The Only Bass Blog You Need For Lessons, Articles, News and Reviews.

Speedy Bass Blog Update

2011-11-21T22:12:00.001Z

Okay it's been a while but my SpeedyBass.com website is now rebuilt!

You can check out my bass guitar lessons and other bass related things their now.

Also stay tuned for some more lessons soon :-)

- Tom

Bass Guitar Practice Routines

2010-09-22T21:13:00.001+01:00

Damian Erskine talks about the practise routine he uses to learn bass guitar.

"I start with 15 minutes of focused practice. For example: running a scale over and over again. After 15 minutes of very intentional practice, I’ll then allow myself to just play along to some tunes or do whatever I feel like doing, musically speaking..." - Damian Erskine

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2010/09/22/ask-damian-erskine-practice-routines/

You see with just 15 minutes of focused practice you really can get great results. If you have more time then do a few 15 minute practice blocks a day.

- Tom Boyd

New Bass Guitar Chords Lesson

2010-08-09T14:11:00.001+01:00

Check out the new bass guitar chords lesson on my blog http://ping.fm/4P4nq

Learn To Play Bass Guitar Tips

2010-06-08T14:28:00.000+01:00

Right now I want to provide you with the greatest bass guitar tips I've discovered over time. These are my five premier tips that will enable you to learn to play bass guitar much faster.

While several might appear simple they are frequently neglected. It may seem tempting to try to disregard some of the basics of bass playing. This is a huge mistake though and will only slow you down in the long term.

This first tip is simple yet so often ignored. The very first thing that you should do every single time you pick up your bass guitar is tune it. The quickest and easiest way to do this is with an electric bass tuner.

After tuning your bass, warming up is the next appropriate action. This will assist you in preparing your hands in order that you will play correctly. Warming up before you begin your game will help prevent hand pain and injuries. It also gives your fingers chances to stretch and get use to playing again before you jump into the main part of your playing or practise.

Learning the notes of the bass fretboard is something you should spend a few minutes each day doing. So few players, even bassists who have been playing for years still don’t know the notes of their bass. So make sure how take the time to learn it.

Simple songs are the best choice for a new bass guitar player to learn. Find something easy and learn it bit by bit. Before beginners of bass players put off learning songs, they should focus on bass chords, scales and theory. One you have the basic bass technique of plucking and fretting notes you are ready to begin your first song and I recommend that.

Consistency is the key ingredient to every successful musician. When I had a routine of what to practice every day, my bass playing improved immensely. If you currently pick up your bass and just play about on it, it’s properly the reason you’re not seeing the progress you’d like to. Having a bass schedule is some of the best bass guitar advice I can give you.

I hope you have found this bass guitar advice useful and that it helps you learn to play bass guitar. I think if you put all 5 of these tips into practise and do them you will see much better results. Before you know it you’re be playing in a band, jamming with friends and becoming a great bass player.

Bass Improvisation ? Getting Creative In 3 Simple Steps

2010-01-27T00:54:00.001Z

Coming up with your own original bass lines and licks is a lot of fun and doesn’t have to be complicated. Today I’m going to share with you 3 simple ways you can get some creativity flowing so you can take it to your bass and let it loose.

http://ping.fm/ycsMP

How do you play Ska bass lines?

2010-01-25T19:29:00.001Z

How do you play Ska bass lines?

Interesting discussion on talkbass forum here: http://bit.ly/5M8qqY

2010-01-25T18:06:00.001Z

Amazing Electric Piccolo Bass Guitar Playing^Here is an amazing example of electric piccolo bass guitar playing http://bit.ly/6HFOH1

Guy Takes His Skirt Off While Playing Bass

2010-01-25T01:48:00.001Z

I’m not sure why halfway threw playing bass he takes his skirt off. haha! http://ping.fm/pf5Uk

Can A Bass Chords Chart Really Help You To Learn Chords?

2009-10-13T13:46:00.001+01:00

A few bass guitar players who have not been playing long guess as a bass player they need to learn bass guitar chords. I’m not sure if this is because some bass players first play acoustic guitar first. Chords can be played on bass but much more often single notes are played.

As a student of bass guitar it is considrably more important to how the skills to play chord progressions, than it is to play actual bass chords.

Chords on bass also tend to sound better on 6 string basses due to having a higher string than a standard 4 string bass. The deeper the sound the muddier chords tend to sound because of this it is a good idea to fret bass chords higher up the bass guitar neck at around the middle of the fretboard.

If however you do decide that you want to learn how to play bass guitar chords there are a few ways to go about it. Bass chords charts can be very convenient and give you which notes you should be playing. These chord charts can be written in bass tab format or in chord box format. These diagrams are quite uncomplicated to read once you know how.

