strings but don’t go too fast until you are comfortable. 

Learn to Read Tablature

If you want to learn to play electric bass without sitting through hours of music theory lessons, learn to read tablature.  Tablature is very easy to understand.  First you have to memorize that the top to the bottom strings are G, D, A, and E, respectively.  When you look at a bass tablature, the lines represent the strings and they are labeled with the respective letters. The numbers on the lines represent the number of the fret you are supposed to press down on that string.  It might sound confusing but if you get a visual you will figure it out in a heartbeat.

While you probably cannot learn to play electric bass half-asleep or blind-folded, it is rather simple to learn in comparison to other instruments.  You don’t necessarily have to learn music theory to understand how to play and if you follow some basic guidelines and take your time, you will be able to play well in no time.  Now that you know what strategies will help you get a running start, what’s stopping you?  Get out there and learn to play electric bass!

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