The bass guitar
(also called electric bass,or simply bass;
pron.: /ˈbeɪs/) is a
stringed instrument played primarily with the
fingers or
thumb, by plucking,
slapping, popping, tapping, thumping, or
picking.
The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an
electric guitar, but with a longer
neck and
scale length, and four, five, six, or eight
strings. The four-string bass—by far the most common—is usually tuned the same as the
double bass,
which corresponds to pitches one
octave lower than the four lower strings of a guitar (E, A, D, and G).
The bass guitar is a
transposing instrument, as it is notated in
bass clef an octave higher than it sounds (as is the double bass) to avoid excessive
ledger lines. Like the electric guitar, the bass guitar is plugged into an
amplifier and speaker for live performances.
Since the 1960s, the bass guitar has largely replaced the
double bass in
popular music as the bass instrument in the
rhythm section.
While the types of
basslines
performed by the bassist vary widely from one style of music to
another, the bassist fulfills a similar role in most types of music:
anchoring the harmonic framework and establishing the beat. The bass
guitar is used in many styles of music including
rock,
metal,
pop,
punk rock,
country,
reggae,
gospel,
blues, and
jazz. It is used as a soloing instrument in jazz,
fusion,
Latin,
funk, and in some rock and metal styles.
History
1930s–1940s
Musical instrument inventor Paul Tutmarc outside his music store in Seattle, Washington
In the 1930s, musician and
inventor Paul Tutmarc from
Seattle,
Washington, developed the first electric string bass in its modern form, a
fretted
instrument designed to be held and played horizontally. The 1935 sales
catalog for Tutmarc's electronic musical instrument company, Audiovox,
featured his "Model 736 Bass
Fiddle", a four-stringed, solid-bodied, fretted electric bass instrument with a 30½-inch scale length.
[8]
The alteration to a "guitar" form made the instrument easier to hold
and transport, and the addition of frets enabled bassists to play in
tune more easily. Around 100 of these instruments were made during this
period.
Around 1947, Tutmarc's son, Bud, began marketing a similar bass under
the Serenader brand name, prominently advertised in the nationally
distributed L.D. Heater Co. wholesale jobber catalogue of '48. However,
the Tutmarc family inventions did not achieve market success.
1950s
In the 1950s,
Leo Fender, with the help of his employee George Fullerton, developed the first mass-produced electric bass.
His
Fender Precision Bass,
introduced in 1951, became a widely copied industry standard. The
Precision Bass (or "P-bass") evolved from a simple, uncontoured "slab"
body design similar to that of a
Telecaster with a
single coil pickup,
to a contoured body design with beveled edges for comfort and a single
four-pole "single coil pickup." This "split pickup", introduced in 1957,
appears to have been two mandolin pickups (Fender was marketing a four
string solid body electric mandolin at the time). Because the pole
pieces of the coils were reversed with respect to each other, and the
leads were also reversed with respect to each other, the two coils,
wired in series, produced a
humbucking effect (the same effect is achieved if the coils are wired in parallel).
The "Fender Bass" was a revolutionary new instrument, one that could
easily be played by an electric guitarist, could be easily transported
to a gig, and could be amplified to just about any volume without
feeding back".
Monk Montgomery was the first bass player to tour with the Fender bass guitar, with
Lionel Hampton's postwar
big band.
Roy Johnson, and
Shifty Henry with
Louis Jordan & His
Tympany Five, were other early Fender bass pioneers.
Bill Black, playing with
Elvis Presley, adopted the Fender Precision Bass around 1957.
Following Fender's lead,
Gibson released the first short scale
violin-shaped
electric bass with extendable end pin in 1953, allowing it to be played
upright or horizontally. Gibson renamed the Electric Bass in 1958 as
the
EB-1 (The EB-1 was reissued around 1970, but this time without the end pin.)
Also in 1958 Gibson released the maple arched top EB-2 described in the
Gibson catalogue as
A hollow-body electric bass that features a Bass/Baritone pushbutton for two different tonal characteristics.
[14] In 1959 these were followed by the more conventional-looking
EB-0 Bass. The EB-0 was very similar to a
Gibson SG
in appearance (although the earliest examples have a slab-sided body
shape closer to that of the double-cutaway Les Paul Special).
Whereas Fender basses had pickups mounted in positions in between the
base of the neck and the top of the bridge, many of Gibson's early
basses featured one
humbucking pickup mounted directly against the neck pocket. The
EB-3,
introduced in 1961, also had a "mini-humbucker" at the bridge position.
Gibson basses also tended to be smaller, sleeker instruments; Gibson
did not produce a 34" scale bass until 1963 with the release of the
Thunderbird,
which was also the first Gibson bass to use dual-humbucking pickups in a
more traditional position, about halfway between the neck and bridge. A
small number of other companies also began manufacturing bass guitars
during the 1950s:
Kay in 1952, and
Danelectro in 1956;
1956 saw the appearance at the German trade fair "Musikmesse Frankfurt" of the distinctive
Höfner 500/1 violin bass made using violin construction techniques by Walter
Höfner, a second generation violin luthier.
The instrument is often known as the "Beatle Bass", due to its endorsement by
Paul McCartney.
In 1957
Rickenbacker introduced the model 4000 bass,
the first bass to feature a neck-through-body design; the Fender and Gibson versions used bolt-on and glued-on necks.
1960s
With the explosion of the popularity of rock music in the 1960s, many more manufacturers began making electric basses.
First introduced in 1960, the
Fender Jazz Bass was known as the Deluxe Bass and was meant to accompany the
Jazzmaster
guitar. The Jazz Bass (often referred to as a "J-bass") featured two
single-coil pickups, one close to the bridge and one in the Precision
bass' split coil pickup position. The earliest production basses had a
'stacked' volume and tone control for each pickup. This was soon changed
to the familiar configuration of a volume control for each pickup, and a
single, passive tone control. The Jazz Bass' neck was narrower at the
nut than the Precision bass (1½" versus 1¾").
1970s Fender Jazz Bass with maple fretboard
Another visual difference that set the Jazz Bass apart from the
Precision is its "offset-waist" body. Pickup shapes on electric basses
are often referred to as "P" or "J" pickups in reference to the visual
and electrical differences between the Precision Bass and Jazz Bass
pickups. Significantly, Fender chose to label the headstock of this model with a decal noting Jazz Bass Electric Bass.
