The Ultimate Bass Guitar Strings Guide - Information You Need to Know - StringVibe (2023)

FAQs

How do I memorize Eadg? ›

If you're playing a standard bass guitar, you will notice that your bass has only 4 strings. The standard tuning for a 4 string bass is E, A, D, G (the same as the four lowest strings on the guitar but one octave lower). The bass strings are tuned in fourths.

If you're a beginner , go with a four string bass guitar. They're a lot easier to play, which means you'll have a lot less frustrating learning process. Choose a bass guitar that is fretted, because playing a fretless bass guitar is incredibly challenging and isn't suggested if you're a beginner .

The standard bass has four strings tuned to E-A-D-G, which corresponds to the four lowest strings of a guitar. However, bass strings are much thicker, because they are tuned an octave lower. Tuning a bass works exactly like tuning a guitar. Some advanced players use basses with five or even six strings.

The standard bass has four strings tuned to E-A-D-G, which corresponds to the four lowest strings of a guitar. However, bass strings are much thicker, because they are tuned an octave lower. Tuning a bass works exactly like tuning a guitar. Some advanced players use basses with five or even six strings.

The importance of bass strings

Bass guitars are designed to give you deep lows that help drive the music. A bass's strings can make a big difference in the tone of your bass. Some strings are brighter and deliver a punchier tone that is ideal for rock, country, pop, and more.

Another, albeit seldom seen, option are tapewound bass strings, which are made with a layer of nylon wrapped around the metal winding wire (which can be either round or flat). They're easy on the fingers and they produce a softer, darker sound usually considered the closest thing to upright bass sound and feel.

The standard gauges for a four-string bass are 0.045 (inches thick) to 0.105, or 0.045 to 0.125 for a five-string.

Why use flatwound bass strings? ›

Flatwound strings have reduced high end, giving them more emphasis on mids and lows. Bassists playing rock, punk, and pop styles often choose roundwounds for their enhanced presence in a busy mix. For reggae, R&B, and jazz, the smoother, warmer sound of flatwounds is often more appropriate.

When Fender released the Bass VI in 1961, the standard set was made up of strings gauged . 026”-. 095”, and that . 095” is key here.

The biggest advantage of the five-string bass is its extended lower range. From the fretted low-E all the way down to the chest-imploding low-B, that fifth string provides a gateway for exploration into previously uncharted territory.

All plain steel strings are 43″, wound guitar strings are 46.5″ total with a 39.75″ winding length, and bass strings are 54″ total with a 48″ winding length (or 45″ for short and medium scale bass strings).

Truthfully, there is no right or wrong way to play a bass guitar. There isn't even a preferred way. Any method you use to get sound out of the thing—fingers, pick, thumb, those weird stick things Tony Levin uses, telekinesis, whatever—works just fine. It's purely a matter of personal preference.

The best way to memorize the natural notes on any string is to start out just playing (and naming) a few notes and progressively adding 1 note at a time. (e.g. play E F G E G F G A F A B F G B C etc…) If you do this a little each day, you can learn the notes on the neck quickly.

The bass is typically played at a lower volume than a guitar, making it easier to hear the notes you are playing. A bass guitar is easier to learn than a guitar because it only has four strings rather than six. It is flexible, allowing for textures to be used to support melodic instruments such as the guitar.

Some people never change strings. James Jamerson never changed his strings and once said, “The funk is in the funk.” Other people who like a bright sound or play a lot may change strings once every week or two. For my average student I suggest they change or clean them every 3-4 months.

The standard size bass for adults is ¾. 7/8 and 4/4 size basses are made, but less commonly used.

Is it OK to take all strings off bass guitar? ›

Let's look a bit deeper: You can change strings either by removing all of its strings and replacing the entire set at once, or by removing and replacing each string, one at a time, without damaging your guitar.

If you're new to bass guitar, we recommend just learning the notes on the E and A strings.

The first centerpiece of your practice regimen should be skills practice—the scales, arpeggios, melodic patterns, chord progressions, and the like, that constitute the foundation of our bass playing. Much of this material will be suggested by your teacher. This practice needs to be intense and ever improving.

Playing the bass requires a different knowledge base and skill set, so to speak. So no, the bass isn't necessarily easier to play than the electric guitar. If you can't play the guitar, then just play bass. This is somewhat connected to the myth above.

Sadly, a lot of bassists avoid the very useful open strings because they're hard to handle. Don't! Learn to use them with confidence. You just need to do a little focused practice to keep the open strings from getting in the way of a nice, clear bassline.

They purposely don't change the strings because they don't want to lose “that sound” or because they're superstitious or nostalgic about the instrument. There's nothing wrong with any of these approaches.

Breaking a bass string every so often can be normal – especially if you play aggressively, do a lot of slapping or use light gauge strings. If you break your bass strings regularly, you need to figure out what is weakening the string and causing it to break.

Yes, nylon strings are softer and more gently on players' fingers, so beginners generally won't have to worry about finger pain or developing the callouses that will help them practice pain-free.

There is no evidence that playing bass makes your fingers stronger. In fact, most professional bass players have relatively weak hands and fingers. The reason for this is that the bass guitar is a very easy instrument to play, and requires very little finger strength.

Do thicker bass strings sound better? ›

Thicker strings CAN sound fatter and in many cases provide more low end, but the brand of strings and the bass you have impact that a lot.

