Bass: Teach Yourself

Get started with the bass guitar. Discover how to approach different rhythms, keys, chords, and more.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. Getting Started

• The bass
• Buying a bass
• Tuning your bass
• Holding the bass
• Fingerstyle or pickstyle?
• Left-hand technique
• Getting acquainted with music
• Getting acquainted with tablature
• Sound off: How to count time

2. Notes on the First Three Strings

• Notes on the G or first string
• The note A
• Rests
• Notes on the D or second string
• Playing notes on the G and D strings
• Notes on the A or third string

3. More Notes, Scales, and Accidentals

• The natural minor scale
• Sharps and naturals
• Notes on the fourth fret
• Notes on the E or fourth string
• Note finding review
• Flats
• Note finding review: Flats and naturals

4. Introducing Keys and Eighth Notes

• Key signatures and the major scale
• The F major scale
• The key of B flat
• Eighth notes
• Warmups in the keys of F and B flat
• Bass licks in the keys of F and B flat
• The key of G

5. New Rhythms, Techniques, and Keys

• Introducing ties and quarter notes
• Introducing the slide
• The accented note
• Licks and exercises with dotted quarter notes, accents, and slides
• The 3rd position
• The key of C
• Syncopation
• Syncopated exercises in various keys
• Rock bass licks with syncopation
• Heavy metal bass licks with syncopation

6. Playing Up the Neck and a New Key

• Notes above high C, part 1
• The key of D
• Rock licks in G, C, and D
• Heavy metal licks in G, C, and D

7. New Rhythms and Keys

• The dotted 8th and 16th note rhythm
• The key of A
• Introducing triplets
• The key of E major
• Notes above high C, part 2

8. Chords and More

• Introducing chords
• Playing from chord sheets, part 1
• Playing from chord sheets, part 2
• The 8th rest
• Notes above high C, part 3
• Playing from chord sheets, part 3
• Playing from chord sheets, part 4
• Notes above high C, part 4
• Playing from chord sheets, part 5

9. Licks from Different Eras

• Rock and roll licks from the '50s
• The 1960s
• The 1970s
• The 1980s
• The 1990s

Conclusion

• Conclusion and credits