Fender also began production of the
Mustang Bass; a 30" scale length instrument used by bassists such as
Tina Weymouth of
Talking Heads and
Bill Wyman of
The Rolling Stones
("P" and "J" basses have a scale length of 34", a design echoed on most
current production electric basses of all makes). In the 1950s and
1960s, the instrument was often called the "Fender bass", due to
Fender's early dominance in the market.
Gibson introduced the short-scale (30.5") bass the
Gibson EB-3 in 1961, favoured by
Jack Bruce of
Cream.
1970s
A Rickenbacker 4001 bass.
The 1970s saw the founding of
Music Man Instruments by Tom Walker, Forrest White and Leo Fender, which produced the
StingRay,
the first widely produced bass with active (powered) electronics. This
amounts to an impedance buffering pre-amplifier on board the instrument
to lower the output impedance of the bass's pickup circuit, increasing
low-end output, and overall frequency response (more lows and highs).
Specific models became identified with particular styles of music, such
as the Rickenbacker 4001 series, which became identified with
progressive rock bassists like
Chris Squire of
Yes, and
Geddy Lee of
Rush, while the StingRay was used by
Louis Johnson of the funk band
The Brothers Johnson.
In 1971,
Alembic
established the template for what became known as "boutique" or
"high-end" electric bass guitars. These expensive, custom-tailored
instruments, as used by
Phil Lesh,
Jack Casady,
and Stanley Clarke, featured unique designs, premium hand-finished wood
bodies, onboard electronics for preamplification and equalization, and
innovative construction techniques such as multi-laminate
neck-through-body construction and graphite necks. In the mid-1970s, Alembic and other boutique bass manufacturers, such as
Tobias, produced four-string and five-string basses with a low "B" string. In 1975, bassist
Anthony Jackson commissioned luthier
Carl Thompson to build a six-string bass tuned (low to high) B0, E1, A1, D2, G2, C3.
1980s–2000s
An early 1980s-era Steinberger headless bass
In the 1980s, bass designers continued to explore new approaches.
Ned Steinberger introduced a headless bass in 1979 and continued his innovations in the 1980s, using
graphite and other new materials and (in 1984) introducing the
TransTrem tremolo bar. In 1987, the Guild Guitar Corporation launched the fretless
Ashbory bass,
which used silicone rubber strings and a piezoelectric pickup to
achieve a "double bass" sound with a short 18" scale length. In the late
1980s,
MTV's "Unplugged" show, which featured bands performing with acoustic instruments, helped to popularize hollow-bodied
acoustic bass guitars amplified with pickups.
During the 1990s, as five-string basses became more widely available
and more affordable, an increasing number of bassists in genres ranging
from
metal to
gospel
began using five-string instruments for added lower range—a low "B". As
well, onboard battery-powered electronics such as preamplifiers and
equalizer circuits, which were previously only available on expensive
"boutique" instruments, became increasingly available on modestly priced
basses.
In the 2000s (decade), some bass manufacturers included
digital modelling circuits inside the instrument to recreate tones and sounds from many models of basses (e.g.,
Line 6's Variax bass). Traditional bass designs such as the
Fender Precision Bass and
Fender Jazz Bass remained popular in the 2000s (decade); in 2011, a 60th Anniversary P-bass was introduced by
Fender, along with the re-introduction of the short-scale
Fender Jaguar Bass.
Design considerations
Bass bodies are typically made of wood, although other materials such as
graphite (for example, some of the
Steinberger designs) have also been used. While a wide variety of
woods are suitable for use in the body, neck, and fretboard of the bass guitar, the most common type of wood used for the body is
alder, for the neck is
maple, and for the fretboard is
rosewood.
Other commonly used woods include mahogany, maple, ash, walnut, and
poplar for bodies, mahogany for necks, and maple and ebony for
fretboards.
Other design options include finishes, such as lacquer, wax and oil; flat and carved designs;
Luthier-produced custom-designed instruments; headless basses, which have tuning machines in the bridge of the instrument (e.g.,
Steinberger and
Hohner designs) and several artificial materials such as
luthite. The use of artificial materials (e.g.,
BassLab)
allows for unique production techniques such as die-casting, to produce
complex body shapes. While most basses have solid bodies, they can also
include hollow chambers to increase the resonance or reduce the weight
of the instrument. Some basses are built with entirely hollow bodies,
which change the tone and resonance of the instrument.
Acoustic bass guitars are typically equipped with piezoelectric or magnetic pickups and amplified.
Instruments handmade by highly skilled
luthiers are becoming increasingly available. Exotic materials include woods such as
bubinga,
wenge,
ovangkol,
ebony and
goncalo alves.
Graphite composite is used to make lightweight necks
[18][19]
Exotic woods are used on more expensive instruments: for example,
Alembic uses cocobolo as a body or top layer material because of its
attractive grain. Warwick bass guitars are also well known for exotic
hardwoods: most of the necks are made of ovangkol, and the fingerboards
wenge or ebony. Solid bubinga bodies are also used for tonal and
aesthetic qualities.
A common feature of more expensive basses is "neck-through"
construction. Instead of milling the body from a single piece of wood
(or "bookmatched" halves) and then attaching the neck into a pocket
(so-called "bolt-on" design), neck-through bases are constructed first
by assembling the neck, which may comprise one, three, five or more
layers of wood in vertical stripes, which are longer than the length of
the fretboard. To this elongated neck, the body is attached as two
wings, which may also be made up of several layers. The entire bass is then milled and shaped. Many players believe
neck-through construction provides better sustain and a mellower tone than
bolt-on
neck construction. While neck-through construction is most common in
handmade "boutique" basses, some models of mass-produced basses such as
Ibanez's BTB series also have neck-through construction. Bolt-on neck
construction doesn't necessarily imply a cheaply made instrument;
virtually all traditional Fender designs still use bolt-on necks for
instruments costing thousands of dollars, and many boutique luthiers
will build bolt-on basses as well as neck-through.
