Bass Guitar Lessons for Beginners
A standard bass guitar has four strings tuned E1, A1, D2 and G2, one octave below the four lowest guitar strings. To start playing, tune up, pluck with the index and middle fingers in turn, press frets with one finger per fret, and play the root note of each chord in time with a steady beat. That is the bass player’s main job.
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK music words (bar, crotchet, quaver, stave); the US version uses measure, quarter note, eighth note and staff. · US version of this page
Updated · By the Classfern Music Department
Key facts
- 4-string bass tuning, lowest to highest: E1 (41.20 Hz), A1 (55.00 Hz), D2 (73.42 Hz), G2 (98.00 Hz).
- The four strings are tuned like a guitar’s lowest four (E A D G), one octave lower.
- Bass music is written in the bass clef, one octave higher than it sounds.
- Most basses have a 34-inch (864 mm) scale; short-scale (30-inch) and medium-scale (32-inch) basses suit smaller hands.
- Basses have 20 to 24 frets. A 5-string bass adds a low B0 (30.87 Hz) below the E string.
- In a band the bass links the drums and the chords: it usually plays the root note of each chord, on the beat.
Bass tuning notes (standard E A D G)
Press a string to hear its note. Tick Keep repeating to hear it again while you turn the tuning peg. Tune the E string first, then the others. Phone speakers are quiet on low notes: headphones help.
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Bass guitar guides
- Bass guitar notes chart: every fret, with sound
- How to read bass tabs: playable tabs and a quiz
- Bass guitar chords chart: shapes and arpeggios you can hear
How do you play bass guitar?
Hold the bass with the neck slightly raised, rest your thumb on the pickup or the E string, and pluck with the index and middle fingers in turn. Press each note just behind the fret with the other hand, then play steady root notes along with a beat.
- Tune up with the notes above, E string first.
- Pluck: alternate index and middle fingers (“walking” the fingers). Pull the string towards you so the finger comes to rest on the next string – a rest stroke.
- Fret: one finger per fret, thumb behind the neck, fingertip just behind the fret wire.
- Mute: lift the fretting finger slightly to stop a note; rest the plucking thumb on lower strings so they stay quiet.
- Play roots in time: four notes per bar on the root of each chord, with a metronome at 60–80 beats per minute.
- Add the 5th: root then fifth makes a bass line for thousands of songs.
How is a bass guitar tuned?
Standard tuning for a 4-string bass is E1, A1, D2, G2 from the thickest string to the thinnest. A 5-string bass adds a low B0, and a 6-string bass adds a high C3 as well.
| Bass | Strings, lowest to highest |
|---|---|
| 4-string | E1 A1 D2 G2 |
| 5-string | B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 |
| 6-string | B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 C3 |
| Drop D (4-string) | D1 A1 D2 G2 |
To check by ear, use the 5th-fret rule: the E string at the 5th fret should sound the same as the open A string; A at the 5th fret = open D; D at the 5th fret = open G. Each string is a perfect fourth (five semitones) above the one below.
What is the difference between a bass guitar and a guitar?
A bass guitar usually has four thicker strings tuned an octave below a guitar’s lowest four, and a longer neck (34 inches against about 25 inches). The guitar mostly plays chords and melody; the bass plays one low note at a time to hold the harmony and rhythm together.
| Bass guitar | Guitar | |
|---|---|---|
| Strings | 4 (or 5 or 6) | 6 |
| Standard tuning | E1 A1 D2 G2 | E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 |
| Scale length | About 34 in (864 mm) | About 24.75–25.5 in (629–648 mm) |
| Clef | Bass clef, sounds an octave lower | Treble clef, sounds an octave lower |
| Main role | Root notes, rhythm, groove | Chords, melody, solos |
Is bass guitar good for beginners?
Yes. Beginners can play real bass lines with one note at a time and only a few frets, so many people join a band or school group quickly. The challenges are the longer stretches and keeping perfect time.
Bass is a good first instrument for anyone who likes rhythm. Start with a short-scale bass if your hands are small, keep the volume low at home, and practise with a metronome every time. For reading music, learn the bass clef notes; for reading tab, see how to read bass tabs.
Your first bass lesson: root notes
Play along with these two tabs. The first uses only open strings; the second plays the roots of C, F and G – four crotchets each, the most common bass part there is. Self-assessed
The four open strings, lowest first
G|----------0-|-0----------| D|-------0----|----0-------| A|----0-------|-------0----| E|-0----------|----------0-|
In words: E string, open; A string, open; D string, open; G string, open; G string, open; D string, open; A string, open; E string, open.
Root notes: C, F, G, C
G|------------|------------|------------|---------| D|------------|------------|------------|---------| A|-3--3--3--3-|------------|------------|-3-------| E|------------|-1--1--1--1-|-3--3--3--3-|---------|
In words: A string, fret 3; A string, fret 3; A string, fret 3; A string, fret 3; E string, fret 1; E string, fret 1; E string, fret 1; E string, fret 1; E string, fret 3; E string, fret 3; E string, fret 3; E string, fret 3; A string, fret 3.
Then learn where the notes are on the bass guitar notes chart and turn chords into bass lines with the bass chord chart. Classfern’s free music tools on lessonplanner.info run in your browser; for backing, try the metronome and backing tracks.
More music tools
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