Using a bass guitar chords chart to learn some bass chords will give you another skill to use in your bass playing. Bass guitar chords are common in Jazz more often than music like punk.

As a novice it can be tricky to try and fret chords on your bass. You need quite a bit of finger strength to be able to play multiple strings without them buzzing and sounding bad.

After a bit of practise, playing bass guitar chords is loads of fun and can sound fantastic.

I hope this has given you a quick look of bass chords and you now know that the simplest way to learn them is with a bass chords chart. So begin giving them a go and in no time you will be able to play chord on bass in no time.

Check out my site to check out some bass chords charts. These will help get you started and will give you the information you need to learn bass chords.

How to Learn the Bass Guitar

2009-10-07T14:40:00.001+01:00

Learning to play Bass Guitar with all the online tutorials, free and paid and other user forums available to help you out might sound easy but it isn’t. It is super easy if you simply set your heart to it. With patience, dedication and regular practice you will have learnt the art of playing a Bass Guitar in next to no time! The common belief that mastering a bass guitar is tough is a misconception. It is only as tough as you think it is.

Here are a few tips to get you started on how to learn bass guitar if you are learning it for the love of it, the sound it makes and how it brings a song to life.

Start with the basics, in this case a four string bass guitar that is fretted because such instruments are easier to learn and play and four strings are a handful. You can skip this step if you already have played with fretted instruments before. Once you are comfortable playing the four strings you may graduate to five and then six stringed bass guitars, practice diligently.

Since it is only the beginning, spending big bucks on expensive guitars doesn’t make sense. Search for shops that sell four strings fretted bass guitars at rates that don’t burn a hole in you pocket. Buying a packaged deal is a better idea as incentives on buying it as a complete set are great. Also, you have all the accessories to go with your bass guitar now.

If you can’t find a good teacher at affordable rates, turn to the internet. But before signing up for any paid guitar lessons online, look up the site on Google and judge its web presence with reviews, discussion forums, etc. If you find overwhelming positive feedback but only a few negative reviews, watch out! You might want to find another place to learn bass guitar online.

Interact with other guitar learners and enthusiasts and play with them. Gang up with drummers and other instrument players to get the hang of keeping a rhythm. Have fun doing what you’ve learnt and keep playing!

Bass Guitar Tips and Advice

2009-07-23T13:16:00.001+01:00

Today I want to tell you some of the simplest electric bass guitar infomation I've found so far. I’ve managed to narrow it down into just 5 tips that will give you a big boost in your playing ability.

One or two of them could seem rather simple but are often easy to forget. It might be tempting to try to jump past many of the basics of studying bass. This is sometimes a huge error and can really reducde your progress in the long term.

1. Tune your bass guitar

This initial tip is easy however sometimes overlooked. The very first thing that you should do every single time you pick up your bass is tune it. The quickest and best way to do this is plugging in an electric bass tuner.

2. Always warm up

Once you have spent a few minutes tuning your bass guitar you must always warm up. This can help to make sure your hands ready to begin practising. Making sure your hands are warmed up will help you to avoid finger injuries and strains from playing. It also gives your hands chances to stretch and get use to practicing again before you leap into the intense part of your daily practise.

3. Learn the notes of the bass fretboard

Memorizing the frets of the bass fretboard is something you should take a few moments investing the time to study. Not many players, even experienced bassists who have played for ages still don’t learn the notes of their bass. So take the time to learn it.

4. Learning to play songs

It is a great idea to choose a easy peice of music and begin studying it even if you’re a total beginner. Just begin with something easy and slow it down into smaller parts. Sometimes novice bassists musicians delay studying music until after a few months and concentrate on bass chords, scales and theory. I recommend that after you know the basic bass guitar proficiency of playing and fretting notes you are read to begin your first song.

5. Have a bass routine

Planning out a bass practise routine is the one thing that turned my bass playing around. Once I had a consistent routine of what to do each day my bass guitar skills developed drastically. If you still pick up your bass and just play about on it, it’s properly the reason you are not expriencing the progression you would like to have. Having a bass schedule is some of the top bass guitar advice I can tell you.

I hope you have found this bass guitar advice helpful. I believe if you put each 5 of these steps in your practise and take the time to do them you will see much better results.

Bass Guitar Warm Up Exercises Video

2008-12-07T21:46:00.003Z

This video contains some really good bass warm up exercises that I think you will find useful. Warming up before you play is an important part of playing bass. If you just rush straight into a song then you my find that your hands with quickly begin aching.