The long scale necks on Leo Fender's basses—with a
scale length (distance between
nut and
bridge) of 34 inches—set the standard for electric basses, although 30 inch "short scale" instruments, such as the
Höfner 500/1 "violin bass" played by
Paul McCartney, and the
Fender Mustang Bass
are also common. While 35", 35.5" and 36" scale lengths were once only
available in "boutique" instruments, in the 2000s (decade), many
manufacturers began offering these "extra long" scale lengths. This
extra long scale provides a higher string tension, which may yield a
more defined tone on the low "B" string of five- and six-stringed
instruments (or detuned four-string basses).
Fretted and fretless basses
A fretless bass with flatwound strings; markers are inlaid into the side
of the fingerboard, to aid the performer in finding the correct pitch.
Another design consideration for the bass is whether to use
frets on the fingerboard. On a fretted bass, the frets divide the fingerboard into
semitone divisions (as on a guitar). The original Fender basses had 20 frets, but modern basses may have 24 or more.
Fretless basses
have a distinct sound, because the absence of frets means that the
string must be pressed down directly onto the wood of the fingerboard as
with the
double bass.
The string buzzes against the wood and is somewhat muted because the
sounding portion of the string is in direct contact with the flesh of
the player's finger. The fretless bass allows players to use the
expressive devices of
glissando,
vibrato and microtonal intonations such as
quarter tones and
just intonation.
Some bassists use both fretted and fretless basses in performances,
according to the type of material they are performing, as with
Pino Palladino, whose performance on the fretless bass during the 1980s made him a highly desirable
session player backing high profile musicians that included
Eric Clapton and
David Gilmour. However, the late 1990s showed a shift toward fretted basses as well, as he branched out into a wide variety of
genres. While fretless basses are often associated with
jazz and
jazz fusion, bassists from other genres use fretless basses, such as metal bassist
Steve DiGiorgio and
Colin Edwin of modern/progressive rock band
Porcupine Tree as well as
Tony Levin, studio bassist & live bassist for
Peter Gabriel throughout his post-
Genesis solo career.
The first fretless bass guitar was made by
Bill Wyman in 1961 when he converted an inexpensive Japanese fretted bass by removing the frets.
[20][21] The first production fretless bass was the
Ampeg AUB-1 introduced in 1966, and Fender introduced a fretless Precision Bass in 1970. Around 1970,
Rick Danko from
The Band began to use an Ampeg fretless, which he modified with Fender pickups—as heard on the 1971
Cahoots studio album and the
Rock of Ages album
recorded live in 1971.
Danko said, "It's a challenge to play fretless because you have to really use your ear."
In the early 1970s, fusion-jazz bassist
Jaco Pastorius created his own fretless bass by removing the frets
from a Fender Jazz Bass, filling the holes with wood putty, and coating the fretboard with epoxy resin.
Some fretless basses have "fret line" markers inlaid in the fingerboard
as a guide, while others only use guide marks on the side of the neck.
Tapewound (double bass type) and flatwound strings are sometimes used
with the fretless bass so the metal string windings do not wear down
the
fingerboard. Some fretless basses have epoxy coated fingerboards to increase the fingerboard' durability, enhance
sustain,
and give a brighter tone. Although most fretless basses have four
strings, five-string and six-string fretless basses are also available.
Fretless basses with more than six strings are also available as
"boutique" or custom-made instruments.
Strings and tuning
The tuning machines (with spiral metal
worm gears) are mounted on the back of the headstock on the bass guitar neck.
The standard design for the electric bass guitar has four
strings,
tuned E, A, D and G, in fourths such that the open highest string, G,
is an eleventh (an octave and a fourth) below middle C, making the
tuning of all four strings the same as that of the
double bass.
This tuning is also the same as the standard tuning on the lower four
strings on a six-string guitar, only an octave lower. String types
include all-metal strings (
roundwound,
flatwound,
halfwound, ground wound, and pressure wound);
as well as metal strings with different coverings, such as tapewound
and plastic-coatings. The variety of materials used in the strings gives
bass players a range of tonal options. In the 1950s and early 1960s,
bassists mostly used flatwound strings with a smooth surface, which had a
smooth, damped sound reminiscent of a double bass. In the late 1960s
and 1970s, roundwound bass strings similar to guitar strings became
popular, though flatwounds also continue to be popular. Roundwounds have
a brighter
timbre with longer
sustain than flatwounds.
A number of other tuning options and bass types have been used to
extend the range of the instrument. The most common are four, five, or
six strings:
Washburn XB600, a six string bass
- Four strings with alternative tunings to obtain an extended lower range. Tuning in fifths e.g., CGDA gives an extended upper and lower range.
Note positions on a right-handed four-string bass in standard EADG
tuning. The dots below the frets are often inlaid into the wood of bass
necks, as a visual aid to help the player find different positions.
- Five strings usually tuned B0-E1-A1-D2-G2, which provides
extended lower range. Five string basses tuned to B-E-A-D-G (and
sometimes A-D-G-C-F) are often used in contemporary rock and metal alongside seven string guitars, baritone guitars,
and otherwise downtuned instruments. Another common tuning used on
early five-string basses is E-A-D-G-C, known as "tenor tuning". This is
still a popular tuning for jazz
and solo bass. Other tunings such as C-E-A-D-G are used though rare.
The fifth string provides a greater lower range (if a low B or A is
used) or a greater upper range (if a high C string is added) than the
four-string bass, and gives access to more notes for any given hand
position. The earliest five string was created by Fender in 1965. The Fender Bass V had the E-A-D-G-C tuning, but was unpopular and discontinued in 1970. The common low B five string was created by Jimmy Johnson as a custom instrument in 1975. He bought an EADGC 5-string Alembic bass, replaced the nut, and used a new, thick low B string from GHS to accommodate the instrument accordingly. Steinberger made a 5-string headless instrument called the L-2/5 in 1982, and later Yamaha offered the first production model as the BB5000 in 1984.
- Six strings are usually tuned B0-E1-A1-D2-G2-C3—like a
four-string bass with an additional low "B" string and a high "C"
string. Some players prefer B0-E1-A1-D2-F♯2-B2,
which preserves the intervals of standard guitar tuning and makes the
highest and lowest string the same note two octaves apart. While less
common than four or five-string basses, they appear in Latin, jazz, and
other genres, as well as in studio work where a single instrument must
be highly versatile. Alternative tunings for six-string bass include
B-E-A-D-G-B, matching the first five strings of an acoustic or electric
guitar, and EADGBE, completely matching the tuning of a six-string
guitar but one octave lower allowing the use of guitar chord fingerings.
