We all love a groovy bassline and tight rhythm section, don’t we? Bass guitarists are essential towards creating musical gems, so much so that they can inspire others to pick up a bass guitar too.
You might be one of those people, just starting out, a bit confused about how you should approach your bass skills and how you can improve upon them. Well, we have five tips on how you can improve your bass guitar skills!
1. Focus On Your Technique
With most instruments and especially string instruments, learning can be tough at the beginning, and there is a steep learning curve. You should slowly master your technique rather than try to play songs that you won’t be able to right now.
Put emphasis on the progress of your right-hand fingers (if you’re using a right-handed bass guitar). The right hand focuses on the rhythm aspect of the bass guitar, getting the typical groove and consistency that you are looking for. Bass is all about the rhythm, and once you master the right hand, everything is possible!
2. Positioning
You should know the proper way to hold your bass guitar; the instrument should feel like an extension of yourself, allowing you to express yourself properly.
Also, you should keep your wrist of the fretting hand in a position that is straight and comfortable so that pressure isn’t exerted on parts of your wrist and hand, creating issues.
3. Play With A Metronome
Metronome is extremely important in music because timing is everything, but we will go as far as to say that metronome and timing are even more important with rhythm-based instruments such as bass guitar and drums. These instruments make sure that the entire band is in sync; hence it is a very important quality to have as a bass guitarist.
To practice this, use a metronome while you are playing. If you are playing a certain song or practicing it, find out the time signature of the song and set it as the metronome accordingly. Now you will master one of the most important qualities of a bass guitarist — rhythm and timing!
4. Play Melodies
Yes, we are all obsessed with basslines, and it is one of the main reasons why people even pick up a bass guitar to learn as an instrument. However, your entire development cannot just revolve around basslines. This hinders your development and puts you in a box that no musician should be in.
By practicing melodies, such as the ones you would play on a guitar, you can develop your bass skills further by providing practice to your fingers and getting more familiar with the strings.
5. Practice With Others
Bass guitarists seldom have a career alone; hence you should practice by playing your instrument with other people. This will give you a better understanding of rhythm and consistency while also giving you the confidence that you need as a beginner bass guitarist.
You most likely picked up the bass to eventually be part of a band, so why not practice that way?
Lastly!
Learning an instrument can be fun and challenging at the same time. Just do not give up on your dreams and keep on practicing, for the more you practice, the better the odds of you getting better are!
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