Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a musical instrument commonly used in pop, rock, jazz, and other musical genres. It plays in lower octaves than the guitar and normally features four strings instead of six. It evolved from the double bass, an instrument utilized in jazz, classical, folk, and swing music. The bass guitar is smaller and lighter than the double bass. It features a long neck, a solid body, and pickups that amplify sound. When used in a band, the bass guitar provides rhythm and harmonization.

Background

The double bass, also called the upright bass, the string bass, and the bass fiddle, dates back to the sixteenth century. While some historic texts mention similar instruments in earlier time periods, no examples of these instruments have survived to modern times. Orchestral double basses were distinctly different from modern bass guitars. They were large, hollow-bodied instruments that resemble violins in construction. Like modern basses, they ranged from three to six strings. While modern basses are tuned from lowest to highest, however, older basses were tuned in a variety of ways.

In earlier centuries, musicians played the double bass like a large violin. This involved drawing a horsehair bow across the strings, which caused them to vibrate. The vibrations were amplified by the instrument's hollow body, creating the bass's characteristic sound. Over time, musicians learned that additional sounds could be made by plucking, strumming, or slapping the strings. The sounds produced by these techniques quickly became the iconic sounds associated with the instrument.

Overview

The first true bass guitar was designed in the 1950s by Fender. Other styles of electric bass had been designed as far back as the 1930s, but all were commercial failures. In the 1930s and 1940s, sound amplification technology was not yet able to accurately reproduce the extremely low tones produced by a bass. Additionally, many of these models were large and difficult to use. They rested on the floor like a traditional double bass and relied on the bass's large body for part of the amplification. Gibson moved the design of electric basses forward by releasing a smaller, thinner, five-foot-tall model in 1938. Gibson's electric bass still utilized a hollow body, rested on the ground, and was held upright by the musician. In contrast, Fender's instrument was guitar-sized, mounted on a smaller solid body, and was held horizontally with a strap.

Fender's bass guitar was designed for musicians who had to travel. Traditional double basses were extremely large, heavy, and delicate, which made them difficult to transport. Fender's model was light, small, and could be carried easily and stored in a hard case. Named the Precision Bass, Fender's model was quickly adopted by famous jazz musicians Lionel Hampton and Roy Johnson. When used with Fender's Bassman amplifier, the bass's deep sound could easily be amplified throughout large rooms. It soon became essential to a wide variety of musical genres, including blues, rock, and pop.

The modern bass guitar is distinctly different from its historical counterpart. It usually utilizes four to six strings, though more strings may be found on exotic models. These strings are attached to twisting metal pegs, called machine heads. Twisting the machine heads allows the musician to adjust the string tension and tune the instrument. The machine heads are attached to a piece of wood at the top of the guitar called the headstock. The headstock is attached to the longest piece of the bass, called the neck. The neck is a long piece of wood that allows the strings to stretch. It holds the fretboard, a long, flat piece of wood that allows the musician to place pressure on various parts of the strings.

The neck attaches to the body of the bass, a large piece of wood that serves as a mount for various parts of the guitar. Different body styles make the instrument easier to hold and drastically alter its appearance. The pickups, electronic switches and dials, and bridge are all mounted in the body. Pickups are electronic devices that transmit the sound of the instrument to the amplifier. Different styles of pickups subtly alter the sound of the instrument. Electronic switches and dials allow the musician to fine-tune these alterations by adjusting the volume of various pickups.

The bridge is a horizontal bar mounted to the body. The bridge locks the strings in place and raises them above the body and neck. The bridge can be modified to adjust the distance between the strings and the fretboard, allowing for different styles of play. Different styles of bridges interact with the strings in unique ways, thereby altering how often the instrument needs to be tuned or maintained.

The bass guitar is played in a manner very similar to a traditional guitar. One hand is placed over the pickups, while the other hand is placed on the neck. The strings are plucked, which causes them to vibrate. These vibrations are interpreted as sounds. To modify the pitch of the notes played, the musician presses down on the strings at precise places on the neck. By pressing down on the string, the musician shortens the length of the string that vibrates, which increases the pitch of the note. Musicians may also alter the pitch by bending the string at the point of contact or by sliding the point of contact up and down the neck.

When playing in a band, the bass guitarist has two responsibilities: rhythm and harmony. Rhythm refers to keeping the beat of the music. The bass guitarist works with the drummer to ensure that listeners can keep track of the timing and pacing of a song. For this reason, it is important for a bass guitarist to have an excellent sense of rhythm. Harmonically, the bass guitarist works with the guitarist and singer to add depth and resonance to the song. The bassist may alter the tone of a song by intentionally playing something that fails to harmonize with the guitar.

Bibliography

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