Rarer tunings such as EADGCF and F#BEADG provide a lower or higher
range in a given position while maintaining consistent string intervals.
The original six-string bass was the LongHorn6[citation needed], created by Danelectro in 1958, as a guitar tuned down an octave (EADGBE). In 1974, Anthony Jackson worked with Carl Thompson to create the Contrabass guitar (BEADGC). Later, Jackson brought his ideas to Fodera in cooperation with Ken Smith to create a wider-spaced Contrabass guitar, which evolved to the modern six-string bass.
- Eight- and twelve-string models are both built on the same course string concept found on twelve-string guitar, where sets of strings are spaced together in groups of two or three, to be played simultaneously.
- Detuners, such as the Hipshot,
are mechanical devices operated by the thumb on the fretting hand that
allow one or more strings to be quickly detuned to a pre-set lower
pitch. Hipshots are typically used to drop the "E"-string down to "D" on
a four string bass.
Alternative range approaches
A seven-string fretless bass
Some bassists have used other types of tuning methods to obtain an
extended range or other benefits such as providing multiple octaves of
notes at any given position, as well as a significantly larger tonal
range. Instrument types or tunings used for this purpose include basses with fewer than four strings (one-string bass guitars,
two-string bass guitars, three-string bass guitars [tuned to E-A-D]
alternative tunings (e.g., tenor bass,
piccolo bass,
and guitar-tuned basses)
and 8, 10, 12 and 15-string basses, which are built on the same principle as the
12-string guitar, where the strings are grouped into "courses" tuned in unison or octaves, to be played simultaneously.
Extended Range Basses
(ERBs) are basses with six to twelve strings—with the additional
strings used for range rather than unison or octave pairs. A
seven-string bass (B0-E1-A1-D2-G2-C3-F3) was built by luthier Michael
Tobias in 1987. This instrument, commissioned by bassist Garry Goodman,
was an early example of a bass with more than six single course strings.
In 1999 South American ERB player
Igor Saavedra designed one of the firsts 8 string ERBs known, and asked Luthier Alfonso Iturra to build it for him.
Conklin builds eight- and nine-string basses.
The Guitarbass is a ten-string instrument with four bass strings (tuned E-A-D-G) and six guitar strings (tuned E-A-D-G-B-E).
Luthier Michael Adler built the first 11-string bass in 2004 and
completed the first single-course 12-string bass in 2005. Adler's 11-
and 12-string instruments have the same range as a grand piano.
Sub-contra basses, such as C#-F#-B-E ("C#" being at 17.32 Hz (C♯0))
have been created.
Ibanez
had released SR7VIISC in 2009, featuring a 30" scale and narrower
width, and tuned as B-E-A-D-G-C-E; the company dubbed it a cross between
bass and guitar.
In 2011 Warwick released a new Thumb NT 7 bass for Jeroen Paul
Thesseling, featuring a 34" scale with sub-contra tuning F#-B-E-A-D-G-C.
Yves Carbonne developed 10 and 12 string fretless sub-bass guitars.
[41][42][43]
Pickups and amplification
- For more information on pickups, see Pick up (music technology).
Magnetic pickups
Most electric bass guitars use magnetic pickups. The vibrations of
the instrument's ferrous metal strings within the magnetic field of the
permanent magnets in magnetic
pickups
produce small variations in the magnetic flux threading the coils of
the pickups. This in turn produces small electrical voltages in the
coils. These low-level signals are then amplified and played through a
speaker. Since the 1980s, basses are often available with
battery-powered "active" electronics that boost the signal, provide
equalization controls to boost or cut bass and treble frequencies, or
both.
- "Precision" pickups (which refers to the original Fender Precision Bass), which are also referred to as "P pickups", are two distinct single-coil
pickups. Each is offset a small amount along the length of the body so
that each half is underneath two strings. The pickups are reverse-wound
with reversed magnetic polarity to reduce hum. This makes the 'P' pickup
a humbucking single coil pickup. Less common is the "single-coil P" pickup, used on the original 1951 Fender Precision bass.
P-style pickups are generally placed in the "neck" or "middle"
position, but some luthiers and performers have used P pickups in the
bridge position, or in between two jazz pickups.
- "Jazz" pickups (referring to the original Fender Jazz Bass),
also referred to as "J pickups", are wider eight-pole pickups that lie
underneath all four strings. J pickups are typically single-coil
designs, although there are a large number of humbucking designs.
Traditionally, two of them are used, one of them near the bridge and
another closer to the neck. As with the halves of P-pickups, the
J-pickups are reverse-wound with reverse magnetic polarity. As a result
they have hum canceling properties when used at the same volume, with
hum cancellation decreasing when the pickups are used at unequal volume
and altogether absent when each pickup is used individually. 'J' Style
pickups tend to have a lower output and a thinner sound than 'P' Style
pickups making it perfect for most rock music. Many bassists choose to
combine a 'J' pickup at the bridge and a 'P' pickup at the neck, to be
'blended' together for a unique sound.
- "Dual Coil" (Humbucker) pickups,
also known as "DC pickups", have two signal producing coils that are
reverse wound around opposed polarity magnets (similar in principle to
the two individual J-pickups). This significantly reduces noise from
interference compared to single coil pickups. Humbuckers also often
produce a higher output level than single coil pickups. Dual coil
pickups come in two main varieties; ceramic or ceramic and steel.
Ceramic only magnets have a relatively harsher sound than their ceramic
and steel counterparts, and are thus used more commonly in heavier rock
styles.
- A well-known bass humbucker is the pickup used on the Music Man
series of basses; it has two coils, each with four large polepieces.
This style is known as the "MM" pickup for this reason, and many
aftermarket pickup manufacturers and custom builders incorporate these
pickups in their designs. The most common configurations are a single
pickup at the bridge, two pickups similar in placement to a Jazz Bass,
or an MM pickup at the bridge with a single-coil pickup (often a "J") at
the neck. These pickups can often be "tapped", meaning one of the two
coils can be essentially turned off, giving a sound similar to a
single-coil pickup.