Stretching and performing exercises will ensure that your hands are ready before you begin. They will also help to increase the strength in your hands.

History Of The Electric Bass Guitar

2008-12-04T21:39:00.002Z

Today I came across this really interesting article which explains the history of the electric bass guitar. It's not something I knew much about before now and if discovering how bass guitars were in the past then this bass article is well worth a read.

The Birth of the Electric Bass Guitar

The electric bass guitar is fairly easily identifiable because the overall shape is quite different to the standard electric guitar. An electric bass guitar usually has a body which is much larger in size than a standard electric guitar, and the neck is often much longer, with the scale length used for the frets much larger too. The overall size of an electric bass guitar is the most obvious distinguishing feature that makes it easy to spot, but of course its extra size can cause trouble for beginners. If you are looking at buying an electric guitar, and are considering the bass version, then it will be important to try out one such example first. The physical size may, in some cases, prohibit effective use, and a standard sized guitar may prove to be a more suitable alternative.

An electric bass guitar usually has four strings which are tuned to the same pitch as the double bass, or in some cases the strings are simply tuned to be one octave lower than the lowest four strings of a standard guitar.

For the last fifty years, the electric bass guitar has been the instrument of choice for producing the bass notes in most popular music, causing a dramatic decline in the popularity of the double bass for such music. The electric bass guitar has proven to be a very popular instrument, not only for use within popular music, but as an instrument in itself, often used for solo performances. In particular, jazz, funk and rock styles often feature an electric bass guitar solo, or prominent performance within a piece.

It was actually back in the 1930s that the electric bass guitar was born, with Paul Tutmarc's invention - originally referred to as a fiddle. It comprised of four bass strings, had a body and a fret board - and was played horizontally. Named an electronic bass fiddle it proved to be very popular, and because its manner of playing was more similar to that of a guitar, it meant that it was easier to pick up by guitarists than a fiddle would have been for them.

Although Tutmarc's fiddle marked the dawn of the electric bass guitar, it took about twenty years for the idea to take hold, and be developed by Leo Fender before it became a popular instrument. Fender created the Precision Bass, and took the rough form of a Telecaster with a single coil pickup. With four steel strings the instrument became popular with many well known bands and groups of the fifties, and it was at this point that the bass guitar became popular worldwide.

Following closely behind Fender was Gibson, whose bass guitars were generally smaller then fender's, and incorporated a humbucker pickup rather than the single coils. Gibson's most famous creation was the Thunderbird with a 34 inch scale, and duel humbucking pickups located halfway between the neck of the guitar and the bridge - a more usual position.

Today, electric bass guitars can be bought in a range of styles and shapes, although still generally larger than the standard electric guitars. For complete flexibility, however, you could always consider a duel neck guitar - with one being a bass, and the other a standard six string guitar!

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric bass guitar, bass guitar, sheet music, guitar.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Torzal Twist Bass Guitar Review

2007-04-16T18:22:00.000+01:00

A Bass with a twist!

Little Guitar Works have designed a bass guitar with a twist. I’m not talking about your usual gimmicks this guitar really does have a huge twist in it’s neck! 35 Degree’s to be exact 15 at the bridge and 20 at the nut. The strings on this instrument are still straight just the bridge leans one way and the nut leans the other.

Why have they does this?

They made it like this to make it easier and more comfortable to play. It also helps people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), tendonitis, and other "overuse" injuries. It can be used by all players to lower the risk of these playing related problems.

The rotation in the neck minimizes how much your wrist twists while you play. The twist at the bridge is to ease the bending of your right wrist. They have also considered the shape of the bass to maximize comfort and playability. Such as how it balances on a strap or on your knee while sitting.

Cost : unknown - You have to have one custom made.

Website : http://www.littleguitarworks.com/

Tom Boyd

Red Hot Chili Peppers Snow Video

2007-04-14T20:34:00.000+01:00

I thought this would be handy for anyone using my 'RHCP-Snow Bass Lesson'.

You can play along to this song to practise.

Happy Bassing

Tom Boyd

String Review - 'Flea Signature' Bass Boomers (45-105)

2007-04-12T17:40:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I got a set of these strings. My Fiancée got them for me which was so nice of her!
I got home and put them straight on my bass. I had no choice of getting new strings as I had snapped my E string (even though I thought it was like impossible to brake a E string on a bass haha).

These string are amazing! The tone between these and my old strings is incredible. My old strings where over a year old though! But even when they were new they didn't sound like these. Currently they are a bit 'Tinny' and to bright for my liking but I'm sure after a few weeks they will be great. They also have like red string at the top where they wind round the tuners which I like alot.

