Bass Guitar FAQ

We can see what sorts of things you are searching for in Google when you come to our site and thought it would be a good idea to start a FAQ page to help future visitors.

FAQ (of google and yahoo)

How much theory should I know?

As a general rule a bass guitarist should know more music theory then anyone they are going to be playing in an ensemble (band) with. The importance of correct bass phrasing is understated in secondary school level, and I do need to stress that playing bass can be easy but must be approached with the highest level of commitment. The next time you listen to a song that is really enjoyable, pick out the bass part and have a listen. More times then not, the bass is carrying the song, without it the song wouldn't work. To play such important bass guitar takes a superior knowledge of theory.

are pentatonic scales the same with a bass guitar?

Well in essence, yes, Pentatonic scales are the same on Bass as they are on regular 6 string guitar. Pentatonic scales are 5 note (penta) scales derived from Major scales. They are played in modal fashion for minors etc.. Pentatonic Scales are just that, a scale. They can played on any instrument you wish. As far as fingering goes a bass guitar's strings are the same as the low 4 strings on a guitar so the position is the same for those 4 strings. Click here for a music notation sheet including tabluture (TAB) for an Am Pentatonic

Fender headstock transfer?

I've seen many transfers for sale on eBay. If you have an original instrument, I'd recommend going and contacting either an authorized distributer or the company themselves

Unscrewing and Ibanez Bass's jack.

A lot of Ibanez bass guitars have no scratch plate and you'll need to remove the back plate to tighten or remove the jack. Bass guitars with scratch plates need to have the scratch plate removed to gain access to the back of the jack. When removing a scratch plate you may need to remove the strings.

Minor Pentatonic on a 5 string Bass.

A minor paentatonic or any other scale doesn't change in theory regardless of the instrument you are playing. To help out Bass Guitarist trying to get their head around the instrument I have started writing tab / notation sheets for practice. You can see one of these sheets at 5-string Bass Pentatonic Pattern

Major Scale Construction

Easy, have a look at the Major Scale section

How do they get that Seinfeld Bass Tone?

Keyboard Samples, it's a midi file.

This page will be updated regularly.