- "Soapbar" Pickups are so-named due to their resemblance to a bar of soap and originally referred to the Gibson P-90
guitar pickup. The term is also used to describe any pickup with a
rectangular shape and no visible pole pieces; most of the pickups
falling into this category are humbucking. They are commonly found in
basses designed for the rock and metal genres, such as Gibson, ESP Guitars, and Schecter,
however they are also found on 5- and 6-string basses made popular by
jazz and fusion music, such as Yamaha's TRB and various Peavey model
lines. 'Soapbar pickups' are also called 'extended housing pickups'.
Many basses have just one pickup, typically a "P" or soapbar pickup.
Multiple pickups are also quite common, two of the most common
configurations being a "P" near the neck and a "J" near the bridge
(e.g., Fender Precision Bass Special, Fender Precision Bass Plus), or
two "J" pickups (e.g., Fender Jazz). A two-"soapbar" configuration is
also very common, especially on basses by makes such as
Ibanez and
Yamaha.
A combination of a J or other single-coil pickup at the neck and a
Music Man-style humbucker in the bridge has become popular among
boutique builders, giving a very bright, focused tone that is good for
jazz, funk and thumbstyle.
Some basses use more unusual pickup configurations, such as a soapbar and a "P" pickup (found on some Fenders),
Stu Hamm's "Urge" basses, which have a "P" pickup sandwiched between two "J" pickups, and some of
Bootsy Collins'
custom basses, which had as many as 5 J pickups. Another unusual pickup
configuration is found on some of the custom basses that
Billy Sheehan uses, in which there is one humbucker at the neck and a split-coil pickup at the middle position.
The placement of the pickup greatly affects the sound. A pickup near
the neck joint emphasizes the fundamental and low-order harmonics and
thus produces a deeper, bassier sound, while a pickup near the bridge
emphasizes higher-order harmonics and makes a "tighter" or "sharper"
sound. Usually basses with multiple pickups allow blending of the output
from the pickups, with electrical and acoustical interactions between
the two pickups (such as partial phase cancellations) allowing a range
of tonal effects.
Non-magnetic pickups
The use of non-magnetic pickups allows bassists to use non-ferrous strings such as nylon, brass or even
silicone rubber, which create different tones.
- Piezoelectric pickups (also called "piezo" pickups) are non-magnetic pickups that use a transducer
to convert vibrations in the instrument's body or bridge into an
electrical signal. They are typically mounted under the bridge saddle or
near the bridge and produce a different tone from magnetic pickups,
often similar to that of an acoustic bass. Piezo pickups are often used
in acoustic bass guitars to allow for amplification without a
microphone.
- Optical pickups are another type of non-magnetic pickup. They use an infrared LED
to optically track the movement of the string, which allows them to
reproduce low-frequency tones at high volumes without the "hum" or
excessive resonance associated with conventional magnetic pickups. Since
optical pickups do not pick up high frequencies or percussive sounds
well, they are commonly paired with piezoelectric pickups to fill in the
missing frequencies. LightWave Systems builds basses with optical
pickups.
Amplification and effects
This amplification setup is a "bass stack" approach, in which an
amplifier (in this case a Hartke 5000) is plugged into separate speaker
cabinets.
Like the
electric guitar, the electric bass guitar is often connected to an amplifier and a speaker with a
patch cord
for live performances. Electric bassists use either a "combo"
amplifier, which combines an amplifier and a speaker in a single
cabinet, or an amplifier and a separate speaker cabinet (or cabinets).
In some cases, when the bass is used with large-scale
PA amplification, it is plugged into a
"DI" or
direct box, which routes the signal directly into a
mixing console,
and thence to the main and monitor speakers. Recording may use a
microphone setup for the amplified signal, a direct box that feeds the
recording console, or a mix of both.
Various electronic
bass effects such as
preamplifiers, "stomp box"-style pedals and
signal processors and the configuration of the
amplifier and
speaker can be used to alter the basic sound of the instrument. In the 1990s and early 2000s (decade), signal processors such as
equalizers,
overdrive devices, and
compressors or
limiters
became increasingly popular. Modulation effects like chorus, flanging,
phase shifting, and time effects such as delay and looping are less
commonly used with bass than with electric guitar, but they are used in
some styles of music.
Playing techniques
Sitting or standing
Most bass players stand while playing, although sitting is also
accepted, particularly in large ensemble settings, such as jazz big
bands or in acoustic genres such as folk music. Some bassists, such as
Jah Wobble,
will alternate between standing or seated playing. It is a matter of
the player's preference as to which position gives the greatest ease of
playing and what a bandleader expects. When sitting, right-handed
players can balance the instrument on the right thigh or like classical
guitar players, the left. Balancing the bass on the left thigh usually
positions it in such a way that it mimics the standing position,
allowing for less difference between the standing and sitting positions.
Balancing the bass on the right thigh provides better access to the
neck and fretboard in its entirety, especially lower frets.
Performing techniques
In contrast to the upright bass (or double bass), the electric bass
guitar is played horizontally across the body, like an electric guitar.
When the strings are plucked with the fingers (
pizzicato), the index and middle fingers (and sometimes with the thumb, ring, and little fingers as well) are used.
James Jamerson, an influential bassist from the
Motown
era, played intricate bass lines using only his index finger, which he
called "The Hook." There are also variations in how a bassist chooses to
rest the right-hand thumb (or left thumb in the case of left-handed
players). A player may rest his or her thumb on the top edge of one of
the pickups or on the side of the fretboard, which is especially common
among bassists who have an upright bass influence. Some bassists anchor
their thumbs on the lowest string and move it off to play on the low
string. Alternatively, the thumb can be rested loosely on the strings to
mute the unused strings.
The string can be plucked at any point between the bridge and the
point where the fretting hand is holding down the string; different
timbres
are produced depending on where along the string it is plucked. When
plucked closer to the bridge, the string produces more pronounced
harmonics, giving a brighter tone. Closer to the middle of the string
that harmonics are less pronounced, giving a more mellow tone.
Bassists trying to emulate the sound of a double bass sometimes pluck the strings with their thumb and use
palm-muting to create a short, "thumpy" tone. The late
Monk Montgomery (who played in Lionel Hampton's band) and
Bruce Palmer (who performed with
Buffalo Springfield)
use thumb downstrokes. The use of the thumb was acknowledged by early
Fender models, which came with a "thumbrest" or "Tug Bar" attached to
the pickguard below the strings. Contrary to its name, this was not used
to rest the thumb, but to provide leverage while using the thumb to
pluck the strings. The thumbrest was moved above the strings in 1970s
models (as a true thumbrest) and eliminated in the 1980s.
