Bass Lessons

Bass Lessons - Begging Tap For Bass bass tab

Yo_yo_yo_1@msn.com

This is the first in a series of lessons on tapping and related

techniques for

bass guitar. I hope to explain both the physical side of things,

and some of

the theory behind the notes. I'm starting from ABSOLUTE basics

so it should be

very easy to follow - get this stuff nailed and the rest is easy

too. Please

mail me if you thing I'm going too fast or too slow. The very existence

of this

course depends on feedback - unless I know people are reading

this then I won't

even write part 2. I'll try and address any problems or suggestions

I receive

in future lessons.

Tapping is often seen as a technique used exclusively for solos

but this isn't

necessarily the case and I'll try and provide examples of each

lesson point

that demonstrates its use in a supporting SONG context. On a

related note I

will feel free to digress into other techniques as and when I

feel that they

are interesting or necessary to place a piece of tapping in context.

The techniques I'll outline form a PART of a good bass players

toolbag. You

don't have to be an experienced bass player to follow this course,

but if you

are starting from near absolute scratch then make sure you spend

time acquiring

other techniques. This stuff will sound great, and may make

an audience notice

you if the band is working well - but if you can't pedal quavers

then the band

isn't going to work, and you're just going to look daft.

Tapping can be roughly divided into two styles - the Billy Sheehan

(+Eddie Van

Halen) and the Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani) style. I'll touch on both, but

concentrate on the latter, as it tends to be more harmonically

driven, and is

more applicable to a typical band situation.

OK - enough waffle lets start...

Sit down with your bass and with the index finger of your

LEFT hand play the A string at the 12th fret by hammering on (don't

use your

right hand at all):

|-----------------|

|-----------------|

|--12-------------|

Easy huh? Make sure that it sounds clean. Practise ending the

note as well as

starting it by lifting you finger a small fraction away from

the fretboard so

the string is damped. There should be no rattles, and the note

should end when

you want it to.

Now keep your left hand in about the same position and bring your

right hand

round so your elbow is over the bridge(ish), and your fingers

are over the

fretboard. Rest your thumb on the top side of the neck and place

your fingers

over the 14th fret - index finger over the D string, middle over

the G string.

This is your basic arm position (though like all basic things

you'll grow to

learn when not appropriate). Now bring your right index finger

down onto the

string to tap your first note.

|-----------------|

|----14-----------|

|-----------------|

|-----------------|

Once again practise starting and stopping the note cleanly

- it should be just

as good as the note hammered with your left hand.

Now lets put those two together...

|-----------------|

|o------14-------o|

|o--12-----------o|

|-----------------|

Repeat this until you feel comfortable with it. Listen to the

sound of the

interval (the gap between the notes) - I'll deal with this in

a few weeks, but

you should start listening now, so that you'll be ready.

Now its time to bring in another finger - the middle finger of

your right hand.

It should have been hanging over the 14th fret of the G string

up till this

point so try tapping there.

|------14---------|

|-----------------|

|-----------------|

|-----------------|

Once you're comfortable with this, start put it together with

the other notes.

First:

|-------14--------|

|-----------------|

|---12------------|

|-----------------|

Then:

|----------14-----|

|------14---------|

|-----------------|

|-----------------|

And then finally:

|----------14-----|

|------14------14-|

|--12-------------|

|-----------------|

Loop all of these until you're completely comfortable with

them - Your going to

be able to play these in your sleep (with your eyes shut goes without

saying -

seriously! you shouldn't need to look at the fretboard, though

it is excusable

to start off with, or when learning something new).

[This might be a good time to take a break if you've had problems

with the

previous stuff - get it right before progressing]

Right now lets shift that whole pattern down a whole tone

|---------12------|

|-----12------12--|

|-10--------------|

|-----------------|

Get that sorted, and we'll move down again...

|----------10-----|

|------10------10-|

|--8--------------|

|-----------------|

Now as a final exercise lets put those last three together to

form our first

song:

|--------14----------12----|------10--------10-------12----|

|o----14----14----12----12-|---10----10---10--10---12--12-o|

|o-12----------10----------|-8----------8--------10-------o|

|--------------------------|-------------------------------|

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

Share your thoughts

Comments