Well, this is a tricky one. Now, if you don't know the difference between 4,5 or 6, 8, 10, 12 (I hope they'll stop here) stringed Bass, read on....and if you do, also, read on.
I think that majority of players are 4-stringers. Wrong? So, why is that a case? Is it because it's kind of standard, or mainstream, or something darker......
Fact:
Bass Guitar (a modern one, like yours) is designed based on double bass. This instrument has a very thick strings, therefore a rather wide neck. The average human hand has a certain range (catch, span), and because of that, the number of strings on double bass was restricted to four.
4-STRINGS
So, basically, the tuning is the same with those two. It's (from low to high) E - A - D - G (the highest open string-G, is an eleventh, an octave and a fourth, below middle C). This is also a tuning of a 'regular' 6 stringed guitar, only Bass is one octave lower.
Keep in mind that there are also different tunings for 4-strings, that give totally different workplace for you.
If words like - octave, fourth, eleventh and some others - if they sound strange, if you don't know the meaning, don't worry. You can learn that on a hop! I'll write about the same, if there is some interest. You can use comments. Or mail. (people that know this - don't laugh)
5-STRINGS
They provide a greater lower or upper range than the 4-string Bass, and has better hand position for notes. Tunings are:
B-E-A-D-G (usual one, rock, metal music), sometimes A-D-G-C-F
E-A-D-G-C (Tenor tuning, in jazz music)
C-E-A-D-G (not so usual)
6-STRING
This is a 4-string bass + low "B" string and a high "C" string. Not so common, but some of the artist use them for studio recordings. Tunings:
B-E-A-D-G-C (usual)
B-E-A-D-G-B (you notice the first 5 strings? like on the guitar)
E-A-D-G-B-E (completely like guitar)
E-A-D-G-C-F and F#-B-E-A-D-G (rare ones)
100-STRING
The 8, 10, 12 and 15-string basses, are basically built on the same principle as the 12-string guitar (regular one). The point is to group strings, so that they make unison or octaves. They are played simultaneously. There's no super human after all.....
8 String
10 String
Enjoy the day...
Number of strings for Bass Guitar
Difference between Double Bass and Bass Guitar
I think all of you Bass-people want do both. Or at least you wanted. Or you'll want.
Bass Guitar is more practical, and more common. It's mainstream in Bass World. Double Bass is little bit more exotic, right?
I mean, if you ever tried it, probably you fell in love. Like I did.
But at that time, I was all about the looks, and that big, silly thing was just - too much. Now, I'm kind of sorry...
Ok. The difference.
Bass Guitar - it's guitar shaped (don't say!), it's stringed (4,5,6,7...strings), we play it with our little fingers or a pick and we're using bunch of techniques for that (strumming, plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping).
Bass Guitar has a longer scale neck and is tuned an octave lower in pitch than a guitar.
Of course, there's electric and acoustic Bass Guitar. Can be fretted (more common) or fretless (tone similar to a double bass).
Ok, this was easy.
Double Bass - or Upright Bass, or Rockabilly Bass. Sometimes Contra bass. Maybe the rockabilly is not correct expression (couse it's a music style). We could also call it jazz bass, or classical bass. But, it's very common in rockabilly that it deserves the name.
This is the biggest bowed instrument (played with bow) and has the lowest pitch (the lowest note of a double bass is an E1). It's considered to be a member of the violin family. Heh.
The fingerboard of the double bass is fretless.
The Double bass is played either with a bow (arco) or by plucking the strings.
It is used in classical music, jazz, 1950s-style blues and rock and roll, rockabilly/psychobilly, bluegrass, and tango.
Modern double basses are usually tuned (low to high) E-A-D-G such that the open highest string, G, is a perfect eleventh (a perfect octave and a perfect fourth) below middle C.
There are two major shapes of the double bass - the violin form, and the viola da gamba form.
Two kinds of bows - "French" or "overhand" (similar to other orchestral string instruments) and "German" or "Butler" bow (shorter, and is held in a "hand shake" position).
Octobass - yes, there's one more....this is an extremely large (3.48 meters) bowed string instrument (so large that it took two musicians to play: one to bow and the other to control the fingering!).
It has three strings, and is a larger version of double bass.
It was never so popular among composers, but there are exceptions. Like Hector Berlioz.
Notation reading - Bass Clef
Ups!
I don't know how does it work for you, but when I started to learn reading music, this was my biggest problem. I really wanted to became literate. Music literate. ASAP. But damn Bass key drove me crazy.
First, here's the definition (the way it is in dictionary):
A clef (from the French for "key") is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Placed on one of the lines at the beginning of the staff, it indicates the name and pitch of the notes on that line. This line serves as a reference point by which the names of the notes on any other line or space of the staff may be determined.
Bass Clef:
''a symbol placed on the fourth line of a staff to indicate that the fourth line of the staff corresponds to the F next below middle C; F clef''
''a symbol indicating that the fourth line from the bottom of a staff represents the pitch of F below middle C. Also called F clef. ''
What can Bass Clef do?
The bass clef lets you write lower notes covering octaves one (1) and two (2).
Please keep in mind (if you already don't know) - don't mix up staff (stave, or the lines for music notes) with tablatures! Tablature diagram represents strings on your bass guitar.
Notation is just a way of organizing music, so the other musicians could also read it.
Ok. It's enough for start. Now, it's your turn. You should be able to to name a note on the staff (stave) in your sleep! After some practice, of course.
Fun way to do it is remembering the sentence ''Good Boys Desevre Fruit Always'' (the lines on the bass clef staff that correspond to the letters G B D F A), and All Cows Eat Grass (the spaces on the bass clef staff correspond to the letters A C E G).
This is allright, but there's a way better (and faster) way to do it. Online of course. There's a little program (think of it as a game) where your mission is to name the random notes shown on the picture (staff). Cool thing is that every time you make a mistake, you get a un-happy face, when you're correct - smiley!
Here's the link. Check it out. Note reading - Bass clef
History of Bass Guitar - the first Bass guitar
THE FIRST BASS GUITAR
Well, the fact is that bass guitar has become one of the most essential parts of almost every style of music. Truth.
Fist, there was an instrument called the viola de gamba (late 15th century) This instrument was large with 6 strings, but the tuning matched the double bass we have today. By the end of the next century, the first double bass was seen in Italy.
Now, lets go to early 1900's.
- the first true bass guitar was made by Gibson in 1910. It was called the Mando bass, and was an acoustic instrument
- the first amplified bass guitar was built in 1933 by Paul Tutmarc. The brand was Audiovox
- 1936, Rickenbacker had invented the bedpost-bass (it resembled an upright bass, but was amplified with electricity)
- 1947, another designer who was working on the bass guitar was Everett Hull, who created a double bass pickup
- 1951, Leo Fender created his Fender Precision Bass. This was named the Precision bass as the frets on the instrument allowed the notes to be played with precision. Well, we all know about this one...
- 1957, the pickup was changed to be a split pickup, and the pickguard and headstock were redesigned
- 1960, Fender designed and created the Jazz bass, with two separate pickups rather than a split pickup like that of the Precision
- the present....well, you know. Don't you?
- the future...huh!
That's about it...Lots of great Bass players did a good job popularizing Bass guitar, so we have a big variety on the market.
Enjoy!