"Slap and pop"
The
slap and pop method, or "thumbstyle", most associated with
funk,
uses tones and percussive sounds achieved by striking, thumping, or
"slapping" a string with the thumb and snapping (or "popping") a string
or strings with the index or middle fingers. Bassists often interpolate
left hand-muted "
dead notes"
between the slaps and pops to achieve a rapid percussive effect, and
after a note is slapped or popped, the fretting hand may cause other
notes to sound by using "
hammer ons", "
pull offs", or a left-hand
glissando (slide).
Larry Graham of
Sly and the Family Stone and
Graham Central Station was an early innovator of the slap style, and
Louis Johnson of
The Brothers Johnson is also credited as an early slap bass player.
Slap and pop style is also used by many bassists in other genres, such as rock (e.g.,
J J Burnel and
Les Claypool), metal (e.g.,
Eric Langlois,
Martin Mendez,
Fieldy and
Ryan Martinie), and fusion (e.g.,
Marcus Miller,
Victor Wooten and
Alain Caron). Slap style playing was popularized throughout the 1980s and early 1990s by pop bass players such as
Mark King (from
Level 42) and rock bassists such as with
Pino Palladino (currently a member of the
John Mayer Trio and bassist for
The Who),
[45] Flea (from the
Red Hot Chili Peppers) and
Alex Katunich (from
Incubus).
Spank bass
developed from the slap and pop style and treats the electric bass as a
percussion instrument, striking the strings above the pickups with an
open palmed hand. Wooten popularized the "double thump," in which the
string is slapped twice, on the upstroke and a downstroke (for more
information, see
Classical Thump). A rarely used playing technique related to slapping is the use of wooden
dowel "
funk fingers", an approach popularized by
Tony Levin.
Picking techniques
The
pick (or
plectrum)
is used to obtain a more articulate attack, for speed, or just personal
preference. Although the use of a pick is primarily associated with
rock and
punk rock, picks are also used in other styles. Jazz bassist
Steve Swallow only plays with a pick, while
Pink Floyd bassist
Roger Waters
uses one for a heavier tone. Picks can be used with alternating
downstrokes and upstrokes, or with all downstrokes for a more consistent
attack. The pick is usually held with the index and thumb, with the
up-and-down plucking motion supplied by the wrist.
There are many varieties of picks available, but due to the thicker,
heavier strings of the electric bass, bassists tend to use heavier picks
than those used for electric guitar, typically ranging from
1.14 mm–3.00 mm (3.00 is unusual). Different materials are used for
picks, including plastic, nylon, and felt, all of which produce
different tones. Felt picks are used to emulate a fingerstyle tone.
Palm-muting techniques
Palm-muting is a widely used bass technique. The outer edge of the
palm of the picking hand is rested on the bridge while picking, and
“mutes” the strings, shortening the sustain time. The harder the palm
presses, or the more string area that is contacted by the palm, the
shorter the string’s sustain. The sustain of the picked note can be
varied for each note or phrase. The shorter sustain of a muted note on
an electric bass can be used to imitate the shorter sustain and
character of an upright bass. Palm-muting is commonly done while using a
pick, but can also be done without a pick, as when doing down-strokes
with the thumb.
One prominent example of the pick/palm-muting combination is
Paul McCartney, who has consistently used this technique for decades.
Sting also uses palm-muting; but often does so without a pick, using the thumb and first finger to pluck.
Fretting techniques
The fretting hand—the left hand for right-handed bass players and the
right hand for left-handed bass players—is used to press down the
strings to play different notes and shape the tone or timbre of a
plucked or picked note. The fundamental technique used in the fretting
hand is known as "a finger per fret", where each finger in the fretting
hand plays one fret in a given position.
[46]
Also, the double bass technique can be used for fretting. This
technique involves the use of four fingers in the space of three frets,
especially in the lower positions. The main advantage of the "four
fingers in three frets" technique is less tendon strain, leading to a
diminished likelihood of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
[47] The "four-in-three" technique is demonstrated in the image below (A bassist performing tapping).
The fretting hand can be used to change a sounded note, either by
fully muting it after it is plucked or picked to shorten its duration or
by partially muting it near the bridge to reduce the volume of the
note, or make the note die away faster. The fretting hand is often used
to mute strings that are not being played and stop the sympathetic
vibrations, particularly when the player wants a "dry" or "focused"
sound. On the other hand, the sympathetic resonance of harmonically
related strings may be desired for some songs, such as ballads. In these
cases, a bassist can fret harmonically related notes. For example,
while fretting a sustained "F" (on the third fret of the "D" string),
underneath an F major chord being played by a piano player, a bassist
might hold down the "C" and low "F" below this note so their harmonics
sound sympathetically.
The fretting hand can add
vibrato
to a plucked or picked note, either a gentle, narrow vibrato or a more
exaggerated, wide vibrato with bigger pitch variations. For fretted
basses, vibrato is always an alternation between the pitch of the note
and a slightly higher pitch. For fretless basses, the player can use
this style of vibrato, or they can alternate between the note and a
slightly lower pitch. While vibrato is mostly done on
"stopped" notes—that
is, notes that are pressed down on the fingerboard—open strings can
also be vibratoed by pressing down on the string behind the nut. As
well, the fretting hand can be used to "bend" a plucked or picked note
up in pitch. To create the opposite effect, a "bend down", the string is
pushed to a higher pitch before being plucked or picked and then
allowed to fall to the lower, regular pitch after it is sounded. Though
rare, some bassists may use a
tremolo bar-equipped bass to produce the same effect.
In addition to pressing down one note at a time, bassists can also
press down several notes at one time with their fretting hand to perform
a chord. While chords are used less often by bassists than by electric
guitarists, a variety of chords can be performed on the electric bass,
especially with instruments with higher ranges such as six-string
basses. Another variation to fully pressing down a string is to gently
graze the string with the finger at the
harmonic node points on the string, which creates chime-like upper partials.
Glissando
is an effect in which the fretting hand slides up or down the neck. A
subtle glissando can be performed by moving the fretting hand without
plucking or picking the string; for a more pronounced effect, the string
is plucked or picked first, or, in a metal or hardcore punk context, a
pick may be scraped along the sides of the strings.
