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How do you learn how to play the bass guitar?

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The different ways to learn how to play your guitar are as varied as the different styles of play on your bass. Following are some of the different avenues of learning how to play your bass guitar and different styles of play. There are three major schools of thought for teaching learning how to play the bass guitar. The first is through personal instruction, whether this is with a teacher at the local high school or a sales associate at the local music store. This personal interaction with an instructor is going to multiply drastically your ability to play the bass guitar. Another way, which is sometimes cheaper, is through the use of home materials. There are thousands of books out there that teach you how to play the bass guitar through the introduction of basic music theory combined with workbook exercises. Also in the area of home study is the use of DVD teaching. These are becoming increasingly popular with the younger generation of musical prodigies.

There are a couple different variations on how you can play your bass guitar. The first involves the choice of whether you use your fingers or a pick. Most jazz bass players will tend to use their fingers because It gives a more “smooth” or “round” sound to the play, while some punk or rock musicians will play with a pick because it gives a stronger, harsher, and punchy sound to the music. Another variation involves where you pluck the strings. While many professionals attest to plucking the strings closer to the bottom because it gives a more brighter sound, there are others that pluck closer to the top of the neck of the guitar. The most common variation on the play of the bass guitar is the use of the “slap and pop” method. This is commonly used in funk music, but has spread because of its interesting sound. Instead of plucking on the strings a person would actually slap the string with thumb and then snap them back up. This causes an unusual sound that combines the note with a percussion feel.

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