I didn’t get these because they are Flea Signature strings. All though I am a huge Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan. I got them because I had tried the two other makes in the shop and wanted something new. They also happened to be the cheapest. But that’s also not why I got them.

Features:

Nickel-plated steel wrap
Stainless steel/nickel plate wrap on the low E for added power

Cost: £18.99 (could of properly got them cheaper online but I needed them quickly)

I will update you on how I get on with them soon. I’m sure once they lose there new string brightness and I get back to college next week and start using them all day long they will be a whole different animal.

Tom Boyd

Recomended Reading : Snow (RHCP) Lesson

Update 16/4/07 : Today I had chance to use these strings properly at rehearsal. They have defiantly settled down a bit now with the new string brightness fading a warmer tone taking its place.

Bass Links #2

2007-04-12T14:30:00.000+01:00

Here are some more great Bass sites!

www.tunemybass.com - online tuner and a guide on how to string your bass.

www.wheatdesign.com/bassbook/ Bass lessons split into three 'books'

http://www.guitarnoise.com/bass.php Bass for beginners lessons

Hope you find these useful.

Tom Boyd

Song Lesson: RHCP - Snow (hey Oh) - Verse

2007-04-10T12:59:00.000+01:00

Song: Snow ((hey Oh)) ( Verse)

Artist: The Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Level: Beginner (But fun to play for all)

As suggested in a comment I will do a lesson on how to play thing song by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. – Click Here to view the comment

If you’re new to bass don’t worry about the theory bits for now. I will cover those in detail in future lessons and then you can come back and understand it.

Ok this song starts with two riffs (Parts).

Here is the first riff:

This is being played while the guitar plays a G#m Chord for one bar.

Ok Here is the second Riff:

This is played over the bar two while the guitar plays a B Chord.

Ok that’s the basics of the verses done. Some variations of the riff are played in places but to start with we won’t worry about it. Just practise these slowly. Really slowly, just one note slowly followed by the next. Get it perfect so every note rings clearly. One you can do that play it more like the song ( 1^st note- rest – then the three note run) once you can do this practise switching between the two riffs smoothly. Now play the recording of the song and play along. Focus on staying in time with the record.

Well I hope this has helped someone out there. If you liked this lesson or have a question send me a comment!

Tom Boyd

Bass Links #1

2007-04-09T17:44:00.000+01:00

Here is a useful list of Bass Websites:

www.talkbass.com A Interesting forum with a section to ask experts
www.cyberfretbass.com This site is full of useful information and lessons
www.musictheory.net Does what it says on the tin! Music Theory!
www.bassworld.co.uk Bass forum – Not read much of this one yet.
www.studybass.com This is an excellent lessons site. Check it out

Got a link?

If you know any more websites, forums or blogs about Bass Guitar then please comment this post.

You can also email me links Tomboyd85@gmail.com

Tom Boyd

Getting started with Bass Guitar

2007-04-09T16:49:00.000+01:00

This guide is for a total beginner if you already know this stay tuned for some much more advanced bass lessons soon.

Okay so you have a bass… now what?

Make sure its in tune!

I’m not going to bore you with how to tune your bass id say to start with use an electric tuner.

If you want to learn how to tune Click here

Right so you’re in tune!

Now its time to play! To start with you just need to get use to playing. To start with playing bass may feel very alien. Here is a very common and simple exercise to get you started. This will get you use to just fretting notes and walking your right hand fingers

1-2-3-4 Exercise

Put your index finger on the 12 fret (commonly marked with 2 dots) of the G String (this is the thinnest string) then play the next fret (The 13^th) with your middle finger. Next the 14^th fret with your ring finger. Finally play the 15^th fret with your little finger. You should leave your fingers on the fret board as you go. Then play it backwards taking one finger off at a time.

Here is the tab for it.

( If you don’t understand this here is a guide to reading tab )

Hang on what’s my right hand doing?

Your right had plays the string alternating between your first and middle finger. Make sure the notes ring clear. If they don't look at your fretting hand to make sure your pressing just behing the fret (not on top of the metal bar but just behind it)

Your right hand should be doing.

Right, left, right left or Left, right, left right

I hope this has helped someone out there! Please comment with what you think… let me know if you found this useful. (I know most people won’t due to being past the 'Getting Started Stage'. Please check back for more advanced posts soon)

Tom Boyd

New Bass Blog Launched

2007-04-09T15:17:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my new Blog on Bass Guitar!

This blog will include everything to do with playing bass and being a bass player.

Check back soon for some content

Tom Boyd