The fretting hand can also be used to sound notes, either by
plucking an open string with the fretting hand, or, in the case of a string that has already been plucked or picked, by
"hammering on" a higher pitch or
"pulling off"
a finger to pluck a lower fretted or open stringed note. Jazz bassists
use a subtle form of fretting hand pizzicato by plucking a very brief
open string
grace note
with the fretting hand right before playing the string with the
plucking hand. When a string is rapidly hammered on, the note can be
prolonged into a
trill.
Two-handed tapping
A bassist performing tapping, in which notes are sounded by striking the strings against the fretboard
In the two-handed
tapping
styles, bassists use both hands to play notes on the fretboard by
rapidly pressing and holding the string to the fret. Instead of plucking
or picking the string to create a sound, in this technique, the action
of striking the string against the fret or the fretboard creates the
sound. Since two hands can be used to play on the fretboard, this makes
it possible to play interweaving
contrapuntal lines, to simultaneously play a bassline and a simple chord, or play
chords and arpeggios. Bassist
John Entwistle of
The Who tapped percussively on the strings, causing them to strike the fretboard with a twangy sound to create drum-style
fills. Players noted for this technique include
Cliff Burton,
Billy Sheehan,
Stuart Hamm,
John Myung,
Victor Wooten,
Les Claypool,
Mark King and
Michael Manring. The
Chapman Stick and
Warr Guitars are string instruments specifically designed to be played using two-handed tapping.
Uses
Popular music
Popular music bands and rock groups use the bass guitar as a member of the
rhythm section, which provides the
chord sequence or "
progression" and sets out the "
beat" for the song. The rhythm section typically consists of a
rhythm guitarist or
electric keyboard player, or both, a bass guitarist and a
drummer; larger groups may add additional guitarists, keyboardists, or percussionists. The types of
basslines
performed by the bass guitarist vary widely from one style of music to
another. Despite all of the differences in the styles of bassline, in
most styles of popular music, the bass guitarist fulfills a similar
role: anchoring the harmonic framework (often by emphasizing the roots
of the chord progression) and laying down the beat (in collaboration
with the drummer). The importance of the bass guitarist and the bass
line varies in different styles of music. In some pop styles, such as
1980s-era pop and musical theater, the bass sometimes plays a relatively
simple part, and the music forefronts the vocals and melody
instruments. In contrast, in
reggae, funk, or hip-hop, entire songs may be centered on the bass groove, and the bassline is usually very prominent in the mix.
In traditional
country music,
folk rock, and related styles, the bass often plays the roots and fifth of each chord in alternation. In Chicago
blues, the electric bass often performs a
walking bassline made up of scales and arpeggios. In
blues rock bands, the bassist often plays
blues scale-based riffs and chugging
boogie-style lines. In
metal, the bass guitar may perform complex
riffs along with the rhythm guitarist or play a low, rumbling
pedal point to anchor the group's sound.
The bass guitarist sometimes breaks out of the strict rhythm section role to perform
bass breaks
or bass solos. The types of basslines used for bass breaks or bass
solos vary by style. In a rock band, a bass break may consist of the
bassist playing a
riff or
lick during a pause in the song. In some styles of metal, a bass break may consist of "
shred guitar"-style
tapping on the bass. In a
funk or funk rock band, a bass solo may showcase the bassist's percussive
slap and pop playing. In genres such as
progressive rock,
art rock, or
progressive metal, the bass guitar player may play
melody lines along with the
lead guitar (or vocalist) and perform extended
guitar solos. Other contemporary musicians such as
Edo Castro
have taken the electric bass, including 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 strings,
into a new and evolving genre centered entirely around the bass itself.
Jazz and jazz fusion
The electric bass is a relative newcomer to the world of
jazz. The
big bands of the 1930s and 1940s
Swing era and the small combos of the 1950s
Bebop and
Hard Bop movements all used the
double bass. The electric bass was introduced during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when rock influences were blended with jazz to create
jazz-rock fusion.
The introduction of the electric bass in jazz fusion, as in the rock
world, enabled the bass to be used in high-volume stadium concerts with
powerful amplifiers, because it is much easier to amplify the electric
bass than the double bass (the latter is prone to feedback in
high-volume settings). The electric bass has both an accompaniment and a
soloing role in
jazz. In accompaniment, the bassist may perform
walking basslines for traditional tunes and "
jazz standards", playing smooth quarter note lines that imitate the double bass. For
latin or
salsa
tunes and rock-infused jazz fusion tunes, the electric bass may play
rapid, syncopated rhythmic figures in coordination with the drummer, or
lay down a low, heavy groove.
In a jazz setting, the electric bass tends to have a much more
expansive solo role than in most popular styles. In most rock settings,
the bass guitarist may only have a few short bass breaks or brief solos
during a concert. During a jazz concert, a jazz bassist may have a
number of lengthy improvised solos, which are called "blowing" in jazz
parlance. Whether a jazz bassist is comping (accompanying) or soloing,
they usually aim to create a rhythmic drive and "timefeel" that creates a
sense of "
swing" and "
groove". For information on notable jazz bassists, see the
List of jazz bassists article.
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
uses both the standard instruments of Western Art music (piano, violin,
double bass, etc.) and newer instruments or sound producing devices,
ranging from electrically amplified instruments to tape players and
radios. The electric bass guitar has occasionally been used in
contemporary classical music (art music) since the late 1960s.
Contemporary composers often obtained unusual sounds or instrumental
timbres through the use of non-traditional (or unconventional)
instruments or playing techniques. As such, bass guitarists playing
contemporary classical music may be instructed to pluck or strum the
instrument in unusual ways.
Russian and Soviet composer
Alfred Schnittke, pictured here in 1989, used electric bass for his Symphony no. 1 (1972).
