By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Wootton]Nicholas Wootton
I’m going to assume you’ve got a four string bass, as if you are reading this you are more than likely just starting out learning how to play bass guitar. And if you’ve bought yourself a 6 string bad boy you are way ahead of yourself!
First of all we’re going to look at the standard tuning. There are different tunings you can go for, but we’ll keep it standard as this is the base point to start learning. For example, a variation called “Drop D” is commonly used in rock such as famous bands like System of a Down. But let’s not stray from the point.
The standard tuning for your bass guitar is as follows: The thinnest string to the thickest string. It goes: G-D-A-E.
If you are just a beginner and haven’t got a great deal of musical experience, tuning your guitar can be a daunting task. A lot of people tune from the sound of a key on a piano or similar instrument. Although I would recommend purchasing a guitar tuner if you don’t already have one. They aren’t expensive, maybe $30 or less. But they make the whole ordeal a lot easier. You can either plug your guitar into it with the standard cable, or just play the guitar next to it. It tells you what note each string is in when you pluck it, so you can fine tune it perfectly.
As you will find after a few days of playing, you’ll get to know that your guitar will slowly work its way out of tune after a few songs, all it requires is a quick fiddle and its back to normal. But after a few months of this, you will start to be able to tune by your ear alone.
So how exactly do you tune your bass guitar?
Loosen up the string you are tuning, and then plug your guitar into the tuner. As you tighten, simply keep playing the note until it corresponds to your proper tuning. The display on your tuner will tell you when you’re spot on.
Tuning your bass guitar isn’t hard, it just takes a little practice before you start to be able to do it without your tuner. By that time I hope you have started experimenting with different tuning sets, drop d is a natural progression from the standard tuning. You simply go through the same process, only tune to the drop d tuning instead of the standard one.
I hope this has helped you in your quest to become a bass legend! Good luck.
If you'd like to find out more about bass guitar, or how to play bass guitar please visit my bass guitar blog at: http://howtoplaybassguitartips.wordpress.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Wootton http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Play-Bass-Guitar---Initially-The-Tuning&id=712745
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