Wassup everybody? I know it’s been quite a while since I posted a new lesson and honestly, I don’t have much of an excuse aside from laziness and that I’ve been recording an acoustic CD over the past month or so, it’s online at http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/massiverock/Company/index.html if you want to hear it.

Now that I finished my free advertisement, I’ll tell you how I’m going to make it up to you. I’ve had several people saying “where’s my bass lesson” and “why don’t I have a bass lesson?” and I wasn't prepared to deal with that, so I stopped being so silly. (A little Veggie Tales in there.)  Well, your fervent request will now be paid off with the bass lesson series on my $200 Yamaha 4 stringer.  I’ll go easy on you on your first day at the Christian Guitar Resources academy of bass... really too easy. I’m sure you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me.

Introduction To The Bass
The bass guitar in it’s present form hasn’t been around too long. It is very similar to the guitar except for 2 things. First, it’s tuned a whole octave lower, (that’s how they get the word “bass” into it's title. Secondly, there are far fewer strings, (unless you get a 6 or 7 stringer, but I’ll talk about that next time.)
The primary job of the bass is the bridge the gap between the guitar and drums and keep up the low end.


Choosing The Right Bass
There are thousands if not billions of basses out there, so which one is right for you? There are no simple answers, but here are a few tips.
(1.) Get a bass that looks good. To put it simply, you need a bass that you want to play when you see it. It doesn’t have to look pretty to everyone, just you.
(2.) Get a bass with good electronics. Twist all the knobs, pull all the levers and push all the buttons and make sure they do something to your sound. If they don’t, don’t get it.
(3.) Get a bass that won’t buzz. Just pick every string on every fret and make sure it sounds balanced.
(4.) Get a bass with high action. This is really important if you plan on slapping.

If your unsure about what to get, bring a buddy who plays bass to the guitar store with you. Be prepared, they will cost anywhere from $100 to $10,000 and up, so bring your money.


What else you need.
(1.) A case. A gig bag can do the job too, but not as well. You need a case to protect your guitar from the hazards of the road... and little brothers and sisters.
(2.) A pick. That’s actually optional, some people use a pick to play bass, other people like the sound of a fingered bass, it’s your call.
(3.) An amp. You don’t really have to have a bass amp, but it projects your sound better. I would advise starting on a 5 or 10 watt practice amp, unless you are going right on stage, because you’ll end up needing a portable amplifier anyway.
(4.) A strap. The bass isn’t as fun sitting down. Get a strap so you can jump around.
(5.) A cord. To connect to you amp.
(6.) Effects... They can wait.

Okay, get all that stuff and you’ll be ready for the next lesson.