American composers using electric bass in the 1960s included experimental classical music composer
Christian Wolff (born 1934) (
Electric Spring 1, 1966;
Electric Spring 2, 1966/70;
Electric Spring 3, 1967; and
Untitled, 1996);
Francis Thorne, a student of Paul Hindemith at Yale University (born 1922), who wrote (
Liebesrock 1968–69); and
Krzysztof Penderecki (Cello Concerto no. 1, 1966/67, rev. 1971/72),
The Devils of Loudun, 1969;
Kosmogonia, 1970; and
Partita, 1971),
Louis Andriessen (
Spektakel, 1970;
De Staat, 1972–76;
Hoketus, 1976;
De Tijd, 1980–81 and
De Materie, 1984–1988). European composers who began scoring for the bass guitar in the 1960s included Danish composer
Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (born 1932) (
Symfoni på Rygmarven, 1966;
Rerepriser, 1967; and
Piece by Piece, 1968);
Irwin Bazelon (
Churchill Downs, 1970).
In the 1970s, electric bass was used by the American conductor-composer
Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) for his
MASS (1971). American jazz pianist
Dave Brubeck used bass guitar for his 1971 piece
Truth Has Fallen.
Russian and
Soviet composer
Alfred Schnittke used the instrument for his Symphony no. 1, 1972. In 1977,
David Amram (born 1930) scored for electric bass in
En memoria de Chano Pozo. Amram is an American composer known for his eclectic use of jazz, ethnic and folk music.
In the 1980s and 1990s, electric bass was used in works by
Hans Werner Henze (
El Rey de Harlem, 1980; and
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria, 1981),
Harold Shapero,
On Green Mountain (Chaconne after Monteverdi), 1957, orchestrated 1981;
Steve Reich's
Electric Counterpoint (1987),
Wolfgang Rihm (
Die Eroberung von Mexico, 1987–91),
Arvo Pärt (
Miserere, 1989/92),
Steve Martland (
Danceworks, 1993; and
Horses of Instruction, 1994),
Sofia Gubaidulina (
Aus dem Stundenbuch, 1991),
Giya Kancheli (
Wingless, 1993),
John Adams (
I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, 1995; and
Scratchband, 1996/97), and
Michael Nyman (various works for the
Michael Nyman Band).
Pedagogy and training
The pedagogy and training for the electric bass varies widely by
genre and country. Rock and pop bass has a history of pedagogy dating
back to the 1950s and 1960s, when method books were developed to help
students learn the instrument. One notable method book was
Carol Kaye's
How to Play the Electric Bass.
In the jazz scene, since the bass guitar takes on much of the same
role as the double bass—laying down the rhythm, and outlining the
harmonic foundation—electric bass players have long used both bass
guitar methods and jazz double bass method books. The use of jazz double
bass method books by electric bass players in jazz is facilitated in
that jazz methods tend to emphasize improvisation techniques (e.g., how
to improvise
walking basslines) and rhythmic exercises rather than specific ways of holding or plucking the instrument.
Formal training
Of all of the genres, jazz and the mainstream commercial genres
(rock, R&B, etc.) have the most established and comprehensive
systems of instruction and training for electric bass. In the jazz
scene, teens can begin taking private lessons on the instrument and
performing in amateur big bands at high schools or run by the community.
Young adults who aspire to becoming professional jazz bassists or
studio rock bassists can continue their studies in a variety of formal
training settings, including colleges and some universities.
Several colleges offer electric bass training in the US. The Bass
Institute of Technology (BIT) in Los Angeles was founded in 1978, as
part of the Musician's Institute.
Chuck Rainey (electric bassist for
Aretha Franklin and
Marvin Gaye)
was BIT's first director. BIT was one of the earliest professional
training program for electric bassists. The program teaches a range of
modern styles, including funk, rock, jazz, Latin, and R&B.
The
Berklee College of Music
in Boston offers training for electric bass players. Electric bass
students get private lessons and there is a choice of over 270 ensembles
to play in. Specific electric bass courses include funk/fusion styles
for bass; slap techniques for electric bass; fingerstyle R&B; five-
and six-string electric bass playing (including performing chords); and
how to read bass sheet music.
Berklee College alumni include
Jeff Andrews,
Victor Bailey,
Jeff Berlin,
Michael Manring, and
Neil Stubenhaus.
The Bass Department has two rooms with bass amps for classes and ten
private lesson studios equipped with audio recording gear. Berklee
offers instruction for the four-, five-, and six-string electric bass,
the fretless bass, and double bass. "Students learn concepts in Latin,
funk, Motown, and hip-hop,...jazz, rock, and fusion."
In Canada, the
Humber College
Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning offers an Advanced
Diploma (a three-year program) in jazz and commercial music. The program
accepts performers who play bass, guitar, keyboard, drums, melody
instruments (e.g., saxophone, flute, violin) and who sing. Students get
private lessons and perform in 40 student ensembles.
[49]
Although there are far fewer university programs that offer electric
bass instruction in jazz and popular music, some universities offer
Bachelor's degrees (
B.Mus.) and Master of Music (
M.Mus.) degrees in jazz performance or "commercial music", where electric bass can be the main instrument. In the US, the
Manhattan School of Music
has a jazz program leading to B.Mus. and M.Mus degrees that accepts
students who play bass (double bass and electric bass), guitar, piano,
drums, and melody instruments (e.g., saxophone, trumpet, etc.).
In the Australian state of Victoria, the Victorian Curriculum and
Assessment Authority has set out minimum standards for its electric bass
students doing their end-of-year Solo performance recital. To graduate,
students must perform pieces and songs from a set list that includes
Baroque suite movements that were originally written for cello, 1960s
Motown tunes, 1970s fusion jazz solos, and 1980s slap bass tunes. A
typical program may include a Prelude by
J.S. Bach; "Portrait of Tracy" by
Jaco Pastorius; "
Twisted" by
Wardell Gray and
Annie Ross; "What’s Going On" by
James Jamerson; and the funky Disco hit "
Le Freak" by Chic.
In addition to college and university diplomas and degrees, there are
a variety of other training programs such as jazz or funk summer camps
and festivals, which give students the opportunity to play a wide range
of contemporary music, from 1970s-style jazz-rock fusion to 2000s-style
R&B.
Informal training
In other less mainstream genres, such as hardcore punk or metal, the
pedagogical systems and training sequences are typically not formalized
and institutionalized. As such, many players learn "by ear", by copying
the basslines from records and CDs, and by playing in a number of bands.
Even in non-mainstream styles, though, students may be able to take
lessons from experts in these or other styles, adapting learned
techniques to their own style. As well, there are a range of books,
playing methods, and, since the 1990s, instructional DVDs (e.g., how to
play metal bass).
or a 
