Eight Great Tips for Learning Electric Bass

If you’ve decided to learn bass, congratulations! We live in a time when iconic bass heroes are doing great work, experts are producing instructional content for every learning style, and killer electric basses (such as those offered by Yamaha) exist at every price point. Guitarists may be a dime a dozen, but an adaptable bass player with a strong desire to learn and perfect their craft will always be busy.

Not sure where to get started? We’ve got you covered.

1. FIND THE RIGHT BASS

The first step toward becoming a bass player is to find a bass that works for you. Researching details, prices and other people’s opinions is an important step, but there’s nothing like holding a bass in your hands, plugging it in and seeing whether it makes your heart race. Comfort, weight, sound, versatility and looks should all be factors in your decision. If there’s a player whose sound you like, try out the same bass they’re playing to help you form your own opinions.

2. GET A GOOD SETUP

Once you find a bass you like, make sure it’s firing on all cylinders. A good setup by a professional luthier will make sure your strings are not too high (which makes the bass hard to play) or too low (which makes it buzz on the frets); a basic setup will also make sure your pickups are at the right distance from the strings and that your strings are in tune. Over time, you’ll learn which strings are right for you, and you may eventually decide to learn how to set up your bass yourself.

3. GET A STRAP, A CABLE, A TUNER AND AN AMP

Once you have a bass that rocks, you’ll need a handful of basics: a strap so you can play the bass standing up, an instrument cable so you can plug into an amp, a tuner to help you stay in tune, and an amp to plug into. Most basses weigh about 7 lbs. or more, and if yours is on the heavier side, consider getting a wide strap that will help distribute the weight. A bass amp can be a substantial investment, so starting out with a practice combo such as one of the Ampeg Rocket amps is a smart move.

A headphone out and an aux in make it easy to practice without disturbing your neighbors. Eventually, you might want to get into effects pedals, and if you’re more interested in the studio than the stage, you’ll want to bone up on the basics of recording bass at home.

4. THINK ABOUT ERGONOMICS

Think about ergonomics: You want to be comfortable no matter what technique you use, from pick and fingerstyle to slap, chords and thumb-mute. Even something as basic as strap length is personal — there’s a wide variety of approaches, from high (like Billy Sheehan) to low (like Peter Hook). Carefully considering how you sit, stand and play is crucial to avoiding future problems with your wrists, elbows, fingers, neck and back.

5. PLAY ALONG

Playing along to your favorite songs is the time-honored route to getting started on bass. Jamming will not only help you begin to learn where the notes are, it’ll get your hands moving and open your ears to details you might not have noticed. Learning how your favorite bass players think about the instrument can help you develop your own style, adapt your style to different genres and play basslines that work in each one. Listening closely to your heroes can also help you begin to articulate your idea of good tone.

6. DEVELOP GOOD HABITS

Just as you would with any physical activity, it’s advisable to develop good habits right at the beginning of your bass journey. Exercising your fretting hand, thinking strategically about your picking hand and using your practice time wisely are three important foundations for everything you’ll ever play, no matter what the genre. And if you can, get lessons — a teacher can bolster your strengths, help with weaknesses, share shortcuts, uncover blind spots, offer encouragement, help you develop good technique and suggest perspectives you might not have considered.

7. FIND PEOPLE TO PLAY WITH

Bass is a social instrument. Our main job is to support the other members of the band, and getting into the groove with the drummer is more than half the joy of playing bass — just ask Nathan East and Sonny Emory. Everything you explore on this instrument — including dynamics, soloing, walking, chords, harmonics, fills, laying down the most crucial notes and playing in (and with) time — comes into focus when you play with other people.

8. STICK WITH IT

Enjoy the journey to becoming a better bass player, and make sure to hang out in real life with other folks who love bass. Do your best to keep playing when life gets hectic; even a few minutes of regular, focused practice each day can make a big difference. Be uplifted by the fact that if you’re open to them, there will always be thrills and new epiphanies around the corner. Welcome to the club!

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