For this article a few simple tips of what you can do before you actually take up any Bass lessons with a private Bass guitar tutor. There are some things you can do at home before you make  start with your lessons. These tips will make the start easier and you will get more out of your lessons.

When you get your first bass check if you can hold the Bass comfortably.  Sit down with the Bass and try to keep the neck in balance so the Bass does not fall down to the floor.Is it too heavy or maybe to light? Try different Basses if you can to see what works for you. For children I recommend you have a look at the www.Gear4music. com site. Look for their Kits Bass Guitars page, they have a fantastic range of 3/4 seize Bass guitars. I am sure you will find something in there you will like!

Once you have your first bass you will need to tune it. If you have bought your Bass from a pack, the pack will include a tuner. Find out how it works and make a start tuning your bass. Tuning your own instrument is part of playing the Bass (or guitar) Make a habit of tuning the Bass before you start playing. You will get the hang of it quickly.

Now you have tuned the Bass let us make a start playing the open strings. The Bass does have four strings, and all of those strings have their own musical name: The lowest (thickest) string is called an E, the next string underneath is called an A, the one directly below is called a D and finally ,the thinnest string of them all, is called a G.
Being aware of the note names is a good thing, it also makes the communication easier: You will know which string to play whenever a particular string is mentioned.

Okay, so far so good, let us now make a start playing the open E string: Rest your thumb on the pick-up (look the finger position in the image above—the Thumb is resting on one of the pick-ups ( the black piece of plastic) while the first and middle finger are being used to play the string—
Use your first finger to strike the E string from underneath. Make sure you get a nice, smooth sound. We do not want any popping string noises! Once you have used your first finger, now do the same but now using your middle finger. When you do it right you get a “walking movement”. This is probably the most important playing technique for the Bass.  Play the E string over and over again using the walking movement. Once it starts to feel comfortable, move on to the A string and do the same, Similar for the D string and finally play the G string.

You are now ready to start using your fingers to fret the notes, at this point you may want to make a start with your Bass lessons. If you live in the Leeds region why not give me a call on 07796 808633 to see what I can do for you?

Thanks and speak to you soon!
Eddie

 

 

 

Common Type of Ukuleles:

The Ukulele family, as we know it today, contains of four different type of instruments. The smallest one is the Soprano and the biggest one is the Baritone. In between these two are the Concert, which in size looks similar to the Tenor.

The Soprano is the most common one for beginners: It is relatively cheap and small to carry.

When it comes to buying your first Ukulele please do not buy the cheapest one you can find.Usually the budgetmodels will not stay in tune very well, their tuners tend to slip which makes tuning something of a nightmare.

As with any instrument, the better the instrument, the better it will play and the easier it will be to get a tune out of it. This is especially true for the less experienced player. There is not need to buy a really expensive Ukulele [only if you are inclined that way] Something in the pricerange from £30.- to £40.- will buy you a fine instrument which will last you for a long time.

 

Tuning:

The most common tuning is the C-tuning which reads like:  G, C, E and A   (low to high). Soprano’s, Concert’s and Tenors are tuned in this tuning, Baritiones are tuned similar as the top four strings of the guitar: D,G,B and E (low to high). Because of this tuning, the Baritone can be seen as a small guitar: The chordshapes are similar as the chordshapes played on the top four strings of the guitar.

 Creating an Ochestra of Ukuleles:

In the previous blog I talked about the Twin Guitar Sound. It is possible to get a smiliar sound from the Ukulele: Put together various types of Ukes and play any chordsequence or song and it will create a beautiful, full sound of matching Ukuleles. If there are any people out there who are interested in putting a Ukulele Orchestra together, please get in touch as I would love to arrange music for this type of band/orchestra.!

More Ukuleles:

Apart from the Ukes mentioned above there are two more different types of Ukes, they are less common but both of them have their own sound: One is the Resonator Ukulele, this Uke looks similar as the resonator guitar with its metal body and metalic sound. This Uke is a lot louder than the more common,  wooden-type body Uke.

Another type of Uke is the Ukulele-Banjo which was popularized by George Formby. This Type of Uke does sound somewhat similar as the Banjo.

Why Play Ukulele?

The sound of the Uke is quite distintive and the size of the instrument is compact which makes it an ideal travelpartner.

A lot of people tend to think the sound of the Uke is somewhat commical. It is true, with it’s C (or D) tuning, that a Uke sounds quite bright, cheerful and less mournful that it’s fuller brother: The Guitar with it’s standard Em^sus4 7 tuning.

 

Want to develop your Ukulele playing? Stay tuned for more special Ukulele blogs about different playing styles/techinques and using guitarcapos for your Uke.

 

See you soon,

Eddie