Bass Guitar: the Anchor of a Band

A bass guitarist/bassist is like the anchor of a band. He/she outlines the harmony of the music being performed, while simultaneously indicating the rhythmic pulse of it. The bass guitarist is like the lifeblood of any band, and the bass guitar is his/her tool of choice, used to mesmerize audiences.

A bass guitar is a bass stringed instrument that is played with the fingers. It can be played by plucking, slapping, tapping, popping, or by picking the strings with a pick. The bass guitar looks somewhat similar to an electric guitar, but with a larger, heavier body, a longer scale length, and a longer neck. The bass guitar usually has four strings, tuned one octave lower in pitch than the four lower strings of a guitar.

Bass guitars are large in size, and considerably heavier in weight than

electric guitars. As such, the bodies of bass guitars need to be made of lightweight materials so that the weight is manageable. If a bass guitar was made of metal, chances are that a lot of guitarists would find it difficult or even impossible to play it. The preferred materials are wood and graphite. Different kinds of wood may be used, including maple, alder, mahogany, rosewood, etc. The strings are usually made of steel.

Frets are raised metal strips inserted into the fingerboard that extends along the full width of the neck of the guitar. On a fretted bass guitar, these strips divide the fingerboard into segments that emit similar tones, called semitone segments. Fretless basses also exist. However, these have a distinct, unique sound, as the strings must be pressed down directly on the wood of the fingerboard. Fretless basses are somewhat lighter in weight, but many musicians prefer fretted basses, because they say it gives them greater control over the music quality.

Bass guitars are made to deliver loud pitches of sound. Hence, these can never be of acoustic type. Only an amplifier, and a good set of speakers plugged into the guitar can give the majestic bass guitar its true, deep sound. A bass guitar is heavy and cumbersome to carry around, because of all the supporting gadgets that come with it, not to mention the long cables that accompany all of the gadgets.

Bass guitars are expensive to purchase, and also tough to learn. But these are indispensable in any pop or rock band. A bass guitar can indeed be the most prized possession of a devoted bassist.