Simply, light strings have slightly less tension than mediums, and heavy strings have slightly more tension. Specifically, the strings have more or less mass, to require a few pounds more or less tension to create the specific pitch desired, which makes the strings feel "tighter" or "looser."

Anyone who believes this to be exclusively the sound you'll get is enormously underestimating the flatwound string! Their development and application has evolved tremendously, flats are available today in many flavours and can be used in virtually every genre of music. Some of them are even suitable for slap bass!

Playability. Because of the increased tension that comes with flatwounds, it can be harder to depress the strings. Getting used to this will take some time and effort, and you're likely to experience some early onset finger fatigue when getting started.

The current Fender and Squier Bass VI models are considered bass guitars, as was the Fender original. They're strung with bass strings, albeit a special set made specifically for the model. They have a 30” scale length, like most short-scale basses, and they use standard tuning (EADGBE) one octave lower than a guitar.

The reason for having more strings is to add more range to the bass. More range means being able to play more lower pitched notes and/or higher pitched notes. Also, the more strings you have under your fingers, the more notes you have under your fingers.

The low B on a bass guitar is the second lowest note that can be played on the instrument. It has a frequency of 61.7 Hz, which is just below the low E string. This makes it a very important note for creating the foundations of a song.

Learning to play the 5 string bass guitar can be a great way to expand your musical horizons. The 5 string bass guitar is a versatile instrument that can be used in a variety of genres, from rock and pop to jazz and blues. If you're a beginner, there are a few things you'll need to know before you start playing.

Can you play a 5 string bass song on a 4 string bass? ›

If a song is in the key of Eb or D and is played on a 4-string, it can be a benefit to switch to a 5-string if you have the option. Notes that are on the A string can be played two frets down on the B string. Again, use your ears and see what works. Nothing will grow your bass guitar confidence like practice.

This model was similar to the traditional Bass VI design with four switches (on/off for each pickup and a "strangle" (low-cut filter) switch) and a Jaguar-style control plate.

Five string bass guitars have one extra string, which adds a lower B string onto the instrument's range. Compared to the four string bass guitar, the five string guitar has a wider neck, which makes it more difficult to play.

A contrabass guitar is a low-register bass guitar with four, five or six strings. It is often called, simply, a six string bass guitar. The five string bass guitar is rarely called a contrabass guitar, even though it typically has the same lowest note.

Learning how to memorize guitar chords is best accomplished by allowing your mind to focus on just one chord shape and let your fret hand muscles learn and remember where your fingers need to go by repeating several short memory sessions with each chord you want to learn.

I like to think of chords E A D G as a 'fusion' or 'superposition' of two keys, A and D : you're playing in the key of A with the chords E A D but you're also playing in the key of D with chords A D G. It's a fusion of keys, also a fusion of two sets of chords.

The four strings of the viola and cello are C,G,D,A and a helpful rhyme to help you remember them is ' Cats Go Down Alleys' while the strings of the violin are G,D,A,E and the rhyme is 'Good Dogs Always Eat'.

The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and often succeed), it's with far too much struggle and effort than is actually necessary. Even extremely influential guitarists can have a hard time with barre chords.

Guitar chords chart for beginners

The first chords to learn on guitar are Em, C, G, and D. Let's get started in “first position” or “open chords.” These chords are played close to the nut and utilize a number of open strings. The next chord you should learn is C, or C major.

So, yes, you can successfully learn guitar by yourself. However, it will go faster for you and save you some trouble if you use good resources. And some things about learning guitar will go smoother with a skilled teacher. But it is entirely achievable to learn guitar on your own!

What key is C on 5th fret? ›

The b string on a guitar is tuned to a different pitch than the other strings because it is a different size. The b string is usually tuned to a higher pitch than the other strings, which gives it a brighter sound. The b string is also usually thinner than the other strings, which makes it easier to bend.

The low E-string on a bass guitar is usually tuned to 41.2 Hz, while the lowest note on a standard piano is A at 27.5 Hz.

Generally speaking, the easy keys are the ones with the fewest sharps and flats. C major, G major, D major, and the chording gets trickier as you progress through the circle of fifths. Don't get nervous.

Knowing every note is the key to getting around the whole fretboard effortlessly. If you haven't started playing yet, come back to this after you've learned some music. That's way more fun than memorizing notes.

It requires an awareness of how what you're playing relates to the entire fretboard. While there are many fretboard memorization exercises out there, few of them focus on the benefits of spatial memorization, beyond merely being able to name a note at a particular fret.

Bass guitar string names and order

And so just as with the guitar strings, you can drill these using the following method to learn them in no time (especially because there are only four strings!): EADG – E Eat, A A, D Doughnut, G Guitarists – EADG! Do this once a day, and within a week you'll have it memorized.

Example 1 shows the letter names used for the lines of a staff when a treble clef is employed. One mnemonic device that may help you remember this order of letter names is “Every Good Bird Does Fly” (E, G, B, D, F). As seen in Example 1, the treble clef wraps around the G line (the second line from the bottom).

For the treble or G clef, notes on lines starting at the bottom and moving to top are: (E, G, B, D, F) Mnemonics are Every Good Boy Deserves Football, or Every Girl Buys Designer Fashions, or Elephants Get Big Dirty Feet. A mnemonic for notes in spaces is FACE.